246 MIMS— DIARY OF A VOYAGE [April i8, 



made the acquaintance of a German nobleman, de la Roche by name, 

 with whom he formed a partnership for the establishment at 

 Philadelphia of a stationery and book-store and printing shop. He 

 accordingly removed to Philadelphia, where he remained from 

 October 14. 1794, to August 23, 1798, when he set sail for France. 

 It is the story of these five years in America that Moreau de 

 Saint-Mery records in his diary. Step by step one may follow him 

 to hear his appreciation of the hospitality of old Virginia or his 

 enthusiasm over the beauty and charm of the Virginia belle, whose 

 musical voice seems to have fired his heart ; or to hear him marvel 

 at the number of religious sects at Baltimore, all living in the per- 

 fect harmony of an attractive society, or one may turn to the descrip- 

 tions of the life of New York and Philadelphia. In these descrip- 

 tions and throughout the diary are to be found many interesting 

 data on the prices, the cost of living, the expenses of travel, the 

 manners and customs of the people. In other passages one may 

 follow the author into the presence of such public men as Wash- 

 ington, John Adams or Alexander Hamilton. Thus under date of 

 August 26, 1794, is recorded a visit to the last named: 



" I went to see the Minister, Hamilton, having a letter of introduction 

 from Talleyrand. On arriving at the building in which his office was located, 

 I found a porter, clad in a long gray vest, who informed me that the minister 

 was not in. On leaving the house and before I had gone very far, I met a 

 gentleman whom I believed, tho' I know not why, to be Hamilton and I 

 turned and followed him. We entered the corridor almost together. On 

 seeing Mr. Hamilton, for it was he, the porter took a key down from a peg 

 and opened the door of the Minister's office and I was asked to enter. I 

 was much pleased that I had been warned not to have the air of being in- 

 quisitive or of plying the minister with questions. But he showed great 

 confidence in me by talking frankly of both France and America. ... I did 

 not fail to be struck by his bureau. Its furniture and furnishings together 

 were not worth more than fifty francs [ten dollars]. A large pine table, 

 covered with a green cloth, served as his desk. His books and papers were 

 upon simple wooden shelves. On the end of one shelf was a slate-colored 

 vase and a plate with some drinking glasses. The porter who waited on him 

 wore, besides the vest of which I have spoken, trousers of the same cloth 

 which did not reach low enough to hide his bare leg. In a word I saw 

 around me what must have been in accord with the customs of the Spartans." 



Moi*eau's later impressions led him to speak of Hamilton as 

 " devoured with the ambition of making people believe that he was 



