a little
before these last events, got wind of the alliance on the carpet between
France and the two empires: he awaked to the situation in which
that would place him: he made some application to the court of St.
Petersburg, to divert the Empress from the proposed alliance, and
supplicated the court of London not to abandon him. That court had also
received a hint of the same project; both seemed to suspect, for the
first time, that it would be possible for France to abandon the Turks,
and that they were likely to get more than they had played for at
Constantinople: for they had meant nothing more there, than to divert
the Empress and Emperor from the affairs of the west, by employing them
in the east, and, at the same time, to embroil them with France as
the patroness of the Turks. The court of London engaged not to
abandon Prussia: but both of them relaxed a little the tone of their
proceedings. The King of Prussia sent a Mr. Alvensleben here, expressly
to explain and soothe: the King of England, notwithstanding the cold
reception of his propositions by Grenville, renewed conferences here
through Eden and the Duke of Dorset. The minister, in the affection of
his heart for peace, readily joined in conference, and a declaration and
counter-declaration were cooked up at Versailles, and sent to London for
approbation. They were approved, arrived here at one o'clock the 27th,
were signed that night at Versailles, and on the next day, I had the
honor of enclosing them to you, under cover to the Count de Moustier,
whom I supposed still at Brest, dating my letter as of the 27th, by
mistake for the 28th. Lest, however, these papers should not have got to
Brest before the departure of the Count de Moustier, I now enclose you
other copies. The English declaration states a notification of this
court, in September, by Barthelemy, their minister at London, 'that
they would send succors into Holland,' as the first cause of England's
arming; desires an explanation of the intentions of this court, as to
the affairs of Holland, and proposes to disarm; on condition, however,
that the King of France shall not retain any hostile views in any
quarter, for what has been done in Holland. This last phrase was to
secure Prussia, according to promise. The King of France acknowledges
the notification by his minister at London, promises he will do nothing
in consequence of it, declares he has no intention to intermeddle with
force in the affairs o