The writings of George Washington; being his correspondence, addresses, messages, and other papers, official and private, selected and published from the original manuscripts; with a life of the author, notes and illustrations. By Jared Sparks.

APPE-NDIx.] MARQUIS DE LAFAYETTE. 449
grace talk about a violation of an oath to the. government. This
hint got to the ears of the ministers and gave offence.
In short, he had little hope of succeeding in his petition; and
he accordingly wrote to M. Cogny, a particular friend very intimate at court, requesting him to watch carefully what passed, and,
should he be convinced a prohibition would be issued against his
American plan, to let him know it with all possible despatch. He
sent a trusty courier to Versailles, who speedily came back with
a letter from Cogny informing him, that there was much excitement against him at court, that the British ambassador had made
strong representations, and that there was not the remotest prospect of his receiving a favorable reply.
Lafayette lost no time in taking the course, on which he had
already resolved. He intimated to the commandant, that he would
proceed to Marseilles, and commenced the journey. An officer by
the name of Mauroy, who wished to visit America, was his companion. They entered the carriage together; but, as soon as they
left the environs of Bordeaux, Lafayette disguised himself in the
dress of a courier, mounted a horse, and rode forward to procure
relays at the post-houses. They soon diverged from the road to
Marseilles, and took the direction to Bayonne. In that city they
were obliged to stop for two or three hours. While Mauroy executed some important commission of business, Lafayette lay on the
straw in the stable. Fresh horses were procured, and they continued their route, Lafayette still preserving the costume and character of a courier. At the little village of St. Jean de Luz, while
calling for horses, he was detected by the daughter of the man
who kept the post-house. She had seen him a few days before on
his way from Passage to Bordeaux. He made a signal to the girl
to keep silence, which she understood; and when Lafayette's pursuers came up, and inquired if such a person had passed, she was
faithful to the signal, replying that a carriage had gone along, but
it contained no such person as they described. This answer occasioned much uncertainty as to the object of their pursuit, and it
is believed to have been the cause of his not being overtaken by
them before he reached his vessel at Passage. A favorable wind
wafted him quickly to sea. Baron de Kalb, and eleven other
officers of different ranks seeking service in America, constituted
his retinue.
His time was employed on the voyage, as far as a severe attack
of sea-sickness would permit, in studying the English language,
and reading books on military tactics. The ship's papers were
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