Diary of John Quincy Adams, volume 1
1783-08-11
This morning Mr. Hartley1 the British Minister for making Peace, came to pay a visit to my Father, but as he was out he desired to see me. I had some Conversation with him. He says he hopes the Peace will be soon signed. In the afternoon I went with my Father to Passy, and saw there Dr. Franklin and Mr. and Mrs. Jay. I also renewed my acquaintance with young Mr. Bache.
We went at the same time to see the Abbés Chalut and Arnauld2 two gentlemen of letters, with whom my Father has been familiarly
acquainted ever since his first arrival in Europe. We found with them the Abbé de Mably,3 famous for being the author of a work entitled Le Droit public de l'Europe; and of another entitled principes des Negociations, and the Abbé le Monnier4
who has given to the world
an elegant French Translation of Terence's Comedies. As the general Turn of the
Conversation was upon Politicks; there was nothing in it, necessary to be transcribed
here.
DNB
; JA, Diary and Autobiography
, 2:303; 3:112–113).
The Abbés Chalut and Arnoux taught JA French and advised him on book
purchases (JA, Diary and
Autobiography
, 2:317; 4:60).
Des principes des
négociations, pour servir d'introduction au droit public de l'Europe, fondé sur les
traités, The Hague, 1767, and Le droit public de l'Europe,
fondé sur les traités conclus jusqu'en l'année 1740 . . ., Amsterdam, 1748, are among
JA's books (
Catalogue of JA's Library
). For the
significance of the JA-Mably friendship, see JA,
Diary and Autobiography
, 2:315; 3:102, and the
source cited there.
Guillaume Antoine Lemonnier's three-volume Comédies de
Térence was published in Paris in 1770.