267121st. (Adams Papers)
All dined at the Marquis de la Fayette. There was a considerable company, mostly composed of Americans. We saw two of the Marquis’s children; he has three; but the other is out at nurse at Versailles. His son is called George Washington: about 4 years old, a very pretty child: the Legislature of the State of Connecticut have lately made his father and him, citizens of that State. The Marquis’s...
267222d. (Adams Papers)
My father went to Versailles. Mr. Short went with him to be presented at Court. Variable Weather: much Snow in the morning, fair weather at noon, and Stormy again, in the Evening. The Duke of Dorset said to my father, while they were passing from one chamber to another “what nonsensical business all this noisy parade is!” My father said it was curious that a person like him, who had from his...
267324th. (Adams Papers)
Paris in the morning. Mr. Williams and Mr. Franklin went with us. They breakfasted at M: de St. Olympe’s. I went to Gogué et Née de la Rochelle, booksellers Quai des Augustins. Bought Rollin’s histoire Romaine, and Mr. Necker’s book. Mr. Jefferson was not at home: nor any body at his House. Mr. Franklin has taken lessons of animal magnetism, he laugh’d at it much; yet said it was a very useful...
267425th. (Adams Papers)
Paris. At the Opera. Panurge dans l’lsle des Lanternes ; a new Opera. 12th time. Words, which are very indifferent M: Morel: music, which is exquisite M: Gretri. I dont know how it happens, but the more this gentleman composes, the better his music is, I think. The dancing was also admirable, Gardel, and Vestris, perhaps the two best dancers in the world, performed together; and strove to...
267526th. (Adams Papers)
M: de St: Olympe: Mr. Franklin and Mr. Williams dined with us. The first is a west Indian; who is going in a short time to America: Mr. Franklin has been so long in France, that he is more a Frenchman than an American: I doubt whether he will enjoy himself perfectly if he returns to America.
267627th. (Adams Papers)
Mr. Pickman brought a Letter from Mr. Tracey. Cold weather. Benjamin Pickman , son of the Salem merchant of the same name. The father disapproved of the course of pre-Revolutionary Massachusetts politics and left America for England in 1775. The son was making a tour of France and returned to Boston via London with his father in the spring. Later he studied law, spending some time in...
267728th. (Adams Papers)
Paris. Bought of Froullé bookseller quai des Augustins Crevier’s Histoire des Empereurs Romains. Spent half an hour with Mr. Blakely: he goes for London next monday. Mr. Pickman was not at home, nor Mr. Waring, nor any body at Mr. Jefferson’s; I waited there an hour for them to return; but in vain. I passed an hour with the abbés de Chalût and Arnoux: Abbé de Mably was with them. This...
2678[March 1785] (Adams Papers)
Coldest weather we have had this year. Reaumur’s thermometer at 8 degrees below the freezing point. Abbé de Chalût told me last evening, that neither he nor his brother, (and they are both turned of seventy,) remember ever to have experienced so cold weather in the beginning of March. Paris afternoon. La Servante Maitresse , and, the 20th. Representation of Richard Coeur de Lion , an Opera, at...
2679Tuesday March 1st. 1785. (Adams Papers)
Coldest weather we have had this year. Reaumur’s thermometer at 8 degrees below the freezing point. Abbé de Chalût told me last evening, that neither he nor his brother, (and they are both turned of seventy,) remember ever to have experienced so cold weather in the beginning of March.
26802d. (Adams Papers)
Paris afternoon. La Servante Maitresse , and, the 20th. Representation of Richard Coeur de Lion , an Opera, at the Italian Comedy. The words are of Sèdaine and the Music of Gretri . It is a delightful Piece, and the music like all the rest of Mr. Gretri’s compositions is admirable. We were early, but could get only very bad places; I never saw any Théatre more crowded, and a vast number of...
26814th. (Adams Papers)
Letters from America as late as January 1st. by the way of England: One from Mr. Jay at New York, of Jany 14th to the Ministers, informing them of his having accepted the place of Minister for foreign affairs. These included: Cotton Tufts to JA , 1 Jan., not found; Tristram Dalton to JA , 21 Dec. 1784 ( Adams Papers ); and probably Francis Dana to JA , 12 Dec. 1784 (same). “Jany. 14th” was...
26825th. (Adams Papers)
Company to dine. Mr. Bleakly took charge of some Letters for London, one for Mr. Elworthy. He goes on Monday. Mr. Pickman sets out for London too, in the Course of the next week. I dined with him last June at London, on board Captn. Callahan’s ship. He belongs to Salem, and is a very agreeable young Gentleman. Mr. Waring thinks of going to America in May, about the time I shall: Indeed it is...
26837th. (Adams Papers)
Dined at the Marquis de la Fayettes. The Chevalier de la Luzerne dined there has been in the Country for some Months past. M: de Camaran a young french gentleman who went to America with the Marquis the last time was asked by Mrs. B. what part of America he liked best. He did not know from what part she was, and answered Boston. “I never was there” said Mrs. B. The Gentleman was embarass’d...
26849th. (Adams Papers)
Paris. Mr. Williamos went with us to see the Gallery of Pictures belonging to the Duke de Chartres in the Palais Royal. It is one of the finest Collections in Europe. There are a great number of Pictures by the first Masters of the Art. More of Raphael, than in any Collection I ever saw. The cieling is painted in Fresco by Antony Coypel. The paintings are very fine, and it is a pity they will...
268511th. (Adams Papers)
Paris afternoon. Got of Froullé Brindley’s Virgil. Went to see Mr. Pickman, at the Hotel de york. He intends setting away for London, next Monday. Spent the evening with Mr. Jefferson whom I love to be with, because he is a man of very extensive learning, and pleasing manners. Memorandum took the 4 last volumes of The tableau de Paris. Mr. Williamos, with Mr. and Mrs. Rooker, were at Auteuil...
268612th. (Adams Papers)
Paris afternoon with Mrs. A. upon some business for Mrs. Hay, who is at Beaugency. Mr. Graff au magazin de dentelles Rue des deux portes St. Sauveur. Beaumarchais the author of the too famous Comedy la folle journée ou le mariage de Figaro was taken up the other day, immediately after supper, and carried to St. Lazare where he is imprisoned. I ask’d of somebody what reasons were given for the...
268714th. (Adams Papers)
Walk’d into Paris in the morning. Hôtel de York Rue Jacob. Mr. Pickman set away for England by the Diligence, at noon. Found Mr. Boling at the Hotel de York. He arrived in Paris only three or four days ago. Mr. West of Philadelphia, arrived from London, at the Hôtel; before Mr. Pickman went away: he said he had a letter from Mr. Jackson, for my father. I went with Mr. Boling, to the hotel de...
268815th. (Adams Papers)
Paris in the afternoon, with Mr. A. Got of Froullé, the Horace and Ovid of Brindleys edition. While I was in the Shop, we heard a little bell in the Street; immediately every body in the shop, but myself, fell on their knees, and began to mutter prayers and cross themselves. It was a priest, carrying le bon dieu , to a dying man. This is one of the most revered ceremony of the Romish Religion....
268916th. (Adams Papers)
Mr. West, came out, and brought to Mr. Adams, two letters from Mr. Jackson. Jonathan Jackson to JA , 25 Feb. ( Adams Papers ); the other letter has not been found and is not mentioned in JA ’s reply of 18 March ( LbC , Adams Papers ).
269017th. (Adams Papers)
Dined at Dr. Franklin’s with a considerable large Company. Mr. Brillon, an old french gentleman very gay and talkative. Young Mr. Chaumont who goes to America by the April packet from l’Orient. Mr. Boling, a descendent of an Indian Queen, of somewhat a dark complexion, and his manners, are not perfectly pleasing to the Ladies. Mr. Norris, an American Quaker, turned Catholic. His turns of mind...
269118th. (Adams Papers)
Paris afternoon. Went to see Mr. and Mrs. Rooker and Mr. West, but neither were at home. Walk’d an hour in the Palais Royal: met Mr. Waring there: he tells me that Beaumarchais has written to the king, to complain for his having been sent to St. Lazare. I got of Froullé, the Juvenal with Monsr. Dusaulx’s translation. Satires de Juvénal, traduites par M. Dusaulx , Paris, 1770 ( MQA ).
269220th. (Adams Papers)
My father went to Versailles in the morning to see the Count de Vergennes, upon the subject of a Treaty between the U. States, and the Powers of Barbary. The Emperor of Morocco has taken an American vessel belonging to Mr. Fitz Simmons of Philadelphia. He has made the Master and the crew prisoners; but has not suffered them to be made slaves. He has ordered his People not to take any more...
269323d. (Adams Papers)
Paris. Hotel de york, rue Jacob: for Mr. West. I went with him and presented him to the Marquis de la Fayette, and afterwards to Mr. Jefferson. Walk’d after that, in the Palais Royal. This place furnishes a vast fund of entertainment to an observer. It is the most frequented walk in Paris. At every hour of the day, and of the night too, you will never fail of finding company there, and it is...
269424th. (Adams Papers)
Mr. Adams and the Ladies went to the church of St. Sulpice, and afterwards to Longchamps. This day the king washes the feet of 12 poor children in imitation of our Saviour’s washing those of the apostles. The kings brothers serve those children at dinner, and they have some peculiar privileges; such as being pardoned twice for crimes for which any other persons would be hang’d &c. Some of the...
269525th. (Adams Papers)
Good Friday. Went in the afternoon to Longchamps. This is the last Day. Every year; the wednesday, thursday, and friday, of the week preceding Esther, which is called Semaine Sainte , there is a kind of procession in the Bois de Boulogne, and it is called Longchamps. There are perhaps each of those Days a thousand carriages, that come out of Paris to go round one of the Roads in the wood one...
269626th. (Adams Papers)
Paris afternoon. Froullé, books upon astronomy. Went to see Mr. West and Mr. Waring but neither was at home. Messieurs Van den Yver bankers Ruë Royale , Butte St. Roch . Spent part of the evening with the abbés. While I was there a Gentleman came in, who was a great partisan, for animal magnetism, that he very strenuously defended. Speaking of Dr. Franklin, he said j’aime beaucoup M: Franklin,...
269727th. (Adams Papers)
Sunday. Mr. Adams dined with Mr. de St. Olympe’s and spent the evening at Mr. Jefferson’s. At about seven o’clock in the evening the Queen, was delivered of a Son, who is Monseigneur le Due de Normandie: this is one of the most important events that can happen in this kingdom; and every Frenchman has been expecting it, as if the fate of his life depended upon it. One would think that after...
269828th. (Adams Papers)
Snow in the morning sufficient to cover the ground. Dined at the Marquis de la Fayette’s. When I arrived there the Marquis was not returned from Versailles, where he went last evening immediately upon hearing of the Queen’s delivery, but could not get there soon enough to be present at the Christening. He told me a curious Circumstance. The Queen was so large, that it was suspected she might...
269929th. (Adams Papers)
Dr. Franklin’s early in the morning. Coll. Humphreys breakfasted with us, and went with Mr. Adams to Versailles, where they were presented for the first time, to the new born Prince, who received them in bed: there were half a dozen ladies in the chamber. There were three beds joining each other, and in the middle one laid M: le Duc. Probably that in the night one of the Ladies sleep in each...
270030th. (Adams Papers)
Mr. Adams dined at the Spanish Ambassador’s, Count d’Aranda, an old man 70 years of age, who married, last year a young woman of 20. Peace be with him!