< Life of Count Rumford. 355 



[Count Rumford's reply.] 



" BROMPTON, n Sept. 1799. 



11 DEAR SIR, I am to acknowledge the receipt of your 

 Excellency's most flattering letter of the 8th inst., the perusal 

 of which has filled my mind with sentiments much more easy to 

 be conceived than expressed. 



" I am deeply sensible of the honor that has been conferred 

 upon me by the Government of the United States, by the kind 

 invitation they have sent me to come and reside in my native 

 Country, and also by the other distinguished and most flattering 

 proofs of their confidence and esteem with which that invitation 

 has been accompanied. 



" Nothing could have afforded me so much satisfaction as 

 to have had it in my power to have given to my liberal and 

 generous countrymen such proof of my sentiments as would 

 in the most public and ostensible manner have evinced, not 

 only my gratitude for the kind attentions I have received from 

 them, but also the ardent desire I feel to assist in promoting 

 the prosperity of my native Country. But engagements which 

 great obligations have rendered sacred and inviolable "put it 

 out of my power to dispose of my time and services with 

 that unreserved freedom which would be necessary in order 

 to enable me to accept of those generous offers which the 

 Executive Government of the United States has been pleased 

 to propose to me. But although it is not in my power to 

 dissolve those ties by which I am bound, yet I have no 

 doubt of being able to obtain permission to visit America, 

 and should that permission (which I shall certainly solicit) 

 be granted, I shall take an early opportunity of crossing 

 the Atlantic in order to pay my personal respects to the 

 President of the United States, and to return him my thanks 

 for the distinguished honor he has been pleased to confer 

 on me. 



" I cannot finish this letter without requesting that you, Sir, 

 would accept my best acknowledgments for the many civilities 

 1 have received from you, and more especially for the very 

 polite manner in which you have been so good as to communi- 



