第15章

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WantingtocompleteMably’sworkswhichIhavenotbeenabletoprocurelesprincipesdelegislationsurlesGrecssurlaPologne。

ChronologiedesempiresanciennesdelaCombe。5-0-0

del’histoireuniverselledeHornot……1。v。8vo。4f4-0-0

del’histoireuniverselledeBerlie……1。v。8vo。2f10rel。1f53-15

desempereursRomainsparRicher……2。v。8vo。8frel。2f1010-10

desJuifs……1。v。8vo。3f10rel。1f54-15

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parLaCombe。2。v。8vo。10f。rel。2f1012-10

deFrance。parHenault……3。v。8vo。12f。rel。5f15-15

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MemoriesdeVoltaire。2。v。in1。2f10rel。15s……3-5-0

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Speciesplantarum。4。v。8vo。32frel。5f……37-0

Systemanaturae4。v。8vo。26frel。5f……31-0

Clayton。FloraVirginica。4to。12f。rel。2f10……14-10

D’Albonsurl’interetdeplusieursnations。4。v。

12mo。12f。rel。3f……15-0

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LettresdePascal。12mo。2f。rel。15s……2-15

Lesagealacouretleroivoiageur(prohibited)……10-15

Principlesdelegislationuniverselle2。v。8vo……12-0

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CLIMATEANDAMERICANCHARACTER

_ToChastellux_

_Paris，Sep。2，1785_

DEARSIR，——YouweresokindastoallowmeafortnighttoreadyourjourneythroughVirginia。butyoushouldhavethoughtofthisindulgencewhileyouwerewritingit，andhaverendereditlessinterestingifyoumeantthatyourreadersshouldhavebeenlongerengagedwithit。infactIdevoureditatasinglemeal，andasecondreadingscarceallowedmesang-froidenoughtomarkafewerrorsinthenamesofpersonsandplaceswhichInoteonapaperhereininclosed，withaninconsiderableerrorortwoinfactswhichIhavealsonotedbecauseIsupposedyouwishedtostatethemcorrectly。

fromthisgeneralapprobationhoweveryoumustallowmetoexceptaboutadozenpagesintheearlierpartofthebookwhichIreadwithacontinuedblushfrombeginningtoend，asitpresentedmealivelypictureofwhatIwishtobe，butamnot。no，mydearSir，thethousandmillionthpartofwhatyoutheresay，ismorethanI

deserve。itmightperhapshavepassedinEuropeatthetimeyouwroteit，andtheexaggerationmightnothavebeendetected。butconsiderthattheanimalisnowbroughtthere，andthateveryonewilltakehisdimensionsforhimself。thefriendlycomplexionofyourmindhasbetrayedyouintoapartialityofwhichtheEuropeanspectatorwillbedivested。respecttoyourselfthereforewillrequireindispensablythatyouexpungethewholeofthosepagesexceptyourownjudiciousobservationsinterspersedamongthemonanimalandphysicalsubjects。

withrespecttomycountrymenthereissurelynothingwhichcanrenderthemuneasy，intheobservationsmadeonthem。theyknowthattheyarenotperfect，andwillbesensiblethatyouhaveviewedthemwithaphilanthropiceye。yousaymuchgoodofthem，andlessillthantheyareconsciousmaybesaidwithtruth。Ihavestudiedtheircharacterwithattention。Ihavethoughtthem，asyoufoundthem，aristocratical，pompous，clannish，indolent，hospitable，andIshouldhaveadded，disinterested，butyousayattachedtotheirinterest。

thisistheonlytraitintheircharacterwhereinourobservationsdiffer。Ihavealwaysthoughtthemsocarelessoftheirinterests，sothoughtlessintheirexpencesandinalltheirtransactionsofbusinessthatIhadplaceditamongthevicesoftheircharacter，asindeedmostvirtueswhencarriedbeyondcertainboundsdegenerateintovices。Ihadevenascribedthistoit’scause，tothatwarmthoftheirclimatewhichunnervesandunmansbothbodyandmind。whileonthissubjectIwillgiveyoumyideaofthecharactersoftheseveralstates。

InthenorththeyareInthesouththeyarecoolfierysobervoluptuarylaboriousindolentperseveringunsteadyindependantindependantjealousoftheirownliberties，zealousfortheirownliberties，andjusttothoseofothersbuttramplingonthoseofothers。

interestedgenerouschicaningcandidsuperstitiousandhypocriticalinwithoutattachmentorpretensionstheirreligiontoanyreligonbutthatoftheheart。

thesecharacteristicsgrowweakerandweakerbygradationfromNorthtoSouthandSouthtoNorth，insomuchthatanobservingtraveller，withouttheaidofthequadrantmayalwaysknowhislatitudebythecharacterofthepeopleamongwhomhefindshimself。

itisinPennsylvaniathatthetwocharactersseemtomeetandblend，andformapeoplefreefromtheextremesbothofviceandvirtue。

peculiarcircumstanceshavegiventoNewYorkthecharacterwhichclimatewouldhavegivenhadshebeenplacedontheSouthinsteadofthenorthsideofPennsylvania。perhapstooothercircumstancesmayhaveoccasionedinVirginiaatransplantationofaparticularviceforeigntoit’sclimate。youcouldjudgeofthiswithmoreimpartialitythanIcould，andtheprobabilityisthatyourestimateofthemisthemostjust。Ithinkitfortheirgoodthatthevicesoftheircharactershouldbepointedouttothemthattheymayamendthem；foramaladyofeitherbodyormindonceknownishalfcured。

Iwishyouwouldaddtothispieceyourlettertomr。MadisonontheexpediencyofintroducingtheartsintoAmerica。Ifoundinthatagreatdealofmatter，verymanyobservations，whichwouldbeusefultothelegislatorsofAmerica，andtothegeneralmassofcitizens。

Ireaditwithgreatpleasureandanalysedit’scontentsthatImightfixtheminmyownmind。

Ihavethehonortobewithverysincereesteem，dearSir，yourmostobedientandmosthumbleservt。”THISBEAUTIFULART”

_ToJamesMadison_

_Paris，September20，1785_

DEARSIR，——ByMr。Fitzhugh，youwillreceivemyletterofthefirstinstant。Heisstillhere，andgivesmeanopportunityofagainaddressingyoumuchsoonerthanIshouldhavedone，butforthediscoveryofagreatpieceofinattention。InthatletterIsendyouadetailofthecostofyourbooks，anddesireyoutokeeptheamountinyourhands，asifIhadforgotthatapartofitwasinfactyourown，asbeingabalanceofwhatIhadremainedinyourdebt。I

reallydidnotattendtoitinthemomentofwriting，andwhenitoccurredtome，IrevisedmymemorandumbookfromthetimeofourbeinginPhiladelphiatogether，andstatedouraccountfromthebeginning，lestIshouldforgetormistakeanypartofit。Iencloseyouthisstatement。Youwillalwaysbesogoodastoletmeknow，fromtimetotime，youradvancesforme。Correctwithfreedomallmyproceedingsforyou，as，inwhatIdo，Ihavenootherdesirethanthatofdoingexactlywhatwillbemostpleasingtoyou。

IreceivedthissummeraletterfromMessrs。BuchananandHay，asDirectorsofthepublicbuildings，desiringIwouldhavedrawnforthem，plansofsundrybuildings，and，inthefirstplace，ofacapitol。Theyfixed，fortheirreceivingthisplan，adaywhichwaswithinaboutsixweeksofthatonwhichtheirlettercametomyhand。

Iengagedanarchitectofcapitalabilitiesinthisbusiness。Muchtimewasrequsite，aftertheexternalformwasagreedon，tomaketheinternaldistributionconvenientforthethreebranchesofgovernment。Thistimewasmuchlengthenedbymyavocationstootherobjects，whichIhadnorighttoneglect。Theplanhoweverwassettled。Thegentlemenhadsentmeonewhichtheyhadthoughtof。

Theoneagreedonhere，ismoreconvenient，morebeautiful，givesmoreroom，andwillnotcostmorethantwothirdsofwhatthatwould。

WetookforourmodelwhatiscalledtheMaisonquarreeofNismes，oneofthemostbeautiful，ifnotthemostbeautifulandpreciousmorselofarchitectureleftusbyantiquity。ItwasbuiltbyCaiusandLuciusCaesar，andrepairedbyLouisXIV。，andhasthesuffrageofallthejudgesofarchitecture，whohaveseenit，asyieldingtonooneofthebeautifulmonumentsofGreece，Rome，Palmyra，andBalbec，whichlatetravellershavecommunicatedtous。Itisverysimple，butitisnoblebeyondexpression，andwouldhavedonehonortoourcountry，aspresentingtotravellersaspecimenoftasteinourinfancy，promisingmuchforourmaturerage。Ihavebeenmuchmortifiedwithinformation，whichIreceivedtwodaysagofromVirginia，thatthefirstbrickofthecapitolwouldbelaidwithinafewdays。Butsurely，thedelayofthispieceofasummerwouldhavebeenrepairedbythesavingsintheplanpreparinghere，werewetovalueitsothersuperioritiesasnothing。Buthowisatasteinthisbeautifularttobeformedinourcountrymen，unlessweavailourselvesofeveryoccasionwhenpublicbuildingsaretobeerected，ofpresentingtothemmodelsfortheirstudyandimitation?Praytryifyoucaneffectthestoppingofthiswork。IhavewrittenalsotoE。R。onthesubject。Thelosswillbeonlyofthelayingthebricksalreadylaid，orapartofthem。Thebricksthemselveswilldoagainfortheinteriorwalls，andonesidewallandoneendwallmayremain，astheywillanswerequallywellforourplan。Thislossisnottobeweighedagainstthesavingofmoneywhichwillarise，againstthecomfortoflayingoutthepublicmoneyforsomethinghonorable，thesatisfactionofseeinganobjectandproofofnationalgoodtaste，andtheregretandmortificationoferectingamonumentofourbarbarism，whichwillbeloadedwithexecrationsaslongasitshallendure。Theplansareingoodforwardness，andIhopewillbereadywithinthreeorfourweeks。Theycouldnotbestoppednow，butonpayingtheirwholeprice，whichwillbeconsiderable。Iftheundertakersareafraidtoundowhattheyhavedone，encouragethemtoitbyarecommendationfromtheAssembly。YouseeIamanenthusiastonthesubjectofthearts。ButitisanenthusiasmofwhichIamnotashamed，asitsobjectistoimprovethetasteofmycountrymen，toincreasetheirreputation，toreconciletothemtherespectoftheworld，andprocurethemitspraise。

Ishallsendoffyourbooks，intwotrunks，toHavre，withintwoorthreedays，tothecareofMr。Limozin，Americanagentthere。

Iwilladviseyou，assoonasIknowbywhatvesselheforwardsthem。

Adieu。

Your’saffectionately，MARSANDMINERVA

_ToAbigailAdams_

_Paris，Sep。25，1785_

DEARMADAM——Mr。Short’sreturnthenightbeforelastavailedmeofyourfavourofAug。12。Iimmediatelyorderedtheshoesyoudesiredwhichwillbereadytomorrow。IamnotcertainwhetherthiswillbeintimeforthedepartureofMr。BarclayorofColo。Franks，foritisnotyetdecidedwhichofthemgoestoLondon。Ihavealsoprocuredforyouthreeplateauxdedessertwithasilveredballustraderoundthem，andfourfiguresofBiscuit。Theformercost192’t，thelatter12’teach，makingtogether240livresor10。Louis。

ThemerchantundertakestosendthembythewayofRouenthroughthehandsofMr。GarveyandtohavethemdeliveredinLondon。Therewillbesomeadditionalexpencesofpacking，transportationanddutieshere。ThoseinEnglandIimagineyoucansave。WhenIknowtheamountIwillinformyouofit，buttherewillbenooccasiontoremitithere。WithrespecttothefiguresIcouldonlyfindthreeofthoseyounamed，matchedinsize。ThesewereMinerva，Diana，andApollo。Iwasobligedtoaddafourth，unguidedbyyourchoice。

TheyofferedmeafineVenus；butIthoughtitoutoftastetohavetwoattableatthesametime。ParisandHelenwerepresented。I

conceiveditwouldbecrueltoremovethemfromtheirpeculiarshrine。WhentheyshallpasstheAtlantic，itwillbetosingarequiemoverourfreedomandhappiness。AtlengthafineMarswasoffered，calm，bold，hisfaulchionnotdrawn，butreadytobedrawn。

Thiswilldo，thinksI，forthetableoftheAmericanMinisterinLondon，wherethosewhomitmayconcernmaylookandlearnthatthoughWisdomisourguide，andtheSongandChaseoursupremedelight，yetweofferadorationtothattutelargodalsowhorockedthecradleofourbirth，whohasacceptedourinfantofferings，andhasshewnhimselfthepatronofourrightsandavengerofourwrongs。

Thegroupethenwasclosed，andyourpartyformed。Envyandmalicewillneverbequiet。IhearitalreadywhisperedtoyouthatinadmittingMinervatoyourtableIhavedepartedfromtheprinciplewhichmademerejectVenus：inplainEnglishthatIhavepaidajustrespecttothedaughterbutfailedtothemother。NoMadam，myrespecttobothissincere。Wisdom，Iknow，issocial。Sheseeksherfellows。ButBeautyisjealous，andillybearsthepresenceofarival——but，Allons，letusturnoveranotherleaf，andbeginthenextchapter。IreceivebyMr。ShortabudgetofLondonpapers。

Theyteemwitheveryhorrorofwhichhumannatureiscapable。