191 1.] ROSENGARTEN— MOREAU de SAINT MERY. 171 



Xo doubt the same industry and energy led him to make the 

 large collection known by his name, now in Paris, of original docu- 

 ments, copies, maps, etc., filling 287 volumes, bought by the French 

 government, and now in its great archives for the use of students of 

 colonial French history. 



That St. Mery was well thought of in Philadelphia, during his 

 residence here is attested by the long list of subscribers to his book 

 on Saint Domingo, including Vice-President John Adams, Adet, the 

 French minister, Benjamin Franklin Bache, William Bingham. 

 Thomas Bradford. Samuel Breck, Rev. Dr. Collin, Alexander James 

 Dallas. P. S. Duponceau. Dupont. of Wilmington. Rufus King, Dr. 

 Logan. Xoailles, Timothy Pickering. Rochambeau, Talleyrand, John 

 \^aughan. A'olney. and many notable French exiles both in Phila- 

 delphia and elsewhere in the United States. Many of them were 

 elected members of the American Philosophical Society, and its 

 minutes show that its meetings were frequently attended by Talley- 

 rand, Rochefoucauld. A'olney. \'an Braam, and its library has many 

 books, the gifts of St. ^lery and his fellow exiles. 



In a recent biography of Talleyrand we are told that when he 

 landed here in 1794, it was the finest city in the United States, full 

 of life, everywhere new buildings and work on them going on, the 

 streets full of elegant equipages, crowded with men of business, 

 workmen and sailors. 



Chateaubriand speaks of the beauty of the Quakeresses. Every 

 stranger from Europe was welcomed by the wealthy merchants, — 

 life was very expensive, board $8 to $12 a week, without fire, light 

 or wine ; a negro servant cost $10 to $12 a month even with food and 

 washing. Emigres of all political creeds found a Xoah's ark of 

 refuge in Philadelphia. Talleyrand's arrival was quite an event; 

 he found old friends, old soldiers of Lafayette, fellow members of 

 the constituent assembly, among them Blacon. who had been deputy 

 from Dauphine and one of the intermediaries between Mirabeau and 

 the King. Hamilton gave him a warm welcome, but Fauchet. the 

 French ^Minister, prevented Washington from receiving him, and 

 Washington wrote to Lord Lansdowne, explaining why his letter of 

 introduction did not enable him to meet Tallevrand. However, he 



