From Benjamin Franklin to Lafayette, 25 June 1782
To Lafayette
ALS (draft): Library of Congress
Passy, June 25. 1782
Dear Sir,
Hearing yesterday at Versailles of the Opportunity you mention,3 I have stay’d at home to day employ’d in writing my Letters. You may depend on my doing fully what you desire.— Mr Jay is at Paris employ’d as I am, so that I do not expect to see him till Thursday.4 With the utmost Esteem & Affection I am ever Yours
B Franklin
3. See Lafayette’s letter immediately above.
4. June 27. There is no entry for this date in BF’s journal of the peace negotiations, but Jay was at Passy the morning of June 28, and they went together to Versailles on June 29.
A note from Jay dated only “Monday Morn” inviting BF to dinner on “Wednesday next” could have been written at any time during John and Sarah Jay’s stay in Paris. Except for a vacation in Normandy and a journey to England, the Jays were there from June 23, 1782, until May 16, 1784: Morris, Jay: Peace, pp. 20–2.