Diary of John Adams, volume 4
1778-05-05
May 5. Tuesday 1778. Dined at home without company, which was a great rarity and esteemed by me a very great Blessing.
While I was at dinner alone, my Servant brought me a Letter addressed to Messieurs Franklin, Lee and Adams, Deputies of the United States of America at Passi, and endorsed De Vergennes. I opened it and found it in French, a litteral translation of which is as follows.1
Comte de Vergennes to the Commissioners Versailles May 4. 1778 I have taken the orders of the King, Gentlemen, on the Subject of the presentation of Mr. Adams, your new Colleague, and his Majesty will see him on fryday next, the eighth of this month. I hope you will be so good as to do me the honour, to dine with me, on that day; I shall be ravished to have that occasion, of passing some hours with you, and of renewing to you the assurances of the most perfect consideration, with which I have the honour to be Gentlemen your most humble and most obedient Servant
De Vergennes M essieu rs. Franklin, Lee and Adams.
I passed the whole of this day at home. Mr. Lee came in the After-91noon to my Apartment and We sat down together, to a serious Examination of the public Papers, that is of all that We could find, and a close Attention to the public Business. In the Evening Mr. Chaumont came in and informed me of the destination of a Frigate of thirty two Guns from Marsailles to Boston and that I might write by her, if I pleased.
The translation is from the French text JA copied into his Diary entry of 5 May 1778. The recipient's copy of Vergennes' letter has not been found.
1778-05-06
May 6. Wednesday. 1778. Franklin told Us one of his Characteristic Stories. A Spanish Writer of certain Vissions of Hell, relates that a certain evil Spirit he met with who was civil and well bred, shewed him all the Apartments in the place. Among others that of deceased Kings. The Spaniard was much amused at so illustrious a Sight, and after viewing them for sometime, said he should be glad to see the rest of them. The rest? said the Daemon. Here are all the Kings who ever reigned upon earth from the creation of it to this day, what the Devil would the Man have?
This Anecdote was in the Spirit of those times for the Philosophers of the last Age had raised a king killing Spirit in the World. I wrote the Story down in the Evening with a Note upon it not less Characteristick of myself. It was this. This Fable is not so charitable as Dr. Watts, who in his view of Heaven says “here and there I see a King,” which seems to imply that Kings are as good as other men, since it is but here and there that We see a King upon Earth.
The Truth is that neither then nor at any former time, since I had attained any maturity in Age, Reading and reflection had I imbibed any general Prejudice against Kings, or in favour of them. It appeared to me then as it has done ever since, that there is a State of Society in which a Republican Government is the best, and in America the only one which ought to be adopted or thought of, because die morals of the People and Circumstances of the Country not only can bear it, but require it. But in several of the great nations of Europe, Kings appeared to me to be as necessary as any Government at all. Nor had I ever seen any reason to believe that Kings were in general worse than other Men.
After Dinner We went to the field, where the King reviewed his Guards, French and Swiss, about eight thousands of them. The Show was pompous indeed as all other Shows are in this Country. The Carriages of the Royal Family were very magnificent. Returned and drank Coffee with Mr. Lee at his House in Challiot