During that period the younger Adams attended a public school in Paris, while his leisure hours were filled with the instructions casually derived from the conversation of John Adams, and Dr.Franklin, and other eminent intellectual persons, by whom his father was surrounded.

The improvement of the son during his sojourn abroad is thus mentioned by John Adams, just before his embarkation on his return to America.
"My son has had a great opportunity to see this country, but this has unavoidably retarded his education in some other things.

He has enjoyed perfect health from first to last, and is respected wherever he goes, for his vigor and vivacity both of mind and body; for his constant good humor, and for his rapid progress in French, as well as in general knowledge, which, for his age, is uncommon." John Adams now regarded his public life as closed.

He wrote to Mrs.Adams: "The Congress, I presume, expect that I should come home, and I shall come accordingly.

As they have no business for me in Europe, I must contrive to get some for myself at home.