To Benjamin Franklin from Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais, 21 June 1782
From Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais
L: University of Pennsylvania Library
ce 21— Juin 1782
Mr. de Beaumarchais présente ses très humbles complimens à Monsieur Le Docteur Franklin, et en reponse à la Lettre que M Le Ray de chaumont lui a écritte au Sujet de Mr Morice.2 Il vient de persuader ce de[rnier]3 du peu de fondement que son opposition a[ura] entre les mains de Monsieur, Le Docteur franklin, il ne la fera pas fermer, et il n’est pas meme nécessaire d’en prevenir M Morice, si Monsieur Le Docteur franklin ne veut pas en prendre la peine.
M. de Beaumarchais vient de partir pour la Campagne et il avoit chargé l’Ecrivain de prendre ses mesures afin d’expedier la présente reponse aussitot l’explication4
Notation: Beaumarchais 22. Juin 1782.
2. We do not know what Chaumont wrote Beaumarchais, who was becoming very concerned about his credit. On June 3, Beaumarchais sent his accounts to Morris and begged for at least a partial settlement: Morris Papers, V, 318–28. BF made a large payment to Beaumarchais on June 25; see our annotation of BF to Morris, Aug. 12.
3. The MS is torn; we have guessed at this word and one on the following line.
4. Beaumarchais was back by July 9, when he signed a printed bond (prepared by WTF on July 8) for his frigate Alexander (Alexandre), Capt. Etienne Gregory. APS. Stephen Gregory is identified in XXXV, 433–4. This is the earliest dated example of the bond form BF printed at Passy, illustrated in Luther S. Livingston, Franklin and his Press at Passy (New York, 1914), facing p. 86. BF based his form on the one approved by Congress on May 2, 1780 (JCC, XVI, pp. 403–6), copying its language and imitating its typography. He was evidently unaware that a new form, with slightly modified language, had been issued by Congress in the summer of 1781. That form was in use until the end of hostilities. See JCC, XX, p. 645.