uth. All the sea prisoners lately taken, say, that Barrere
is determined to force the Brest fleet of thirty-five sail to sea.
Sir J. B. Warren's last prisoners say, that they were brought from
the interior to Brest, and embarked _handcuffed_; another account
states, that sixteen thousand men have been sent to Brest _en
requisition_, since Lord Howe's action. Our line of battle is
thirty-seven sail, including what is to join at Plymouth; from
which deduct two ships not ready, and the 'Barfleur,' his number
will be thirty-four. He will probably fall in with your friend,
Lord Macartney, who is coming back with "_the Emperor's copy of
verses_," and left St. Helena on the 6th of July with nineteen East
India ships.

Adieu, my dear brother,
Ever most affectionately yours,
N. B.

Sept. 5th, 1794.

P.S.--This letter was begun five days ago, but I have been for the
last four days confined, and very ill from an epidemic, which is
running all over England. It is not confined to the army, and it
has not been fatal, but very painful. I have got clear of it, but I
have above forty men ill of it at this moment. Adieu.

The difficulties of the negotiation in which Lord Spencer and Mr. Thomas
Grenville were engaged, are very clearly stated in the following letter.
It is perfectly evident from these curious revelations, that Austria and
Prussia were pursuing a crooked and evasive policy in their diplomacy
with England, that the vacillations and infirmity of purpose they
betrayed left them open to the suspicion of insincerity, and that the
affairs of both Courts were conducted by Ministers utterly deficient in
all qualities of firmness and judgment, which the occasion imperatively
demanded.

MR. THOMAS GRENVILLE TO LORD GRENVILLE.

(Private.) Vienna, Sept. 1st, 1794.
MY DEAR BROTHER,

If M. de Thugut is waiting with impatience the result of M. de
Merey's negotiation, you will easily believe that we have no less
impatience to know your decisions upon that subject, though you
will have seen that Lord Spencer and I have not been able to teach
ourselves to wish that the pecuniary demands may, or ought to be,
gratified by us. If they had confined themselves to asking only
such a temporary assistance as might have given a more immediate
spring to the vigorous movement which we are