Diary of John Quincy Adams, volume 1
1785-01-27
Company to dine Mr. d'Asp,1 and another Swedish gentleman. Mr. Setaro a Portuguese gentleman in the Evening. Mr. Williams2 spent the evening with us. Coll. Humphreys presented to Mr. A: a copy of his Poem address'd to the Armies of the United States.3 It appears very well written. The versification is in general noble, and easy. It is a recapitulation of some of the principal events that happened during the course of the late Revolution, and contains predictions concerning the future grandeur of the United States. May they be verified!4
Svenskt Biografiskt
Lexikon;
entry for 18 April,
below).
DAB
).
“A Poem, Addressed to the Armies of the United States of America,” New Haven, 1780, repr.
Paris and London, 1785 218(Dexter, Yale Graduates
, 3:417–418).
JA's presentation copy, presumably of the Paris edition (see AA2, Jour. and
Corr.
, 1:45), has not been found.
A red exclamation mark here was probably added after 1 Feb., when JQA began to record dates in red ink.
1785-01-28
Paris in the Evening. French Theatre. Iphigenie en Aulide, of
Racine, and l'Aveugle Clairvoyant.1 Though the tragedy is perhaps the best that is acted upon the
Theatre, and though they had last night several of the best players, to act it, the House
was not half full. Such is the present taste in this Kingdom. Brizards2 in Agamemnon is not I think so good as in some other parts: though
it is a very disagreeable Character to support. De la Rive, in Archilles is excellent. Mlle.
Saintval in Iphigenia, Mlle. Raucourt in Clytemnestra, and Mlle. Thenard3 in Eriphile, are good. Fleury4 in the small piece was, admirable. When we returned, found 3.
Letters, for me. W. Warren. C. Storer. Mr. Dumas.5
Paris, 1674; and Paris, 1716, by Marc Antoine Legrand (Brenner, Bibliographical List
).
Jean Baptiste Britard, called Brizard (Hoefer,
Nouv. biog. générale
).
Probably Jean Mauduit de La Rive or Larive; Marie Blanche Alziari de Roquefort, called
Saint-val; Françoise Clairien, called Saucerotte, but more familiarly known as Raucourt;
Marie Magdalaine Claudine Chevalier Perrin, called Thenard (same; Michaud, Biog. universelle;
Lyonnet, Dict. des
comédiens français
).
Nouv.
biog. générale
).
Winslow Warren to JQA, 4 Jan.; C. W. F. Dumas to JQA, 21 Jan.; the third not found (both in Adams Papers).
1785-01-29
Paris afternoon, alone. Mr. Jeffersons. He looks much afflicted. The last letters, brought him news of the death of one of his daughters:1 he has a great deal of Sensibility. Bought books.2
Jefferson received the news of the death of Lucy Elizabeth (b. 1782), his second daughter
by that name, in a letter from James Currie, 20 Nov. 1784, which was received on 26 Jan.,
carried by Lafayette (Jefferson, Papers
, 6:186; 7:441, 538–539).
None has been positively identified.
1785-01-30
Mr. A. met Mr. Jefferson, at Paris, in the forenoon.
31 The Marquis de la Fayette was here in the evening. He appears very well
satisfied with his last voyage to America.