Marie Jacinthe de Botidoux to Martha Jefferson Randolph
editorial note
The text that follows is part of what Botidoux referred to as one of her “journal” letters. The Editors have broken this manuscript, which spans nearly three months, into sections dated as Botidoux dated them, and grouped each transcription together with its translation. Unless otherwise noted, Botidoux’s original punctuation and spelling have been retained. Links to navigate from one dated section to another appear below.
To “journal” beginning 12 Mar. 1790To previous “journal” entry 23 Mar. 1790To next “journal” entry 29 Mar. 1790
27 Mars [1790]
on m’avoit fait dire hier que je ne pouvois pas voir La somnambule parscequ’elle etoit Malade pour savoir si C’etoit vrai Mlle Emilie est allee chez La femme ou elle demeure avec La femme de Chambre de Descahaux—elle est Montée au parloir du second pour La venir prendre parscequelle etoit sortie des Le Matin a peine arrivée voilà quelle entend un tapage terrible au parloir du depot et des soupirs dans Celui de La Pte. dans Le premier C’etoit Mdes De vergennes et La palun et Mrs de vergennes et La palun et jenny et Lancon Le raccommodement se faisoit entre Cette derniere et La Vtesse Chez La Pte C’etoit Bath et Le Cte qui Causoien Causoient du ton de voix Le plus tendre. Mlle Emilie pretend qu’ils ont absolument Le Même ton de voix. il etoit question du départ du Cte Bath disoit quelle partiroit aussi quelle ne Le retrouveroit tout Cela avec des ah... des soupirs—j’ai voulu faire payer à La chere Bath sa discretion ou plutot ses mensonges et au beau Milieu du diner je Lui dis. a propos Bath etois-tu Malade hier soir?—non. pourquoi? C’est que du parloir je t’ai entendue Comme te plaindre ah... ah... j’ai été sur Le point d’entrer au parloir ou tu étois voir si tu avois besoin de quelque Chose. Voila Bath de rougir et ne plus savoir que répondre. à quelle heure donc? Mais entre 4 et 5—j’etois Chez La Pte à Cette heure La après Le diner je Lui ai encore répété. bien sur tu n’est pas Malade N’est-ce pas. tu M’as vraiment inquiétée—Mais non... toujours en rougissant elle est surement allée racconter tout à Ces dlles. j’etois déséspérée quelles ne fussent pas au diner mais je n’ai pas voulu Manquer Ma Mauvaise plaisanterie pour Cela.
Mlle Denis à dit à Mlle Emilie qui me L’a redit que La Vtesse ne vouloit pas absolument revoir Lancon, mais jenny a tant fait quelle est venue a Bout. il est Certain que Le Vte preferoit Lancon et que d’après Le ton de Ces dlles La Vtesse en a pu être jalouse. je M’attendois assez a Ce denouement depuis quelque tems Car Mde Coppe partant Lancon n’auroit plus eu personne pour La faire sortir Ce qui L’eut un peu ennuyée, au Lieu qu’a [. . .] present elle ira à La Campagne Chez La Vtesse, j’ai bien envie de voir La maniere dont elle sera vis a vis d’elle et de son Mari—pendant quelle etoit au parloir Mr o tool est arrivé dans Ce grand Cercle pour La demander. je ne sais si Mdes1 La palun ou vergennes y auront fait attention Mais il est Certain quelle prend tout a fait Le ton d’une femme. si elle avouoit ses 25 ou 26 ans Cela seroit tout simple Mais elle est bien Loin d’en Convenir—je suis sure que Ces dlles sont outrées2 de voir que je sais absolument toutes Leurs démarches. Cela M’amuse au possible elles ont surtout peur de Descahaux et pour Les faire plus endiabler [. . .] je Lui ai dit de rire Chaque fois quil seroit question de mrs de vergennes et du parloir—
je me suis trompée Le jour que Le Cte étoit avec Bath chez La Pte il n’y avoit que Mr La palun au parloir du depot Ce n’est que Le Lendemain
editors’ translation
27 March [1790]
Yesterday someone was sent to tell me that I could not see the somnambulist because she was sick. To find out whether this was true Mlle Emilie went to the place where the woman lives with Descahaux’s chambermaid —She went up to the third-floor parlor to fetch her, because she had been out since morning. Just as she arrived she heard a terrific racket in the receiving room and sighs in the Little One’s parlor. In the former were the Mesdames de Vergennes and La Palun, the Messrs de Vergennes and La Palun, and Jenny and Lançon. This last was being reconciled with the vicomtesse. In the Little One’s parlor Bath and the comte were talking most tenderly. Mlle Emilie claims that they have exactly the same tone of voice. They were talking about the comte’s departure. Bath was saying that she would go too, that she would not see him again, all this with repeated ahs and sighs—I wanted to make dear Bath pay for her discretion, or rather, her lies. Right in the middle of dinner, I asked her, “By the way, Bath, were you sick last night?” “No. Why?” “Because I heard your voice coming from the parlor, as if you were moaning, ‘ah … ah …’ I was about to enter the parlor where you were, to see if you needed anything.” At that Bath blushed and did not know what to say. “And at what time was that?” “Oh, between 4 and 5.” “I was at the Little One’s at that time, after dinner.” I again repeated, “Of course you are not sick, are you? You really worried me.” “No,” and she was still blushing. She certainly went to tell the young ladies everything. I was quite disappointed that they were not at dinner, but I did not want to miss the opportunity to make my bad joke.
Mlle Denis told Mlle Emilie, who then told me, that the vicomtesse absolutely did not want to see Lançon again, but that Jenny did all she possibly could and won her over. It is certain that the vicomte had a preference for Lançon, and judging by the conversation among the young ladies, the vicomtesse may have been jealous. I had been expecting this outcome for some time, because, with Mde Coppe leaving, Lançon would no longer have had anyone to take her out, which would have been a little boring. Instead she will now go to the country house of the vicomtesse. I am dying to know how she will behave with her and her husband—While she was in the parlor, Mr O’Toole joined our group and asked for her. I do not know whether Mesdames La Palun or de Vergennes paid any attention, but she has really acquired a woman’s voice. This would be understandable if she admitted to being 25 or 26 years old, but she is far from admitting it—I am sure that the young ladies are all outraged that I know absolutely all their steps. It quite amuses me. They especially fear Descahaux and, so as to annoy them even more, I told her to laugh every time the story of the Messrs de Vergennes and the parlor is raised—
I made a mistake. On the day when the comte was with Bath at the Little One’s, only Mr La Palun was in the receiving room. What I described there happened only the next day
To next “journal” entry 29 Mar. 1790