chateau was still standing under the Second Empire: and of the Marshal d'Estaing, whose name is so honorably associated with our Revolution. Then, at Auteuil, adjoining Passy, was the residence of Madame Helvetius, whose house was the resort of all the political celebrities of France, and to whom, because of the judicious patronage she extended to people of letters, Franklin gave the name of Notre Dame d'Auteuil. To this circle no person seems to have been admitted upon a more intimate footing than Franklin. There was even a tradition that he had offered himself to her in marriage. Of this, however, there is no evidence nor even probability. It was the most attractive salon in Paris; one to which Napoleon on his return from Italy sought, but unsuccessfully, to secure admission. We need look no further for an explanation of Franklin's devotion to its presiding genius. If anything were yet wanting to make Passy fashionable it was to be found in the royal chateau of La Muette, which was a favorite resort of the king. It was from here that he dated the popular edict which suppressed the Don de joyeux Avénement. At La Muette was a laboratory constructed by Louis XV. and enlarged by his successor. Franklin was often there, with his friends Le Roy and the Abbé la Roche, both members of the Academy of Sciences, prosecuting his experiments in electricity, on the weight of the atmosphere, etc. Passy was also endowed by nature with a mineral spring renowned in those days for its medicinal properties, and which served as another veil to Franklin's real purpose-he being something of an invalid in accepting the hospitalities of M. de Chaumont. This spring was the property of a M. le Veillard, first mayor of Passy, with whom Dr. Franklin contracted a great intimacy and life-long friendship.

Before directing our attention more particularly to Dr. Franklin's host, it will be interesting to follow hurriedly the subsequent fortunes of the property to which he was destined to give no inconsiderable part of its distinction. We have seen that the Hôtel Valentinois was purchased by M. de Chaumont in August, 1776, and only four months before Franklin's arrival in Paris. The social, financial, and political convulsions which occurred in France soon after the peace with America and the departure of Dr. Franklin so deranged the affairs of M. de Chaumont that his property at Passy had to be sacrificed for the benefit of his creditors, and was sold on the 25th of July, 1791, to Messrs. Fulcheron and Grivel,

the Grand Hôtel, and the small hotel remaining the undivided property of the partners. Owing to dissensions among the creditors of the De Chaumont estate, of which Fulcheron and Grivel seemed to have been only purchasers in trust, the property was finally sold under foreclosure on the 12th of July, 1793. The large hotel was rented to and occupied by the then Royal Highness, the Prince of Condé, Duc de Bourbon.

Later, one of the descendants of Ossian's hero, Lord Fingal, occupied this hotel until after the memorable days of 1830. Later still, it was sold to the Frères des Écoles Chrétiennes, who transferred to it from the Faubourg St. Martin, on the 3d of April, 1839, a large boarding-school which, in 1866, had 740 pupils. The original structure, besides undergo ing some changes, was very much enlarged for the accommodation of the new tenants. Of the original edifice there remained in 1866:

First. In the angle at the left the receptionroom, three arcades on the ground floor, and three brackets ornamented with sculptured figures.

Second. The columns of the porte cochère and carriage houses on the street.

Third. The angle of the old staircase and the wainscoting in the drawing-room. I have been told by the late Count Henri de Riancey,

then editor-in-chief of the "Union" in Paris, and a resident of Passy,-who had seen them, that they were very remarkable and would pass for masterpieces of taste. They were sold in 1855 at a very high price. Of the small hotel occupied by Franklin, we have already stated that the walls and the façade towards the gar den were still standing in 1866, when I visited and went through it with one of the Brothers. It next became the property of M. Dumersan, a well-known dramatic writer. In 1866 it be longed to M. Miensel, who let it to various parties, and among them to the Comte de Riancey already referred to.

Just before Franklin left Paris to return to still his country, the Comte de Vergennes, Minister of Foreign Affairs, addressed a note to M. de Chaumont in behalf of the Marchioness de Monconseil, a favorite correspondent of Chesterfield, to know if she could hire the property, and upon what conditions.

I do not wish you [he says in this note] to make sacrifices to the friendship you have for me. But the friendship I have for Madame de Monconseil, and she may reestablish and fortify her health in the she which is of very long standing, leads me to desire that air of Passy, and in an abode so attractive as that she wishes to let.

ccupants. After an interval of nearly forty ears, the impression of its princely elegance as still fresh in the memory of old John dams, who, while joint commissioner with ranklin, shared the hospitality of La petite Maison, as appears by a letter written to a son f M. de Chaumont, in 1818, when the old atesman was in his eighty-second year. As this letter has, I believe, never been put print, I will give it,entire. The son of M. e Chaumont had become a citizen of the nited States and a very large landed prorietor in the northern part of the State of New York, of which we shall have something ore to say presently.

QUINCY, February 12, 1818. SIR: I have received and read with pleasure an adess to the Agricultural Society of Jefferson County, the State of New York, and as I know not from hom it came, who should I thank for it but its author? I rejoice in every new society which has agriculture r its object, and see with delight that the spirit is reading through the United States. If I could orship any of the heathen gods it would be old Satn, because I believe him to be only an allegorical rsonification of agriculture, and the children he deured to be only his own grapes and figs, apples and ars, wheat and barley.

I

agree with you in the main in every sentiment, urticularly relative to grapes and corn, yet we cannot ive perfect roast beef, nor perfect roast spare-ribs, nor perfect poultry, without maize. We must, therefore, crifice a little luxury to a good deal of public good. From the style of this address I should not have Ispected it to have been written by any other than a ative of this country.

Thirty-nine years ago, I little thought I should live see the heir-apparent to the princely palaces and ardens of Passy my fellow-citizen in the republican ilderness of America laying the foundation of more nple domains and perhaps more splendid palaces. I served the motto of the Hôtel de Valentinois, which had then the honor to inhabit. "Se sta bene non se move. ""

"If you stand well, stand still." But you have proved le maxim not to be infallible, and I rejoice in it. The civilities I received from your family interest e so much in their happiness that any information fit would increase that of your sincere well wisher

ad most humble servant.

(Signed) JOHN ADAMS.

LE RAY DE CHAUMONT, ESQ.,
President of the Agricultural Society of Jefferson
County, New York.

During my residence in Paris, 1861-67, I

This proposition, though I decided not to entertain belongs now to the history of this historical property, nd I need not, therefore, apologize for inserting a ranslation of it here:

PARIS ARRONDISSEMENT DE PASSY, I June, 1866. MR. MINISTER: I have seen the proprietor of the ouse situated at Paris-Passy, Rue Basse, No. 40. He would be willing to sell it at the price of 120,000 francs. On receiving half of the amount, he would be disposed o accord some delay for the payment of the remainler.

He imposes no conditions upon the sale except the ulfillment of the current lease, which expires 1 April, 1868.

Please accept, Mr. Minister, the very humble respects of your servant,

AMY.

was urged by several of my countrymen who were familiar with the needs of the American legation to take measures to build or purchase a hotel, to be devoted to the use of our official representatives residing near the French court. They said they would raise the money without difficulty if I would take charge of it; and a good share of all the money that would have been required was at once pledged to me for this purpose. I was led to think favorably of the proposition from the circumstance that part of the old house once occupied by Franklin, with an acre of land or thereabouts, was then for sale, and was offered to me for 120,000 francs.*

Before deciding whether I would accept this trust, I determined not to prolong my stay abroad another year, and not knowing whether my successor would appreciate the need of the ample accommodations which the scheme of my friends contemplated, or would care to accept the responsibility of organizing such an enterprise and carrying it through, I allowed the opportunity of making the aforetime residence of our first Minister the permanent residence of the American legation to escape. It was the one coneminence which I have never ceased to regret. sequence of my retirement from that honorable

Turn we now to the proprietor of this noble property,- upon a description of which perhaps we have dwelt too long,-whose timely and judicious hospitality has associated his name only less permanently than Franklin's with the fortunes of the great American republic. M. de Chaumont, before Franklin became his guest, had been one of the council of Louis XV. He was then, and up to the time of his death, grandmaster of the waters and forests and honorary intendant of the Invalides. He seemed to hold entirely confidential relations with the ministry of the young king, and was in the enjoyment of a fortune which, according to a statement made to the writer by his grandson, amounted to two and a half millions of francs, say $500,000, in addition, it is to be presumed, to the family chateau of Chaumont on the Loire; another at Blessois, which he afterwards tendered to John Adams; † and the Hôtel Valentinois, which As appears from the following letter from Mr. Adams declining the offer:

To M. LE RAY DE CHAUMONT.

PASSY, February 25, 1779. SIR: I have this moment the honor of your kind billet of this day's date, and I feel myself under great obligation for the genteel and generous offer of your house at Blessois; but if I do not put Dr. Franklin to inconvenience, which I shall not do long, my residence at Passy is very agreeable to me.

To a mind as much addicted to retirement as mine, the situation you propose would be delicious indeed, provided my country were at peace and my family with me; but, separated from my family and with an heart bleeding with the wounds of its country, I should be

he had then recently purchased. The writer has the same authority for stating that the Duc de Choiseul, his neighbor in the country,-the chateau of Chaumont and of Chanteloup being in close proximity,- wished M. de Chaumont to enter the ministry with him, but the invitation was declined from the conviction that he could be more useful as the unofficial

anything that would oblige him to run away, as his phiz would discover him wherever he should venture to show it. It is said by learned etymologists that the name of doll for the image children play with is de rived from the word idol. From the number of dolls now made of him he may be truly said, in that sense, to be idolized in this country.*

American commissioners.

He seemed to have been at one time asso

ciated with the Duc de Choiseul in establishing a tannery at Amboise, and afterwards important glassworks on his Chaumont property, for which he imported skilled workmen from England at great expense. He was also seized with an ambition to establish a pottery on his place where he had found clay, which encouraged him to hope that he could compete with the English in that manufacture. It was here and of this clay that the Italian Nini, who was invited to Chaumont, made a class of medallions much sought for by amateurs, and among others one of Franklin which was so much admired as a work of art, and became so much in demand, that the grandson of M. de Chaumont had copies of it made, some years ago, for the gratification of his friends.

Franklin sent one of these medallions to his daughter, Mrs. Bache, to which he makes the following playful allusion in a letter written to her on the 3d of June, 1779:

The clay medallion of me you say you gave to Mr. Hopkinson was the first of the kind made in France. A variety of others of different sizes have been made since; some to be set in the lids of snuff-boxes and some so small as to be worn in rings, and the numbers sold are incredible. These, with the pictures, busts, and prints (of which copies upon copies are spread everywhere), have made your father's face as well known as that of the moon, so that he durst not do

the most miserable being on earth in retreat and idleness. To America, therefore, in all events and at all hazards, I must attempt to go, provided I do not receive counter orders which I can execute with honor and with some prospect of advantage to the public

service.

I thank you, sir, and your agreeable family for all your civilities since my arrival at Passy, and have the honor to be, with great respect,

*

Your most obedient and humble servant,
(Signed) JOHN ADAMS.

Having occasion, some years ago, to mention the origin of this medallion to my valued friend the late William H. Huntington, whose recent decease has deprived Paris of one of its special charms in the eyes of all who enjoyed the privilege of his friendship, I shortly after received from him a reply in which he says: "It was curious news to me that Nini's medallions were made at Chaumont, though I'd often heard that their place of fabric was somewhere on the Loire. There is no mention of this artist in the Biographic Universelle' of Didot, about the only book of biographical reference I have. He must have had a certain vogue in his time, medallions of folks of the superior

lection of engravings and other works of art self shortly before his death. It was no doubt relating to Franklin, by Mr. Huntington himto one of these medallions that Madame de Campan alludes in the following memorable paragraph, in which she reproves the enthusi by the king of France for Franklin and the asm exhibited by the courtiers and tolerated American insurgents:

Franklin appeared at Court in the dress of an Amer-to ican agriculturist. His unpowdered hair, his round r hat, formed a contrast to the laced and embroidered coats and the powder and perfume of the courtiers of Versailles. This novelty turned the light heads of the Frenchwomen. Elegant entertainments were given toe Dr. Franklin, who, to the reputation of a man of science, added the patriotic virtues which invested him with the of these entertainments where the most beautiful wo character of an apostle of liberty. I was present at one man out of three hundred was selected to place a crown of laurels upon the white head of the American philoso pher, and two kisses upon his cheek. Even in the pal ace of Versailles Franklin's medallion was sold under the king's eyes in the exhibition of Sèvres china. The legend of this medallion was "Eripuit calo fulmen, Sceptrumque tyrannis." The king never declared his opinion upon an enthusiasm which his correct judg ment no doubt led him to blame. The queen spoke out more plainly about the part France was taking re specting the independence of the American colonies, and constantly opposed it.t

There seems to have been no definite understanding, either oral or in writing, about the

has never

classes from his hand still turning up at sales and in curiosity shops. He did two Franklins-both at the Metropolitan Museum-dated and signed. The smaller one, with the cap 1777 B. Franklin, Americain,' was among the earliest of the Franklin idols made here, and has been numerously reproduced by French, English, and other engravers. The larger, which is of the more usual size of Nini's work, is much rarer, been engraved from, as far as I know, and is to my notion one of the most finely characterized of all the Franklin portraits-1799 (and in some copies MDCCLXXIX; you will find specimens of both in the museum), with Turgot's lines for the legend. I his letter to his daughter, Passy, 3d of June, B. F. writes: The clay medallion of me you say you gave Mr. Hopkinson was the first of the kind made in France.' This must be the one with the cap. Ven. F. is correct in his statement, it would curiously seem that his friend Chaumont set Nini at him as soon as he caught the artist, to start (we should now say inaugurate) his furnace at Chaumont with the likeness of his friend."-Letter from W. H. Huntington, dated No. 20, Rue de la Bruyère. Paris, April 5, 1884

If the

"Private Life of Marie Antoinette," by Mme Campan. Vol. I., pp. 253-256.

rms upon which Franklin and his colleagues hould occupy La petite Maison. Franklin is far too wise a man to suppose that favors any kind from one's fellow-creatures ever cost emy the long run less than they are worth, or are orth more than they cost. When he accepted de Chaumont's invitation, he may have pected his government, at some future time, make some suitable compensation to its oprietor; or, knowing the interest which rance had in the success of the colonists id the advantage to her government of Eving him lodged where he could be accesole without compromising it, he may have garded his residence at Passy on M. de haumont's estate as in itself a satisfaction of 1 claims against him or Congress, and the rench government as M. de Chaumont's al debtor. Whatever the arrangement was, seems to have proved entirely satisfactory oth to Dr. Franklin and his host; for neither uring his sojourn at Passy nor on leaving do is obligations constitute a topic of his correondence, or even a subject of debate. Until parated by death, they lived on terms of the lost friendly intimacy; and when Franklin left aris to return to his native country, in 1785, I. de Chaumont procured for him the queen's dan chair to mitigate the fatigues of his ourney to the coast, and accompanied his illusious guest as far as Nanterre on his journey. Messrs. Adams and Lee, the doctor's coleagues, however, either not aware of the unerstanding between Dr. Franklin and M. de Chaumont, or not contented with its terms, or, erhaps, indisposed to recognize any agreenent to which they had not been made paries, endeavored to put their relations with M. de Chaumont upon a more definite and, as hey supposed, a more strictly business basis. To this end Mr. Adams, presumably without consulting with Dr. Franklin, addressed the ollowing letter to M. de Chaumont:

PASSY, September 16, 1778. SIR: As our finances are at present in a situation seriously critical, and as I hold myself accountable to Congress for every part of my conduct, even to the smallest article of my expenses, I must beg the favor of you to consider what rent we ought to pay you for this house and furniture, both for the time past and to come. Every part of your conduct towards me and towards our Americans in general, and in all our affairs, has been polite and obliging, as far as I have had an opportunity of observing, and I have no doubt it will continue so; yet it is not reasonable that the United States should be under so great obligation to a private gentleman, as that two of their representatives should Occupy for so long a time so elegant a seat, with so much furniture and such fine accommodations, without compensation; and in order to escape the danger of the disapprobation of our constituents, on the one hand, for living here at too great or at too uncertain an expense, and, on the other, the censure of the world for not making sufficient compensation to a gentleman who has done so much for our convenience, it seems

to me necessary that we should come to an understanding upon this head.

As you have an account against the commissioners, or against the United States, for several other matters, I should be obliged to you if you would send it in as soon as possible, as every day makes it more and more most precision.

necessary for us to look into our affairs with the ut I am, sir, with much esteem and respect, etc., JOHN ADAMS.

To this letter, after the interval of a single day, De Chaumont sent the following reply:

PASSY, September 18, 1778.

SIR: I have received the letter which you did me the honor to write to me on the 16th inst., making inquiry as to the rent of my house in which you live for the past and the future. When I consecrated my house might share it with him, I made it fully understood that I should expect no compensation, because I perceived that you had need of all your means to send to of your countrymen escaping from the chains of your the succor of your country, or to relieve the distresses enemies. I pray you, sir, to permit this arrangement to remain, which I made when the fate of your country was doubtful. When she shall enjoy all her splendor, such sacrifices on my part will be superfluous or unworthy of her; but at present they may be useful, and I am happy in offering them to you.

to the use of Dr. Franklin and his associates who

There is no occasion for strangers to be informed of my proceedings in this respect. It is so much the had the opportunity, and so much the better for me to worse for those who would not do the same if they have immortalized my house by receiving into it Dr. Franklin and his associates.

There is no doubt that Mr. Adams's mind had been poisoned by his colleague, Arthur Lee, or he would never have written the letter of the 16th of September, which was more or less of a reflection upon his senior colleague, the practical head of the commission. However, he seems to have been entirely satisfied with the result, as all his subsequent relations with M. de Chaumont and his family abundantly testify. Not so, however, Arthur Lee. He was a sort of stormy petrel, only content in foul weather, and his determination to produce bad blood between Adams and Franklin was not abandoned. He renews the effort by a proposal to have the papers of the legation kept at his lodgings, which was promptly rejected.

It cannot be expected [wrote Mr. Adams] that two should go to one, when it is as easy again for one to go to two; not to mention Dr. Franklin's age, his rank in the commission, or his character in the world, nor that nine-tenths of the public letters are constantly brought to this house, and will ever be carried where Dr. Franklin is.

It is a curious coincidence, and an instructive commentary upon Lee's mischief-making propensities, that at the very time he was pursuing this correspondence with Adams, Šilas Deane, who had ceased to be an agent of the Government and was working for a settle