John Jay to Benjamin Franklin, 30 October 1780

Madrid 30 Oct r 1780

D r Sir

The Pleasure given me by your Letter of the 2 d . Oct r . Inst may more Easily be concieved than expressed–€” 1 I am greatly obliged by your Attention to the important Subject of my last I [ illegible ] ^ my Embarrassm ts .–€” In my last on that Subject which you rec d ^ was ^ a ^ Copy of my Letter to Count D Vergennes 2 from which it appeared that the Sum I sh d . have occasion for w d . probably be considerable and far exceed ing 25–€²000 Dollars, Bills to the am t of 100–€²000 Dollars have arrived–€” A Loan cannot be effected here–€” What the Court will do is as yet uncertain–€” ^ & may long continue so ^ I should have replied to your Letter before but as I daily expected a Letter ^ to hear ^ from C t . DVergennes I waited in hopes of being abl with a View of mentioning the Content of it ^ Import ^ to you. The enclosed Copy of a note I rec d from Count Montmorin 3 contains all the advices I have, on that Head. Hence you see my Situation continues unpleasant and tho my Endeavours are not wanting to better it, future Events are too uncertain to be relied upon–€” To be active prudent & patient is in my Power, but whether I shall reap as well as sow & water God only knows–€”

I have often been told of the former Supplies and been asked what Compensation how they were to be reimbursed–€”my answer has uniformly been that I knew neither their amount or Terms, & that I wished to be furnished with ^ with an acc t . of ^ both, and w d . then &c. &c. As yet I have not been able to obtain it–€” 4

There must have been some Mistake respecting my ^ must have ^ given occasion to any of the Bills drawn on me, being return d without Acceptance–€” The Fact is that tho I often delayed (with the Consent of the Holders) yet I never refused to accept any of them–€”

I have written several Letters to Congress requesting them to forbear making these adventurous Drafts . ^ drawing further Bills till proper ^ Funds should be established for their Payment–€” 5 more proper & ^ contingent ^ assurances or flattering Inferences drawn from flattering Expressions ought never to be considered as ^ a ^ sufficient Foundation for such a serious Measures–€”

Cornwallis it seems has cropped some of Gates–€™s Laurels, and M r Laurens is in the Tower–€” European politicians will I suppose, after having so ^ tho ^ often comi been deluded by the like opinions ^ decieved in the same way ^ again think America ^ on her knees ^ in the Dust–€” Had Ternay been supported the Campaign w d . have had a different Termination–€” Much Money and Spirit has been wasted by this Disappointm t .–€” Of the Latter however ^ indeed ^ we shall never be in Want, and I sh d . be happy if the like c d . be said of the former–€” The general Conduct of France towards ^ us ^ has been friendly & noble , and tho I cannot forbear to think that she has been too inattentive to this Object, my Gratitude towards her is not impaired by it–€” I regret it as a misfortune not blame it as a designed omission–€”

^ [ in margin ] I wrote to you some D ^ ^ last week ^ ^ by Prince Masarano , & now enclose a Duplicate of another Letter–€” 6 You may rely on my reimbursing you the Advances on Acc t of our Salaries out of the first Remittances I receive–€”

I have often congratulated you ^ ^ my Country ^ ^ and myself on your being present in France, and if these were Days of miracles I should probably & you should leave ascend before me I would desire you to give me your Mantle ^ ^ Where I once expected to have seen you ^ ^ there ^ ^ and to have profited by the Lessons which Time & much Experience have taught you–€”miracles have ceased and my ^ ^ Constitution does not promise Length of Days or I sh d . ^ ^ probably ^ ^ desire you when you ascend, to drop me your Manttle–€” That you may long retain it is the wis one of the Prayers of Your Fr d & Serv t

J. J. ^