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 17 Apr. 1790
Dimanche [18 Avril 1790]—
j’ai appris bien des nouvelles de Mlle Denis hier soir. je L’ai Mise sur Le Chapitre de Bath et Comme nous étions seules elle n’a pas été Long tems sans M’avoir debité tout Ce quelle en savoit—je t’ai Marqué que Mr Coppe vouloit faire son mariage avec L’ambassadeur de venise, qu’on n’attendoit que son frere pour terminer Cette affaire & & veux tu savoir La verité de tout Cela—La Chere Miss B. ne L’a jamais vu qu’au spectacle il Lui a parlé d’une Loge qui touchoit de La sienne. elle Lui a repondu et enfin je ne sais trop si C’est La premiere ou La 2e fois elle Lui a donné son adresse pour venir La voir ici. C’etoit de La Loge de Mr Coppe ou elle etoit avec Ces dlles quelle avoit fait sa Connoissance et de Ce qu’il n’avoit parlé qu’a elle tout de suite elle s’imagine qu’il est amoureux fol et par Consequent va L’epouser. elle pressoit tous Les jours Mr Coppe de Lui faire une visite, et Lui ne vouloit pas disant qu’il n’alloit jamais Chez Les gens qu’il ne Connoissoit pas—elle avoit La tête Montée sur Cet ambassadeur à un point étonnant aussi Mr Coppe La faisoit-il endever, chaque personne qu’on annoncoit il pretendoit que C’etoit L’ambassadeur B. devenoit rouge &. Le fait est qu’il n’a jamais Mis Les pieds Chez Mr Coppe, enfin un jour Mde L’ambassadrisse etoit au spectacle mr L’ambassadeur pour Lors ne regarda plus B. Ce qui Lui fit voir quelle s’etoit fort trompée sur son Compte. n’admire tu pas Cette B. je ne suis plus etonnée qu’on en ait jasé à Nancy et aux eaux. quelle idée a-t-il pu prendre d’une dlle qui Lui parle au spectacle sans Le Connoître et qui Lui donne son adresse. tu Conviendras qu’une fille n’en fesoit pas davantage et qu’il faut avoir une tête bien Légere pour se Conduire de Cette Maniere Cela M’est indifferent dit-elle je suis étrangére je ferai Ce que je voudrai, mon frere veut que je M’amuse==pour Le Cte elle s’imaginoit L’epouser—oui je vois bien que La Vtesse Me fait La Mine ainsi que son Mari mais Cela M’est indifferent je ne L’en aimerai que mieux. elle voudroit faire epouser une americaine à son frere Mais Certainement Les B. valent v bien Les vergenne V—oui surement Les Bath B. en irlande... si il ne faut qu’une genealogie j’en Montrerai une belle... je voudrois Leur faire voir Le train des B à Londre & & Mets Y Le ton dont elle se sert Lors qu’il est question de sa famille et de ses parents—a La fin Le Cte amenoit toujours quelqu’un avec Lui Cela La piquoit très fort ensuite elle pensoit que C’est qu’on avoit fait une assemblée de famille et qu’il Leur avoit declaré sa passion. Le jour de son depart ainsi que je te L’ai dit Le Cte demanda a dejeuner à jenny. elle en fut si fort en Colere qu’elle ne vouloit pas y aller, elle vouloit sortir, elle vouloit rester bref elle y fut et Malgré tous ses efforts il ne Lui parla pas beaucoup. Mon dieu est-Ce Moi qu’on sonne? C’est que Le duc de Cossé doit Me venir Chercher... ah regardez je vous prie si C’est La voiture du Duc, nous devons aller à telle tel et telle tel endroit ensemble Le Cte n’en prenoit pas plus de jalousie et n’avoit pas L’air d’y faire attention aussi dit elle à Mlle Denis qui vouloit Lui tirer Les Cartes pour voir si il seroit Constant, quelle n’en avoit pas besoin et qu’il Lui avoit fait infidelité à son nez et à sa barbe—elle a été quelques fois Chez Mde gibertés ou elle trouve toujours Le duc de Cossé a present C’est Lui qu’elle Croit amoureux d’elle et Comme on a arrangé quelques parties pour Ce printems elle dit qu’il n’y vient que a Cause d’elle—voila ou aboutissent Ces Mariages dont nous Croyons qu’il etoit question et dont elle ne se deffendoit que foiblement. Car un jour Chez La Pte a propos de L’ambassadeur elle nous dit qu’il etoit bien vrai qu’on Lui proposoit plusieurs partis Mais qu’il falloit que son frere arrivat, quelle ne se decideroit jamais sans son frere & & Comme elle Lui ecrivoit très souven dans Ce tems quelle avoit L’air toute affairée et quelle ne faisoit qu’un Cri pour L’arrivée de son frere je parierois quelle Lui avoit fait part de ses visions, mais que Lui La Connoissant n’y a pas fait attention—il est a present dans Le brabant. son Mariage ne se fera qu’a son retour==adieu. écris Moi donc voici La 3e Lettre que je t’ecris sans entendre parler de toi. si tu Continues je serai bien obligée de ne plus t’ecrire. je t’aime de tout Mon Cœur, je t’embrasse et te regrette tous Les jours
Mlle denis m’a aussi appris que des Les Commencements Miss B. avoit dit à Ces dlles que Le Cte venoit La voir mais Ce dernier n’en sachant rien se Cachoit ainsi que je te L’ai dit Comme tu t’amuserois de Cela si tu étois ici
editors’ translation
Sunday [18 April 1790]—
Last night I learned quite a bit of news from Mlle Denis. I drew her to the topic of Bath, and since we were alone, it did not take long for her to spout all that she knew—I wrote you that Mr Coppe wanted her to marry the ambassador of Venice, and that everyone was only waiting for her brother before closing the matter, etc., etc. Do you want to know the truth of all that?—Dear Miss B. never saw him anywhere but at the theatre. He spoke to her from a box adjoining hers. She answered him (I do not know whether this was the first or 2nd time they talked), and she gave him her address so that he could visit her here. She had made his acquaintance from Mr Coppe’s box, where she was with the young ladies, and since he talked only to her, right away she imagined that he was madly in love and, therefore, would marry her. Every day she urged Mr Coppe to visit him, which he did not want to do, saying that he did not visit people he did not know—Her head was full of that ambassador, to an astonishing point. So much so that Mr Coppe enjoyed making her lose her composure. For each person that was announced, he pretended that it was the ambassador. B. would blush, etc. In fact he never set foot at Mr Coppe’s. Well, one day the ambassador’s wife attended a performance, and this time the ambassador did not even look at B., which made her realize that she had been quite mistaken about him. Do you not admire this B.? I am no longer surprised that people gossiped about her in Nancy and at the springs. What must the ambassador think of a lady who speaks to him at the theatre without knowing him and gives him her address? You will admit that a lady of pleasure would do no better and that one must be quite lightheaded to conduct oneself in such a manner. “That does not bother me,” she says. “I am a foreigner. I will do as I please. My brother wants me to have fun.”=As to the comte, she imagined that she would marry him. “Yes, I can see quite well that the vicomtesse gives me a funny look, as does her husband, but I do not care. I love him all the more for it.” She would like her brother to marry an American. “But certainly, the Bs are worth as much as the Vs.” “Yes, the Bs in Ireland certainly…” “If a genealogy is needed, I can show them a beautiful one…I would like to show them the lifestyle of the Bs in London,” etc., etc. To this you must add her tone of voice when she speaks of her family and her parents—Toward the end, the comte always brought someone with him. That vexed her. Then she thought the reason was because he had assembled his family members and had declared his passion to them. As I told you, on the day he left the comte invited Jenny to lunch. She was so angry that she did not want to go to the comte’s place. At first she wanted to go, then she wanted to stay. In the end she went, but despite all her efforts, he did not talk to her much. “My God! Is someone ringing for me? It must be the duc de Cossé looking for me…Ah, please go see whether it is the duc’s carriage. We must go to such and such a place together.” The comte did not become any more jealous for all that and looked as if he was not even paying attention. So, she said to Mlle Denis, who wanted to read the cards to see whether he was faithful, that she did not need to do that, that he had been unfaithful right to her face—She went a few times to Mde Gibertès, where she always finds the duc de Cossé. Presently he is the one she thinks is in love with her, and she says that he will go to the parties that have been arranged for this spring only because of her—That was the end of those marriages we thought were being considered, and which she hardly denied. One day at the Little One’s place, speaking about the ambassador, she told us that it was quite true that several suitors had proposed marriage to her, but that her brother had yet to arrive, that she would never make her decision without her brother, etc., etc. Since she wrote to him very often in those days, always looked very busy, and constantly cried out for the arrival of her brother, I would bet that she shared her visions with him, but that he, knowing her, paid no attention—He is currently in Brabant. Her marriage will take place only after he returns==Farewell. Please write to me! This is the 3rd letter I write to you without hearing from you. If you continue, I will be forced to stop writing to you. I love you with all my heart, I kiss you and miss you every day.
Mlle Denis also informed me that, from the beginning, Miss B. had told the young ladies that the comte came to see her, but the latter, knowing nothing about it, would hide, as I told you. How that would amuse you, if you were here
To “journal” beginning 12 Mar. 1790To previous “journal” entry 17 Apr. 1790