Government, at
this time, having become acquainted with the negociations in progress,
sent an agent to act on Russia's behalf, and to watch proceedings. The
arrival of this agent was what the French desired, for they knew that
they could soon cause a rupture between England and Russia. In a short
time, indeed, through French intrigue, D'Oubril, the Russian agent,
suspected the good faith, of Lord Yarmouth, and Lord Yarmouth suspected
the good faith of D'Oubril. A quarrel ensued between them, and then
Talleyrand raised his demands and abated his proffered concessions.
D'Oubril returned to Petersburgh, but Fox still persevered in seeking
peace. An accredited agent, in the person of Lord Lauderdale, was now
sent over to Paris, and negociations lasted from the 9th of August to
the 6th of October; when they were broken off by a demand for passports.
France still insisted that Sicily should be given up to Joseph
Buonaparte; and this could not be conceded, so the negociations finally
failed. About that time Fox died, and the French government attributed
publicly the failure of these negociations to his death. But the truth
was, Fox had long ago expressed his convictions that peace would be
unattainable; and after he had commenced the negociations, he had said
in the house of commons:--"My wish, the first wish of my heart, is
peace; but such a peace as shall preserve our connexions and
influence on the continent, as shall not abate one jot of the national
honour,--and such only:" how then could his death have been an obstacle
to peace? Fox, with all his faults, had a heart glowing with love for
his country, and he would not have lightly sacrificed her honour and her
interest at the shrine of French ambition.

{GEORGE III. 1804--1807}

WINDHAM'S MILITARY PLAN.

On the 3rd of April Windham brought forward a plan for altering the
military system, and particularly the mode of recruiting the army. His
plan was that the soldier should enlist for a certain term of years;
that this term should be divided for the infantry into three periods of
seven years each; and for the cavalry and artillery, the first period to
be ten years, the second six, and the third live years; and that at
the end of each of these periods a man might have a right to claim his
discharge, and that his privileges, pensions, etc., should be augmented
in proportion to the length of his services. As a preliminary step
to the introduction of this bill he move