To Benjamin Franklin from ——— Maussallé, 26 September 1779
From———Maussallé8
ALS: American Philosophical Society
a Paris ce 26. 7bre. 1779.
Monsieur
Je suis chargé d’avoir L’honneur de vous voir pour une affaire qui interresse un Negociant de Dunkerque dont j’ay la confiance, et qui vous a été renvoyée par M. De sartine. Je vous prie de m’indiquer le jour et l’heure de votre commodité auxquels je pouray me rendre chez vous a cet effet.
Je suis avec Respect Monsieur Votre tres humble et tres obeissant serviteur
Maussallé
avocat aux Conseils
Rue Montmartre vis avis la Jussienne
Notations in different hands: Maussalé 26. 7bre. 1779. / Ans’d9
8. A Paris lawyer. The Almanach royal for 1779 (p. 251) lists him among the “avocats aux conseils du roi” at the address given below. The “négociant de Dunkerque” he represents here is probably John Torris and the “affaire” most likely concerns the judgments that Torris had requested of BF for the Goodwill and the ransomed Three Sisters (above, Sept. 23). For an account of the steps taken by Torris and his representatives to obtain judgments for these prizes and ransoms see Clark, Ben Franklin’s Privateers, pp. 57–9.
Torris continued to have Maussallé represent him and in later correspondence with BF mentions him by name: Torris to BF, May 13, 1780 (APS).
9. BF answered on the 27th saying that he had received Maussallé’s letter and would see him the next day at noon. The LS, in WTF’s hand and in French, is at the Yale University Library; a copy, also in French, is at the Library of Congress.