April
16. 1778
would permit, in the Study of the French Language. I had not engaged any
Master and determined to engage none. I thought he would break in upon my hours
in the necessary division of my time, between Business, and Study
and Visits, and might often embarrass me. I had other reasons too, but none
were sufficient to justify me. It was an egregious Error and I have seen cause
enough to regret it. In Stead of a Master I determined to obtain the best
Advice of those who were Masters of the Language, and purchase the Books in
which it was taught upon Principle. Two Abbys,
De Chalut and Arnoux, the former a Brother of
the Farmer General of that name, and himself a Knight of
Malta, as well as of the Order of Saint Louis,
and both of them learned Men, came early to visit me. They had a House in the
City and another in the Country at
Passi, in our Neighbourhood,
where they resided in Summer. Whether they were Spies of the Court or not I
know not. But I should have no Objection to such Spies for they were always my
friends, always instructive, and agreable in
conversation. They were upon so good terms however with the Courtiers that if
they had seen any thing in my Conduct or heard any thing in my Conversation
that was dangerous or very exceptionable, I doubt not they would have thought
it their duty to give Information of it. They were totally destitute of the
English language, but by one means and another They found a Way of making me
understand them, and sometimes by calling an interpreter and sometimes by
gibbering something like French I made them understand me. Dr.
Franklin was reported to speak french very well, but I found upon
attending critically to him that he did not speak it, grammatically, and upon
my asking him sometimes whether a Phrase he had used was correct, he
acknowledged to me, that he was wholly inattentive to the grammar. His
pronunciation too, upon which the French Gentlemen and Ladies complemented him
very highly and which he seemed to think pretty well, I soon found was very
inaccurate, and some Gentlemen of high rank afterwards candidly told me that it
was so confused, that it was scarcely possible to understand him. Indeed his
Knowledge of French, at least his faculty of speaking it, may be said to have
commenced with his Embassy to
France. He told me that when he was in
France some Years before, Sir John Pringle was
with him, and did all his conversation for him, as his Interpreter, and that he
understood and spoke French, with great difficulty,untill his present Residence, although he read it.
Finding that I should derive little advantage from Dr.
Franklin in acquiring
French, I determined to go to the fountain head, and I asked The Abbys Chalut and Arnoux, what Books they would recommend to me, as the best for teaching their Language upon Principle? They appeared to be much pleased with this question, and immediately named the true Principles of the French Tongue, and the French Synonimous Words of the Abby Gerard, The Dictionary of the Rules of the French Tongue in two Volumes, and The Dictionary of the Accademy. This they said was undoubtedly the most correct as an Authority, but there were other and larger Works such as the Dictionary of Richeley in three Volumes and the Dictionary of Trevoux in Eight Volumes in folio. I asked further what Writings were esteemed the best models. They said Pascalls provincial Letters, Madam de Sevinnes Letters, Hamiltons Memoirs, and even the Thousand and one Knights were as pure French as any in the language, but they would advise me to read The Cardinal De Retts and the Writers of that time but especially L'Esprit de la Ligue in three Volumes and L'Esprit de la Fronde in five, for these Books would lead me into the History of France and bring me acquainted with many of their Characters. They gave me the Names of Booksellers who would furnish me with any books I wanted. I soon went to Paris and purchased them all and many more.
French, I determined to go to the fountain head, and I asked The Abbys Chalut and Arnoux, what Books they would recommend to me, as the best for teaching their Language upon Principle? They appeared to be much pleased with this question, and immediately named the true Principles of the French Tongue, and the French Synonimous Words of the Abby Gerard, The Dictionary of the Rules of the French Tongue in two Volumes, and The Dictionary of the Accademy. This they said was undoubtedly the most correct as an Authority, but there were other and larger Works such as the Dictionary of Richeley in three Volumes and the Dictionary of Trevoux in Eight Volumes in folio. I asked further what Writings were esteemed the best models. They said Pascalls provincial Letters, Madam de Sevinnes Letters, Hamiltons Memoirs, and even the Thousand and one Knights were as pure French as any in the language, but they would advise me to read The Cardinal De Retts and the Writers of that time but especially L'Esprit de la Ligue in three Volumes and L'Esprit de la Fronde in five, for these Books would lead me into the History of France and bring me acquainted with many of their Characters. They gave me the Names of Booksellers who would furnish me with any books I wanted. I soon went to Paris and purchased them all and many more.
This day We dined at Mr. La Frets. A splendid
House, Gardens and Furniture. The Family were fond of Paintings and exhibited a
Variety of exquisite Pieces, but none of them struck me more than one Picture
of a Storm and another of a Calm at Sea. I had not forgotten the
Gulph Stream, the
English Channel nor the
Bay of Biscay.
[The following three paragraphs were begun by JA as an interlineation
in the MS and then continued on a separate sheet marked for insertion ahead of
the entry of 17 April, below.] At this dinner the Conversation turned
upon the Infrequency of Marriage in
France. Go into any company they said and you would find very
few who were married, and upon Examination of the numerous Company at Table I
was found the only
