Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1825-09-10
Another extrao, from the same work,

The three first Frenchmen, distin-
guished by their rank al court, who offer
ed The aid of their swords 10 the Ameri-
cans, were the Marquis de la Fsyette,
the ' scount Nouallles and myself. We
had long been united by friendship, we
were even more so by a concordance in
sentiments, and we were afterwards 50,
by the ties of blood. La Eayette and
Viscount de Noualles had married two
daughters of the Duke de Nouailles,
having then the title o! the Duke j. A eli;
their mother, the Duchess d'Ayen, was
a daughter by the first wife OF NJ. d.
Aguessau, Counsellor Of State, and son
OF the Chancellor d'Aguessau. He had
by second marriage twenty years after
wards several children, one oil whom was
NJ. d'A guessau, now Peer OF France, a
daughter married to M de Saron, FIRST
President OF he Parliament OF Paris, and,
IN short, another daughter whom | mar
ried IN the year IVY, SO that by th,s al
lance became the uncle of my TWO
friends.
We all three promised to ourselves
the secret OF our arrangements with The
American Commissioners IN order 10
gam time 10 sound the dispositions OF
our court and to collect the, necessary
means Tor the execution OF our projects.
This conformity OF ourteelings, opiniens,
and wishes, did not exist then, uniortu-
nateiy, IN our fortunes. The Viscount dc
Nouailles and nIyselt were dependent oh
our relations, and we had only the annul-
ty which they gave TO Us. La Fayeue,
on the contrary, although younger and
less advanced Ill rank than ourselves,
was by a singular hazarJ, al the age OF
nineteen, master OF his fortune as well as
OF his person; and was the independents
possessor OF the yearly income ot 100,
900 iivres.
"Onr ardor was too enthusiastic to re-
main long discreet. We con6ded our
plan TO some young men whom VIC hoped
20 engage IN our enlefprize; The Coar,
became acquainted Win Il, and the MIN
istry who feared that The departure ior
America OF so many volunteers oil SUCH
high rank, and which would not be
thought possible without lis sanction,
might discover 10 the Eng lish thosu
views which they would yet conceal,
en,oned Us, IN formal manner, 10 re
nounce our plan.
;" Our relations who were until then
igporant OF 1t, took the alarm, and re
preached Ds severely with our ventu
rous ifivoiity. / was particularly struck
by the surpri2e exhibited by tue laml!,
OF La Fsyctte; 1t appeared TO me the
more amusing, because | never kaew
Until then 10 what lengths his grand pa
rents had mlsconccIv and Unknown
mis- character. La Fayette had always,
and especially in MS early youth, evlnced
coldness and gravity IN bis manners
which falsely announced aD appearance
OF embarrassment and timidity - This
sedateness OF exterior aud want OF eager
ness to speak, formed singular contras,
TO toe petulencc, the hghtness, and The
brilliant loquacity OF The persons of his
own age but this envelop, 50 rigid 10
appearance concealed the most active
nind with great iirmneas OF character,
and the most ardent soul
81 had he advantage OF knowing how
10 appreciate him better Than any one
else; Tor on the preceding winter, bclns
attached TO a lady who was as amiable as
she was lovely, he had Judged me maj
ahrohos his rival, and notwi lis landing
our friendship, IN an excess OF jealousy
he had passed almost whole night with
me, IN order to persuade ME 10 dispute
with him, sword In hand, the heart of
belle TO which had no protentions
Some days after our quarrel and recon
ciliatlon, could not help laughing to
hear The Marechale de Nouailles and
other persons OF MS family, praying me
10 use my influence with him to excite
to communicate some ardor into his cha
racter. Judge, then, what must have
been their establishment, when they were
suddenly apprized that this young sage
of nineteen, SO reserved and so insens.
bic, aroused by the passion of glory and
its perils, would gladly leap the ocean
to combat in favor OF American liberty!
"As for the rest, the prohibition
which we had received to attemp, this
grand expedition, naturally produced
upon us very different effect: it dis
mayed the Viscount de N. and myself,
because 1t absolutely deprived us of all
liberty, and OF all power Of acting, and
it irrrated La Fayet,e, who resolved to
infringe it, knowing that he could not
want the necessary means for the sue
cess OF his enterprise.
" At first, however, he dissimu lated