ation. I shall confine myself, therefore, to communicating such
facts as shall come to my knowledge, and which may interest you,
leaving to your intelligence and discernment the task of combining
them and drawing from them the plan of conduct, which you shall think
most suitable, being well persuaded, that whatever course you may
pursue will be for the best, and most conformable to your interests. I
ought to confide to you, therefore, that we are daily expecting the
answers of France and of Spain concerning the plan of pacification.
When these arrive, we shall know what is intended as to the article
relating to the deputies of Congress, and shall see how these
observations will be received at St Petersburg. It is for you to
judge, Sir, whether you think this circumstance ought to withhold you
or not from making known here your political character.

I have the honor to be, &c.

THE MARQUIS DE VERAC.

_P. S._ I ask pardon for the delay of this answer. It has been owing
to the embarrassment of translating your letter; the Marquis de la
Coste, my son-in-law, being the only person in my family who can read
a little English.

FOOTNOTES:

[20] See the articles of pacification at large, as far as they relate
to America, in _John Adams's Correspondence_, Vol. VI. p. 100.

* * * * *

TO THE MARQUIS DE VERAC.

St Petersburg, September 13th, 1781.

Sir,

On my return home last evening, I found myself honored with your
Excellency's letter of yesterday. No apology could be necessary for
the delay of it. It is not to be expected, that M. le Marquis de la
Coste, should make a task of translating my letters, or suffer them to
interfere with his engagements or avocations. It is with extreme
repugnance I write to your Excellency, because of the trouble I know
that it must give him; and nothing but an opinion of the necessity of
doing it, has given your Excellency, or the Marquis, any trouble of
that sort.

It may not be amiss to acquaint your Excellency, that just before my
departure from Holland, by an unforeseen accident, I was unexpectedly
deprived of the assistance of a gentleman, who both speaks and writes
the French language well, and was to have accompanied me hither. Your
Excellency may be assured, I shall very readily wait some time before
I enter upon the measure mentioned in