MY DEAREST FRIEND—­The Duke of Buccleugh proposes soon to set out for Bordeaux, where he intends to stay a fortnight or more.  I should be much obliged to you if you could send us recommendations to the Duke of Richelieu, the Marquis de Lorges, and the Intendant of the Province.  Mr. Townshend assured me that the Duc de Choiseul was to recommend us to all the people of fashion here and everywhere else in France.  We have heard nothing, however, of these recommendations, and have had our way to make as well as we could by the help of the Abbe, who is a stranger here almost as much as we.  The Progress indeed we have made is not very great.  The Duke is acquainted with no Frenchman whatever.  I cannot cultivate the acquaintance of the few with whom I am acquainted, as I cannot bring them to our house, and am not always at liberty to go to theirs.  The life which I led at Glasgow was a pleasurable dissipated life in comparison of that which I lead here at Present.  I have begun to write a book in order to pass away the time.  You may believe I have very little to do.  If Sir James would come and spend a month with us in his travels, it would not only be a great satisfaction to me, but he might by his influence and example be of great service to the Duke.  Mention these matters, however, to nobody but to him.  Remember me in the most respectful manner to Lord Beauchamp and to Dr. Trail,[142] and believe me, my dear friend, ever yours,

     ADAM SMITH.

     TOULOUSE, 5th July 1764.[143]

The trip to Bordeaux was taken probably in August, and in the company of Abbe Colbert.  At Bordeaux they fell in with Colonel Barre, the furious orator, whose invective made even Charles Townshend quail, but who was now over on a visit to his French kinsfolk, and making the hearts of these simple people glad with his natural kindnesses.  He seems to have been much with Smith and his party during their stay in Bordeaux, and to have accompanied them back to Toulouse.  For he writes Hume on the 4th of September from the latter town, and says:  “I thank you for your last letter from Paris, which I received just as Smith and his eleve and L’Abbe Colbert were sitting down to dine with me at Bordeaux.  The latter is a very honest fellow and deserves to be a bishop; make him one if you can....  Why will you triumph and talk of platte couture?  You have friends on both sides.  Smith agrees with me in thinking that you are turned soft by the delices of the French Court, and that you don’t write in that nervous manner you was remarkable for in the more northern climates.  Besides, what is still worse, you take your politics from your Elliots, Rigbys, and Selwyns."[144]