9. This is the earliest of a series of “receipts,” which were really requests for BF to subscribe to a work that never was completed. St. Hubert had written histories of individual French provinces and was now compiling a more ambitious study of the entire country. In an undated letter that may have been written during the spring of 1779, the author requested an interview and told BF that he would certainly be mentioned in the “ouvrage historique.” Writing on July 28 and alluding to an earlier letter, St. Hubert identified himself as an avocat au parlement whose historical dictionary of France was authorized by the government and would run to twenty-four volumes, the first six of which were due to appear in October, 1779, and the rest to be completed by January, 1780. He would sell the work by advance subscription, and he asked BF to pay the first installment of 24 l.t.; he enclosed a handwritten receipt identical in wording to this one. On June 14, 1781, writing for what we believe was the final time, St. Hubert reexplains his project, announces that the first four volumes will appear at the end of July, 1781, asks BF for money, and encloses a new billet de souscription. All of these letters are at the APS. For St. Hubert see Quérard, France littéraire.

1. The billet, a blank form, is printed in italic, and St. Hubert has filled in by hand the pertinent information.