district bill, but suspended it to the next
session. E. Winston is appointed a judge, vice Gabriel Jones, resigned.
R. Goode and Andrew Moore, Counsellors, vice B. Starke, dead, and Joseph
Egglestone, resigned. It is said Wilson, of Philadelphia, is talked of
to succeed Mr. A. in London. _Quaere?_

The dispute about Virgil's tomb and the laurel, seems to be at length
settled, by the testimony of two travellers, given separately, and
without a communication with each other. These both say, that attempting
to pluck off a branch of the laurel, it followed their hand, being, in
fact, nothing more than a plant or bough recently cut, and stuck in the
ground for the occasion. The Cicerone acknowledged the roguery, and said
they practised it with almost every traveller, to get money. You will,
of course, tug well at the laurel which shall be shown you, to see if
this be the true solution.

The President Dupaty is dead. Monsieur de Barentin, _premier president
de la cour des aides_, is appointed _Garde des Sceaux_. The stocks are
rather lower than when you left this. Present me in the most friendly
terms to Messrs. Shippen and Rutledge. I rely on your communicating to
them the news, and, therefore, on their pardoning me for not repeating
it in separate letters to them. You can satisfy them how necessary this
economy of my time and labor is. This goes to Geneva _poste restante_. I
shall not write again till you tell me where to write to.

Accept very sincere assurances of the affection, with which I am, Dear
Sir, your friend and servant,

Th; Jefferson.

LETTER CLXIV.--TO JOHN JAY, September 24,1788

TO JOHN JAY.

Paris, September 24,1788.

Sir,

Understanding that the vessel is not yet sailed from Havre, which is
to carry my letters of the 3rd and 5th instant, I am in hopes you will
receive the present with them. The Russian accounts of their victories
on the Black Sea must have been greatly exaggerated. According to these,
the Captain Pacha's fleet was annihilated; yet themselves have lately
brought him on the stage again, with fifteen ships of the line, in order
to obtain another victory over him. I believe the truth to be, that he
has suffered some checks, of what magnitude it is impossible to say,
where one side alone is heard, and that he is still master of that sea.
He has relieved Oczakow, which still holds out; Choczim also is still
untaken, and the Emperor's situation is apprehended to be bad. He spun