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honor of breakfasting with me on Monday last, when I presented the compliments you charged me with. Mr. Cumberland has not yet arrived at Paris, as far as I have heard.

The discontents in our army have been quieted. There was in them not the least disposition of revolting to the enemy. I thank you for the Maryland captain's news, which I hope will be confirmed. They have heard something of it in England, as you will see by the papers, and are very uneasy about it, as well as about their news from the East Indies. Yours affectionately, B. FRANKLIN.*

On the 12th of April, 1781, Dr. Franklin was entertained in a somewhat remarkable manner, at a Fête Champêtre given by the Countess d'Houdetot, at Sanoy, in the valley of Montmorency, twelve miles from Paris. The company consisted only of the different branches of the family of the Count and Countess d'Houdetot. To understand one of the stanzas, it is necessary to know that the Countess's name was Sophie. When the approach of Dr. Franklin's carriage was announced, they all set off on foot from the Château, and met him at the distance of about half a mile. He was handed from his carriage by the Countess, who, upon his alighting, pronounced the following verses of her own composition.

“Ame du héros, et du sage,

Oh liberté! premier bienfait des dieux!

Hélas! c'est de trop loin que nous t'offrons des vœux;
Ce n'est qu'en soupirant que nous rendons hommage
Au mortel qui forma des citoyens heureux."

They walked slowly to the Château, where they sat down to a splendid dinner. At the first glass of wine, the following stanza was sung, which became the chorus of the day, accompanied by instrumental music.

"De Benjamin célébrons la mémoire,

Chantons le bien qu'il a fait aux mortels;

En Amérique il aura des autels,

Et dans Sanoy nous buvons à sa gloire."

At the second glass, the Countess sang the following quatrain.

"Il rend ses droits à l'humaine nature,

Pour l'affranchir il voulut l'éclairer,

TO JOHN ADAMS.

Passy, 29 April, 1781.

I enclose you extracts of two letters ministerial, found in the same packet with the former, written in the fond belief that the States were on the point of submitting, and cautioning the commissioners for peace

Et la vertu, pour se faire adorer,
De Benjamin emprunta la figure."

At the third glass, the Viscount d'Houdetot sang;
"Guillaume Tell fut brave, mais sauvage;
J'estime plus notre cher Benjamin;
De l'Amérique en fixant le destin,
A table il rit, et c'est là le vrai sage."

At the fourth, the Viscountess sang;
"Je dis aussi, vive Philadelphie!
L'indépendance a de quoi me tenter;
Dans ce pays je voudrais habiter,
Quoiqu'il n'y ait ni bal ni comédie."

At the fifth, Madame de Pernan;

"Tous nos enfants apprendront de leurs mères
A vous aimer, vous croire et vous bénir;
Vous enseignez ce qui peut réunir

Tous les humains dans les bras d'un seul père."

At the sixth, Count de Tressan;

"Vive Sanoy! C'est ma Philadelphie
Lorsque j'y vois son cher législateur;
J'y rajeunis dans le sein du bonheur,
J'y ris, j'y bois, et j'écoute Sophie."

At the seventh, the Count d'Apché;

"Pour soutenir cette charte sacrée
Qu'Edouard accorda aux Anglais,
Je sens qu'il n'est de chevalier Français
Qui ne désire employer son épée."

Dinner being ended, Dr. Franklin was led by the Countess, accompanied by the whole family, into the gardens of Sanoy, where, under a rural arbor, he was presented by the gardener with a Virginia locust

not to promise too much respecting the future constitutions. They are indeed cautiously worded, but easily understood, when explained by two court maxims or assertions, the one of Lord Granville's, late President of the Council, that the King is the legislator of the colonies; the other of the present Chancellor, when in the House of Commons, that the Quebec constitution was the only proper constitution for colonies,

tree, which, at the request of the company, he planted with his own hands. The Countess at the same time repeated the following verses, which have been engraven on a marble pillar in the neighbourhood of that tree.

"Arbre sacré, durable monument

Du séjour qu'en ces lieux a daigné faire un sage,
De ces jardins devenu l'ornement,

Recevez-y le juste hommage

De nos vœux et de notre encens;

Et puissiez-vous dans tous les âges,

A jamais respecté du temps,

Vivre autant que son nom, ses lois et ses ouvrages."

On their return, they were met by a band of music, which accom

panied the whole family in the following song.

"Que cet arbre, planté par sa main bienfaisante...

Elevant sa tige naissante

Au dessus du stérile ormeau,

Par sa fleur odoriférante,

Parfume l'air de cet heureux hameau.

La foudre ne pourra l'atteindre,

Elle respectera son faîte et ses rameaux;

Franklin nous enseigna par ses heureux travaux

A la diriger ou à l'éteindre,

Tandis qu'il détruisait des maux

Pour la terre encore plus à plaindre."

After which they all proceeded to the Château. Towards evening Dr. Franklin was reconducted by the whole company to his carriage, and, before the door was shut, the Countess pronounced the following complimentary verses composed by herself.

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Législateur d'un monde, et bienfaiteur des deux,
L'homme dans tous les temps te devra ses hommages;

Et je m'acquitte dans ces lieux

De la dette de tous les âges."

ought to have been given to them all when first planted, and what all ought now to be reduced to. We may hence see the danger of listening to any of their deceitful propositions, though piqued by the negligence of some of those European powers, who will be much benefited by our revolution. I have the honor to be, Sir, your most obedient and most humble servant, B. FRANKLIN.

TO CHARLES W. F. DUMAS.

Passy, 4 May, 1781.

DEAR SIR,

It is so long since I heard from you, that I begin to fear you are ill. Pray write to me, and let me know the state of your health. I enclose Morgan's account of his engagement with Tarleton. If he has not already received it, it may be agreeable to our friend the gazetteer of Leyden. Every thing goes well here, and I am ever, &c.

B. FRANKLIN.

FROM MISS GEORGIANA SHIPLEY TO B. FRANKLIN. 4

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London, 6 May, 1781.

Your dear, delightful letter made me most happy, particularly your account of yourself, as it proves that you are in good spirits, and pleased with your present situation. Your Dialogue with the Gout is written with your own cheerful pleasantry, and La belle et la mauvaise Jambe* recalls to my mind those happy hours we once passed in your society, where we were never

See Vol II. pp. 185, 194.

amused without learning some useful truth, and where I first acquired a taste pour la conversation badinante et réfléchie.

It is long since I have written to my ever valued friend; but the difficulty I find in conveying my letters safe to Passy is the only motive for my silence. Strange, that I should be under the necessity of concealing from the world a correspondence, which it is the pride and glory of my heart to maintain.

We have spent three months in London, but leave it to-morrow, that we may enjoy the beauties of a late spring at Twyford. My father grows every year fonder of that peaceful retirement; having found his endeavours to serve his country ineffectual, he yields to a torrent, which it is no longer in his power to oppose. I will confess, that, although I love reading and drawing sufficiently never to want amusement in the country, yet I have some few friends in town from whom I shall part with regret. We live very little in public, but a great deal with small private societies. They are the charm of life.

I have inquired after Mr. Small, but hitherto my inquiries have proved unsuccessful. Sir John Pringle has left London, and is gone to reside wholly in Scotland. I fear he is much straitened in his circumstances; he looks ill, and is vastly changed from what you remember him. Dr. Priestley is now on a short visit to his friends in town. I find he is settled much to his satisfaction at Birmingham, where he has the care of a pretty numerous congregation. Good Dr. Price calls on us often, and gives us hopes of a visit to Twyford. We value him no less on his own account, than for his steady attachment to our respectable friend.

The first opportunity we have of sending a parcel

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