My illustrious colleague, you know Messrs. de Queissat's verdict, and that they have no other choice but to join a foreign service. If they are guilty of too little self-restraint, on the other hand they have the reputation of being excellent officers, and in this respect I imagine that most of the best military men in this country are interested in their fate. You see very well, my illustrious colleague, where I am going with this: to ask you to find them posts in the troops of the thirteen United States of America. It is said that you are on the march to retake Canada. They would be very good for this expedition, and excellent at persuading [French] nationals to join your troops and at training them. If there is any way to do something for them, I would be truly indebted to you, given the interest taken by M. de Caraman, whom I brought to you for dinner last Sunday a week ago. Anyhow, even if these Messrs. de Queyssat had this disturbing affair here, I don't think they would be tempted to act similarly in America, where people are not so foolish as to have either noblemen or those little provincial tyrants of the peasants whom we call gentlemen. In your country it is solely merit and virtue which confer distinction.

Yesterday I received a letter from Mr. Pringle, who asks me to give his regards to you and who leaves for Bath to benefit from the local waters for a month or six weeks, for his health; he is still sleeping very poorly, a condition which has grown worse since his fall. He adds: “In better times, I should have thought of a Journey into the Continent this summer, rather than an excursion to Bath, for the re-establishment of my constitution; but till peace is more ascertained, than I see it at present, I must give up all such Schemes. So for Sir John wherein you See his desires to come over.” Adieu, my dear colleague, you know how much I am attached to you by all the sentiments which you inspire and which I have devoted to you for life