To Benjamin Franklin from Prince Bariatinskii, with Franklin’s Draft of a Reply, 16 September 1783
From Prince Bariatinskii, with Franklin’s Draft of a Reply
AL: American Philosophical Society
Ce 16. 7bre. mardÿ
Le Prince Bariatinskoÿ prie monsieur Francklein de lui faire L’honneur de venir diner chez lui aprés demain jeudi Le 18. du Courant.
R:S:V:P:
Addressed: à Monsieur / Monsieur Francklein / ministre plenipotentiaire des / Etats Unis de l’Amerique / près S:M:T:C: / à Passÿ
Endorsed: Mr Franklin presents his respectful Compliments to Prince Baritinsky, with Thanks for his obliging Invitation, which Mr F. would accept with Pleasure but that he happens to be pre-engaged.
Translate this, & let me see the Translation8
8. This note may have been intended for BFB, who had returned from Geneva in July and was relearning English (a language he had almost entirely forgotten during the four years he was in boarding school). BF normally relied on either his French secretary Jean L’Air de Lamotte or WTF for translations; the latter’s French, by this time, was excellent.