To Benjamin Franklin from Castrioto, 22 September 1777
From Castrioto2
ALS: American Philosophical Society
Paris 22 September 1777.
Sir
The pamphlets I was to send you, as we agreed, were broght from Holland, and detained here, in the chambre Syndicale:3 I had great difficulty to obtain them before my departure, and having no time to deliver them to you I was oblig’d to leve them in a friends hands, who will bring them to you: there is one more of the second letters, because I had none, when I gave an exemplar of the first to Mr. Deane.4
I desire my Compliments to that gentleman and that he should not forget writing to Mr. Dumas as he promis’d me, to oblige him to haste the publication of the 3th. letter.
I hope Sir that I will merit your estime in my country by my endevours to Serve your cause and by the Sincer afection and respect with wich I always will be Sir your most humble Servant
F. A. Castrioto
Notation: T. A Castrioto 22 Sept 77.
2. See his letter above, July 9.
3. The body responsible, among other things, for inspecting books brought into Paris from the provinces or from abroad; see the Almanach royal for 1775, p. 416.
4. The pamphlets were in all likelihood two anonymous letters, published in 1776 with a London imprint (doubtless fictitious) in answer to the two by Isaac Pinto that are discussed above, XXII, 410 n. Castrioto’s tone strongly suggests that these replies were his handiwork, one Portuguese answering another.