I have purchased little for you in the book way since I sent the catalogue of my former purchases.  I wish, first, to have your answer to that, and your information, what parts of these purchases went out of your plan.  You can easily say, Buy more of this kind, less of that, &c.  My wish is to conform myself to yours.  I can get for you the original Paris edition of the Encyclopedie, in thirty-five volumes, folio, for six hundred and twenty livres; a good edition, in thirty-nine volumes, 4to, for three hundred and eighty livres; and a good one, in thirty-nine volumes, 8vo, for two hundred and eighty livres.  The new one will be superior in far the greater number of articles; but not in all.  And the possession of the ancient one has, moreover, the advantage of supplying present use.  I have bought one for myself, but wait your orders as to you.  I remember your purchase of a watch in Philadelphia.  If it should not have proved good, you can probably sell it.  In that case, I can get for you here, one made as perfect as human art can make it, for about twenty-four louis.  I have had such a one made, by the best and most faithful hand in Paris.  It has a second hand, but no repeating, no day of the month, nor other useless thing to impede and injure the movements which are necessary.  For twelve louis more, you can have in the same cover, but on the back, and absolutely unconnected with the movements of the watch, a pedometer, which shall render you an exact account of the distances you walk.  Your pleasure hereon shall be awaited.

Houdon has returned.  He called on me, the other day, to remonstrate against the inscription proposed for General Washington’s statue.  He says it is too long to be put on the pedestal.  I told him, I was not at liberty to permit any alteration, but I would represent his objection to a friend, who could judge of its validity, and whether a change could be authorized.  This has been the subject of conversations here, and various devices and inscriptions have been suggested.  The one which has appeared best to me, may be translated as follows:  ’Behold, Reader, the form of George Washington.  For his worth, ask History; that will tell it, when this stone shall have yielded to the decays of time.  His country erects this monument.’  Houdon makes it.’This for one side.  On the second, represent the evacuation of Boston, with the motto, ’Hostibus primum fugatis.’  On the third, the capture of the Hessians, with ’Hostibus iterum devictis.’  On the fourth, the surrender of York, with ’Hostibus ultimum debellatis.’  This is seizing the three most brilliant actions of his military life.  By giving out, here, a wish of receiving mottos for this statue, we might have thousands offered, from which still better might be chosen.  The artist made the same objection, of length, to the inscription for the bust of the Marquis de la Fayette.  An alteration of that might come in time still, if an alteration was wished.  However, I am not certain