Sampson Perry, Mr. Tuffin, Mr. William Choppin, Captain De Stark, Mr. Horne Tooke, &c. &c. were among the number of his friends and acquaintance; and of course, as he was my inmate, the most of my associates were frequently his. At this time he read but little, took his nap after dinner, and played with my family at some game in the evening, as chess, dominos, and drafts, but never at cards; in recitations, singing, music, &c.; or passed it in conversation: the part he took in the latter was always enlightened, full of information, entertainment, and anecdote. Occasionally we visited enlightened friends, indulged in domestic jaunts, and recreations from home, frequently lounging at the White Bear, Piccadilly, with his old friend the walking Stewart, and other clever travellers from France, and different parts of Europe and America.

When by ourselves we sate very late, and often broke in on the morning hours, indulging the reciprocal interchange of affectionate and confidential intercourse. "Warm from the heart and faithful to its fires," was that inter

course, and gave to us the "feast of reason and the flow of soul."

It was at the Mr. Christie's before mentioned, at a dinner party with several of the above, and other characters of great interest and talent, that Horne Tooke happened to sit between Mr. Paine and Madame D'Eon; for this character was, at this time, indisputably feminine. Tooke, whose wit and brilliant conversation was ever abundant, looking on each side of him, said, "I am now in the most extraordinary situation in which ever 66 man was placed. On the left of me sits

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a gentleman, who, brought up in obscurity, "has proved himself the greatest political

writer in the world, and has made more "noise in it, and excited more attention and "obtained more fame, than any man ever did. "On the right of me sits a lady, who has "been employed in public situations at diffe

rent courts; who had high rank in the army, "was greatly skilled in horsemanship, who has fought several duels, and at the small sword "had no equal; who for fifty years past, all Europe has recognised in the character and

"dress of a gentleman."-" Ah!" replied Madame D'Eon, "these are very extraordinary

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things, indeed, Monsieur Tooke, and proves

you

did not know what was at the bottom."

If this same Chevalier D'Eon had been lost at sea, burnt, or had in any way left the world, unknown and unnoticed, all Europe would have believed he was a woman, as really as any creed in their religion; and yet this was not so. In 1810, soon after his death, I saw and examined this mysterious character; and that he was incontestibly a man, a chevalier, and not a madame, is most certain. So that what every body says is not always true; and this is an instance to be added to many thousands of the truth of the sailor's adage,

Seeing is believing;" and should warn us not to give credence hastily to any thing that does not fall under our own immediate experience, knowledge, and observation.

The second part of Rights of Man,' which completed the celebrity of its author, and placed him at the head of political writers, was published in February 1792. Never had any

work so rapid and extensive a sale; and it has been calculated that near a million and a half of copies were printed and published in England.

From this time Mr. Paine generally resided in London, and principally with me, till the 12th of September 1792, when he sailed for France with Mr. Achilles Audibert, who came express from the French convention to my house to request his personal assistance in their deliberations.

On his arrival at Calais a public dinner was provided, a royal salute was fired from the battery, the troops were drawn out, and there was a general rejoicing throughout the town. He has often been heard to remark that the proudest moment of his life was that in which, on this occasion, he set foot upon the Gallic shore.

In his own country he had been infamously treated, and at the time of his quitting Dover most rudely dealt with both by the officers who ransacked his trunks, and a set of hire

lings who were employed to hiss, hoot, and maltreat, and it is strongly suspected, to destroy him.

It deprest him to think that his endeavours to cleanse the Augæan stable of corruption in England should have been so little understood, or so ill appreciated as to subject him. to such ignominious, such cowardly treatment. Yet seven hours after this those very endeavours obtained him an honourable reception in France, and on his landing he was respectfully escorted, amidst the loud plaudits of the multitude, to the house of his friend Mr. Audibert, the chief magistrate of the place, where he was visited by the commandant and all the municipal officers in form, who afterwards gave him a sumptuous entertainment in the town hall.

The same honour was also paid him on his departure for Paris.*

* The reader is referred to Brissot's paper 'Le Patriot François,' and Le Journal de Gorsas, for minute parti