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"If I could only answer affimatively upon any one of those heads for a fixed term, you should be left to want nothing. Stripped of every means of that kind, we are obliged to reduce ourselves to send you only a little at a time, by vessels which shall arrive from your ports; muskets, powder, lead, flints, saltpeter, and some subaltern officers of artillery, chief workmen, founders, armorers, etc.

"June 29th. M. D'Hangest, the elder, came from La Fere to this city, on purpose to confer with me upon the means and conditions of his passage to America; but after having consulted a common friend, in company and separately, we found that better could be done for him and for us; therefore he returned to his employ

ment.

"It remains for us to choose between two men, and such as I doubt whether a third like them can be found in Europe of their profession: one is the M. Du Coudray of whom I have before spoken to you in this letter, and for whom my esteem does but increase; the other is the famous Chevalier De Tot, who, the day before yesterday, arrived from Constantinople, where, by the report of all the Gazettes, he has conducted the artillery of the Turks much better than could have been hoped; established founderies for cannon, erected batteries, and constructed fortifications, especially at the straits of the Dardanelles, which he rendered secure against the invasion of the Russians, very powerful then in the Mediterranean. Artists do not think altogether so advantageously of him; and they regard him as excellent perhaps in Turkey, but indifferent elsewhere. However, I should not think I made you a bad present in sending him.

"In what remains, I shall manage your interests the best way in my power; but you easily conceive that either of these two men must be purchased at a very high rate.

"The Chevalier De Tot boasts of having exhibited himself with the greatest eclat. M. Du Coudray, by his credit with the minister in the War Department, being in the way of rendering you greater services than any one else, does not fail to set value upon that circumstance. I have seen him often lately to concert how we may get the loan of some hundreds of field-pieces (cannon or howitzers), and we are not without hopes of succeeding therein. I strove to avail myself, for that purpose, of the protection of the Count D'Aranda, formerly minister of Spain, and now embassa

dor here. He showed me much kindness, but important considerations do not permit him to risk a dispute with the French ministry. Though M. Penet has positively authorized me, by word of mouth and by writing, to exercise for him and as himself the powers which he has received from your Secret Committee, my mind is not altogether easy at his not having delivered to me the letter which you did me the honor to write with your own hand. In this perplexity, I have conceived the idea of opening a correspondence with Mr. Arthur Lee, your deputy at London, from whom I might have frequent intelligence. Not being known to him, I have had recourse to the Count de Lamagnais, with whom he is in connection, to get him to send my first letter. I have just received one from M. Penet; he is aiming to procure for the colony of Virginia twelve pieces of cannon, six-pounders; that bore is not common here; however, we will strive to find them.

"The time is not yet come to speak to you of a musket of new construction, more simple, and, it is hoped, not less solid; there will also be a saving in the price. The inventor (named Reynard) led me to expect the model, day by day, more than a month; he tells me at length that it is finished, and the proof of it will be made next week, with the most scrupulous exactness, under the eye of M. De Gribauval, who is pleased to attend it, and who, in case of success, will be charmed that the first employment of it should be consecrated to the cause of liberty, of justice, and of humanity, and that they should not be made use of for the service of the French armies till after yours shall be abundantly provided with them.

"July 1st. I have not yet received the much desired packet from Rotterdam; and I must this day close this letter, which I shall send by M. De Bois Bertrand, who goes post haste to-morrow to embark at Nantes. God grant that he may soon deliver it to you.

"Be assured that I have not trusted it to him till after being convinced, by good warrants, of his fidelity, his courage, and his wisdom. He has given me his word of honor that at least it shall not fall into the enemy's hands, though such a chance should happen to himself. He would have given me his oath for it, if I laid stress upon oaths; but I have never regarded them otherwise than as the last resource of liars. Were it not for that, I would swear,

in this within your hands, a full homage and inviolable fidelity to the august Congress of the most respectable Republic which has ever existed. But my attachment to you answers sufficiently for my devotedness to that. May it long enjoy a subject such as you, and produce likenesses of you from generation to generation! And may my services be agreeable to it in an under rank to yours. I would die contented could I see my country and yours intimately united; and could I contribute towards it, I should be at the summit of my wishes.

“I am, with the most perfect esteem, and most tender affection, sir and dear friend, your very humble, and very obedient servant, "BARBUE Dubourg.

"As it is very doubtful if these dispatches will reach you, since the sea is porcupined with English cruisers, I have ordered two other copies, which I shall send by two different ships, so that one of the three at least may arrive safely to you.

"July 2d. M. De Bois Bertrand takes at his own charge two subalterns of thorough bravery and irreproachable conduct, of whom may be made very good officers, if they shall be wanted, as is to be presumed. As to him, I have led him to expect the rank of Colonel, from the persuasion I have that he would fill it well, to the satisfaction of your Generals. I have, nevertheless, been upon my guard with him as to giving an absolute promise; but I must observe to you that it is the constant usage here to advance one grade every officer who is sent over to the Indies.

"As to what regards M. Du Coudray and M. De Tot, as I must have taken far too much upon me to make either one or the other to proceed immediately, I thought myself obliged to wait your orders on that head.

"P. S.-I open my letter to tell you that within an hour I have learned some things which make me abate the character which I

gave you of M. Montieux. Adieu, fare you well, be prosperous,

you

and yours,

ted to you.' 99

and know that not one in the world is more devo

Such was the letter of the worthy Dr. Dubourg; such his overflowing zeal for the country of his friend and "master." The rash engagements into which he had entered, and might enter, were little

* "American Archives," Fourth Series, vi., 771.

thought of in the joy excited by the great news he had transmitted which surpassed the hopes of the most sanguine. That the French government should even permit the operations of M. Penet and Dr. Dubourg was a hopeful sign; but the Count de Vergennes had gone the length of seeking an interview with them, and had dismissed them without rebuke. What might not be expected when Mr. Deane, the authorized representative and commissioner of Congress, should exhibit his credentials to the minister? The coming over of so many officers of high rank and higher pretensions would be embarrassing, but there was time to prevent that, and, probably, no one supposed they would venture to cross the ocean unless expressly invited to do so by Congress.

Congress now resolved to send to France an imposing embassy; imposing in the number and the character of its members. It should consist of three persons, to be chosen by ballot. The election occurred on the twenty-sixth of September. Members had already pledged in writing their honor to divulge nothing of what occurred in Congress, except what Congress should order to be made public, and on this occasion they were reminded anew of the infinite and peculiar importance of secrecy. It was difficult enough to elude Lord Howe's cruisers, without stimulating the admiral to greater vigilance by the prospect of capturing commissioners to a foreign court. On the first ballot, as was foreseen, Dr. Franklin was unanimously elected. When the result of the balloting was announced, he is reported to have turned to Dr. Rush, who sat next him, and said: "I am old and good for nothing; but, as the storekeepers say of their remnants of cloth, 'I am but a fag end, and you may have me for what you please.'" The next balloting elected Thomas Jefferson, then thirty-three years of age, who would be dear to the Salons of Paris as the author of the Declaration of Independence. The third gave a majority to Silas Deane, already in Europe.

Dr. Franklin, regardless of his age, his aversion to voyaging, his longing for repose, and the danger of capture, began forthwith to prepare for his departure. An express was sent to Virginia to notify Mr. Jefferson. Unhappily for Franklin and for Congress, Mr. Jefferson was compelled, by the ill-health of his wife, to decline the mission, and Congress elected in his stead that uneasy spirit, that thon in Franklin's side, that miracle of ill temper and

jealousy, that man formed to stir up strife, enmity, and every evil passion, who spent his whole existence in a broil-Arthur Lee. He, too, had the advantage of being already on the safe side of the Atlantic, and had been for several months in the service of the Secret Committee in London.

Three days after the election of the three commissioners arrived Mr. Thomas Story, with letters from Deane, Dumas, and Arthur Lee, and bearing in his memory intelligence too precious to be intrusted to paper. That this intelligence may be understood, we must return to France, and enter the council chamber of Versailles, the secret cabinet of the Count de Vergennes, and, perhaps, the boudoir of the young queen, Marie Antoinette.

CHAPTER VII.

HOW FRANCE CAME TO HELP AMERICA.

THERE is in the heart of old Paris an extensive edifice called the Hotel de Hollande, which was built in the reign of Louis XIV. for the residence of the Dutch embassador. In August, 1776, this building, which had been for some time unoccupied, was observed, by the frequenters of the Rue Vieille du Temple, to exhibit the usual signs of again being inhabited. Not that any embassador's carriage rumbled under the sculptured gateway into the ancient court-yard. It soon became evident to the most careless passer-by, that this Hotel, wherein had been represented the majesty of Holland in Holland's palmy days, had been taken by a mercantile firm as a house of business. It was formerly an affectation of great commercial houses in Europe to occupy insignificant edifices, and to dispense with all but the most unobtrusive signs. The firm who had taken the Hotel de Hollande had apparently escaped the domination of a pride so intense, and seemed desirous of even parading the fact, that the new occupants were no other than the great Spanish house of RODERIQUE HORTALEZ AND CO.

Spanish the name was certainly; but, if any observant Parisian

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