eserved
intimacy. So far, too, I am pleased with Montmorin. His honesty
proceeds from the heart as well as the head, and therefore may be more
surely counted on. The King loves business, economy, order, and
justice, and wishes sincerely the good of his people; but he is
irascible, rude, very limited in his understanding, and religious,
bordering on bigotry. He has no mistress, loves his queen, and is too
much governed by her. She is capricious like her brother, and governed
by him; devoted to pleasure and expense; and not remarkable for any
other vices or virtues. Unhappily the King shows a propensity for the
pleasures of the table. That for drink has increased lately, or, at
least, it has become more known.

For European news in general, I will refer you to my letter to Mr. Jay.
Is it not possible, that the occurrences in Holland may excite a desire
in many, of leaving that country and transferring their effects out of
it, and thus make an opening for shifting into their hands, the debts
due to this country, to its officers, and Farmers? It would be surely
eligible. I believe Dumas, if put on the watch, might alone suffice;
but he surely might, if Mr. Adams should go when the moment offers.
Dumas has been in the habit of sending his letters open to me, to be
forwarded to Mr. Jay. During my absence, they passed through Mr.
Short's hands, who made extracts from them, by which I see he has been
recommending himself and me for the money negotiations in Holland. It
might be thought, perhaps, that I have encouraged him in this. Be
assured, my dear Sir, that no such idea ever entered my head. On the
contrary, it is a business which would be the most disagreeable to me
of all others, and for which I am the most unfit person living. I do
not understand bargaining, nor possess the dexterity requisite for the
purpose. On the other hand, Mr. Adams, whom I expressly and sincerely
recommend, stands already on ground for that business, which I could
not gain in years. Pray set me to rights in the minds of those who may
have supposed me privy to this proposition. _En passant_, I will
observe with respect to Mr. Dumas, that the death of the Count de
Vergennes places Congress more at their ease, how to dispose of him.
Our credit has been ill treated here in public debate, and our debt
here deemed apocryphal. We should try to transfer this debt elsewhere,
and leave nothing capable of exciting ill thoughts between us. I shall
mention in