346 Life of Count Rumford. 



country, met here a hearty interest with his many 

 friends. He had already begun to receive in America 

 marks of public regard. Judge Tudor, one of the 

 founders of the Massachusetts Historical Society, the 

 oldest in the country, having nominated Count Rum- 

 ford as a corresponding member, he was elected as such 

 at a meeting of the Society on January 30, 1798. The 

 following cordial letter was received from him in re- 

 sponse, and having been read at a meeting of the So- 

 ciety on July 19, 1798, by the Corresponding Secretary, 

 it was voted that it be published in one of the Boston 

 papers, and that a set of the Collections of the Soci- 

 ety, handsomely bound in four volumes, be sent to the 

 Count. Of this correspondence the admiring Pictet 

 writes: "The Historical Society of Massachusetts, in 

 choosing the Count to membership, expressed to him, 

 through its President, their unanimous desire to see 

 him return to his own country and settle among them. 

 His answer, which may be read in the American papers 

 of the time, was much admired. I regret that I cannot 

 transcribe it." 



I am glad that I can transcribe the letter from the 

 files of the Society as follows : 



" REVEREND SIR, I have had the pleasure to receive your 

 letter of the 3151 January, in which you inform me of my hav- 

 ing been elected a Member of the Massachusetts Historical 

 Society. I request, Sir, that you would present my best thanks 

 to that respectable body for the honor they have done me, and 

 at the same time assure them that I feel myself highly flattered 

 by this distinguished mark of their regard and esteem. 



" Though my present situation and connections must for the 

 present, and may perhaps for ever, prevent my having the satis- 

 faction of co-operating with the Society in the furtherance of 

 their interesting and useful researches, yet I shall have much 



