April 28. 1778
April 28. Tuesday. 1778.
Breakfasted at home with Mr. Caumont
[Chaumont], Mr. Dubourg,
Mr. Chaumont the Son, Mr. Franklin and his
grandson.
Mr. Dubourg was a Physician, a Batcheller, a Man of Letters and of good Character but of
little Consequence in the French World. Franklin had been
introduced to him, in his first Visit to
Paris, and Dubourg had translated his Works into French. He must
have been in Years for he told me he had been acquainted with Lord
Bolinbroke when he was in
France. He told Us a Story of Cardinal
Mazarine. An officer petitioned him, to make him a Captain of his Life
Guard. The Cardinal answered that he had no Occasion for any other Guard than
his Tutelary Angell. Ah! Sir said the Officer your
Ennemies will put him to flight with a few drops of
holy Water. The Cardinal only replied that he was not afraid of that holy
Water. -- It was a wonder that some thing worse had not happened to the
Officer, for his insinuation was nothing less than that the Devil was the
Cardinals only tutelary Angell.
Dubourg was a jolly Companion and very fond of Anecdotes. He
told a great number, whenever I was in Company which were said to be excellent:
but his Speech was so rapid that I could not fully understand them. One I
remember, he told as an instance of the great presence of Mind, Self command
and good nature of the Marshall De Turenne. He had chosen for
his Valet, the stoutest Grenadier in his Army who frequently plaid at Hot
Cockles with another of his Domesticks who was
named Stephen. The Marshall one day stooped down to look out of a Window with
one of his hands upon his back. The Grenadier, coming suddenly into the
Chamber, raised his Gigantic Arm and with his brawny palm gave his master a
furious blow upon his hand upon his back. The Marshall drew himself in and
looked at the Grenadier, who the moment he saw it was his Master fell upon his
Knees in despair, begging for Mercy "for he thought it was Stephen." Well, said
the Marshall, [illegible] rubbing his hand which was
throbbing tingling with the Smart, "if it had been
Stephen, you ought not to have struck so hard" and said no more upon the
Subject. -- This Story I understood, because I had read something like it in
Rousseau.
Dined at home this day with Mr. Lee, who spent the day with
me upon the public business. In the Evening We went to the Italian Comedy,
where I saw a Harlequin for the first time.
April 29. Wednesday. 1778.
Dined with the Marshall De Maillebois, with a great deal of
Company. Here also We were
shewn the Marshalls Amie
seated at the Table, with all his great Company. Mr. Lee and I
had a good deal of conversation with her. Mr. Lee spoke french
with tolerable ease. I
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could say but little: but I understood her
as well as any one I had heard in french. I appeared to me that the Marshall
had chosen her rather for her Wit and Sense than personal charms.... I was soon
informed that this Marshall Maillebois and Marshall
Brolie had the reputation of the two most intriguing Men in
France; and I was the more disposed to believe it, of the
former, because I knew of his Intrigue with Mr. Deane, to be
placed over the head of General Washing
[Washington] in the Command in Chief of our
American Army. It is proper in this place to insert an Anecdote. Mr.
Lee and I waited on the Count de Vergens, one day to
ask a
favour for our Country, I forget what it was.
The Count said it was in the Department of War. It was on one of the Feasts of
the Cordon blue, when the Count had been kneeling on marble Pavements in Church
for some hours and his Knees aked to such a degree that he said he would take a
Walk with Us to the Minister of War and ask the
favour
for Us. As We walked across the Court of the Castle of
Versailles We met the Marshall Maillebois.
Mutual Bows were exchanged as We passed, and Mr. Lee said to
the Count de Vergennes That is a great General Sir. Ah! said
the Count de Vergennes, I wish he had the Command with You!
Mr. Lee's Observation was in French "C'est un grand General,
Monsieur!" The Count de Vergennes's Answer was Ah! Je souhaite
qu'il avait le Commandment chez vous. This escape was in my Mind a confirmation
strong of the design at Court of getting the whole Command of America into
their own hands, and a luminous Commentary on Mr. Deans
Letters which I had seen and heard read in Congress, and on his mad Contract
with Monsieur Du Coudray and his hundred Officers. My feelings
on this Occasion were kept to myself: but my reflection was, I will be buried
in the Ocean or in any other manner sacrificed, before I will voluntarily put
on the Chains of
France when I am struggling to throw off those of
Great Britain. If my Life should be spared to continue these
memorials, more of this Marshall De Maillebois will be
recorded. Puffers he had found who represented him as one of the greatest
Generals of
Europe, but in
Holland
where I saw him in Command he proved himself
as mean and mercenary as he was imbecille and
unskillfull.
After dinner We went to the
Accademy of Sciences,
and heard Mr. D'Alembert as Secretary perpetual, pronounce
Eulogies on several of their Members
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lately deceased.
Voltaire and Franklin were both present, and
there presently arose a general Cry that Monsieur Voltaire and
Monsieur Franklin should be introduced to each other. This was
done and they bowed and spoke to each other. This was no Satisfaction. There
must be something more. Neither of our Philosophers seemed to divine what was
wished or expected. They however took each other by the hand.... But this was
not enough. The
Clamour continued,
untill the explanation came out "Il faut s'embrasser, a la
francoise." The two Aged Actors upon this great Theatre of Philosophy and
frivolity then embraced each other by hugging one another in their Arms and
kissing each others cheeks, and then the tumult subsided. And the Cry
immediately spread through the whole Kingdom and I suppose over all
Europe Qu'il etoit charmant. Oh! il etoit enchantant, de voir
Solon et Sophocle embrassans. How charming it was! Oh! it was enchanting to see
Solon and Sophocles embracing!
After the Secretary's Eulogies were finished, one of which if I remember
well was upon Mr. Jurieu and another on Mr.
Duhamel, a number of Memoirs were publickly read by their Authors,
upon various Subjects. One was upon the Art of making good Wine. As soon as he
had read the Title The Audience compelled him to stop, which he did I presume
with pleasure, for it was to hear a loud Applause, for the Choice of his
Subject before they knew how he had treated it. It seemed to be a
chymical Analysis of all the ingredients which
enter into the composition of Wine, and a
proscess
by which it might be made in its greatest perfection. It was much applauded as
were the Eulogies and most of the other Memoires. I remarked in all these
compositions a kind of affectation that
surprized
me. The Authors seemed to search for Opportunities to introduce hints and
sarcastical Allusions to the frivolities, Vanity, Affectation, follies and
prejudices of their own Nation. This I should have expected would have been
hissed at least, if no more. But on the contrary nothing was more loudly
applauded, and nothing seemed to produce more gaiety and good
humour. Is this an
honourable
trait, or is it not? More Liberties of this kind were taken in
France, I believe than in any other country. In
America at that time they would not have been endured. In
England some freedoms may be used with John
Bull, but you must be very careful to respect his essential
Characteristicks of Integrity, good Sense,
sound judgment, great Courage and humanity. If you touch these you
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touch an Englishman to the quick. I have somewhere read that it is a proof of
the last degree of depravity: when a Nation will laugh at their own Vices and
then go away and repeat them. But I have some doubt of this.
April 30. Thursday. 1778.
Dined with the Marshall Duke de Mouchy, with the
Duke and Dutchess
D'Ayen, The Marchioness de la Fayette, their
Daughter, The Vicountess de Maillebois, her Sister, another
Sister unmarried, The Prussian Ambassador, an Italian Ambassador, and a vast
Collection of other great Company. I saw at Table a handsome Lady and perceived
that she spoke a little English. As I satt next to
Madame de la Fayette I asked her who that Lady was. The
Marchioness blushed and seemed in some confusion for some time: at length she
assumed an Air of vivacity and said "C'est une Amie de Monsieur de Mouchy." "It
is a friend of Mr. De Mouchy." The Personage with whom We dined was
Phillip de Noailles, Marshall Duke de Mouchy,
a Grandee of
Spain of the first Class, a Knight of the orders of the King,
and of the Golden Fleece, Grand Cross of the Order of
Malta, named Lieutenant General of Guienne in 1768 and Commander
in Chief of that province in 1775.... At Table, with an audible Voice, he
addressed himself to me and asked me how I liked
Bourdeaux? I replied answered that I found
it a rich elegant City, flourishing in Arts And Commerce. The Duke then asked
if I was contented with my reception there? I answered that they had done me
too much honour. The Duke replied, he wished he had
been there to have joined them in doing me honor. I saw a general Attention to
this Dialogue and a sort of Admiration in all the Company at Table, which I did
[not] well understand. Count Sarsfield
however and several others of the Company took care to inform me, that the Duke
had made me a great Compliment at Table. This, to be sure was more than I knew
at the time.... This Nobleman lived in all the Splendor and Magnificence of a
Vice Roy, which is little inferiour to that of a
King. The Prince de Poix was the eldest Son and the Viscount de
Noailles the second Son of the Duke de Mouchy.
May 1. Fryday.
1778.
Dined with the Duke D'Ayen, the Brother of the Duke
[de] Mouchy and the Father of the
Marchioness de la Fayette. The House, the Gardens, the Walks,
the Pictures and Furniture all in the highest Style of magnificence. The
Portraits of the Family of Noailles, were ancient and numerous. Among them was
a Picture of Noailles the Ambassador, in
England at the time of the Regency when the Duke of
Sommersett was at the head of it. The Negotiations of this Ambassador
are in print and in my Possession. We were shewn into
the Library,
