20th. The commissioners met at Count Vergennes’, where all the Americans assembled, and a dinner was provided for them at the expense of the commissioners at an hotel. Mr. Izard and Mr. W. Lee were introduced to Count Vergennes, as commissioners of congress for their respective courts, and were invited to dine with him. After the commissioners had conversed a little in private with the minister, in which Count Vergennes did not appear desirous of giving any opinion to which court it was the wish of France that Mr. commissioner W. Lee should make his application in preference; they were led to the antichamber of the king, the Americans all following them, and after a few minutes they with all the crowd were admitted into the king’s dressing room, where he had a sort of levee, and where they with the two other commissioners were presented by Count Vergennes to the king, who said “Je serai bien aide [aise] que le congrès soit assuré de mon amitié,” and then went out. He had his hair undressed, hanging down on his shoulders, no appearance of preparation to receive us, nor any ceremony in doing it. The king appeared to speak with manly sincerity. After this they were presented to Count Maurepas, Mons. de Sartine, Ministre de la Marine, le Prince de Montbarey, Ministre de guerre, Mons. Bertin, and Mons. Amelot, two ministers for home affairs. The chancellor was not in town, and two of the ministers not within. I mention this to show how little there was of ceremony in the business, or of previous preparation. The commissioners, accompanied by Mr. Girard, walked through the streets to their different dwellings. Between two and three we dined at Count Vergennes’, where there was a grand company of nobility.

22d. The commissioners went again to Versailles to be presented to the queen. It was with great difficulty they could pass through an unordered crowd, all pressing to get into the room where the queen was, it being levee day. When they got in, they stood a moment in view of the queen, and then crowded out again. They were neither presented nor spoken to, and everything seemed in confusion. They went next to Mons. and Madame the king’s eldest brother, and his wife; then to Madame the king’s maiden sister. The youngest brother, Count d’Artois, was at this time under temporary banishment from court, for having fought a duel with Duke Bourbon, a prince of the blood.