My illustrious doctor, please invite for dinner a charming woman who is dying to see a great man from America. I'm afraid you will find me quite indiscreet in asking you permission, on top of this, to bring you Thursday a young officer who has the same wish and no less ardent; he is the son of one of our good friends M. Gueneau from Semur en Bourgogne. He is a close friend of M. Alexander, and you have certainly heard about his various writings, since he assisted M. de Buffon in his work and even imitated him so well that all of Paris was fooled. I hope that the reputation of the father will serve as passport for the son, a young man full of good sense and well equipped to admire you. I daresay I hope that these qualities will justify my request.

Today I saw a very pretty woman who wanted very much to hear news of you and who asked me to keep her in mind when I spoke with you: Mme. Martin from Sette. She hopes that you shall not forget her husband, all the more so that it seems now that Messieurs the Americans are starting to name their consuls to our posts. She assured me as a positive sign that her father-in-law told her you had named your consul for Marseille and that this consul is a Frenchman, M. Catalan.

Please allow me, my illustrious doctor, to thank you individually and as a member of the Club for the beautiful medal which you presented to us. I was witness this evening to the enthusiasm with which it was received, and there was a unanimous request that I express to you, when I had the honor of seeing you, the extent of the Club's gratitude for such a flattering gift on your part. It demonstrates your opinion of this assembly, where your name has been celebrated several times in a manner worthy of you. This says everything.

I received, my illustrious doctor, the note from Monsieur your grandson, in which he tells me that M. Hunter has passed away, and your wishes that he be replaced by M. Priestley in the Academy. I hope that you are in no doubt that this replacement is to occur according to your wishes, both because of you and because of him; however, the election cannot take place until after Easter vacation, according to the procedures which we ordinarily follow for elections. Adieu, my illustrious doctor, please accept the renewed assurances of the sentiments of attachment that I have devoted to you for life.