ments on it could be known, from an apprehension that possibly their connections with England might make the receiving an American minister as yet inconvenient, and (if Holland should have the same goodwill toward us) a little embarrassing. Perhaps, as our independency begins to wear the appearance of greater stability since our acknowledged alliance with France, that difficulty may be lessened. Of this we wish you would take the most prudent methods privately to inform yourself. It seems clearly to be the interest of Holland to share in the rapidly growing commerce of her young sister republic; and as in the love of liberty, and bravery in the defence of it, she has been our great example, we hope circumstances and constitutions in many respects so similar may produce mutual benevolence; and that the unfavorable impressions made on the minds of some in America, by the rigor with which supplies of arms and ammunition were refused them in their distress, may soon be worn off and obliterated by a friendly intercourse and reciprocal good offices.

When Mr. Adams left America, which was about the middle of February, our affairs were daily improving, our troops well supplied with arms and provisions and in good order; and the army of General Burgoyne being detained for breaches of the capitulation, we had in our hands about ten thousand prisoners of the We are, sir, etc.

enemy.

VOL. VII.-19.

DCXCVI

TO EDWARD BANCROFT I

PASSY, 16 April, 1778.

DEAR SIR:-I wish you would assure our friend that Dr. Franklin never gave any such expectations to Mr. Pulteney. On the contrary, he told him that

This Edward Bancroft was an adventurer from Connecticut, who went to England, studied medicine, and settled as a physician in London. Bancroft, the historian, says of him, that he accepted the post of a paid American spy, to prepare himself for the more lucrative office of a double spy for the British ministers.

"The French government," says Bancroft, was deliberating on the methods of encouraging commerce with the United Colonies. Replying to an inquiry of the Comptroller-General, Vergennes, on the 10th, advised to admit their ships and cargoes without exacting duties or applying the restrictive laws on their entry or departure; so that France might become the emporium of their commerce with other European nations. 'Take every precaution,' so he admonished his colleague, 'that our motives, our intentions, and, as far as possible, our proceedings, may be hidden from the English.'

"The attempt at concealment was vain. On the 11th, Vergennes admitted Deane to an interview. Reserving for the king's consideration the question of recognising the independence and protecting the trade of the United Colonies, he listened with great satisfaction to the evidences of their ability to hold out against British arms to the end of the year, and gave it as his private opinion that, in case they should reject the sovereignty of his Britannic Majesty, they might count on the unanimous wishes of the government and people of France, whose interest it would not be to see them reduced by force. Received again on the 20th, Deane made a formal request for two hundred light brass field-pieces, and arms and clothing for twentyfive thousand men. The arms were promised; Du Coudray, a distinguished engineer, who had given lessons to Count d'Artois, and who wished to serve in America, was employed to select from the public arsenals cannon of the old pattern that could be spared; and Beaumarchais, whom Vergennes authoritatively recommended, offered merchandise on credit to the value of three millions of livres. The minister did not suspect that Congress had committed its affairs to a man who was wanting in discernment and integrity. But Deane called over Bancroft as if he had been a colleague, showed him his

the Commissioners could not succeed in their mission, whether they went to recover the dependence or to divide. His opinion is confirmed by the enclosed resolves, which perhaps it may not be amiss to publish in England. Please to send me the newspaper. Yours affectionately,

B. FRANKLIN.

letters of credence and his instructions, took him as a companion in his journeys to Versailles, and repeated to him exactly all that passed in the interview with the minister. Bancroft returned to England, and his narrative for the British ministry is a full record of the first official intercourse between France and the United States. The knowledge thus obtained enabled the British ambassador to embarrass the shipment of supplies by timely remonstrances, for the French cabinet was unwilling to appear openly as the accomplice of the insurgents.'

For Deane's misplaced confidence in this man there are some extenuating circumstances. Edward Bancroft had already achieved some reputation in England as a physician and naturalist. He was a Fellow of the Royal Society, and author of a work of some repute, entitled, An Essay on the Natural History of Guiana. In 1769, he had published a pamphlet supporting the legislative pretensions of the colonists, and under Franklin's direction had written notices of publications, relating to America, for the Monthly Review.

These were not all nor the most important considerations operating to disarm Deane's distrust.

In the instructions given by the Committee of Secret Correspondence to Silas Deane when he went to France as agent from Congress, they wrote to him: "You will endeavor to procure a meeting with Dr. Bancroft, by writing a letter to him, under cover to Mr. Griffiths, at Turnham Green, near London, and desiring him to come over to you, in France or Holland, on the score of old acquaintance. [Both were from Connecticut.] From him you may obtain a good deal of information of what is now going forward in England, and settle a mode of continuing a correspondence. It may be well to remit him a small bill to defray his expenses in coming to you, and avoid all political matters in your letter to him.”

If these facts do not excuse, they much extenuate, Deane's confidence.-EDITOR.

*Bancroft's Hist. of the United States, Vol. IX., p. 62.

DCXCVII

FROM DAVID HARTLEY

PARIS, 23 April, 1778.

DEAR SIR:-I will take care of all your commissions. This moment a second packet of infinite value is received, which I shall cherish as a mark of affection from you. I opened the letter by mistake, which came with it, and soon saw it was not for me. I hope you will excuse it. I choose rather to throw myself upon your goodness for the excuse, than any thing else. I shall not set out till between one and two; therefore, if you will be so good as to send me another copy, I will take care of it, and deliver it safely.

God bless you, my dear friend. No exertion or endeavor on my part shall be wanting, that we may some time or other meet again in peace. Your powers are infinitely more influential than mine. To those powers I trust my last hopes. I will conclude, "Blessed are the peace-makers.”

Your affectionate friend,

D. HARTLEY.'

P. S.-If tempestuous times should come, take care of your own safety; events are uncertain, and men may be capricious.

DR. FRANKLIN'S ANSWER

I thank you for your kind caution, but having nearly finished a long life, I set but little value on

Mr. Hartley was in Paris, on a secret mission from the British Ministry, with propositions for a peace, which Dr. Franklin did not

approve.

what remains of it. Like a draper, when one chaffers with him for a remnant, I am ready to say: "As it is only the fag end, I will not differ with you about it; take it for what you please." Perhaps the best use such an old fellow can be put to, is to make a martyr of him. B. FRANKLIN.1

DCXCVIII

TO COUNT DE VERGENNES

PASSY, 24 April, 1778.

SIR: Mr. Hartley, a member of Parliament, an old acquaintance of mine, arrived here from London on Sunday last. He is generally in the opposition, especially on American questions, but has some respect for Lord North. In conversation, he expressed the strongest anxiety for peace with America, and appeared extremely desirous to know my sentiments of the terms which might probably be accepted if offered; whether America would not, to obtain peace,

1 After Mr. Hartley returned to London, a friend of Dr. Franklin received an anonymous letter in cipher, dated May 15th, containing a caution to him to be on his guard from another quarter. The writer said: "Mr. Hartley told Lord Camden this morning that he was sure the Commissioners, and particularly Dr. Franklin, were much disconcerted at Paris; for they might as well live in the Bastile, as be exposed, as they were, to the perpetual observation of French ministerial spies. This must not, however, be repeated."

In reply Dr. Franklin said: "Be so good as to answer our friend, that it is impossible Mr. Hartley could have said what is here represented, no such thing having ever been intimated to him; nor has the least idea of the kind ever been in the minds of the Commissioners, particularly Dr. Franklin, who does not care how many spies are placed about him by the Court of France, having nothing to conceal from them."-EDITOR.