MR. PITT TO MR. GRENVILLE'.

St. James's Square, August 11, 1757.

DEAR GRENVILLE.-The calamitous state of affairs has brought several distressful questions on the carpet among the King's servants here. My colleagues have declared for sending a body of British troops to Germany to reinforce the Duke. This, together with other inadmissible measures, has been (thank God) effectually withstood, but such has appeared, to my judgment, the exigency of things since the loss of a battle, and of the Electorate in consequence, that I have advised a present supply in money, in order to provide for a melancholy and cruel interval, till Parliament shall meet, lest the beaten army retired, and still retiring under the Duke, should want the necessary for a temporary subsistence. In this view a warrant is directed on the million for 100,000l., and one for 20,000l. to the Landgrave, now a fugitive at Hamburgh, with the princess' his daughter, lodged in an inn, and without provision for a table.

This concession I have judged advisable to make upon the grounds of a fatal necessity, to the best of my understanding quite irresistible.

I wish extremely it could have been in my power to have consulted you, as I intended, before I took the step; but the moment of decision pressed upon me in such a manner as to render that impossible.

I trust that you and Lord Temple will be of opinion,

1 See Mr. Grenville's reply to this letter in the Chatham Correspondence, vol. i. p. 243.

2 Princess Mary, fourth daughter of George the Second, married in 1740, to Frederick Prince of Hesse.

upon fully weighing the whole extensive consideration, that I have not done wrong. My own lights, such as they are, assure me I have made the only tolerable option, in so violent and urgent a crisis; but, be that as it may, your disapprobation will render me unhappy. My affectionate compliments to Mrs. Grenville, and joy to hear she and the young lady are so well. I am ever, &c., &c.

W. PITT.

CAPTAIN GEORGE BRYDGES RODNEY1 TO MR. GRENVILLE. Dublin, before Rochelle, September 23, 1757.

MY DEAR FRIEND,-Hearing the present expedition was a plan of our Friend's2 was the great motive that induced me to be upon it, notwithstanding the very ill state of health I have been in for some time past, in hopes I might contribute something towards making his Administration what I most sincerely wish it to be.

I have the pleasure to acquaint you that the beginning has been successful. On the 21st we made the land, but it being thick weather the pilots would not take charge of the ships, which obliged us to anchor in the sea, between the islands of Rhè and Oleron. On the 22nd, late in the night, we got into the Road of Basque, and this morning Vice-Admiral Knowles with

1

George Brydges Rodney, descended from an ancient family long settled at Rodney Stoke, in Somersetshire, and a very distinguished ornament of the British Navy. In 1762 he was made a Vice Admiral, and created a Baronet, January 22, 1764. In 1782 he obtained a complete victory over the French fleet, commanded by the Admiral. Comte de Grasse, for which service he was elevated to the Peerage on the 19th of June in that year, by the title of Baron Rodney. He died in 1792.

2 Mr. Pitt.

his squadron, had orders to attack the island and citadel of Aix. Captain Howe, in the Magnanime, led, and behaved with such cool and steady resolution, as has (most justly) gained him the universal applause of Navy and Army; notwithstanding the enemy kept a constant fire from several batteries for thirty minutes, he never returned a shot 'till such time he anchored his ship within fifty yards of the fort, and then kept so terrible and continual a fire for thirty-five minutes as drove them from their batteries, and obliged them to submit before the other ships of the squadron could get into their stations; but that you may not be led into a mistake concerning the other ships, I must acquaint you that they were ordered to keep half-a-mile astern of each other, to give time for anchoring and to prevent confusion.

General Conway is in possession of the citadel, and I hope to-morrow morning we shall be able to land the army in an advantageous place, a number of proper officers being this night employed in reconnoitering the shore for that purpose. Rochelle will likewise be bombarded this night or to-morrow morning. Accept this as a token of the very sincere respect I shall always bear you, and believe me to be, &c., &c. G. B. RODNEY.

CAPTAIN RODNEY TO MR. GRENVILLE.

Dublin, off the Isle of Aix, September 29, 1757.

DEAR SIR,-The hasty letter I wrote to you on the 23rd instant, and the account I therein gave you that further operations would immediately succeed the taking the Isle of Aix has proved without foundation, the time

that should have been employed in execution having been mis-spent in holding Councils of War. At last 'tis concluded to return, I hope with approbation, the Isle of Aix being certainly a very considerable conquest, not only in regard to its strength (which was one of Vauban's best forts), but likewise as it will for the future prevent the enemy from assembling their convoys in this port.

I have the pleasure to assure you, that the scheme for taking this place and Rochfort, will, if inquired into, bear the strictest examination, and prove to the whole world, 'twas wise, prudent, and well-timed. I shall conclude with assuring you I am most sincerely, &c., &c. G. B. RODNEY.

MR. ELLIOT TO MR. GRENVILLE.

October 6, 1757.

THOUGH We have letters this day from the Fleet, I can hardly promise to give you any satisfactory account of their proceedings. Upon the 23rd they entered the Basque road, which is very safe, and sufficient to contain the whole fleet and merchantmen of England. The Magnanime, Captain Howe, and Barfleur, Captain Greaves, attacked very gallantly the fort upon Aix; in half an hour after their ships were placed, they silenced its guns and carried the place: they made 600 prisoners, and have destroyed the fortifications.

They suffered little themselves, except in their masts and rigging, though the fort mounted 30 guns. This action was performed on the 25th. The Admirals in the mean time sounded the coast, and found two

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landing-places, near the mouth of the river, which they declared to be very practicable: from the 25th to the 28th Councils of War were held: a disposition was once made in order to land, but in the issue it was resolved not to land, but to return to England: we don't hear any enemy appeared. They seem to have thought that though they might land with safety, yet it might be hazardous to get off again in case they were pressed. They also seem uncertain whether the ditch, which is the only fortification on one side of Rochfort, was wet or dry; in the first place they think it could not be forced, in the other it might be.

The Fleet is daily expected. Thus ends the expedition.

MR. JENKINSON TO MR. GRENVILLE.

Whitehall, October 6, 1757.

DEAR SIR,-My negligence has been so great in respect to yourself that I am almost ashamed to ask your pardon; and nothing but the presumptuous confidence that I have in your goodness could make me do it, and, to confess the true cause of my fault: all the while the mysterious business of the neutrality was transacting, between unwillingness to send you uncertain intelligence, and the diffidence I had of every piece of news I heard concerning it, I delayed writing from post to post, until I at the last found myself in the scrape I am at present in. /

Having thus made my confession, I shall beg leave to inform you, that the Fleet under Sir Edward Hawke is arrived off the Island of Rhè, and the troops are landed