Adams Papers
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Edmé Jacques Genet to John Adams: A Translation, 13 June 1780

Edmé Jacques Genet to John Adams: A Translation

Versailles, 13 June 1780

Sir

I am motivated in taking the liberty to write this letter by the sincere interest you have inspired in me and the desire to give proof of the esteem in which I hold Mr. Addenet, who will have the honor of delivering this letter.1 Mr. Addenet is an old friend and one of those most zealous in the American cause. He understands the English language perfectly and writes very well in French. He is a man much esteemed in good society and in whom men of distinction have taken an interest. He will count amongst his principle advantages the honor of being known to you. He now has some free time and it would be for him a new claim to the esteem that he has so generally acquired if, upon my recommendation, you would deign to confide in him and he had the good fortune of being useful to you through his knowledge of the two languages. His fortune, while not large, renders him independent and his only ambition is to have the honor of being of some assistance to you. Permit him the honor of seeing you, show him one of your pamphlets from London if you have any left which you wish to see translated into French for your friends, and you will be very impressed with the zeal and intelligence that he brings to the task. I will be delighted, if in introducing the two of you, I have had the good fortune to be of service to you both. I also recommend him to Mr. Francis Dana and Mr. Thaxter as an honest and steadfast companion.

I have the honor to be with a sincere attachment, sir, your very humble and very obedient servant.

Genet

RC (Adams Papers).

1In a letter of 26 June (Adams Papers), M. Addenet indicated that he had not yet seen JA in order to deliver Genet’s letter. It is not known when the two men finally met, but Addenet did the French translation of JA’s reworking of Thomas Pownall’s A Memorial, Most Humbly Addressed to the Sovereigns of Europe, on the Present State of Affairs, Between the Old and New World (London, 1780), which was published later in 1780 at Leyden under the title Pensées sur la révolution de l’Amérique-Unie. See A Translation of Thomas Pownall’s Memorial, 19 April – [ca. 14 July] (above); and Addenet’s letters of 13 and 30 July (both below).

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