Our Merchants are complaining bitterly that Great Britain is ruining their Trade, and there is great Reason to complain; but I think much greater, to complain of too many of the Citizens thro' the Common wealth who are imitating the Britons in every idle Amusement & expensive Foppery which it is in their Power to invent for the Destruction of a young Country. Can our People expect to indulge themselves in the unbounded Use of every unmeaning & fantastick Extravagance because they would follow the Lead of Europeans, & not spend all their Money? You would be surprizd to see the Equipage, the Furniture & expensive Living of too many, the Pride & Vanity of Dress which pervades thro every Class, confounding every Distinction between the Poor & the Rich and evincing the Want both of Example & AEconomy. Before this reaches you, you will have heard of the Change in our chiefe Magistrate. I confess it is what I have long wishd for. Our new Governor1 has issued his Proclamation for the Encouragement of Piety Virtue Education & Manners and for the Suppressing of Vice. This with the good Example of a first Magistrate & others may perhaps restore our Virtue. Monsieur le Etomb's true Decency of Manners has done honor to your Letter of Recommendation. Mrs A joins in sincere Respects to your Lady & Family. Adieu my dear sir 1 James Bowdoin, who had succeeded John Hancock. TO JOHN ADAMS. [MS., Adams Papers, Quincy; a draft, dated 1784, is in the Samuel Adams Papers, Lenox Library.] BOSTON 16th Augt 1785 MY DEAR SIR