The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1826-05-22


VIM Away feel an incmalipn fpr nov.i-
ties. aud an eagssirss Cor battles.
The American iusurrectiDo vas every
where srpiaud,d i. s.d hecatne as IL were
a iashno-r; The scieoltic Engllsh game
IF mhtst, made cay on suddes in
Every circle for a game equally serious
Hhich received the name of Bost0u.
On my return To Paris. fond the
sanre agiiafion PIE, aling also there in the
public mind.--kobody SEEMED favoura
bic 10 the cause of England all oprnly
Expressed their wishes for the success al
the Bostonians.
The courage displayed BY these new re-
puhhcans procured for thriu, throughout
EUROPE, the esteem aud good wishes oil
every trrnd of Ieslice and humanity.
American deputies, Silas Dean aud Ar
thur Ire, arrived in Paris and the cele.
bratcd Benjamin Franklin was soon after
added 10 their number. II would hr diff
feult to describe the eagerncss aud the d.
iigH with which these men, the agents of
people ln a stale If insurrectinn against
their monarch, were received IN Fiance,
in the bosom Of an ancient monarchy.
Nothing could br more striking than the
contrast between the luxury of our capt
tai, the elegance Of our ia sliions, the ulag-
ulfcence Versailles, the sail brilliant -
mans Of the monarchch pride of Louis
XIV, and the polished superb dignlly OF
our nobility un one hand and, ON the oth
or hand, the almost rustic apparel, the
plain but firm dcmesnour, the free and di-
rect language of the ENJOYS whose an-
tique simplicity OF dress and appearance
seemed To have introduced within our
walls, In the midst of the efeminate and
servile refinement Of the 18th century
some Sages cotrmporary with Plato or re
pnbllcans ofthr ar" of Cato and of Fab ns.
Tue three f. nchmen, distinguished b,
their rank al cour,, who first offered their
military services To the Americans, were
the Marquis de LA Favette, the Viscount
DE- NoaiIies and myself The Viscount de
Noa'Irs and myself were dependent on
our parents, and only possessed the in
come which they assigned To us. La
Fayette, ON the contrary, although young
er, aud Inferior IN rank 10 ourselves, found
himself, by a singular chance, at the age of
! nineteen year. sole master of shis propet.
ty, aud of his person, and the independent
2ossesSor Of a hundred thousand llres
year.
Our ardor was too great TO be long con-
| fined within the bounds of discretion. Ii
came to the knowledge of the court and
the minister, app ehensi'e that the depar-
turp to America of volunteers Distinguish.
ed by their rank, and who, II could moi he
supposed, would not take that step with
out his permission might open the eyes of
| ,,ul. MI Ia no Vi I'D
IN conceal, gave Us fo NAL orders 10 aban
don our Intentions.
AT every period of life, and above all his
youth, LA Faystte displayed cold and
grayeexterior. which sometimes gave 10
| his deneanuf, All air of timidIty aud en-
barrassment, which did not really belong
| 10 hun. HIS reserved manners, aud his
silent disposition, presented singular ron.
trast to the petulanCe, the levlty, and the
ostentatous loquacity of persons of his
own age but, under his exterior, to all
appearance SO phlegmatlc, he concealed
| the most active mind, the most determin-
ed character, aud the most enthusiastic
spirits.
OF this fact | was better enabled to
Judge than others; during the preceding
winter he had become attached to A lady
as anliable as she was beautiful and hav-
ing errpeously conceived an IDEA that ]
was his riyaI, in a fit of iealously he had
put aside all consideration of friendship,
and had passed the greater part of the
night with me, endeayonring TO prevail up
on me to decide by The sword, which of us
should he the tavoured sutton 10 lady to
| whom | made 40 pretentlons.
| Some days after our quarrel and recon
citation, coad not refrain lom laughing,
when heard the Marshal de Noailles, aud
other l,lduals of his family, enlreat zoe
to use my inf lence with him To animate
his torpIdity, to rouse him from his mac
! ton, and to communicate sumo animation
TO his character. II may be easily CON
celye what was their ast0nlsh'. ent When
| they suddenly learnt that this Young sage
of nineteen 30 cool, and So indlllerenH.
had been 81 far carried away by the LOVE
of glory and of danger, as TO intend to
cross the ocean, aud fight in the cause of
| American freedom.
La Fayctte well aware that he possess
cd every thing necessary to the success of
his design, resolved to disregard the in.
functions.
! His departure was a source OF great af
Fiction TO his family, who were much arev-
ed, not only by his preparing to encounter
so many dangers bat also by his sacrlic-
ing, in the cause Of a distant lanI, large
portion of his fortune. His wife alone, al
though she suffered most, loved him too
well not 10 partake his sentiments, and to
approve his generous resolution.
NINETEENTH CONGRESS,