government, and even in the eyes of the Americans, have the appearance of an individual speculation, to which the French minisisters are strangers. That it may be so in appearance, it must also be so, to a certain point, in reality. We will give a million secretly, we will try to induce the court of Spain to unite with us in this affair, and supply you on its side with an equal sum; with these two millions and the co-operation of individuals who will be willing to take part in your enterprise, you will be able to found a large house of commerce, and at your own risk can supply America with arms, ammunition, articles of equipment, and all other articles necessary for keeping up the war. Our arsenals will give you arms and ammunition, but you shall replace them or shall pay for them. You shall ask for no money from the Americans, as they have none; but you shall ask them for returns in products of their soil, and we help you to get rid of them in this country, while you shall grant them, on your side, every facility possible. In a word, the operation, after being secretly supported by us at the commencement, must afterward feed and support itself; but, on the other side, as we reserve to ourselves the right of favoring or discouraging it, according to the requirements of our policy, you shall render us an account of your profits and your losses, and we will judge whether we are to accord you fresh assistance, or give you an acquittal for the sums previously granted."

Such work as this was not to be executed by an ordinary merchant.

On the tenth of June, 1776, Beaumarchais received a million francs from the French treasury, for which he gave the afterwards famous receipt in these words: "I have received from M. Duvergier, conformably to the orders of the Count de Vergennes, dated the 5th instant, which I have remitted to him, the sum of one million, of which I will render account to the said Count de VergenCARON DE BEAUMARCHAIS.'

nes.

Two days after he sent Arthur Lee, with whom he constantly corresponded, a distinct enough intimation of the change of plan: "The difficulties I have met with in my negotiations with the ministry have made me decide to form a company, which will send the ammunition and powder to your friend as soon as possible, in con

Beaumarchais and his Times, by M. de Loménie, chap. xvii.

sideration of tobacco being sent in return to the French cape." They continued to correspond in the most confidential manner for several weeks more, sometimes in cipher, sometimes over fictitious signatures. Lee, for example, sent Beaumarchais in this very month of June, an exact account of Lord Howe's fleet, and urged the French government to dispatch a fleet to America to destroy it; a suggestion that may have been creditable to his zeal, but not to his knowledge of European politics.

CHAPTER VIII.

SILAS DEANE IN PARIS.

MR. ARTHUR LEE had now done all the useful work he was destined to do for his country in Europe.

Almost on the very day on which Beaumarchais received the million francs from the French treasury, Silas Deane arrived at Bordeaux. Disappointment awaited him there; for the cargoes of fish, rice, and tobacco which the Secret Committee had dispatched after him, and upon the proceeds of which he was to live and operate, had not arrived. He waited three weeks at Bordeaux, but they did not come. Ship after ship, laden with these products, was sent to sea by the committee, only to be pounced upon by British cruisers before the capes were cleared; and, to add to Mr. Deane's discouragement, ill news had preceded him, such as the failure of the assault on Quebec, the subsequent loss of Canada, the mighty armament that had sailed under command of Lord Howe, and the increase of the war party in England.

He reached Paris about the first of July, and waited immediately upon Dr. Dubourg. He arrived just as that zealous gentleman was beginning to doubt the integrity of the merchant, Penet, who had not yet succeeded in getting his papers from Rotterdam; and who, like Mr. Deane, depended absolutely upon the expected cargoes. Upon the credit of tobacco to arrive, Penet, aided by Dr. Dubourg, had bought, and even got aboard ship, a large quantity of powder, saltpeter, and muskets. The contagious zeal of the doctor and the

universal enthusiasm for America had brought the affair so far; but there it had stopped. The bad news from Canada, the failure of the ships, doubts of the solvency and authority of M. Penet, all combined to discourage merchants, and the stores remained in port. In the nick of time Mr. Deane appeared upon the scene, with ample credentials, with letters to Dr. Dubourg, with proofs of the genuineness of M. Penet's contracts, with fresh testimonials of the determination of Congress and all America to resist to the death. Arrangements were quickly made, by virtue of which M. Penet succeeded in getting off a quantity of stores.

In a few days, through the good offices of Dr. Dubourg, Mr. Deane and the doctor were closeted with the Count de Vergennes. The Count could not speak English, nor Mr. Deane French; they were obliged to converse through the translations of M. Gerard, chief secretary in the French foreign office. On this occasion, as on all other occasions of intercourse with Americans, M. de Vergennes spoke with perfect frankness and truth. To the English he could lie with the calm assurance of a practical diplomatist of the ancient regime. John Adams, who was the most undiplomatic man that ever figured in public life, used to maintain, in his pugnacious, vehement way, that because the French government had deceived England, they were extremely likely to attempt to cheat America also. It did not follow. The Celt, unlike the Saxon, does not object to a lie per se; against an enemy, he can employ falsehoods with as little remorse as cannon-balls; while his sense of honor binds him to act with most scrupulous fidelity to a friend. And, theorizing apart, nothing is now more certainly known, than that the French government, from the time of this first interview with Silas Deane, to the close of the war, acted towards America with candor and sincerity. Recent investigation of original papers, in the archives of the three nations concerned, has established this beyond all reasonable, or even unreasonable doubt.

The Count de Vergennes told Mr. Deane, in the course of their two hours' conference, that the "good understanding" which existed between France and England would prevent his openly encouraging the exportation of arms to America, but that no real obstruction would be given to it. A hint should be promptly passed to all the chief officers of the customs, and if any of them should not happen to take the hint, Mr. Deane had only to inform the Count

de Vergennes of the circumstance, and he would make it clear to the understanding of the officer. With regard to independency, and the recognition of it by France, that belonged to the future, and would be duly considered at the proper time. Meanwhile, Mr. Deane was requested to consider himself under the immediate protection of the Count de Vergennes, to whom he should always have access on applying to M. Gerard. Not a word was said, during this long interview, nor an allusion made, to M. de Beaumarchais or his million livres.

Mr. Deane and Dr. Dubourg returned from Versailles to Paris well pleased with what had occurred there, and with one another. To Deane the worthy doctor explained the negotiations with Du Coudray, the peerless general of artillery, giving him to understand that scarcely any thing he could do for his country would be so great a boon as the engagement of that officer and his train of subordinates. Mr. Deane, however, was still without resources, and could neither buy his Indian goods, nor advance money to peerless officers of artillery. Credit was pressed upon him; the mercantile world was eager to supply the illustrious Congress of Republicans; but, alas! all the offers of credit were accompanied with the fatal condition, that the notes given by Mr. Deane for stores purchased, should be indorsed by one of the great Paris banking-houses.

While Mr. Deane and Dr. Dubourg were sadly revolving this apparently insurmountable obstacle in their minds, M. de Beaumarchais, the predestined comforter of anxious patriots, appeared to them, bearing in his hand a letter from the Count de Vergennes. The letter introduced Beaumarchais as one "commissioned by the ministry to assist Dr. Dubourg and Mr. Deane by his intelligence, and to undertake the entire and particular direction of all the commerce, exports as well as imports, either of munitions of war or of the usual productions of France, to the united colonies, and of the colonies to France." Dr. Dubourg was grieved and alarmed at this intelligence. Besides having himself expected to take the lead in the American business, he sincerely questioned the commercial ability of Beaumarchais. He at once endeavored to dissuade him from "taking all this immense traffic upon himself," and thus "excluding people who had gone to so much expense, suffered so much fatigue, and run so many risks during the year in the service of Congress." Beaumarchais, with an unsuspected million in

his pocket, replied perhaps too warmly, and an altercation arose between them; which ended with the doctor's saying, with unauthorized positiveness: "Mr. Deane, sir, will not and cannot undertake any thing with you." Beaumarchais, conscious of his million and sure of his minister, took his leave and went to Versailles. Dr. Dubourg immediately sent to Count de Vergennes a letter of remonstrance. "No one," he wrote, "does more justice than I to M. de Beaumarchais' rectitude, his discretion, and his zeal for all that is good and great. I believe him to be one of the most fit men in the world for political negotiations, but perhaps, at the same time, one of the least fitted for negotiating in a mercantile sense. He likes splendor; it is asserted that he maintains young ladies at his expense; in short, he passes for a prodigal; and in France there is no merchant nor manufacturer who is not of this opinion, and who would not hesitate very much to transact the least business with him.”

The minister mischievously handed this letter to Beaumarchais, who replied to it with all his wonted humor. "How does it affect our business," he asked the artless doctor, "if I like pomp and splendor, and maintain young ladies in my house? The ladies in my house, who have been there for twenty years, sir, are your very humble servants. They were five in number, four sisters and a niece. During the last three years two of these girls have died, to my great sorrow. I now only keep three, two sisters and my niece, which is, however, display enough for a private individual like myself. But what would you have thought if, knowing me better, you had been aware that I carried the scandal so far as to keep men too-two nephews, very young and rather good-looking, and even the miserable father who brought such a scandalous person into the world."*

All this was true, for Beaumarchais fulfilled the obligations of kindred with affectionate exactness. The Count de Vergennes ended the controversy by sending for Dr. Dubourg and Mr. Deane, and informing them that M. de Beaumarchais was indeed the inevitable man, and that he was not less able than willing to supply Congress with all it desired.

Beaumarchais and Deane soon came to a perfect understanding. Dr. Dubourg still served America to the best of his ability, but

* "Beaumarchais and his Times," chap. xviii.