'I don't like American biographies. Dr Kane's life is [italics] murdered [end italics], - and why do you give us all those speeches & obsequy things at the end? it is very ungrateful of me to say this, for Mr Elder sent it me. Next - who is Mr Parton who writes biographies on your side of the water? Barnom, & Aaron Burr - the first I literally [italics] could not [end italics] read, just for the want of any moral feeling at all in it, - the last I have just read, because I wanted to get some knowledge of American society in the last centy & beginning of this, - and to know who Aaron Burr was? There is just the same, or worse, want of any idea of simply [sic] right or wrong, - but I don't come out clear as to what [italics] could [end italics] have been Aaron B's [italics] real [end italics] character'