es; the nomination of the
Bailli de Suffrein as Generalissimo on the ocean; and the cold
reception of Mr. Granville here, with his conciliatory propositions, as
so many symptoms which seemed to indicate a certain and immediate
rupture. It was indeed universally and hourly expected. But the King of
Prussia, 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 applications 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 Granville, 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 succours 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