Commodore Jones, upon his arrival in Paris, was invited to dine with Marshal Castries, Minister of Marine. After dinner the marshal took the commodore aside, and said to him: “I am requested by his majesty the king to say to you that it will afford him much satisfaction to be able, in any way, to promote your future fortune.” The commodore immediately entered, with all his energies, upon the arduous duties of his mission. There is no diplomacy equal that of a straight-forward, honest purpose. There was never a shrewd manœuvrer who did not eventually manœuvre himself out of all influence. The reader would be weary of the detail of all the embarrassments which, through the labors of two years, Commodore Jones encountered, and over which, one by one, he triumphed. And his success was never owing to cunning or intrigue, but to the frank and manly pursuit of that which was just. A careful examination of the diplomatic correspondence, which was long-continued and with great ability on both sides, shows that he was ever courteous, and that he held his own spirit under such control, that rarely could any annoyance provoke him to utter an irritable or a hasty word. On the 20th of December Paul Jones was introduced to the king. He presented his credentials, and was received with the cordiality of established friendship. The following letter to the Minister of Marine will show the style and literary ability with which he conducted the correspondence. It was addressed to “My Lord Maréchal,” under date of February 1st, 1784. “As I wish to give your excellency as little trouble as may be, respecting the money arising from prizes taken by the squadron I had the honor to command in Europe, I have waited, since the day you did me the honor to present me to his majesty, until this moment, in order to give you sufficient time for any arrangement you might find essential, before the division should take place between the ships and vessels that composed the force under my command when the prizes were taken. “I now do myself the honor to transmit you the enclosed official letter on that subject, from Mr. Franklin, Minister Plenipotentiary of the United States, containing a copy of my credentials as agent from Congress, of which I had occasion to offer an account upon my arrival. I also enclose a statement of the force, in guns and men, of each ship and vessel that composed the squadron I commanded, which is the only paper essential to the first division of the prize-money.