MY LORD,

TO LORD SHELBURNE.

Passy, May 10, 1782. I have received the honor of your Lordship's letter dated the 28th past, by Mr. Oswald, informing me that he is sent back to settle with me the preliminaries of time and place. Paris, as the place, seemed to me yesterday to be agreed on between Mr. Grenville and M. de Vergennes, and it is perfectly agreeable to me. The time cannot well be settled till this court has received answers from Madrid and the Hague, and until my colleagues are arrived. I expect daily Messrs. Jay and Laurens: Mr. Adams doubts whether he can be here, but that will not hinder our proceeding.

It gave me great pleasure to hear that Mr. Laurens is discharged entirely from the obligations he had entered into. I am much obliged by the readiness with which your Lordship has conferred that favor. Please to accept my thankful acknowledg

ments.

I am happy too in understanding from your letter, that transports are actually preparing to convey our prisoners to America, and that attention will be paid to their accommodation and good treatment. Those people on their return will be dispersed through every part of America, and the accounts they will have to give of any marks of kindness received by them under the present ministry, will lessen much the resentment of their friends against the nation for the hardships they suffered under the past.

Mr. Oswald rests here awhile by my advice, as I think his presence likely to be useful. With great and sincere respect, I have the honor to be, my Lord, your Lordship's, &c. &c.

B. FRANKLIN.

And I sent them to Mr. Grenville with the following note.

'Mr. Franklin presents his compliments to Mr. Grenville, with thanks for the information of his courier's departure, and his kind offer of forwarding Mr. F.'s letters, who accepts the favor, and encloses

two.

"The Marquis de la Fayette and Mr. Oswald will do Mr. Franklin the honor of breakfasting with him to-morrow between 9 and 10 o'clock. Mr. Franklin will be happy to have the company also of Mr. Grenville, if agreeable to him. He should have waited on Mr. Grenville to-day at Paris, but he imagined Mr. G. was at Versailles.

"Passy, Friday evening, May 10."

To which Mr. G. sent me this answer.

"Mr. Grenville presents his compliments to Mr. Franklin, and will with great pleasure do himself the honor of breakfasting with Mr. Franklin tomorrow between 9 and 10 o'clock.

"Mr. Grenville was at Versailles to-day, and should have been sorry that Mr. Franklin should have given himself the trouble of calling at Paris this morning. The courier shall certainly take particular care of Mr. Franklin's letters.

"Paris, Friday evening."

The gentlemen all met accordingly, had a good deal of conversation at and after breakfast, staid till after one o'clock, and parted much pleased with each other.

The Monday following I called to visit Mr. G., and

found him with Mr. Oswald, who told me he was just about returning to London. I was a little surprised at the suddenness of the resolution he had taken, it being as he said to set out the next morning early. I conceived the gentlemen were engaged in business, so I withdrew, and went to write a few letters, among which was the following to Lord Shelburne, being really concerned at the thought of losing so good a man as Mr. Oswald.

MY LORD,

TO LORD SHELBURNE.

Passy, May 13, 1782. I did myself the honor of writing to your Lordship a few days since by Mr. Grenville's courier, acknowledging the receipt of yours of the 28th past by Mr. Oswald. I then hoped that gentleman would have remained here some time, but his affairs it seems recall him sooner than he imagined. I hope he will return again, as I esteem him more, the more I am acquainted with him, and believe his moderation, prudent counsels, and sound judgment may contribute much, not only to the speedy conclusion of a peace, but to the framing such a peace as may be firm and long-lasting. With great respect, I am, your Lordship's most obedient and most humble servant, B. FRANKLIN.

I went in the evening to Mr. Oswald's lodging with my letters; when he informed me his intention was to return immediately hither from England; and to make the more dispatch in going and returning, he should leave his carriage at Calais, as the embarking and debarking of carriages in the packetboats often occasioned a tide's delay. I did not

We had but

inquire the reason of this movement. little conversation, for Mr. Grenville coming in, I soon after wished him a good journey and retired, that I might not interrupt their consultations.

He

Since his departure Mr. Grenville has made me a visit; and entering into a conversation with me, exactly of the same tenor with the letters I formerly received from Mr. Hartley, stating suppositions that France might insist on points totally different from what had been the object of our alliance, and that in such case he should imagine we were not at all bound to continue the war to obtain such points for her, &c. I thought I could not give him a better answer to this kind of discourse than what I had given in two letters to Mr. Hartley, and therefore calling for those letters I read them to him. smiled, and would have turned the conversation: but I gave a little more of my sentiments on the general subject of benefits, obligation, and gratitude. I said I thought people had often imperfect notions of their duty on those points, and that a state of obligation was to many so uneasy a state, that they became ingenious in finding out reasons and arguments to prove they had been laid under no obligation at all, or that they had discharged it: and they too easily satisfied themselves with such arguments. To explain clearly my ideas on the subject, I stated a case. A. a stranger to B. sees him about to be imprisoned for debt by a merciless creditor. He lends him the sum necessary to preserve his liberty. B. then becomes the debtor of A. and after some time repays the money. Has he then discharged the obligation? No. He has discharged the money debt, but the obligation remains, and he is debtor for

the kindness of A. in lending the same so seasonably. If B. should afterwards find A. in the same circumstances, that he, B., had been in when A. lent him the money, he may then discharge this obligation or debt of kindness in part by lending him an equal sum. In part, I said, and not wholly, because when A. lent B. the money, there had been no prior benefit received to induce him to it. And therefore if A. should a second time need the same assistance, I thought B., if in his power, was in duty bound to afford it to him. Mr. Grenville conceived that I was carrying gratitude very far, to apply this doctrine to our situation in respect to France; who was really the party served and obliged by our separation from England, as it lessened the power of her rival and increased her own. 1 told him I was so strongly impressed with the kind assistance afforded us by France in our distress, and the generous and noble manner in which it was granted without exacting or stipulating for a single privilege or particular advantage to herself in our commerce or otherwise; that I could never suffer myself to think of such reasonings for lessening the obligation, and I hoped, and indeed did not doubt, but my countrymen were all of the same sentiments. Thus he gained nothing of the point he came to push; we parted however in good humour. His conversation is always polite and his manner pleasing.

As he expressed a strong desire to discourse with me on the means of a reconciliation with America, I promised to consider the subject, and appointed Saturday the 1st of June for our conversation, when he proposed to call on me.

The same day I received another letter from my