Adams Family Correspondence, volume 12
I have just got your agreeable favours of 8–9— & 11— May, and as this is the last day upon which I can write to reach you at Paris, and I have but little time for the post, I shall be short.1
Mr: Arnoux’s letter has given me great
pleasure, and I wish you if you have time, to give him my grateful thanks for it; for
his kind remembrance of the family, as well as his attentions to you.2 Madame de Ville if she is the same lady, whom I
have seen at the farmer General M. de Chalut’s (his daughter, though not then recognized
as such), I very well remember.3 If you
see her again, you must tell her, qu’elle n’êtait pas faite pour
être oubliée. I have a perfect and very lively recollection, not only of herself,
but of her charming performances upon the Forte-piano. Perhaps her fine children have
taken some of her attention off, from that instrument.
M. le Gros, is much obliged to the Cuisinière for her remembrance. She used to be very kind to him, when he was a boy, and he has always been grateful for it. I am very glad to hear she is well, and wish you to assure her of it, should you have an opportunity.
I hope you will not leave Paris, without visiting the two Councils. A card, I suppose may be procured, and a little money is what you will not begrudge for such a sight.
The Fair is tapering off, and has not been very splendid. We have
had a Ball at M. de Schubarts.4 The Count
has changed his day to the 23d: so that I suppose you will
not be able to be here.
There is in the Nouvelles Politiques
of 21 Floréal an infamous aspersion upon your father, as false as if it had come in a
straight line from Hell. I am surprised to see it in that paper, because it is generally
moderate & impartial.5
M. Noël was married on Sunday.
Adieu.
LbC in TBA’s hand (Adams Papers); internal address: “Mr T. B. Adams”; APM Reel 130.
TBA’s letter to JQA of 11 May has not been found.
Not found.
Marie Catherine Desroches Chalut de Vérin Deville (b. 1769),
called Lucille by AA2, had been adopted in 1776 by Geoffroy Chalut de
Vérin (d. 1787). In 1785 she married Nicolas Deville, for whom see
TBA to
AA, 24 July 1797, note 5, below, although by this time she was
a widow with five children (Revue de l’histoire de Versailles
et de Seine-et-Oise, 61 vols., Versailles, 1907, p. 191; Yves Durand, Les fermiers généraux au XVIIIe siècle, Paris, 1996, p.
628). For the Adamses’ 120 acquaintance with
Chalut de Vérin and Lucille while in France in the 1780s, see vol. 6:435, 436, 479, and JA, D&A
, 3:53.
Baron Hermann von Schubart (1756–1832), whom JQA
described as having “nothing characteristic in his manners, but complaisance and
apparent goodness of disposition,” was the Danish envoy extraordinary to the
Netherlands from 1789–1797. JQA attended Schubart’s ball on 12 May, where
he “dansed a single danse. supped late.— Played whist” and found that his “enjoyment
for parties of this kind is extinguished for ever”
(D/JQA/20, 10 Feb. 1795, APM Reel 23; D/JQA/24, 12 May
1797, APM Reel 27;
Repertorium
, 3:49).
The Paris Nouvelles politiques,
nationales et étrangères, 10 May (An. V, 21 floréal), reported on the 8 Feb.
session of Congress in which JA read the electoral votes and declared
himself president. In addition to recording the vote counts, the article characterized
JA as representing the faction “attached to the union with England,”
while Thomas Jefferson was associated with that of France.
th1797
Although it is probable you will have quitted the Hague, e’re this
can reach you, I cannot help answering your very kind letters, and flattering myself,
that they will not arrive too late— I yesterday recieved yours, of the 6th, which I cannot say gave me satisfaction, as it confirmed
my fears of your not returning—
I am sorry my best, and dearest friend, you should ever feel a
moments uneasiness, on my account, and would most willingly suffer any thing, to relieve
your mind from anxiety—but indeed my Adams, I think we meet with difficulties, and
disappointments, enough without anticipating them— Excuse
me if I say, it appears to me very unreasonable, to embitter the few moments of
happiness within our reach, by permiting ourselves to indulge unpleasant, and
disagreeable conjectures— Life is short, and admits not of much real felicity, therefore
we ought not to reject the good that offers, by watching for evil, but thankfully accept
it, with gratitude to the giver of all good—
You have accustomed me to write my sentiments without reserve, and
to you who possess my whole confidence, I would not wish to conceal a thought, it would
be an affectation of delicacy in me, to deny how much I wished to accompany you, yes my
beloved friend, I most sincerely wish it was possible, believe me, no trifling obstacle
should prevent me, yet if it is attended with any inconvenience to you, I am the last
person on earth to desire it, your letters all tend to convince me, that this is the
case, and I have relinquished the pleasing hope of our meeting, I acknowledge it has
cost me some pain, but I have conquered my feelings, and trust I have 121 succeeded so far, as to enable me to hear of your departure, without much regret—
One year my best friend, is almost elapsed since we parted— may the next be more propitious to us than this has been, but alas, I much fear, that many must pass ere I shall experience the delight of beholding you—when I think on this subject my friend, my fortitude almost forsakes me—
Adieu, all here desire their love— that you may enjoy health, and happiness, is the constant, and earnest prayer / of your tenderly attached,
RC (Adams Papers).