can be prevailed on to assume a naval superiority in the American seas, to furnish the arms, ammunition, and clothing, specified in the estimate heretofore transmitted, and to assist with the loan mentioned in the letter, they flatter themselves, that, under the divine blessing, the war must speedily be terminated, with glory and advantage to both nations."

By several letters to me from intelligent persons it appears, that the great and expensive exertions of the last year, by which a force was assembled capable of facing the enemy, and which accordingly drew towards New York, and lay long near that city, was rendered ineffectual by the superiority of the enemy at sea ; and that their successes in Carolina had been chiefly owing to that superiority, and to the want of the necessary means for furnishing, marching, and paying the expense of troops sufficient to defend that province. The Marquis de Lafayette writes to me, that it is impossible to conceive, without seeing it, the distress which the troops have suffered for want of clothing; and the following is a paragraph of a letter from General Washington, which I ought not to keep back from your Excellency, viz. “I doubt not that you are so fully informed by Congress of our political and military state, that it would be superfluous to trouble you with any thing relative to either. If I were to speak on topics of the kind, it would be to show that our present situation makes one of two things essential to us; a peace, or the most vigorous aid of our allies, particularly in the article of money. Of their disposition to serve us, we cannot doubt; their generosity will do every thing which their means will permit." They had in America great expectations, I know not on what foundation, that a considerable supply of money would be

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[ÆT. 75

obtained from Spain; but that expectation has failed, and the force of that nation in those seas has been employed to reduce small forts in Florida, without rendering any direct assistance to the United States; and indeed the long delay of that court, in acceding to the treaty of commerce, begins to have the appearance of its not inclining to have any connexion with us; so that, for effectual friendship, and for the aid so necessary in the present conjuncture, we can rely on France alone, and in the continuance of the King's goodness towards us.

I am grown old. I feel myself much enfeebled by my late long illness, and it is probable I shall not long have any more concern in these affairs. I therefore take this occasion to express my opinion to your Excellency, that the present conjuncture is critical ; that there is some danger lest the Congress should lose its influence over the people, if it is found unable to procure the aids that are wanted ; and that the whole system of the new government in America may thereby be shaken; that, if the English are suffered once to recover that country, such an opportunity of effectual separation as the present may not occur again in the course of ages; and that the possession of those fertile and extensive regions, and that vast seacoast, will afford them so broad a basis for future greatness, by the rapid growth of their commerce, and breed of seamen and soldiers, as will enable them to become the terror of Europe, and to exercise with impunity that insolence, which is so natural to their nation, and which will increase enormously with the increase of their power.*

" The

in this letter, he was obliged to accept the flattering, but at such a moment scarcely welcome, homage of a Fête Champêtre from the Countess d'Houdetot, at Sanoy, in the valley of Montmorency, some twelve miles from Paris, and which is thus briefly described by Mr. Sparks:

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 võux :
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,
Et la vertu, pour se faire adorer,
De Benjamin emprunta la figure.'

“At the third glass, the Viscount d'Houdetot sang;

"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 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 accompanied 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 faite et ses rameaux;
Franklin nous enseigna par ses heureux travaux
A la diriger ou à l'eteindre,
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.

"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.'"-ED.

END OF VOL. II.