that it is desirable in either case.  The State of Georgia has given twenty thousand acres of land, to the Count d’Estaing.  This gift is considered here as very honorable to him, and it has gratified him much.  I am persuaded, that a gift of lands by the State of Virginia to the Marquis de la Fayette, would give a good opinion here of our character, and would reflect honor on the Marquis.  Nor am I sure that the day will not come, when it might be an useful asylum to him.  The time of life at which he visited America was too well adapted to receive good and lasting impressions, to permit him ever to accommodate himself to the principles of monarchical government; and it will need all his own prudence, and that of his friends, to make this country a safe residence for him.  How glorious, how comfortable in reflection, will it be, to have prepared a refuge for him in case of a reverse.  In the mean time, he could settle it with tenants from the freest part of this country, Bretaigne.  I have never suggested the smallest idea of this kind to him:  because the execution of it should convey the first notice.  If the State has not a right to give him lands with their own officers, they could buy up, at cheap prices, the shares of others.  I am not certain, however, whether, in the public or private opinion, a similar gift to Count Rochambeau could be dispensed with.  If the State could give to both, it would be better:  but, in any event, I think they should to the Marquis.  Count Rochambeau, too, has really deserved more attention than he has received.  Why not set up his bust, that of Gates, Greene, Franklin, in your new capitol? A propos of the capital.  Do, my dear friend, exert yourself to get the plan begun on set aside, and that adopted, which was drawn here.  It was taken from a model which has been the admiration of sixteen centuries; which has been the object of as many pilgrimages as the tomb of Mahomet; which will give unrivalled honor to our State, and furnish a model whereon to form the taste of our young men.  It will cost much less too, than the one begun; because it does not cover one half of the area.  Ask, if you please, a sight of my letter of January the 26th, to Messrs. Buchanan and Hay, which will spare me the repeating its substance here.

Every thing is quiet in Europe.  I recollect but one new invention in the arts which is worth mentioning.  It is a mixture of the arts of engraving and printing, rendering both cheaper.  Write or draw any thing on a plate of brass, with the ink of the inventor, and, in half an hour, he gives you engraved copies of it, so perfectly like the original, that they could not be suspected to be copies.  His types for printing a whole page, are all in one solid piece.  An author, therefore, only prints a few copies of his work, from time to time, as they are called for.  This saves the loss of printing more copies than may possibly be sold, and prevents an edition from being ever exhausted.