May 30. Saturday 1778.
Dr. Franklin, who had no Business to do, or who at least
would do none, and who had Mr. William Temple Franklin for his
private Secretary, without consulting his Colleagues and indeed without saying
a Word to me, who lived in the same house with him and had no private
Secretary, though I had all the Business to do, thought fit to take into the
Family a French private Secretary, a young Man of civil deportment however and
good Understanding. He had some Knowledge of the Italian, German and English
Languages. For what reason or for what Purpose he was introduced I never knew.
Whether it was to be a Spy upon me, or whether Franklin was
persuaded by some of his French Friends to give him Employment, or whether it
was to save Mr. William Temple the trouble of Copying the
Letters when I had written them, I gave myself no trouble to
enquire. I thought his Salary and his Keeping an
unnecessary expence. The young Man however continued
with Us, as long as I remained at
Passi, and conducted himself with propriety. This day I dined at
home, with this young Gentleman only. Having some Inclination to look a little
into the Italian Language, I asked him which was the best Dictionary and
Grammar of it. He said those of Veneroni: and the best Dictionary and Grammar
of the German, were those of Gottshed. I asked many questions about French
books, and particularly enquired about their Prosody, as I wished to understand
something of their Versification. He said the best Treatise of French Prosody
was The Poetique Francoise of Mr. Marmontell.
June 2. Tuesday. 1778.
Went to
Versailles, and found it deserted, the Court being gone to
Marli.... We went to
Marli, met the Count de Vergennes and did some
Business with him, then went to Mr. De Sartine and after doing
some business dined with him. His Lady was at home and dined with the Company.
The Prince de Monbarry
[Montbarey], then
Secretary of War, dined there. After dinner went to the Spanish Ambassadors,
the Count D'Aranda's
Caffee, as they
call it, where he gives Coffee, Ice Creams and Cakes to all the
World.Marli was the most curious and beautiful place I had yet
seen. In point of Magnificence it was not equal to
Versailles but in Elegance and Taste,
superiour. The Machinery, which conveys such a great body
of Water from the Seine to
Versailles, and through the Gardens of Marli
[illegible] is very complicated, and magnificent. The Royal
Palace is handsome and the Gardens before it are grand. There are six
Pavillions, on each side of the Garden, that is six Houses
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for the
Residence of the Kings Ministers, while the Royal Family is at
Marli, which is only for three Weeks. There is nothing prettier
than the play of the fountains in the Garden. I saw a Rainbow in all its glory
in one of them. The Shades, the Walks, the Trees were the most charming I had
yet seen.
We had not time to visit
Lucienne [Louvecienne], the elegant retreat
for devotion, Penitence and Mortification of Madam Dubarry:
and indeed I had been in such a Reverie in the morning in passing
Bellvue, that I was not averse to postpone the Sight of another
Object of the same kind to a future Opportunity.
On the Road from
Paris and from
Passi to
Versailles, beyond the River Seine and not far from
St. Cleod
[Cloud] but on the opposite side of
the Way, stood a
pallace of uncommon beauty in its
Architecture, situated on one of the finest Elevations in the
neighbourhood of the River, commanding a Prospect as
rich and variegated as it
is was vast and sublime. For a
few of the first times that I went to
Versailles I had other Things to occupy my Attention: but after
I had passed through my Ceremonies and began to feel myself more at Ease, I
asked some Questions about this place and was informed that it was called
Bellevue and was the Residence of the Kings Aunts
Adelaide and
[Victoire], two of the
surviving Daughters of Louis the fifteenth. That this palace
had been built and this Establishment made by that Monarch for Madame
Pompadour, whom he visited here, almost every night for twenty Years,
leaving a worthy Woman his virtuous Queen alone at
Versailles, with whom he had sworn never to sleep again. I
cannot describe the feelings, nor relate half the reflexions which this object
and history excited. Here were made judges and Councillors, Magistrates of all
Sorts, Nobles and Knights of every order, Generals and Admirals, Ambassadors
and other foreign Ministers, Bishops, Archbishops,
and Cardinals and
Popes, in the Arms of a Strumpet. Here were directed all Eyes that wished and
sought for Employment, Promotion and every Species of Court
favour. Here Voltaire
and
Richelieu and a thousand others of their Stamp, obtained
Royal
favour and Commissions. Travellers of all Ranks
and Characters from all Parts of
Europe, were continually passing from
Paris to Versailles and spreading the Fame of this
House, its Inhabitants and Visitors and their Commerce, infamous in every point
of view, civil, political, moral and religious, all over the World. The Eyes of
all
France had been turned to Bellevue, more than to
Paris or
Versailles. Here Letters de Cachet, the highest Trust and most
dangerous Instrument of arbitrary Power in
France were publickly sold, to any Persons who would pay for
them, for any the vilest Purposes of private Malice, Envy, jealousy or Revenge
or Cruelty. Here Licences were sold to private Smugglers to contravene the
Kings own Laws, and defraud the public
Revennue. Here
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were sold Dukedoms and Peerages, and even the Cordon blue of the
Knights of the Holy Ghost. Here still lived the Daughters of the last King and
the Aunts of the present. Instead of wondering that the Licentiousness of Women
was so common and so public in
France, I was astonished that there should be any Modesty or
Purity remaining in the Kingdom, as there certainly was, though it was rare.
Could there be any Morality left among such a People where such Examples were
set up to the View of the whole Nation? Yes there was a Sort of Morality, there
was a great deal of humanity, and what appeared to me real benevolence. Even
their politeness was benevolence. There was a great deal of Charity and
tenderness for the poor. There were many other qualities that I could not
distinguish from Virtues.... This very
Monarck had
in him the Milk of human Kindness, and with all his open undisguised Vices was
very superstitious. Whenever he met the Host, he would descend from his Coach
and
[ [fall]?] down upon his Knees in the
Dust or even in the Mud and compell all his Courtiers to follow his Example.
Such are the Inconsistencies in the human Character.
From all that I had read of History and Government, of human Life and
manners, I had drawn this Conclusion, that the manners of Women were the most
infallible Barometer, to ascertain the degree of Morality and Virtue in a
Nation. All that I have since read and all the observations I have made in
different Nations, have confirmed me in this opinion. The Manners of Women, are
the surest Criterion by which to determine whether a Republican Government is
practicable, in a Nation or not. The Jews, the Greeks, the Romans, the Swiss,
the Dutch, all lost their public Spirit, their Republican Principles and
habits, and their Republican Forms of Government, when they lost the Modesty
and Domestic Virtues of their Women.
What havock said I to myself, would these manners
make in
America? Our Governors, our judges, our Senators, or
Representatives and even our Ministers would be appointed by Harlots for Money,
and their judgments, Decrees and decisions be sold to repay themselves, or
perhaps to procure [illegible] the smiles and
Embraces of profligate Females.
The foundations of national Morality must be laid in private Families. In
vain are Schools,
Accademies and universities
instituted, if loose Principles and licentious habits are impressed upon
Children in their earliest years. The Mothers are the earliest and most
important Instructors of youth.... The Vices and Examples of the Parents cannot
be concealed from the Children. How is it possible that Children can have any
just Sense of the sacred Obligations of Morality or Religion if, from their
earliest Infancy, they learn that their Mothers live in
Page 4
habitual
Infidelity to their fathers, and their fathers in as constant Infidelity to
their Mothers. Besides the Catholic Doctrine is, that the Contract
of
marriage is not only a civil and moral Engagement, but a Sacrament, one
of the most solemn
Vows andOaths of Religious
devotion.
Can they then believe Religion and Morality too any thing more than a Veil, a
Cloak, an hypocritical Pretext, for political purposes of decency and
Conveniency?
June 3. Wednesday. 1778.
On this Day We sent the following Letters.
Passi
June 3. 1778
Sir
We have received sundry Letters from Lt. Simpson, and
sundry Certificates from Officers and others, concerning his
Behaviour in General, and particularly upon that
Occasion, in which he is charged with disobedience of Orders.... Without giving
or forming any decided Opinion concerning his guilt or innocence of the Crime
laid to his charge, We may venture to say that the Certificates We have
received are very favourable to his Character, and
at least afford reason to hope, that he did not mean to disobey his orders.
Be this however, as it may, We are constrained to say, that his confinement
on board any other Ship than the Ranger, and much more his Confinement in a
Prison on Shore, appears to Us to carry in it, a degree of Severity, which
cannot be justified by reason or Law.
We therefore, desire, you would release Mr. Simpson, from
his imprisonment, and permit him to go at large, on his Parole to go to
Nantes, there to take his passage to
America, by the first favourable
Opportunity, in order to take his Tryal by a Court
Marshall.
We request you to transmit Us, as soon as possible, an Account of what is
due to Lt. Simpson, according to the Ships Books for
Wages.
An Application has been made to Us, in behalf of Mr. Andrew
Fallen, one of the Prisoners lately made by you, and his case
represented, with such Circumstances, as have induced Us to request you, to let
Mr. Fallen go, where he [illegible] will, after
taking his Parole in Writing, that he will not communicate any intelligence
which may be prejudicial to the
United States, that he will not take Arms against them during
the War, and that he will surrender himself Prisoner of War whenever called
upon by Congress, or their Ministers at
Paris. We are, Sir, your most obedient Servants. Signed
B. Franklin, Arthur Lee, John
Adams.
John Paul Jones Esqr. Captain of
the Ranger.
Passi June 3.
1778
Sir
We have received several Letters from you, and several Certificates from
Officers and others, respecting your Behaviour in
general, as well as particularly relative to the Charge of Disobedience of
orders, for which you have been confined.
