Letters from Benjamin Franklin 527 



To Marquis de Castries. 1781. January 28. Passy. 



Acquaints him that Mr. [Francis M.] Dana, a late member of Con- 

 gress, desires to lay before him some letters relative to the indemni- 

 fication of the brig " Fair Play," to which papers he requests him to 

 afford a favorable attention. A. L. S. i p. XLV, 156. 



Printed in Works (Smyth, VIII, 205). 



To Chevalier des Tours. 1781. February 19. Passy. 

 Passport. A. Dr. of D. i p. LXXIV, 88. 



To Mme. Brillon. \_Circa 1781. February.] 



Returns the original draft of her fable. Is sorry if he did wrong 

 and will not do so again until the next opportunity; such being the 

 general practice of all sinners. Denies that excessive indulgence in 

 sexual pleasures is the cause of gout as he had no gout when he was a 

 young man. His condition somewhat improved ; is still very weak 

 but not too ill to jest a little. Sends her his " dialogue [with the gout] " 

 and hopes it will amuse her. A. Dr. of L. i p. (In French.) 



XLVI(i), 44. 



Printed in Proc. of Amer. Philos. Soc., 1901, XL, 97, and in Putnam's Monthly, 

 Dec, 1906, 312. 



To Archibald Lyons. 1781. March 24. Passy. 



Will apply for an order to permit him and his friends to go to 

 rOrient, where they will find vessels bound for America. A. Dr. of L. 

 I p. LXX, 3. 



To [John] Adams. 1781. May. [Passy.] 



P. S. Referring to Col. [John] Laurens's departure for Brest and 

 the harmony that had subsisted between them. Wants information as 

 to the purchases made by Mr. Adams, at his request, to send in the 

 " Indienne." A. Dr. of N. i p. LXX, 7c. 



To John Hancock. 1781. May 14. Passy. 



Repeats his congratulations on his election to the Government of 

 his Country. Encloses copies of letters relative to the enemy's posts 

 and the proposed operations in its neighborhood, also copies of letters 

 which may be of interest to Massachusetts Bay, which were taken 

 from an English packet bound to New York, by a privateer. L. S. 

 I p. (Press Copy.) XLV, 157. 



Printed in Works (Smyth, VIII, 249). 



