to a garden that fronted the house, through the fecond triumphal arch, dedicated to the General. This arch was also built in the Tuscan order. On the interior part of the pediment was painted a Plume of Feathers, and various military trophies. At top ftood the figure of Fame, and in the entablature this device,-I, bone, quo virtus tua te vocet; I pede faufto. On the right hand pillar was placed a bombfhell, and on the left a flaming heart. The front next the house was adorned with preparations for a fire-work. From the garden we afcended a flight of fteps, covered with carpets, which led into a spacious hall; the pannels, painted in imitation of Sienna marble, enclofing feftoons of white marble: the furbafe, and all below, was black. In this hall, and in the adjoining apartments, were prepared tea, lemonade, and other cooling liquors, to which the company feated themfelves; during which time the Knights came in, and on the knee received their favours from their refpective Ladies. One of thefe rooms was afterwards appropriated for the ufe of the Pharaoh table; as you entered it you faw, on a pannel over the chimney, a Cornucopia, exuberantly filled with flowers of the richest colours; over the door, as you went out, another prefented itfelf, fhrunk, reverfed, and emp

tied.

From these apartments we were conducted up to a ball-room, decorated in a light elegant ftile of painting. The ground was a pale blue, pannelled with a fmall gold bead, and in the interior filled with dropping feftoons of flowers in their natural colours. Below the furbafe the ground was of rofe-pink, with

drapery feftooned in blue. Thefe decorations were heightened by 85 mirrours, decked with rofe-pink filk ribbands, and artificial flowers; and in the intermediate spaces were 34 branches with wax-lights, ornamented in a fimilar manner.

On the fame floor were four drawing-rooms, with fide boards of refreshments, decorated and lighted in the fame ftile and taste as the ball-room. The ball was opened by the Knights and their Ladies; and the dances continued till ten o'clock, when the windows were thrown open, and a magnificent bouquet of rockets began the fireworks. Thefe were planned by Capt. Montrefor, the chief engi neer, and confifted of twenty different exhibitions, difplayed under his direction with the happiest fuccefs, and in the higheft ftile of beauty. Towards the conclufion, the interior part of the triumphal arch was illuminated amidst an uninterrupted flight of rockets and burfting of baloons. The military trophies on each fide affumed a variety of tranfparent colours. The fhell and flaming heart on the wings fent forth Chinese fountains, fucceeded by fire.pots. Fame appeared at top, fpangled with stars, and from her trumpet blowing the following device in letters of light, Tes Lauriers font immortels.A fauteur of rockets, burfting from the pediment, concluded the feu d'artifice.

At twelve fupper was announced, and large folding doors, hitherto artfully concealed, being fuddenly thrown open, difcovered a magnificent faloon of 210 feet by 40, and 22 feet in height, with three alcoves on each fide, which ferved for fide-boards. The cieling was the fegment of a circle, and the fides

were

were painted of a light ftraw-colour, with vine leaves and feftoon flowers, fome in a bright, fome in a darkish green. Fifty-fix large pierglaffes, ornamented with green filk artificial flowers and ribbands; 100 branches with three lights in each, trimmed in the fame manner as the mirrours; 18 luftres, each with 24 lights, fufpended from the cieling, and ornamented as the branches; 300 wax-tapers, difpofed along the fupper tables; 430 covers, 1200 difhes; 24 black flaves, in oriental dreffes, with filver collars and bracelets, ranged in two lines, and bending to the ground as the General and Admiral approached the faloon all thefe, forming together the most brilliant affemblage of gay objects, and appearing at once as we entered by an eafy defcent, exhibited a coup d'oeil beyond defcription magnificent.

:

Towards the end of fupper, the Herald of the Blended Rofe, in his habit of ceremony, attended by his trumpets, entered the faloon, and proclaimed the King's health, the Queen, and Royal Family, the Army and Navy, with their respective Commanders, the Knights and their Ladies, the Ladies in general: each of these toafts was followed by a flourish of mufic. After fupper we returned to the ballroom, and continued to dance till four o'clock.

Such, my dear friend, is the defcription, though a very faint one of the moft fplendid entertainment, I believe, ever given by an army to their General. But what must be moft grateful to Sir W. Howe, is the fpirit and motives from which it was given. He goes from this place to-morrow; but, as I underftand he means to stay a day or two

with his brother on board the Eagle at Billingfport, I fhall not feal this letter till I fee him depart from Philadelphia.

Sunday 24th. I am just returned from conducting our beloved General to the water-fide, and have feen him receive a more flattering teftimony of the love and attachment of his army, than all the pomp and fplendor of the Michianza could convey to him. I have seen the most gallant of our officers, and thofe whom I leaft fufpected of giving fuch inftances of their affection, fhed tears while they bid him farewel. The gallant and affectionate General of the Heffians, Knyphaufen, was fo moved, that he could not finish a compliment he began to pay him in his own name and that of his Officers who attended him. Sir Henry Clinton attended him to the wharf, where Lord Howe received him into his barge, and they are both gone down to Billingfport. On my return, I faw nothing but dejected

Christian Majefty, that Minifter received audience accordingly. In pursuance of the ceremonial eftablished by Congrefs, the Hon. Richard Henry Lee, Efq. one of the delegates from Virginia, and the Hon. Samuel Adams, Efq. one of the delegates from Maffachufett's-bay, in a coach and fix, provided by Congrefs, waited upon the Minifter at his house. In a few minutes the Minister and the two delegates entered the coach, Mr. Lee placing himself at the Minifter's left hand on the back feat, Mr. Adams occupying the front feat; the Minifter's chariot being behind received his fecretary. The carriages being arrived at the state-house in this city, the two members of Congrefs, placing themselves at the minifter's left hand, a little before one o'clock, introduced him to his chair in the Congrefs-chamber; the Prefident and Congrefs fitting -the Minifter being feated, he gave his credentials into the hands of his Secretary, who advanced and delivered them to the Prefident. The Secretary of Congrefs then read and tranflated them; which being done, Mr. Lee announced the Minifter to the Prefident and Congrefs; at this time the Prefident, the Congress and the Minifter rofe together: he bowed to the Prefident and the Congrefs; they bowed to him: whereupon the whole feated themfelves. In a moment, the Minifter rofe and made a fpeech to Congrefs, they fitting. The fpeech being finished, the Minifter fat down, and, giving a copy of his fpeech to his Secretary, he prefented it to the Prefident. The Prefident and the

Congrefs then rofe, and the Prefident pronounced their answer to the fpeech, the Minifter ftanding. The anfwer being ended, the whole were again feated, and, the Prefident giving a copy of the anfwer to the Secretary of Congress, he prefented it to the Minifter. The Prefident, the Congrefs, and Minifter, then again rofe together: the Minifter bowed to the Prefident, who returned the falute, and then to the Congrefs, who alfo bowed in return: and, the Mini- › fter having bowed to the Prefident and received his bow, he withdrew, and was attended home in the fame manner in which he had been conducted to the audience.

Within the bar of the House, the Congrefs formed a femicircle on each fide of the President and the Minifter: the Prefident fitting at one extremity of the circle, at a table upon a platform elevated two steps, the Minister fitting at the oppofite extremity of the circle in an arm-chair upon the fame level with the Congrefs. The door of the Congrefs-chamber being thrown open, below the bar, about 200 gentlemen were admitted to the audience, among whom were the Vice-prefident of the fupreme executive Council of Pennfylvania, the fupreme executive Council, the Speaker, and members of the Houfe of Affembly, feveral foreigners of distinction, and officers of the army.

The audience being over, the Congrefs and the Minifter, at a proper hour, repaired to an entertainment by Congrefs given to the Minifter; at which were prefent by invitation feveral foreign

ers of diftinction and gentlemen of public character. The entertain ment was conducted with a decorum fuited to the occafion, and gave perfect fatisfaction to the whole company.

In Congress, Aug. 6, 1778. According to order the honourable the Sieur Gerard being introduced to an audience by the two members for that purpose appointed, and being feated in his chair, his Secretary delivered to the Prefident a letter from his moft Chri

ftian Majefty, which was read in the words following:

Very dear great friends and allies, THE treaties which we have figned with you, in confequence of the proposals your Commiffioners made to us in your behalf, are a certain affurance of our affection for the United States in general and for each of them in particular, as well as of the intereft we take, and conftantly fhall take, in their happiness and profperity. It is to convince you more particularly of this, that we have nominated the Sieur Gerard, Secretary of our Council of State, to refide among you in the quality of our Minifter Plenipotentiary; he is the better acquainted with our fentiments toward you, and the more capable of teftifying the fame to you, as he was entrusted on our part to negociate with your Commiffioners, and figned with them the treaties which cement our union. We pray you to give full credit to all he fhall communicate to you from us, more efpecially when he fhall affure you of our affection and conftant friendship for you. We pray God, very dear

THE connection formed by the King, my mafter, with the United States of America, is so agreeable to him, that he could no longer delay fending me to refide among you for the purpose of cementing it. It will give his Majefty great fatisfaction to learn that the fentiments, which have fhone forth on this occafion, juftify that confidence with which he hath been infpired by the zeal and character of the Commiffioners of the United States in France, the wifdom and fortitude which have directed the refolutions of Congrefs, and the courage and perfeverance of the people they reprefent; a confidence which you know, gentlemen, has been the bafis of that truly amicable and difinterested fyftem, on which he hath treated with the United States.

It is not his Majesty's fault that the engagements he hath entered

into did not establish your independence and repofe without the further effufion of blood, and without aggravating the calamities of mankind, whofe happiness it is his highest ambition to promote and fecure. But, fince the hoftile meafures and defigns of the common enemy have given to engagements purely eventual an immediate, pofitive, permanent, and indiffoluble force, it is the opinion of the King my mafter, that the allies fhould turn their whole attention to fulfil thofe engagements in the manner moft ufeful to the common cause, and beft calculated to obtain that peace which is the object of the alliance.

It is upon this principle his Majefty hath haftened to fend you a powerful affiftance, which you owe only to his friendship, to the fincere regard he has for every thing which relates to the advantage of the United States, and to his defire of contributing with efficacy to establish your repofe and profperity upon an honourable and folid foundation. And further it is his expectation that the principles, which may be adopted by the refpective governments, will tend to ftrengthen those bonds of union, which have originated in the mutual intereft of the two nations.

The principal object of my inftructions is to connect the interefts of France with thofe of the United States. I flatter myfelf, gentlemen, that my paft conduct in the affairs which concern them hath already convinced you of the determination I feel to endeavour -to obey my inftructions in fuch manner as to deferve the confidence of Congrefs, the friendship of its VOL. XXI..

members, and the esteem of the citizens of America.

GERARD.

To which the Prefident was pleafed to return the following An. fwer:

SIR,

THE treaties between his mot Chriftian Majefty and the United States of America fo fully demonftrate his wisdom and magnanimity, as to command the reverence of all nations. The virtuous ci- tizens of America in particular can never forget his beneficent attention to their violated rights; nor cease to acknowledge the hand of a gracious providence in raifing them up fo powerful and illuftrious a friend. It is the hope and opinion of Congrefs, that the confidence his Majefty reposes in the firmness of thefe ftates will receive additional ftrength from every day's experience.

This affembly are convinced, Sir, that, had it refted folely with the moft Chriftian King, not only the independence of thefe ftates would have been univerfally acknowledged, but their tranquillity fully established. We lament that luft of domination, which gave birth to the prefent war, and hath prolonged and extended the miferies of mankind. We ardently wish to fheathe the fword and fpare the farther effufion of blood; but we are determined, by every means in our power, to fulfil thofe even tual engagements which have acquired pofitive and permanent force from the hoftile defigns and meafures of the common enemy.

Congrefs have reafon to believe, that the affiftance fo wifely and generously feat will bring Great Bri[S]

tain