ed by windward in sight of several of the enemy's large two-decked cruising ships. Captain Jones wished to carry with him some prizes and prisoners to France; but the Alliance, by the arrangement Captain Landais had made of the ballast at L'Orient, was out of trim, and could not sail fast, her sails being too thin and old for cold latitudes. He steered to the southward, and cruised for some days without success off Cape Finisterre. On the 16th of January, 1780, Captain Jones, to shun a gale of wind, and procure a sound anchor, (for he had left the Texel with only one,) ran into Corogne. He was very kindly received in Spain, but sailed again, and arrived at Groix on the 10th February, having taken no prizes."

On gaining L'Orient, Jones lost no time in beginning to refit his ship and obtain military stores. A board of Admiralty had by this time been established by Congress, and one of its first acts was to order home the Alliance. In making the ships under his command fit for sea, whether " in battle or in breeze," Jones never grudged or even thought of expense, and on the present occasion

his professional liberality of spirit far outran the frugal genius of Franklin. The anxious and almost pathetic remonstrances addressed to him by the republican sage are as amusing as they are characteristic. The court of France had demurred to incurring farther expense for this refractory hero and his American ship. "The whole expense will fall upon me," cries Franklin, "and I am ill provided to bear it, having so many unexpected calls upon me from all quarters. I therefore beg you would have mercy on me, put me to as little charge as possible, and take nothing you can possibly do without. As to sheathing with copper it is totally out of the question."

By the middle of April, the Alliance (notwithstanding the prayers of Franklin) was, by the care of her commander, pronounced by himself one of the most complete frigates in France.

Nearly a month before the Alliance having been, as was said, ordered home to America with certain supplies of arms and warlike stores furnished by France, Franklin urged the immediate sailing of the ship as strongly as he could with propriety, and wished its commander a prosperous voyage. He even stretched a point to

furnish those of the former crew of the Bon Homme Richard, now on board the Alliance, with a small sum of money, as they had not yet realized a sou of their prize-money. This was done to allay discontent and send the men home in good humour. But neither the Commodore nor his crew were yet in trim for sea.

Jones had made repeated attempts to obtain an adjustment of the prize-money, and now meditated a journey to Court ostensibly to solicit a final settlement. A person in office had about this time excited his indignation by meanly claiming the merit of some or all of his manifold projects; and it is probable that various other motives and personal interests disposed him to undertake this memorable journey. Having on a former occasion verified the truth of the maxim, which led him to give the celebrated name of Bon Homme Richard to his ship, he determined once more to speed his errand by doing it himself. He was aware that, though disliked or envied by the marine service of France, he was popular with the Court and the nation, who were about this time in the very height and fervour of the American mania. On this knowledge he proceeded to Versailles.

CHAPTER VII.

JONES at no time neglected to keep himself alive in the memory of his Court friends and official patrons, a species of attention necessary to a professional man everywhere, at least in the commencement of his career, and particularly so at that period in France. While superintending the refitting of the Alliance, he had been corresponding with La Fayette, the Duke de la Rochefoucault, and others of his former great friends, and by them he might have been advised to repair to Versailles to claim justice for his people in the affair of the prize-money. If such was his only business, it does not appear to have been much advanced by his appearance at this crisis; but the reception he personally met from many individuals among the higher classes of society and the leaders of fashion, when Americans and republicanism were the infatuating novel

ties of the day, must have been highly gratifying to his feelings and to his insatiable love of distinction. The American Commodore, the conqueror of the haughty English, insulted by the degrading offer of a letter-of-marque at Amsterdam, became the hero, and, what was nearly the same thing, the lion of the day in Paris. He was everywhere feasted and caressed; and, as if to make ample amends for the gratuitous insult offered him by the ministers, he was presented by the King with a gold sword, bearing the following honourable inscription:-"VINDICATI MARIS

LUDOVICUS XVI. REMUNERATOR STRENUO VIN

DICI." Leave was requested from Congress to invest him with the military Order of Merit,—an honour which had never been conferred on any one before who had not actually borne arms under the commission of France. An official letter was also addressed to him by his ancient tormentor, M. Sartine, expressive of the highest approbation of his conduct, and esteem for his personal character. This much was to be gained by a man of talent and address appearing in his own cause at the Court of France; nor is there