For TJ’s earlier summary of the doctrines of epicurus with slightly variant wording, see PTJ description begins Julian P. Boyd, Charles T. Cullen, John Catanzariti, Barbara B. Oberg, James P. McClure, and others, eds., The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, 1950– , 43 vols. description ends , 31:284–5. At some point TJ’s son-in-law Thomas Mann Randolph copied this earlier version, with a heading of “Epicurus—Principles; doctrines—from Stanley by Th: Jefferson—heads” (Tr in ViCMRL: Randolph Letterbook, on deposit ViU). The reference to Stanley suggests that TJ based his notes on Thomas Stanley, The History of Philosophy: containing The Lives, Opinions, Actions and Discourses of the Philosophers Of every Sect (4th ed.; London, 1743; Sowerby, description begins E. Millicent Sowerby, comp., Catalogue of the Library of Thomas Jefferson, 1952–59, 5 vols. description ends no. 34), part 13 of which, pp. 602–714, dealt with Epicurus and his teachings.

in-dolent: TJ presumably hyphenated here to avoid confusion with “indolent” in the sense of being habitually lazy. Here he intends “not dolent,” with “dolent” meaning “Sorrowing, grieving; sorrowful, sad” (OED description begins James A. H. Murray, J. A. Simpson, E. S. C. Weiner, and others, eds., The Oxford English Dictionary, 2d ed., 1989, 20 vols. description ends ).