horrified with Mr. Pitt's presence', which makes him act in the manner he does. This is ridiculous. I have not time to write at length to you to-night, but if anything material occurs you shall have a long letter from me on Thursday.

I

I am happy to hear that you are coming to town. If you see anything inconsistent in my letters you will have the goodness to impute it to hurry of business. cannot trust any one to take a copy of what I write to you, and really my memory is not sufficient, among a multiplicity of affairs, to recollect what I wrote the post before. I am, &c., &c. C. JENKINSON.

MR. JENKINSON TO MR. GRENVILLE.

St. James's, June 25, 1761.

DEAR SIR,-The negotiation between us and France grows so full of events and so embroiled, that it is diffi

64

1 In one of Stanley's "most secret" letters to Mr. Pitt, he says,

· M. de Bussi was originally Private Secretary to the Duc de Richelieu, who is the nearest relation and dearest friend of the D'Aiguillon family. His son, the Duc de Fronsac, is contracted to their heiress. I have observed that both the young Duchess and the Dowager speak of him with uncommon regard, and even affection. The Duc de Choiseul found him an old experienced Commis, established in his office, and barely kept him there; he was nominated Minister at our Court, before the expedition against Belleisle was even thought of here. When the Duc de Choiseul informed me of the awe with which he was struck by you, he said he was not surprised at it, car le pauvre diable trembloit de peur en partant;' he was so much frightened that he wrote for a passport to return; the Duc showed me this request in his own hand. The Duc was with the King at Marli when he received it. His reflection upon it was, ' Apparemment, Sire, qu'il a deplú a M. Pitt, qui l'aura fait sauter par les fenêtres :' I replied, 'Je n'aurois pas trouvé bon dans ce cas de faire la même gambade par manière de représailles.' He appeared to me to talk of this imaginary leap with great coolness."

cult and even dangerous by letter to give any account of it. This makes me the more desirous that the time was come when we might converse together in town. It will be sufficient to say that Choiseul has transmitted conditions of peace under the greatest injunctions of secrecy, with which even Bussy is not to be acquainted, and none of our own Ministers but those who are trusted in the utmost confidence. Upon these the Council sat yesterday, and determined that a counter project should be returned to it. They have not ultimately determined what it shall be, but they are to sit upon it again

to-morrow.

Thus far, however, I may now say for certain, that Canada is to be ours; Choiseul has already consented to this. The fisheries are to be left to France, but not Cape Breton. France is to evacuate Westphalia. Goree is to be restored. Senegal is to be ours. The other parts of the scheme are not ripe, but from all appearances we shall have a Peace very soon; I think a cessation of arms in less than a fortnight.

Pray take the utmost care of this letter. Lord Temple is in town.

Stanley has sent the strangest dispatches that were ever seen. I am, &c., &c. C. JENKINSON.

MR. JENKINSON TO MR. GRENVILLE.

St. James's, June 27, 1761.

DEAR SIR,-Lord Bute asked me to-day when you would be in town; I told him in about ten days. He then answered, as that is the case, I will not send a messenger, otherwise I should, with an account of all

that has passed in this memorable week; he seemed unwilling to trust the post.

I will, however, just venture to say this, that there was a Council yesterday, which lasted as long as that on Wednesday, and to-day a courier is gone with a long dispatch to Mr. Stanley, containing our ideas on a Peace we insist on all Canada, including Cape Breton, and the islands of Senegal and Goree; Dunkirk to be destroyed; Minorca to be restored; the neutral islands to be left wholly neutral, or an equitable partition of them. These are sine quâ non. All the rest is left to Stanley to negotiate with. But in such case France is to evacuate all the possessions of our allies in Westphalia and on the Rhine. This is the sum total of what is determined.

I shall long to talk with you upon it when you come to town. I am, &c., &c.

C. J.

MR. JENKINSON TO MR. GRENVILLE.

St. James's, June 30, 1761.

DEAR SIR,—I had yesterday the favour of your letter, and am glad to hear of the safe arrival of mine of the 25th.

I have nothing to send by this post, but that Bussy has received a courier, but he has not as yet offered anything new in consequence of his arrival. He acknowledges that the courier left Paris, after they had received there the proposals contained in the Memorial of Mr. Pitt, but he says that the Duke of Choiseul thought them of too great consequence not to take time to consider of them. The truth is that he certainly waits for an answer to his note.

There is a great appearance on the coast of France of fitting out flat-bottomed boats, insomuch that Pitt gives credit to something being intended, but I can hardly believe it myself. I live in hopes of seeing you soon in town. The scene thickens every hour. I am, &c., &c.

hour.

C. JENKINSON.

MR. JENKINSON TO MR. GRENVILLE.

St. James's, July 2, 1761.

DEAR SIR,-I wrote to you last night by Lord Bute's order, and sent my letter by a messenger, who was to carry the summons for an extraordinary Council that is to meet on Wednesday. What the design of this Council is I protest I don't know. It is the only

secret I have known since I have been in office. It is certainly, however, not of the deliberative kind, as the whole Privy Council is summoned, but it is for some declaration which the King is to make there. The conjectures which we form here are all of the same domestic kind. We have no news relative to peace. I have, &c., &c. C. JENKINSON.

MR. PITT TO MR. GRENVILLE.

July 2, 1761. DEAR SIR,-The extraordinary summons you will have received for a Council on Wednesday next, the 8th instant', sufficiently marks, by the urgent terms in which it is conceived, the intention that all Privy Coun

1 At this Council the King announced his intended marriage with the Princess Charlotte of Mecklenburgh-Strelitz.

cillors within reach should attend, and I make no doubt that your own prudence would have determined you to be there; but lest any accidental engagement should happen to stand in the I have thought you way, would not disapprove a hint that your attendance on that day is highly necessary. The King will be personally present in the Council, and I shall be very sorry, sure that you will be so too, if anything prevented your

attendance.

Wotton must be delightful this fine weather, and the navigation enchanting, with gales breathing hay to fill your sails. My best compliments attend Mrs. Grenville, and sincerest wishes for the health of Wotton.

I am ever, &c., &c.

W. PITT.

MR. JENKINSON TO MR. GRENVILLE.

St. James's, July 14, 1761.

DEAR SIR,-The dispatches of Mr. Stanley were safely delivered to me by the person to whose care you committed them. You will see by the two bulletins which have been sent to you all the news we have received since you went out of town.

The late manœuvres of the armies in Westphalia have been very wonderful. We have no further letters from Stanley, and there has been no meeting.

Pitt and every one seems to me not to know what to do. Lord Bute has written a very firm letter to the Duke of Bedford, and has declared in it that he will not consent to a peace which shall leave to the French any even civil possession on the shores of Newfoundland.

I have mentioned to his Lordship what you directed me