J. L. Austin to confer with English liberals, 271;
justifies to Hartley the project of a French alliance, 272, 273;
secret negotiations with France, 274, 275;
misunderstanding with Lee, 275;
arranges commercial concessions, 277;
plans nearly upset by Lee and Izard, 278-9;
signs treaty in "Manchester velvet suit," 279;
writes to Hartley urging peace, 281, 282;
predicts futility of English conciliatory bills, 282;
presented to Louis XVI., 283;
his costume, 283;
secures in treaty principle of "free ships, free goods," 287;
favors the "armed neutrality," 288;
meetings with Voltaire, 287, 288;
speaks well of Deane, 290;
accused of inefficiency and corruption by Lee and Izard, 292, 293, 298;
criticised by Adams, 294, 296;
personal frugality of Franklin, 297;
advises a single representative at Versailles, 297;
made minister plenipotentiary, 298;
insulted by Lee, 299;
supplies money, commissions, and protection to Paul Jones, 300, 301;
advises plundering English coast, 301;
difficulties with Landais, 302.
_Foreign Financial Agent._
Forced to beg money to meet congressional bills, 306;
assists Jay, 307;
sole effective financier, 307, 308;
lends money to Congress, 308;
yields two cargoes to Beaumarchais, 310;
appeals vainly to Thomas Morris, 310;
instructed by Congress to borrow money and build ships of war, 311;
writes pamphlet on credit of the United States, 311;
agrees to meet interest on congressional loan, 311;
obliged to meet drafts, 312;
continually surprised by new and old ones, 312;
not warned of bills drawn, 312, 313, 318, 332;
annoyed by exorbitant demands of Lee and Izard, 314;
refuses Izard, 315;
attacked bitterly, 316, 317;
helps officers of "Alliance," 317;
humiliating necessity of begging from France, 318;
hampered by state agents making loans, 319;
aids Jones, 320;
begs Congress not to permit its agents to draw upon him, 320;
assists Jay, 321, 322, 333, 335;
proposes that Congress furnish supplies to French fleet, 322;
urges sacrifice in America, 323, 324;
meets drafts on Laurens, 324, 326, 332;
overwhelmed by fresh demands, 325;
fragment of his diary showing the swarm of bills, 326;
more begging from Vergennes, 327, 328;
secures loan in Holland, 328;
difficulties over William Jackson's purchases, 329, 330;
helps John Adams meet drafts, 331;
directed by Robert Morris to make further re