250 MIMS— DIARY OF A VOYAGE [April i8. 



It is pleasant to dwell upon these pages of the diary, because 

 they throw a pleasing light upon Talleyrand's character. He is 

 -generally thought of as the prince of diplomats, employing human 

 speech to conceal his own thoughts, but here we have him unveiling 

 his very soul to a kind and sympathetic friend. 



The diary shows, however, that Moreau de Saint-Mery's shop 

 became something more than the rendezvous for such notable emi- 

 gres. From his printing press went forth many notable works pub- 

 lished in French, such as de Liancourt's study on the prisons of 

 Philadelphia, and three of his own notable works, " La Danse," 

 " La description de la partie espagnole de St. Domingue " and " La 

 description de la parte frangaise de St. Domingue."^ At his press 

 also was published from October 15, 1795, to March 14, 1796, a 

 daily newspaper in French entitled Courrier de la France et des 

 Colonies,^ edited by Gaterau, an emigre from St. Domingo. In its 

 pages were printed the latest news of the great revolution in France 

 and of the most recent developments in the French West Indies. 

 How eagerly the numerous emigres then at Philadelphia and in 

 other cities must have read it ! It must have come as a messenger 

 to them in their exile. It served also as a social organ for them, 

 for it contained notices of balls and concerts and meetings of 

 French societies. Moreau's press, therefore, in publishing such a 

 paper must have occupied an important place in the lives of the 

 wider circle of French exiles in Philadelphia. The diary contains 

 passages which throw light upon the life of this wider circle and 

 reveal something of its numbers and of its importance. 



There is to be found in the diary, therefore, a wide range of 

 material, varying from passing comments upon public men and upon 

 the customs of the people to serious studies upon the history and 

 life of some of the chief American cities, and including some new 

 and most interesting material upon the life of many exiles who 

 fled from persecutions in France and revolts in the West Indies to 

 find refuge in our fair land of liberty and freedom. 



^ These three works appeared at Philadelphia during the years 1795-1798. 



" A complete file of this unique publication is to be found in the library 

 of the Athenaeum at Boston. It appeared in a single sheet, 4 pages, each 

 page measuring 24^ c.c. by 20 c.c. 



