commerce of all, the profits of the present monopolies being by no means equivalent to the expense of maintaining them.

Article.

If war should hereafter arise between Great Britain and the United States, which God forbid, the merchants of either country then residing in the other shall be allowed to remain nine months to collect their debts, and settle their affairs, and may depart freely, carrying off all their effects without molestation or hindrance. And all fishermen, all cultivators of the earth, and all artisans or manufacturers unarmed, and inhabiting unfortified towns, villages, or places, who labour for the common subsistence and benefit of mankind, and peaceably follow their respective employments, shall be allowed to continue the same, and shall not be molested by the armed force of the enemy in whose power by the events of the war they may happen to fall; but, if any thing is necessary to be taken from them, for the use of such armed force, the same shall be paid for at a reasonable price. And all merchants or traders with their unarmed vessels, employed in commerce, exchanging the products of different places, and thereby rendering the necessaries, conveniences, and comforts of human life more easy to obtain, and more general, shall be allowed to pass freely, unmolested. And neither of the powers, parties to this treaty, shall grant or issue any commission to any private armed vessels, empowering them to take or destroy such trading ships, or interrupt such commerce.

1386. TO COMTE DE VERGENNES1 (P. A. E. E. U.)

Passy, January 18, 1783.

SIR, Agreable to the Notice just received from your Excellency, I shall acquaint Mr. Adams with your desire to see us on Monday before ten o'clock, at Versailles; and we shall endeavour to be punctual. My other Colleagues are absent; Mr. Laurens being gone to Bath, in England, to recover his Health, and Mr. Jay into Normandy. I shall bring my Grandson, as you direct. With great Respect, I have the honour to be, &c. B. FRANKLIN.

SIR,

1387. TO JOHN ADAMS

(M. H. S.)

Passy, January 19, 1783.

Late last night I received a note from Count de Vergennes, acquainting me that it is very essential he should have a conference with us, and requesting that I would inform my col

1 The following is the note from Vergennes to which the above is a reply: —

"Versailles, January 18, 1783.

"SIR, "It is essential that I should have the honour of conferring with you, Mr. Adams, and your other colleagues, who are in Paris. I therefore pray you to invite these gentlemen to come out to Versailles with you on Monday, before ten o'clock in the morning. It will be well, also, if you will bring your grandson. It will be necessary for much writing and translating from English into French to be done. The object for which I ask this interview is very interesting to the United States. I have the honour to be, Sir,

"DE VERGENNES." - ED.

leagues. He desires that we may be with him before ten on Monday morning. If it will suit you to call here, we may go together in my carriage. We should be on the road by eight o'clock. With great regard, I have the honour to be, &c. B. FRANKLIN.

1388. TO ROBERT R. LIVINGSTON (D. S. W.)

Passy, January 21, 1783.

SIR,

I have just received your letters of November 9th and December 3d. This is to inform you, and to request you to inform the Congress, that the preliminaries of peace between France, Spain, and England, were yesterday signed, and a cessation of arms agreed to by the ministers of those powers, and by us in behalf of the United States, of which act, so far as relates to us, I enclose a copy. I have not yet obtained a copy of the preliminaries agreed to by the three crowns, but hear, in general, that they are very advantageous to France and Spain. I shall be able, in a day or two, to write more fully and perfectly. Holland was not ready to sign preliminaries, but their principal points are settled. Mr. Laurens is absent at Bath, and Mr. Jay in Normandy, for their healths, but will both be here to assist in forming the definitive treaty. I congratulate you and our country on the happy prospects afforded us by the finishing so speedily this glorious revolution, and am, with great esteem, Sir, &c.

B. FRANKLIN.

1 See "Diplomatic Correspondence" (Sparks), Vol. IV, pp. 31, 45. — Ed.

1389. TO COMTE DE VERGENNES (L. C.)

Passy, Jan. 25. 1783

SIR,

I received the Letter your Excellency did me the honour of writing to me the 31st of the last Month, relative to the fresh pecuniary Aid which the King was dispos'd to grant to the Congress. I received also a second Letter on the same Subject, Dated the 16th Instant. I am extremely sensible of his Majesty's Goodness in according a new Loan to the United States of Six Millions, and I accept the same in their Behalf with the most perfect Gratitude. Considering the enormous Expence this extensive War must occasion to his Majesty I did hope to avoid the Necessity of repeating their original Request of a larger Sum; and with that View have had many Consultations & considered various Schemes with our Banker Mr Grand, for procuring Money elsewhere. This with other Circumstances occasioned my so long Delay in Answering, which I beg you would excuse. None of those Schemes proving practicable, I am constrain'd by my Orders humbly to request that the Matter may be reconsidered; and that at least Six Millions more may be added. As Peace will diminish both the King's Expence and ours, I hope this Request may be granted and that it may be sufficient for our Occasions. I am however ready to enter into and sign the Contract your Excellency mentions for whatever Sum his Majesty's Wisdom & Goodness shall think fit to direct. I inclose the Resolutions of Congress, impowering me to

borrow the Twenty Millions; in which their Sense of his Majesty's Friendship is strongly express'd.

I am, with great Respect,

Sir,

Your Excellency's most obedient

& most humble Servant

B. FRANKLIN.

1390. TO MRS. MARY HEWSON' (P. C.)

Passy, Jan. 27. 1783.

The Departure of my dearest Friend,' which I learn from your last Letter, greatly affects me. To meet with her once more in this Life was one of the principal Motives of my proposing to visit England again, before my Return to America. The last Year carried off my Friends Dr. Pringle, and Dr. Fothergill, Lord Kaims, and Lord le Despencer. This has begun to take away the rest, and strikes the hardest. Thus the Ties I had to that Country, and indeed to the World in general, are loosened one by one, and I shall soon have no Attachment left to make me unwilling to follow.

I intended writing when I sent the 11 Books, but I lost the Time in looking for the 12th. I wrote with that; and hope it came to hand. I therein ask'd your Counsel about my coming to England. On Reflection, I think I can, from my

1 From the original in the possession of T. Hewson Bradford, M.D. An auto. draft is in L. C.-ED.

2 Mrs. Stevenson, the mother of Mrs. Hewson. Her last letter to Franklin is dated July 24, 1782 (U. of P.). Upon it Franklin wrote, "this good woman, my dear Friend, died the first of January following. She was about my Age." - ED.