ru will stay to be surrounded by
Clerfage, who is marching up the left bank of the Rhine, or that he
will suffer the latter to force him to a battle, which he may so
easily avoid by retreating towards his own frontier, now covered by
Landau, Luxembourg and Tours, &c., &c. The disappointment of the
French projects, and the destruction of so great a part of the army
which had been employed in them, are therefore, I fear, the chief
advantages we shall reap from these successes, except in what
relates to the impression produced here and on the continent, the
effect of which is almost beyond calculation.

Our Bills are going triumphantly through the two Houses. The
general impression of the House of Commons was, I understand, as
favourable as it could possibly be, and you need not be told what
the feelings of the House of Lords are on this subject. We shall
not have Pitt's Bill up till after the call. If you should not then
be in town, I should much wish you to send your proxy; and if you
have no objection to do so, and had rather put it in my hands than
any other, I will disengage myself in the interim from one of those
I now hold.

What have you done about our meeting? Shall I attend it or not? Let
me know which you wish, and I will do accordingly.

Ever most affectionately yours,
G.

I should be much obliged to you to return my map when you have done
with it, as I keep all these _historical_ maps that fall in my way.

1796.

THE PROSECUTION OF THE WAR SUSTAINED BY REPEATED MAJORITIES IN
PARLIAMENT--MR. BURKE'S SCHOOL FOR THE EDUCATION OF EMIGRANT
CHILDREN--BUONAPARTE APPOINTED TO THE COMMAND IN ITALY--LORD
MALMESBURY'S MISSION TO PARIS.

The motion for negotiations with France had been again brought forward
towards the close of the last session of Parliament, and was again
negatived. Mr. Pitt still insisted upon the impossibility of France
being enabled to prosecute the war, with her finances in a state of
ruin, and seven hundred and twenty millions of assignats in circulation.
Great changes had undoubtedly taken place. The National Assembly had
been dissolved, and a regular form of Government established in its
place; and although at that time Mr. Pitt rejected the idea of proposing
any terms of peace to the Republic, he admitted without hesitation that
if the new Government were put in