Diary of John Quincy Adams, volume 1
All the family dined with the Marquis de la Fayette, who entertains all the Americans every Monday. There were however very few there this Day. Le Chevalier de la Touche, General Armand,1 and some other french gentlemen dined there. Mr. Williamos promised to get me a ticket for the Session of the Academie des Sciences on Wednesday.
Louis René Madeleine Le Vassor, Comte de La Touche-Tréville, who briefly served as commander of the French West Indian squadron during the American Revolution, was director, under the Marquis de Castries, of the Ministry for the Marine Department; Armand Charles Tuffin, Marquis de La Rouërie, known in America as Col. Armand, was a highly commended volunteer in American service during the Revolution (Jonathan R. Dull, The French Navy and American Independence: A Study of Arms and Diplomacy,
1774–1787, Princeton, 1975, p. 221–222; Jefferson, Papers
, 10:221; Lasseray, Les français sous les treize étoiles
, 2:454–462).
Went and dined in Paris with Mr. Jefferson. Immediately after dinner Coll. Humphreys, Mr. Williamos and myself went to the Louvre, where the Academy were setting, but we were so late that we could not get places, to sit, and the Room was much crowded. Several memoirs were read, but all in such technical expressions that I could not understand much of them. There was also read an éloge of some German, I did not perfectly make out his name. It is an established custom in this Academy, that at every Session the Secretary reads a short account of the Life, and of the productions, of the Members of the Academy, that died since the preceding Session. Coll. Humphreys finding there was no good place, went immediately away: Mr. Williamos and I stay'd till about five o'clock: and then retired, as we saw no Prospect of getting in a better situation, and as we were not quite at our ease on account of the crowd. We afterwards went to the Hôtel de Bretagne, Rue de Richeslieu, where we found Mr. West. Mr. Williamos soon after returned to Mr. Jefferson's, and I went with West to the Théatre des Varietés in the Palais Royal. Fausses Consultations; à bon vin point d'Enseigne. Boniface Pointu et sa famille: Les pêcheurs Provençaux a ballet.1 The last piece but one, is the best I have seen upon this Stage: I was much surprized to find but very little Company in the House, which was not above half full: but the public are very capricious. After the 246
image
247 entertainment was over we walk'd half an hour under the arcades.
Louis François Archambault Dorvigny, Les fausses consultations, Paris, 1781; A bon vin point d'enseigne, Paris, 1781, by Phillippe Alexandre Louis Pierre Plancher-Valcour, called Aristide Valcour; Charles Jacob Guillemain, Boniface Pointu et sa famille, Paris, 1782; Anon., Les
pêcheurs provençaux, first performed at the Variétés Amusantes the previous evening (Brenner, Bibliographical List
).