sty, the King of Great Britain, to their
High Mightinesses, on the 29th of last month, to renew in pursuance of
the precise orders of his said Majesty, the most urgent instances for
the seizure and restitution of two of the King's ships, Serapis and
Countess of Scarborough, as well as for the release of their crews,
which a certain Paul Jones had seized, as is more fully related in the
registers under date of the 29th of last month, it has been resolved
and determined to answer the aforesaid Memorial of Sir Joseph Yorke;
that upon the reiterated instances which the Ambassador has made, by
order of his Court, for the seizure and restitution of the ships
Serapis and Countess of Scarborough, as well as for the release of the
crews of said vessels, which a certain Paul Jones has taken, and with
which he has entered into the Road of the Texel, their High
Mightinesses have repeatedly taken into mature consideration all the
circumstances of this affair, and they find themselves under the
necessity of requesting his Majesty to consent, that their High
Mightinesses should persist in their ancient maxim, which is, that
without interfering in any decision upon the legality or illegality of
prizes brought into their ports, they should compel them to put to
sea, their High Mightinesses judging, that this maxim itself is
founded on treaties.

'But for evident proof that they do not desire, that any supplies may
be furnished from this country to the inhabitants of his Majesty's
American Colonies, they gave orders immediately on the arrival of Paul
Jones, that he should not be furnished with any munitions of war or
other articles, except those of which he would have need in order to
put to sea, and reach the nearest port in which he might be admitted.
That their High Mightinesses will also give orders, that he set sail
as soon as his vessels can put to sea, and when wind and weather will
permit, and even will compel him in case it should be required. That
their High Mightinesses are assured, that it will be evident thereby,
that they persist invariably in the declaration made to his Majesty,
"that they desire to do nothing from which it might lawfully be
inferred, that they recognize the independence of the Colonies of his
Majesty in America," and that they grant to Paul Jones neither
supplies nor harbor, but that following solely the treatment which
they have at all times been accustomed to give to those, who come into
their Roads to