To Benjamin Franklin from Félix António Castrioto, 9 July 1777
From Félix António Castrioto7
ALS: Library of Congress
At the Hotel de Navarre rüe St. Sauveur.
the 9 July [1777]
Sir
To prevent your trouble in writing over the Memorial in vain, I thought proper to let you know that Since I had the honour to speak to you I refected that, tho’ the Secretaire of State for the affaires of the Kingdom is Suppos’d, with us, to be the Prime Minister, all the foreigner applications ought to be made to the Secretaire of State for the foreigner affairs. The name of the Secretaire for that departement is Mr. de Sá; but he is Knigt of Christ and has some other qualifiquations or titles wich are usual to be added to the name, but I don’t know how to tourn them into english. This could be avoid’d by giving the Memorial the same tourn as in the first copy, without adressing it by name.8 You may make of this notice what use you shall think proper. I remain with great estime and respect Sir Your most humble Servant
F. A. Castrioto
Notation: Castrioto, Paris July 9th. 1777
7. The former editor of the Gazetas de Lisboa; for a brief notice of him see the Grande Enciclopédia Portugesa e Brasileira. He had been banished by the previous administration and recalled by the present one, Bancroft reported to London, and was on his way home from the Netherlands; his authorship of a pro-American pamphlet recommended him to BF and Deane (see his letter below, Sept. 22), and he suggested to them that he was a better channel than the Portuguese envoy to Versailles for presenting their memoir to Lisbon. Stevens, Facsimiles, III, no. 258, p. 2.
8. The memoir is below under July 16. The commissioners eventually decided to send it to the marquês de Ponte do Lima, secretary of state for domestic affairs, rather than to Aires de Sá e Melo, minister for foreign affairs and war; they had perhaps heard a rumor, published in the Public Advertiser on July 21, that the latter would be sent as ambassador to Madrid.