1 resign, and rejoin your faithful friend; the whole world besides may forsake you but her heart is eternally yours: I swear it by that sacred flame, which will never be extinguished in my breast. You ask how you can render me happy ;-take care of yourself-love me-study the means of enabling us to pass our days together; and never forget that my life is bound up in yours,and that the moment, which deprives me of you, will put an end to all my miseries. Your health is dear-ten thousand times dearer to me than my own; if you love me, do not neglect it. I have received your letter of the 16th, which increases my solicitude on this point; in the name of all that is sacred, take care of your precious self. Rely on my heart; it is yoursand nothing can operate a change in its sentiments. I adore you for yourself alone, and it is thus that you should be loved. If I was capable of thinking otherwise, I would not suffer you to depart, and to expose your invaluable life. The thoughts of your danger brings back all the weakness of my sex; and I confess that my anxiety and frightful alarms for the object of all my wishes, will, without doubt, hasten my death. The terror and solicitude that I feel for my lover are indescribable. Dear Jones! adieu; I am forced to leave thee; I cannot go on. The Chevalier assures you of his respect and friendly sentiments; he sets out to-morrow evening; alas! happier than his unfortunate sister, he will soon see you. God! she would willingly Six posts have arrived, and still no tidings from you; my heart sinks at the thoughts of so cruel a neglect. Are you sick? or have you ceased to love me? Oh God! this idea chills my heart. No! I cannot believe you so barbarous; you cannot desire my death. Is it possible that absence has destroyed my happiness? Alas! if absence has deprived me of your heart, it is not thus with regard to my feelings towards you, since you are now a thousand times dearer to me than on that horrible day of our separation. Your letters, your assurances of attachment, the inclination of my heart; all have contributed to augment my affection. But perhaps I must renounce for ever all those fond hopes that have induced me to cherish life: but I may be wrong thus to despair. Yes! I am too sensitive and fearful; the amiable and tender Jones is as faithful a lover as he is a valiant warrior and a zealous patriot : all those rare qualities are united in the object of all my thoughts and affections; to doubt his constancy would be an injury-nay, a crime. Pardon, dear friend, my apprehensive terrors; I will compel my foolish heart to be more tranquil. Judge of the excess of my love by my agonizing dread of losing your esteem-your heart. These letters from Delia, it will be admitted, are in rather an extravagant strain. They certainly discover a great excess of feeling, and if the effusions be not sincere, the writer must have had an uncommon faculty of giving reality to artificial expressions. Jones wrote an affectionate letter to Delia after his arrival in America: December 25, 1781. I wrote my most lovely Delia various letters from Philadelphia, the last of which was dated the 20th of June. On the 26th of that month I was unanimously elected by Congress to command the America of 74 guns, on the stocks, at Portsmouth, New-Hampshire. I superintended the building, which I found so much more backward than I expected, that a plan of operation I had in view is entirely defeated. I expected to have been at sea this winter, but the building does not go on with the vigor I could wish. Since I came here I have not found a single good opportunity to write to Europe. I have not since heard from your relation I left behind, but suppose he is with the army. This situation is doubly irksome to me, my lovely friend, as it stops my pursuit of honor as well as love! It is now more than twelve months since I left France; yet I have not received a single letter from thee in all that time, except the one written in answer to my letter at taking leave. That one is a tender letter indeed, and does honor to thy matchless heart! I read often and always with transport the many charming things that are so well expressed in thy letters; but especially the last. Thy adieu has in it all the finer feelings, blended with the noblest sentiments of the heart! Providence, all good and just, has given thee a soul worthy in all respects to animate nature's fairest work. I rest therefore sure that absence will not diminish, but refine the pure and spotless friendship that binds our souls together, and will ever impress each to merit the affection of the other. Remember and believe my letter at parting. It was but a faint picture of my heart. I will find opportunities to write, and be every thing thou canst wish. My address is under cover to the Hon. Robert Morris, Esq. Minister of Finance, Philadelphia. The men as well as the women were infatuated with the Chevalier. The annexed letter affords proof of the flame which his reputation had kindled up, impelling individuals of good families and connexions to seek for celebrity under his command: January, 1780. SIR, Although I have not the honor of a personal acquaintance with you, the fame of your exploits, and the glory you acquired in your last engagement, induce me to ask a favor at your hands; it is to grant me an opportunity of being a witness of, and a partaker in your chivalrous adventures. Understanding that you are now at Dunkirk, where, without doubt, the desire of flying to achieve new conquests, will not suffer you to remain long; I hasten to offer you my services. I have the honor to request that you will receive me simply as a volunteer, in order that having no fixed post, I may be every where: I have farther only to stipulate that you will admit me to your own table, and place me under your immediate command, so that I may satiate my eyes with the pleasure of beholding your courage, and at least imitate, for it is impossible to equal it. If I should be fortunate enough to obtain this favor, rest assured that you will always find me in the path of honor. I have been long in the service of my country; but the reform which I have introduced in the corps to which I belong, leaves me at leisure to employ myself elsewhere. Having a passion for a sea-life, which I have already partially gratified by a voyage to the Indies, I am eager to make one or two campaigns. Since the moment when the fame of your glorious expedition spread through the world, I have wished to serve under your orders; and seize the present opportunity to assure you, that, if you accept my proferred services, you will never have cause to repent it: circumstances of a very peculiar nature render me very anxious to execute this intention. will waive all mention of my family; chance has thrown me in an elevated situation; this is my only observation on this subject. If you design an expedition immediately, and will receive me in the number of those who are emulous to acquire glory under your command, have the goodness to write me, and I will immediately repair to the spot you may point out. I have the honor to be, &c. DE TOURNEVILLE. I On one occasion a lady declined his advances in the following delicate manner; although it would appear that she had induced them : SIR, I am grateful for the sentiments which you entertain for me, and it would give me pleasure to reply to them; but I could not do so without deceiving a gentleman with whom I live; and that is what I am incapable of doing. After this confession you must be aware of my way of thinking; and that what I said yesterday was only meant in jest. With all possible consideration, Sir, I have the honor to be your affectionate servant.. The annexed note is rather more equivocal: Madame de H., begs Mr. Jones to pardon the liberty she takes in addressing him without having the honor of his acquaintance; and requests a moment's conversation with him at her apartments in the royal palace, or at the hotel of the Duchess of She asks a thousand pardons if she should be the means of giving him any trouble at the moment of his departure; but he must not be astonished that all are eager to profit by the present opportunity of seeing him. In one of the preceding letters, the enraptured Delia speaks of certain verses of the Chevalier. Among his papers are those subjoined, which are, perhaps, the same that the lady alluded to: I. When Jove from high Olympus goes To Ida, and the fair below, All heav'n laments-but Juno shews, To female weakness ever dear; She scorns the sov'reignty of heav'n, But when the Thunderer returns, And seeks his skies, (so Homer sings,) Still joyous in the middle-skies, She meets the cloud-compelling pow'r. III. Prolific nature feels th' embrace, Superior blossoms, fruits and flow'rs, Spring up,-heav'n wears a brighter face, Celestial raptures who can tell? Ours all divine! are only felt, What bold presumptuous strains shall swell, IV. Thus when thy warrior, though no god, Casts anchor in dear France again; This is no unfavorable sample of Jones's poetical abilities. The sentiments are impressive, and in some degree sublime. The thoughts are comprehensive, and correspond with the vigor of his general character. It is apparent, from the original manuscript, that the Chevalier, in making love, was a truant, adapting his rhymes to situation and circumstances. The fourth line of the fourth stanza is varied, so as to answer either for France or America: Thus, "Cast anchor in dear France again," Is changed to, "In fair Columbia moors again." This may be denominated the economy of versification. It is a trick probably often practised by more persons than Jones. Whatever may have been the devotion which Jones professed for the sex, it was obvious that ambition was the predominating passion in his breast, and that he even made his love affairs subservient to his desire of glory. The following letter to a lady at court, just before his departure for America, contains a mixture of respectful salutation, and a solicitation of female influence in his behalf: TO A LADY. L'Orient, August 6th, 1780. I had the honor to write to you on the 14th ult. but have not yet had the satisfaction to receive any of your letters since that time. This makes me fear you are now determined to punish me |