VI 



MINUTES. Li-"eb. 2, 



Mr. Samuel Dickson made the following remarks: 



As more than three quarters of a century have elapsed since the 

 death of Mr. Du Ponceau, and he can be little more than the shadow 

 of a name to most of those present, I have been asked to say some- 

 thing about him. 



The only source of information now available, is the sketch of 

 his life, read before this Society by his friend. Dr. Dunglison, just 

 after his death in 1844. From this, it appears that he was born 

 June 3, 1760, in the Isle de Re, a small island off the west coast of 

 France. He early developed an exceptional talent for languages, 

 and having mastered a French and Latin vocabulary before he was 

 six, he was able when twelve years of age to speak and write both 

 English and Italian with fluency and correctness. The death of his 

 father, leaving the family in straitened circumstances, when he was 

 less than fifteen years of age, made it necessary for him to earn his 

 own livelihood, and after an unsuccessful experience as a teacher, 

 he went up to Paris, having as his outfit, " a clean shirt and a copy 

 of ' Paradise Lost,' " and there supported himself as a translator. 

 This led to an acquaintance with Beaumarchais, known to us as the 

 author of the "Barber of Seville" and the "Marriage of Figaro," 

 but then largely engaged under the firm name of Hortalez & Co., in 

 exporting supplies to the Colonies. — By the way, a very interesting 

 sketch of Beaumarchais is given by Trevelyan in his American Rev- 

 olution — Beaumarchais introduced Du Ponceau to Baron Steuben, 

 who was about starting for America, and speaking nothing but 

 German, needed a Secretary, as an interpreter, familiar with English 

 and French. 



They came to this country and landed at Portsmouth in Decem- 

 ber, 1777, and after going to Yorktown, where the Continental Con- 

 gress was in session, they went to Valley Forge early in 1778, where 

 Du Ponceau made the acquaintance of Washington and Lafayette. 

 As Secretary of Steuben, he was made a captain, and served as an 

 officer until July, 1781, when he resigned on account of his health 

 and came to Philadelphia. 



He was soon after appointed secretary to Mr. Livingston, the 

 Secretary for Foreign Affairs, upon the recommendation of Judge 



