ccompanied our hero, where they joined the king,
queen, and royal family. The account of this meeting, and it's results,
including an intended attack of Leghorn, are sufficiently explained in
the following very interesting letter to Earl Spencer: which is farther
remarkable for being the first epistle that our hero appears to have
ever signed with the omission of his Christian name, in consequence of
being advanced to the peerage; of which honour he had, even yet, it
should seem, by what will be seen hereafter, no official information
from the noble earl to whom he was writing, though he must certainly
have received some regular previous information on the subject.

"Camp,
St. Germaine's,
13th Nov. 1798.

"MY LORD,

"A desire from his majesty called me here yesterday, to concert
with General Mack and General Acton the commencement of the war.
Thirty thousand of--_Mack says--"La plus belle d'armie d'Europe_,"
was drawn out, for me to see; and, as far as my judgment goes in
these matters, I agree, that a finer army cannot be. In the
evening, we had a council; and it was settled, that four thousand
infantry, and six hundred cavalry, should take possession of
Leghorn. The infantry--(having stopped Captain Troubridge's
squadron for Corfu)--I shall embark in the Vanguard, Culloden,
Minotaur, two Portuguese ships, (if I can get them ready, not that
I see they have any wants) and the Alliance storeship. A Neapolitan
ship brings the cavalry, in a convoy, after us. The king's order
for the destination was to be given to me; and, when at sea, I was
to give it to the general commanding the troops: who was to be
totally ignorant, that Leghorn was the object, and not Malta;
which, as a secret, was communicated to him. His majesty approved
of this plan, and Mack was to march--I repeat it with
pleasure--"with thirty thousand of the finest troops in Europe," on
Saturday, the 17th, to Rome; and keep advancing, trusting to the
support of the emperor. Every hour, the French are increasing their
Italian army, and two new generals are arrived at Rome. Thus I went
to bed last night; and, at six this morning, came to take leave of
their majesties. I found them in great distress. The courier who
left London on the 4th, has not brought any assurance of support
from the emperor. M. Turget is evasiv