BEAUMARCHAIS
And the War of
American Independence
WITH A FOREWORD BY
TWO VOLUMES
VOLUME ONE
ILLUSTRATED
BOSTON
RICHARD G. BADGER
THE GORHAM PRESS
Copyright, 1918, by Richard G. Badger
All Rights Reserved
Made in the United States of AmericaThe Gorham Press, Boston, U. S. A.
TO THE MEMORY OF
MY BROTHER
“We have been surprised that no descendant of Beaumarchais was invited torepresent France at the unveiling of that Statue of Liberty, upon thepedestal of which his name would not be out of place by the side of thatof Lafayette. Since 1870 Mr. Bigelow has invited his compatriots to askthemselves seriously if they have done their whole duty towards the memoryof Beaumarchais.”
E. Lintilhac.
“Beaumarchais et ses œuvres,”
Paris, 1887.
FOREWORD
IF “good wine needs no bush” and a “good play needs no epilogue,”—and wehave high authority for both these maxims,—then it should also be truethat a good book needs no prologue, especially where, as in the case ofBeaumarchais and the War of American Independence, the author hasprefaced a valuable contribution to history by a scholarly and effectiveintroduction.
Notwithstanding this, it gives me pleasure to introduce Miss Elizabeth S.Kite’s work to the American public by a tribute to its value as a timelycontribution alike to the truth of history and the spirit of patriotism.In these “times that try men’s souls,” the latter consideration may be themore important.
The historic tie, which binds together the two great Republics (France andthe United States) in, please God, an indissoluble alliance, cannot be tooconstantly emphasized at this time.
It is difficult for America to play the full part, which it should