, and the sick
mare, owing to a dose of physic administered the night he reached
Chester, was so much weakened as to be unable to carry Austin [one of
the postilions] further than the Susquehannah; had to be led thence to
Hartford, where she was left, and two days afterwards, "gave up the
ghost." As he travelled on, he heard great complaints of the Hessian
fly, and of rust or mildew in the wheat, and believed that the damage
would be great in some places; but that more was said than the case
warranted, and on the whole the crops would be abundant. On arriving in
Georgetown, he found many well-conceived plans for the public buildings
in the new city, and remarks that it was a pleasure to him to find in
our new country so much architectural ability displayed. Concludes, "I
am your affectionate friend, G.W."

The second is dated Mount Vernon, September 21, '92. He tells Mr. Lear
that he had written him but one letter since arriving at Mount Vernon,
but was on the eve of writing a second when his of the 5th of August got
to hand, with such information of his movements (Mr. Lear having been
away from Philadelphia) as might now enable him to direct a letter to
him without danger of its "reverberating back." He thanks him for the
information afforded in his letter of the 5th of August and in another
of the 21st of July; says he has nothing agreeable of a domestic nature
to relate. Poor George [the General is here supposed to allude to Mr.
George Lewis, one of his nephews, then staying at Mount Vernon], he
fears, is not far from that place whence no traveller returns; he is but
the shadow of what he was; has not been out of his room, scarcely out of
his bed, for six weeks; has intervals of ease which flatter us a little,
but he, the General, has little hope of his surviving the winter. It is
so he writes of this nephew, adding that the subject gives him much
distress. Concludes, "with sincere and affectionate regard I am always
your friend, G.W."

The third is dated Mount Vernon, October 1, '92. In the expectation
that this letter will find Mr. Lear again in Philadelphia, he wishes him
to begin in time to compare all his former speeches to Congress with the
subsequent acts of that body that he might see what parts of them passed
altogether unnoticed or had been only partially noticed, that thus he
might be enabled to judge whether any and what parts should be brought
forward again. He requests him also, as before, to note ever