92 ROSENGARTEN— FRENCH MEMBERS OF THE SOCIETY. [April i8, 



in 1877. He mentions the fact that Talleyrand, like others of his 

 fellow exiles, notably Volney, took the oath of allegiance to the 

 State of Pennsylvania. Talleyrand speculated in land and stocks, 

 and made money, thanks to the help of William Bingham, then the 

 richest man in this country. It is characteristic that although 

 Talleyrand brought a letter from Lafayette to Washington, the 

 President declined to receive him until he was about to return to 

 France, to begin that diplomatic career which made him so con- 

 spicuous in European affairs for many years. 



Mr. Breck also speaks sharply of Volney, who earned his living 

 here by teaching, and his unfavorable opinion is confirmed by the 

 contemporary report of an English visitor, Thomas Twining, who 

 thought that Volney's temper was soured by his loss of power in 

 France, — on his return he attained a position of importance and yet 

 in his '' Travels," said little that was kind of the country that had 

 given him a safe refuge. This too was true of Brissot de Warville 

 in his " Travels," — but he, poor fellow, went back to France too 

 soon, and ended his life under the guillotine. 



Mr. Breck says that Rochefoucauld and the Orleans princes took 

 their enforced exile very good naturedly. Chastellux, who had 

 served under Rochambeau, as well as his comrade, Lauzun, and a 

 later exile of a very different type, Brillat de Savarin, better known 

 by his book on cooking than by his more serious work as a judge, 

 all said kind things of the country and people who gave them 

 shelter in their distress. Many of the French travellers who have 

 visited and written about this country, were members of the Phi- 

 losophical Society, and from its large and valuable library, drew 

 much information for their writings. 



The publication of the writings of Franklin, edited with fidelity 

 by Professor Albert H. Smyth, one of our members, enables us to see 

 in Franklin's vast collection of his papers preserved here, how 

 largely he influenced and was in turn influenced by his French 

 associates. Many of his friends in Paris were scientific men of great 

 distinction and leaders of public opinion there and many of them 

 became contributors by papers, gifts of pamphlets and books to 

 this Society, and no doubt at his suggestion, were elected members, 

 and thus became interested in its work. The example then of our 



