451Decr. 16 [i.e. 17]. Tuesday. (Adams Papers)
The 4 Commissioners dined with Mr. Fitsherbert. Ld. Mountnorris a celebrated Speaker in the Irish house of Lords dined there, and several English Gentlemen. The Rock Salt is taken out of the Salt Pits in England, Ld. Mountnorris said. He gave me a Description of the Caverns, and the kind of Architecture with which they support them, like the Pillars of a Temple. We met at Mr. Laurens’s at Dr....
4521782 December 19. Thursday. (Adams Papers)
Visited M. Louis Secretary of the Royal Colledge of Surgery, in order to form a Correspondance, between it and the medical Society at Boston. Was very politely received, and promised every Thing that the Colledge could do. Mr. Louis talked a great deal, and very ingeniously and entertainingly. Spent the Evening, at the Abby Chalut’s with the Abby de Mably, two other Abbys and two...
4531782 Decr. 20. Fryday. (Adams Papers)
Dined with Mr. Laurens.
454Decr. 21. Saturday. (Adams Papers)
Visited Mr. Jay and then went out to Passy to shew Dr. Franklin, Mr. Dana’s Letter. The Dr. and I agreed to remit Mr. Dana the Money, to pay the Fees to the Russian Ministers according to the Usage, upon the Signature of a Treaty. Six Thousand Roubles to each Minister who signs the Treaty. The C. de Lynden told me the other Day that the King of Sweeden was the first Inventer and Suggester of...
45522 Sunday. (Adams Papers)
Made several Visits &c.
45623 Monday. (Adams Papers)
Received from Monsieur Geoffroy, Docteur Regent de la Faculté de Medicine de Paris, a Letter of Thanks from the Societe Royale de Medecine, for my Letter to him proposing a Correspondence between that Society and the Medical Society at Boston. Made several Visits. &c. Went to the Italian Comedy, saw Les Troqueurs, the two Harlequins &c. Geoffroy’s letter, together with others of the same...
457December 24. Tuesday. (Adams Papers)
There are Men who carry the Countenance and Air of Boys through Life. This Evening Mr. Jay told me an extraordinary Story of Lord Mount Steuart, the British Minister at Turin, which he had from Mr. Oswald. Of a rumored plan to divide America between England and France. See John Jay, Diary during the Peace Negotiations of 1782, ed. Frank Monaghan, New Haven, 1934 , p. 15–17; also entry of 5...
458Decr. 25. Wednesday. Christmas. (Adams Papers)
Margaret (Smyth) Bingham , wife of an Irish peer, the first Baron Lucan, was better known for her paintings than for her verse ( DNB Leslie Stephen and Sidney Lee, eds., The Dictionary of National Biography, New York and London, 1885–1900; 63 vols. plus supplements. ).
459Dec. 26. Thursday. (Adams Papers)
Mr. Brantzen call’d upon me, at one. He says that Mr. Fitzherbert and he are yet a great Way asunder. The first Point of the Freedom of Navigation sticks. The other Points they have agreed on, or may agree on, not being far off. Mr. F. has no Answer from London to the Dutch Propositions. I told him he might make himself very easy about the Freedom of navigation, for that the English must come...
460[January 1783] (Adams Papers)
Went to Versailles, made my Visit and Compliments of the Season to M. Le C. de Vergennes and delivered him a Copy of our Treaty and Convention with the States General. He received me with Politeness, made me the Compliments of the Season, tres sincerement, and was sensibly obliged to me for the Copies and invited me to dine. I went to see the Ceremony of the Knights of the St. Esprit, in the...
4611783. Paris January 1. (Adams Papers)
Went to Versailles, made my Visit and Compliments of the Season to M. Le C. de Vergennes and delivered him a Copy of our Treaty and Convention with the States General. He received me with Politeness, made me the Compliments of the Season, tres sincerement, and was sensibly obliged to me for the Copies and invited me to dine. I went to see the Ceremony of the Knights of the St. Esprit, in the...
462January 5. Sunday. (Adams Papers)
Dined with M. Vaughan, in Company with the Abbys de Mably, Chalut, Arnoux and Ter Saint Tersan .—Had more Conversation with de Mably than at any Time before. He meditates a Work upon our American Constitutions. He says the Character he gives of Herodian in his last Work, Sur la maniere d’ecrire L’histoire, has procured to his Bookseller, Purchases, for all the Copies of that Historian which he...
463January 11. Saturday. (Adams Papers)
Mr. W. T. Franklin came in to talk with me, about a Subject which he said he did not often talk about, and that was himself. He produced a Commission, drawn up, for Messrs. Franklin and Jay to sign, when they only were here, before I arrived, and in fact signed by them. I took the Commission and read it. He asked me to sign it. I told him, that I considered myself as directly affronted in this...
464January 12. Sunday. (Adams Papers)
Mr. B. Vaughan came in. I told him, I had some Facts to communicate to him in Confidence. They affected my personal Interest, Character, and Feelings so intimately, that it was impossible for me to speak of them without being suspected of personal Resentments and sinister Motives. But that these Facts were at the same time so connected, with public Affairs, with the Interests of the House of...
465January. 13. Monday. (Adams Papers)
Mr. Oswald came to take Leave and shewed me a Letter from the Secretary of State for him to come home. He goes off, on Wednesday. I told him if he was going home, I would communicate to him, what I had not intended. I told him what I told Yesterday to Vaughan and gave him some short Account of my Correspondence with the C. de Vergennes, upon the Question whether I should communicate to Lord G....
4661783. January 19. Sunday. (Adams Papers)
Received a Note from Mr. Franklin, that the C. de Vergennes had written to him to desire me, to meet him at his office, tomorrow at ten. Went out to Passy, told Mr. Franklin that I had been informed last night, that the Comte was uneasy at Mr. Oswalds going away, because he expected to sign the Preliminaries in a day or two. Vergennes’ note and Franklin’s reply, both dated 18 Jan., and...
467January 20. Monday. (Adams Papers)
Mr. Franklin and I met the Comte de Vergennes at his office at Ten. He told us, he was going to sign Preliminaries and an Armistice. At Eleven the C. D’Aranda came in, and Mr. Fitsherbert. After examining the Papers, D’Aranda and Fitsherbert signed the Preliminary Treaty, between the Crowns of G. Britain and Spain. De Vergennes and Fitsherbert that between Britain and France. Then Fitsherbert...
468January 21. Tuesday. (Adams Papers)
Went to Versailles to pay my Respects to the King and Royal Family, upon the Event of Yesterday. Dined with the foreign Ambassadors at the C. de Vergennes’s. The King appeared in high Health and in gay Spirits: so did the Queen. M adam e Elizabeth is grown very fat. The C. D’Artois seems very well. Mr. Fitsherbert had his first Audience of the King and Royal Family and dined for the first time...
4691783. January 23. Thursday. (Adams Papers)
Mr. Whitefoord made me a Visit. He said it was the fatal Policy of the Earl of Chatham, in supporting the K. of Prussia against the House of Austria, that had given an Austrian Queen to France. That the French had contrived too to marry the Kings two Brothers to Princesses of Savoy, by which they had damped the Zeal of another of the Allies of England the King of Sardinia. I told him the Story...
470[February 1783] (Adams Papers)
Received a Letter from my Son John, dated at Gottenburgh the 1. of Feb. This Letter gave me great Joy, it is the first I have received from him since he left Petersbourg, and the first News I have had of him since the Beginning of December, when he was at Stockholm.— I have suffered extream Anxiety on his Account. I have omitted my Journal, and several Things of some Consequence, but I am...
4711783 Tuesday. Feb. 18. (Adams Papers)
Received a Letter from my Son John, dated at Gottenburgh the 1. of Feb. This Letter gave me great Joy, it is the first I have received from him since he left Petersbourg, and the first News I have had of him since the Beginning of December, when he was at Stockholm.— I have suffered extream Anxiety on his Account. I have omitted my Journal, and several Things of some Consequence, but I am...
4721783 Feb. 24. Monday. (Adams Papers)
Dined in Company with Mr. Malesherbes, the famous first President of the Court of Aids, Uncle of the Chevalier de la Luzerne, and Son of the Chancellor de la Moignon. He is about half Way in Appearance, between Mr. Otis and Mr. A. Oliver. F ranklin this Morning mentioned to me the Voyage de la Fonte, who mentions a Captain Chapley, and a Seymour Gibbons. F. thinks it is translated from the...
473Feb. 25. Tuesday. (Adams Papers)
Mr. Samuel Vaughan says that Cooks Voyage will be 3 Volumes 60 Plates, and will not be out these 12 Months. The Plates are of Islands discovered &c. He mentions a new Sort of Bark, much redder and much stronger, than any known before.
474Feb. 27. Thursday. (Adams Papers)
Dined at the Farmer Generals, in Company with the Comte de Polastron, Father of the Duchesse de Polignac. No Friend of D’Estaing. Spent the Evening in Company with the Abby de Mably, some other Abbys and Accademicians. De Mably says There are in France Three Orders of Citizens. The first Order is of the Clergy. 2. The Second of the Nobility. 3. And the third is called Le Tiers Etat.— There are...
475[March 1783] (Adams Papers)
In the Morning Chronicle of Saturday February 22, Mr. Secretary Townsend in the Debate upon the five Propositions of Lord John Cavendish, is represented to have said “He was willing to give his full Assent to the first Proposition, because such a Declaration from Parlia ment was, after the Address voted on Monday last, indispensably necessary. To the second, and to the third Resolutions,...
476Fryday March 7. (Adams Papers)
In the Morning Chronicle of Saturday February 22, Mr. Secretary Townsend in the Debate upon the five Propositions of Lord John Cavendish, is represented to have said “He was willing to give his full Assent to the first Proposition, because such a Declaration from Parlia ment was, after the Address voted on Monday last, indispensably necessary. To the second, and to the third Resolutions,...
477March 9 [i.e. 8]. Saturday. (Adams Papers)
Dined at Passy, the Spanish Ambassador, the Comte de Rochambeau, the Chevalier de Chatelux Chastellux , Mr. Jay &c. present. Chatelux said to the Abby Morlaix that I was the Author of the Massachusetts Constitution, and that it was the best of em all, and that the People were very contented with it.
478March 9. 1783 Sunday. (Adams Papers)
Lorsqu’un homme entre dans la carriere des Arts, n’ayant pour guide et pour Appui que son Genie; lorsque L’Intrigue et la Charlatanerie, ces deux grandes Ressources des petits talens, lui sont etrangéres, il doit s’attendre á être long tems persecuté, méconnu, arrêté á chaque pas. Mais qu’il ne perde point courage; tous les Obstacles s’applanissent peu-a-peu devant lui; ses Ennemis se lassent...
479[April 1783] (Adams Papers)
Mr. Hartley met Mr. Franklin, Laurens, Jay and me, at my Lodgings, and shewed Us an Instruction under the Kings Privy Seal, and signed George Rex, in which his Majesty recites that he had appointed Mr. Hartley his Minister Plenipotentiary to treat with Us &c. The American Ministers unanimously required a Commission under the great Seal, and promising to ratify what he should do.—Mr. Hartley...
4801783 Paris April 27. 1783. (Adams Papers)
Mr. Hartley met Mr. Franklin, Laurens, Jay and me, at my Lodgings, and shewed Us an Instruction under the Kings Privy Seal, and signed George Rex, in which his Majesty recites that he had appointed Mr. Hartley his Minister Plenipotentiary to treat with Us &c. The American Ministers unanimously required a Commission under the great Seal, and promising to ratify what he should do.—Mr. Hartley...