1 No. 12. COMMUNICATION made by the Earl of A FEW Days after FEW Days after my Arrival at Paris from the Depôt at Verdun, Monf. Talleyrand defired me to call upon him; having done fo, he told me that the French Government had been looking out for fome Means by which a fecret and confidential Communication might be made, explanatory of the Sentiments and Views of France, as well as the Outlines of the Terms on which Peace might be reftored between the Two Countries. Having mentioned the extreme Defire of making this Communication in fuch a Manner that no Publicity might in any Cafe enfue, fhould the Object of it not be obtained, Monfieur Talleyrand proceeded to ftate, in a long Argument, which it is ufelefs to repeat, as it forms the Subftance of feveral of the French Government's Difpatches; the Reasons which prevent their treating for a general Peace jointly with Ruffia. He faid, that in a Difpatch fent fome Weeks before to Mr. Fox he had been ordered to name Lifle rather than Amiens for the Negotiation of a definitive Treaty, in order to remove all former Discussions, and to facilitate to England the Poffeffion of Malta. I then took the Liberty of interrupting M.Talleyrand, to say that however flattering the Confidence he he was ordered to place in me might be, yet that, feeling as I did, the Interefts, and above all the Honour of my Country, it was impoffible for me to be the Bearer of a Communication having Peace for its Object, against which I should feel obliged to vote in Parliament; and viewing the Restoration of Hanover in this Light, I could not receive any further Communication till I had explicit Declaration with regard to His Majefty's German Dominions. M. Talleyrand then broke off the Conversation, defiring me to return the Third Day after. At the Expiration of this Time I waited upon him again, when he informed me that, confidering the extreme Strefs which appeared to be laid upon this Point, Hanover should make no Difficulty. Authorized by the Conceffion of that in which the Honour of the King and that of the Nation appeared most interested, I inquired whether the Poffeffion of Sicily would be demanded, it having been fo faid, " (a) Vous l'avez, nous ne vous la de“mandons pas; fi nous la poffedions elle pourroit "augmenter de beaucoup les difficultès." Confidering this to be very positive both from the Words and the Manner of delivering them, I conceived it improper to make further Questions. "(b) Nous "ne vous demandons rien" amounting to an Ad (a) You are in Poffeffion of it, we do not ask it of you; if we poffeffed it, it might very much augment our Difficulties. (b) We afk nothing from you. miflion miflion of uti poffidetis as applicable to His Majesty's Conquefts. M. Talleyrand mentioned strongly the Recognition of the Emperor and the different Branches of his Family as abfolutely expected. On this I took Occasion to state the Solidity which the Recognition of Great Britain would give to their Eftablishment, and inquired whether the French Government would guarantee the Integrity of the Ottoman Empire. The Answer was Yes, but it must be foon. "(c) Beaucoup fe prepare mais rien "n'eft fait." Reverting to the first Conversation, I defired to know whether a middle Term might not be found at the fame Time to obtain the Object defired by the French Government, and that defired by Great Britain, of not treating in a Manner unconnected with Ruffia. To this he answered that they were entirely ready to give every Facility to the Arrangement of the refpective Interests of the Two Powers, or that a British Minister should, being authorized by the Emperor Alexander, ftipulate for both. The last Words of M. Talleyrand were, " (d) Les "Sentiments de la France font entirement changés; "l'aigreur qui caracterifoit le Commencement de (c) A great deal is in Preparation, but nothing is yet done. (d) The Sentiments entertained in France are entirely different from what they were. The Afperity which characterized the Commencement of this War, no longer exifte; and what we moft defire is, to live in Harmony with fo great a Power as Great Britaip. 66 cette ❝cette guerre n'existe plus, et ce que nous defirons "le plus, c'eft de pouvoir vivre en bonne intelligence avec une auffi grande puiffance que la "Grande Bretagne." NOTE from Mr. Secretary Fox to Monfieur, JE ne Vous ecris que deux Mots pour Vous dire combien je fuis fatisfait du defir que Vous avez témoigné pour la Paix. Au furplus Lord Yarmouth a toute ma Confiance, et tout ce qu'il Vous dira, Vous pouvez croire que c'eft moi même qui Vous le dis. Le tems preffe-Agréez tous mes hommages. (Signé) C. J. FOX. Londres, ce 14 Juin 1806. Ι Sir, (Translation.) I JUST write you a few Words to exprefs to you the Pleafure which I feel at the Defire you have manifested for Peace. I have only to add that Lord Yarmouth poffeffes all my Confidence, and that whatever he fhall fay to you, you may confider as faid by myfelf. In great haste, I am, &c. London, 14th June 1806. (Signed) C, J. FOX. No. 14 EXTRACT from a Difpatch from the Sir, Paris, June, 19th 1806. I HAVE the Honour to inform you that, in Obedience to your Orders, I made all the Hafte in my Power to arrive at Paris as foon as poffible; Calm at Sea however prevented my getting here till the Afternoon of the 16th. I immediately waited upon M. Talleyrand to deliver to him the Difpatches you entrusted to my Care, and requested to put off any Converfation on the Subject of my Journey till next Day. I intended employing this Interval to endeavour to see M. d'Oubril if at Paris, and communicate with him previously to feeing again M. Talleyrand, or at any rate to obtain fome Knowledge of his Motions. Previous, however, to my leaving M. Talleyrand, he expreffed to me that although the Defire of Peace was equally fincere now as it was when |