8. The list is so heterogeneous that we tentatively suggest its purpose was social. Six of the men listed here were BF’s colleagues in the Académie royale des sciences: the mathematician Condorcet (XX, 489n), the chemist Lavoisier (XXIV, 142n), the philosophe and former government minister Turgot (XXIII, 479), the marquis de Courtanvaux (a soldier and scientist who appears earlier in the present volume, in our headnote to the favor seekers), Jean-Baptiste Le Roy, and Chrétien-Guillaume de Lamoignon de Malesherbes (XIX, 372n). Two of the men—the naturalist the duc de Chaulnes (XXIII, 408n) and Father Bertier (VIII, 358), a professor of natural philosophy and chemistry—were members of the Royal Society. Du Pont (later known as Du Pont de Nemours: XXIII, 441–2n; XXIV, 382–3), was Turgot’s friend; Delor (IV, 19n) was, like BF, a pioneer in experiments on lightning and electricity. Beaumarchais and Montieu, the first non-scientists on the list, had supplied the United States with arms. All we know of Laboureau is that an F. Franklin Laboureau of the same address (his wife we assume), wrote BF in April, 1778, for an interview: XXVI, 343–5.

9. A guess, based on the round of parties held for the newly arrived JA that year. The latest possible date is March 12, 1781, Turgot’s death.

1. Below Montieu’s name is written and lined out “M. D’Hericourt.” Presumably this was président Dutrusset d’Héricourt of the chambre des requêtes: Almanach royal for 1778, p. 276.