whom you know.  He is a good man too, but so much out of his element, that he has the air of one huskanoyed.  The Garde des Sceaux is considered as the Principal’s bull-dog, braving danger like the animal.  His talents do not pass mediocrity.  The Archbishop’s brother, and the new minister Villedeuil, and Lambert, have no will of their own.  They cannot raise money for the peace establishment the next year, without the States General; much less if there be war; and their administration will probably end with the States General.

Littlepage, who was here as a secret agent for the King of Poland, rather overreached himself.  He wanted more money.  The King furnished it, more than once.  Still he wanted more, and thought to obtain a high bid, by saying he was called for in America, and asking leave to go there.  Contrary to his expectation, he received leave; but he went to Warsaw instead of America, and from thence, to join the * * * * I do not know

     [* Several paragraphs of this letter are in cipher, A few
     words here could not be deciphered.]

these facts certainly, but collect them, by putting several things together.  The King then sent an ancient secretary here, in whom he had much confidence, to look out for a correspondent, a mere letter-writer for him.  A happy hazard threw Mazzei in his way.  He recommended him, and he is appointed.  He has no diplomatic character whatever, but is to receive eight thousand livres a year, as an intelligencer.  I hope this employment may have some permanence.  The danger is, that he will over-act his part.

The Marquis de la Luzerne had been for many years married to his brother’s wife’s sister, secretly.  She was ugly and deformed, but sensible, amiable, and rather rich.  When he was ambassador to London, with ten thousand guineas a year, the marriage was avowed, and he relinquished his cross of Malta, from which he derived a handsome revenue for life, and which was very open to advancement.  Not long ago, she died.  His real affection for her, which was great and unfeigned, and perhaps the loss of his order, for so short-lived a satisfaction, has thrown him almost into a state of despondency.  He is now here.

I send you a book of Dupont’s, on the subject of the commercial treaty with England.  Though its general matter may not be interesting, yet you will pick up, in various parts of it, such excellent principles and observations, as will richly repay the trouble of reading it.  I send you, also, two little pamphlets of the Marquis de Condorcet, wherein is the most judicious statement I have seen, of the great questions which agitate this nation at present.  The new regulations present a preponderance of good over their evil; but they suppose that the King can model the constitution at will, or, in other words, that his government is a pure despotism.  The question then arising is, whether a pure despotism in a single head, or one which is divided among a king, nobles, priesthood, and numerous magistracy, is the least bad.  I should be puzzled to decide:  but I hope they will have neither, and that they are advancing to a limited, moderate government, in which the people will have a good share.