William Vernon, Jr., to William Temple Franklin, 28 February 1785
William Vernon, Jr.,8 to William Temple Franklin
ALS: American Philosophical Society
Paris 28 Feby. 1785—
Dear Sir
The liberal & friendly manner with which you made me the offer of your services9 induces me to have recourse to you. You will most essentially oblige me if without any inconvenience you could lend me ten or even five Louïs untill I can dispose of my Carriage.1 My present situation of which you are well informed will apologize for importunity. Whatever might be my position & however pressing my circumstances I could never prevail upon myself to sacrify all the feelings of delicacy were I not encouraged by the conviction of your indulgence.
I am Dear Sir most sincerely your’s
W. H. Vernon2
Addressed: W. T. Franklin Esqr— / à Passy
Notation: W. H. Vernon Feby. 28 1785
8. The wayward son of a prosperous Rhode Island family. Following Vernon’s departure for France in 1778, his father asked BF to offer him friendship and guidance. After several years in Bordeaux, Vernon stopped in Paris for what was supposed to be a brief visit before sailing home. At the time of the present letter, he had been in the city for nearly three years: XXVIII, 204; XXXVII, 46; XL, 274n.
9. Vernon had fallen into deep financial trouble. The previous September, when Grand refused to honor a bill from Bondfield in his favor, BF loaned him 600 l.t., which Grand disbursed on Sept. 28. Vernon was unable to repay the loan when it came due. In early February, WTF was approached at a ball by a masked woman who described Vernon’s situation as desperate and begged him and BF to persuade Vernon to return home before he was “lost.” At BF’s behest, WTF met with Vernon on Feb. 11 and offered him a second loan, contingent on his sailing immediately for America. Vernon assured WTF that he would be able to cover his debts once he sold his carriage, and said that he would sail in May: Account XVII (XXVI, 3); WTF’s diary, entries of Feb. 6 and 11; BF to William Vernon, Sr., Oct. 14, 1785, APS. The following day, Feb. 12, WTF wrote out the draft of a bill of exchange that would cover Vernon’s 600 l.t. debt to BF (APS). As a result of the present appeal, that amount would be augmented; see below.
1. BF obliged. That same day, Feb. 28, he loaned Vernon another 240 l.t. (equivalent to 10 louis). WTF amended the draft bill of exchange he had prepared (cited above) to reflect this second loan.
2. Vernon dropped the “Jr.” and added the middle initial “H” during his stay in France, possibly after his father had cut off his funding—a fact mentioned in BF’s letter to him of [after April 12, 1785] (APS).