The Pleasure given me by your Letter of the 2d. Octr. Inst may more Easily be concieved than expressed—1 I am greatly obliged by your Attention to the important Subject of my last I [illegible] ^my Embarrassmts.— In my last on that Subject which you recd ^ was ^a^ Copy of my Letter to Count D Vergennes2 from which it appeared that the Sum I shd. have occasion for wd. probably be considerable and far exceeding 25′000 Dollars, Bills to the amt of 100′000 Dollars have arrived— A Loan cannot be effected here— What the Court will do is as yet uncertain—^& may long continue so^ I should have replied to your Letter before but as I daily expected a Letter ^to hear^ from Ct. DVergennes I waited in hopes of being abl with a View of mentioning the Content of it ^Import^ to you. The enclosed Copy of a note I recd from Count Montmorin3 contains all the advices I have, on that Head. Hence you see my Situation continues unpleasant and tho my Endeavours are not wanting to better it, future Events are too uncertain to be relied upon— To be active prudent & patient is in my Power, but whether I shall reap as well as sow & water God only knows—

I have often been told of the former Supplies and been asked what Compensation how they were to be reimbursed—my answer has uniformly been that I knew neither their amount or Terms, & that I wished to be furnished with ^with an acct. of^ both, and wd. then &c. &c. As yet I have not been able to obtain it—4

There must have been some Mistake respecting my ^must have^ given occasion to any of the Bills drawn on me, being returnd without Acceptance— The Fact is that tho I often delayed (with the Consent of the Holders) yet I never refused to accept any of them—

I have written several Letters to Congress requesting them to forbear making these adventurous Drafts. ^drawing further Bills till proper^ Funds should be established for their Payment—5 more proper & ^contingent^ assurances or flattering Inferences drawn from flattering Expressions ought never to be considered as ^a^ sufficient Foundation for such a serious Measures—

Cornwallis it seems has cropped some of Gates’s Laurels, and Mr Laurens is in the Tower— European politicians will I suppose, after having so ^tho^ often comi been deluded by the like opinions ^decieved in the same way^ again think America ^on her knees^ in the Dust— Had Ternay been supported the Campaign wd. have had a different Termination— Much Money and Spirit has been wasted by this Disappointmt.— Of the Latter however ^indeed^ we shall never be in Want, and I shd. be happy if the like cd. be said of the former— The general Conduct of France towards ^us^ has been friendly & noble, and tho I cannot forbear to think that she has been too inattentive to this Object, my Gratitude towards her is not impaired by it— I regret it as a misfortune not blame it as a designed omission—

^[in margin] I wrote to you some D ^^last week^^ by Prince Masarano, & now enclose a Duplicate of another Letter—6 You may rely on my reimbursing you the Advances on Acct of our Salaries out of the first Remittances I receive—

I have often congratulated you ^^my Country^^ and myself on your being present in France, and if these were Days of miracles I should probably & you should leave ascend before me I would desire you to give me your Mantle ^^Where I once expected to have seen you ^^there^^ and to have profited by the Lessons which Time & much Experience have taught you—miracles have ceased and my^^ Constitution does not promise Length of Days or I shd. ^^probably^^ desire you when you ascend, to drop me your Manttle— That you may long retain it is the wis one of the Prayers of Your Frd & Servt