Alain and I expanded on the introduction to our work-in-progress, “The Philosopher’s Muses: Adam Smith in the Salons of Paris“, by adding the following passages (footnotes omitted):

“Adam Smith resided in the Faubourg Saint-Germain in Paris for several months in 1766. In addition, several pieces of primary evidence — correspondence and journal entries to or from several of Smith’s close contacts at the time, including his fellow Scotsmen, Seignelay Colbert de Castlehill (the Abbé Colbert) and David Hume, as well as the historian Edward Gibbon and the aesthete Horace Walpole — confirm that Smith met three of the leading salonnières of Paris during his 1766 sojourn in Paris: the Comtesse de Boufflers (1725-1800), Madame du Deffand (1696-1780), and the Duchesse d’Enville (1716-1797). Before proceeding any further, these sources are reprinted in chronological order below for reference:

“1-A. Horace Walpole

“The earliest of our primary sources is an entry dated 30 March 1766 in Horace Walpole’s travel journal: ‘To Mme du Deffand. Mr Smith came.’ (reprinted in Lewis 1739, p. 310) At the time, Walpole and Smith were both residing in the same Parisian townhouse in the Faubourg Saint-Germain.

“1-B. Comtesse de Boufflers to David Hume

“Another piece of evidence is a 6 May 1766 letter from the Comtesse de Boufflers addressed to David Hume. Among other things, the Comtesse de Boufflers confirms that she has met Adam Smith: ‘Je vous ai dit, ce me semble, que j’ai fait connoissance avec M. Smith, et que, pour l’amour de vous, je l’avois fort accueilli.’ (reprinted in Burton 1849, pp. 237-238)

“1-C. Colbert de Castlehill to Adam Smith

“A third piece of evidence is a passage in a letter dated 18 September 1766 addressed directly to Adam Smith:

Et tu, Adam Smith, philosophe de Glasgow, héros et idole des high-broad Ladys, que fais tu, mon cher ami? Comment gouvernes tu La duchesse d’Anville et Mad. de Boufflers, ou ton coeur est il toujours épris des charms de Mad. Nicol et des apparent apparens que laches de cette autre dame de Fife, que vous aimees tant? (reprinted in Alcouffe & Massot-Bordenave 2020, pp. 260-261; see also Mossner & Ross 1987, p. 167, Corr. No. 91)

“Although the identity of the letter’s author is disguised under an abbreviated pseudonym — ‘Le Gr. Vic. Eccossois’ or Grand Viccaire Eccossois — by all accounts this French-speaking “Great Scottish Vicar” was none other than Seignelay Colbert de Castle-Hill, also known as Abbé Colbert, a fellow Scotsman and Smith’s ‘chief guide and friend’ during his extended 18-month sojourn in the South of France.

“1-D. Edward Gibbon to Adam Smith

“Our last primary source is an 18 November 1777 letter from the great Edward Gibbon addressed to Adam Smith:

After a very pleasant summer passed in Paris where I often heard your name, and saw several of your friends particularly the Dutchess Danville, and the Countess de Bouflers, I returned to England about the beginning of this Month. (reprinted in Mossner & Ross 1987, Corr. No. 187)

“Although Gibbon wrote this letter over ten years after Smith’s 1766 sojourn in Paris, the English historian not only mentions two of the leading salonnières of the City of Light by name, the Duchesse d’Enville and Comtesse de Boufflers (both of whom are also mentioned in Colbert’s 18 September 1766 letter); more importantly, he also refers to them as ‘friends’ of Smith.”