reception to-day at Versailles with unusual pomp.  The presence was so numerous, that little could be caught of what they said to the king, and he answered to them:  from what little I could hear, nothing more passed than mutual assurances of good will.  The name of the Marechal de Richelieu is sufficiently remarkable in history, to justify my mentioning his death, which happened two days ago; he was aged ninety-two years.

I have the honor to be, with sentiments of the most perfect esteem and respect, Sir, your most obedient and most humble servant,

Th:  Jefferson.

LETTER CLIII.—­TO JOHN JAY, August 11, 1788

TO JOHN JAY.

Paris, August 11, 1788.

Sir,

In my letter of the last night, written in the moment of Mrs. Barclay’s departure, I had the honor of mentioning to you, that it was now pretty certain that the States General would be assembled in the next year, and probably in the month of May.  This morning an Arret is published, announcing that their meeting is fixed on the first day of May next, of which I enclose you a copy by post, in hopes it will get to Bordeaux in time for Mrs. Barclay.  This Arret ought to have a great effect towards tranquillizing the nation.  There are still, however, two circumstances which must continue to perplex the administration.  The first is, the want of money, occasioned not only by the difficulty of filling up the loan of the next year, but by the withholding the ordinary supplies of taxes, which is said to have taken place in some instances:  this gives apprehension of a bankruptcy under some form or other, and has occasioned the stocks to fall, in the most alarming manner.  The second circumstance is, that justice, both civil and criminal, continues suspended.  The parliament will not resume their functions, but with their whole body, and the greater part of the bailliages declined acting; the present Arret announces a perseverance in this plan.  I have information from Algiers, of the 5th of June, that the plague is raging there, with great violence; that one of our captives was dead of it, and another ill, so that we have there, in all, now, only fifteen or sixteen; that the captives are more exposed to its ravages, than others; that the great redemptions by the Spaniards, Portuguese, and Neapolitans, and the havoc made by the plague, had now left not more than four hundred slaves in Algiers; so that their redemption was become not only exorbitant, but almost inadmissible; that common sailors were held at four hundred pounds sterling, and that our fifteen or sixteen could probably not be redeemed for less than from twenty-five to thirty thousand dollars.  An Algerine cruiser, having twenty-eight captives of Genoa aboard, was lately chased ashore, by two Neapolitan vessels:  the crew and captives got safe ashore, and the latter, of course, recovered their freedom.  The Algerine