kindness. The French officers at Ferrol wore cockades in honor of the
Triple Alliance, combining a white ribbon for the French, a red one for
the Spanish, and a black one for the Americans.

The United Powers proposed demands which were ominous of disappointment to
the Minister.--On the 12th of December he wrote:--"It is said that England
is as reluctant to acknowledge the independence of America, as to cede
Gibraltar, the last of which is insisted upon, as well as the first."

The travellers reached Paris about the middle of February, 1780. John
Adams mentioned a singular coincidence in his letter announcing their
arrival. "I have the honor to be lodged here with no less a personage than
the Prince of Hesse-Cassel, who is here upon a visit. We occupy different
apartments in the same house, and have no intercourse with each other, to
be sure; but some wags are of opinion, that if I were authorised to open
a negotiation with him, I might obtain from him as many troops to fight on
our side of the question, as he has already hired to the English against
us!"

The American Revolution has wrought wonderful changes since that day. No
German Prince could now send a man, or a musket, to war against its
principles.

John Adams soon discovered that there was no prospect of success for his
mission to England. He remained at Paris until August, 1780, and during
the interval his son was kept at an academy in that city.

At the expiration of that period the Minister repaired to Holland, and
there received instructions to negotiate a loan, and then a treaty of
amity and commerce with the states of that country. The younger Adams