S. 2 ATIC OR A POE) RS: 
ledge your Lordfhip’s difpatches, , 
No. 19 and 20, of the 20th inftant, 
which were delivered to me on Sa- 
turday, the 22d inftant, by the mef- 
fenger Major. 
It was impoffible that the claim 
brought forward in the note inclof- 
ed in my No. 9, could have pro- 
duced on your Lordfhip’s mind any 
impreflion different from that which 
you deicribe; and I am happy to 
find that the conduct I obferved 
when it was firft delivered to me, 
was fuch as put it in my power to 
execute with great confiftency the 
{pirited inftruétions your Lordfhip 
now fends me. 
Immediately on the arrival of 
the meflenger, I propofed an inter- 
view with the French Plenipotenti- 
aries, and we met on Sunday the 
23d, at one P. M. 
Icould not obey his Majefty’s 
orders in a manner more likely to 
command attention, and to imprefs 
thofe who heard me with a juft 
fenfe of the mixture of firmnefs 
and moderation with which his 
Majefty was pleafed to conduét this 
important negotiation, than by em- 
ploying not only the fubftance, but, 
as far as was practicable in conver- 
fation, the very words of your 
Lordfhip’s difpatch, No. 19; and 
if I fhould attempt to relate mi- 
nutely what I myfelf faid in this 
conference, it would in fa& be lit- 
tle more than a repetition of them. 
I began by obferving, that I-was 
certain the French Plenipotentia- 
ries muft be fully prepared for what 
J now had it in command to fay ; 
J reminded them that I had taken 
upon me to affirm when we were 
laft aflembled, and immediately be- 
fore 1 difpatched my meflenger, 
that the xequiring fucha prelimina- 
ry as iuat propofed in the note, 
201 
was putting an end at once to all 
negotiation, and that I was fure 
peace on fuch terms would not be 
heard of; that the orders I was 
then about to communicate to them 
would prove that I had not made 
this affertion lightly, or in confe- 
quence of any hafty opinion of my 
own, at the fame time that it would 
alfo appear that my Royal Mafter 
was as anxioufly and as fincerely in- 
clined to liften to all reafonable 
and admiflible conditions as he 
was determined to repel and reject 
all fuch as were of an oppofite de- 
{cription. I then, my Lord, took 
up my arguments on the precife 
grounds fet forth in your Lordfhip’s 
No. 19. I neither omitted any 
thing, nor inferted any thing of my” 
own, which could at all alter its 
fpirit; and I only varied from the 
letter inafmuch as was neceflary to 
make it applicable to a conference. 
» My firft obje& was to ftate, in as 
forcible a way as poflible, the utter 
inadmiffibility of the pretenfion fet 
forth in the note, the frivolous and 
illufory reafons alleged for bring- 
ing it forward; and | obferved that, 
if it was perfevered in, it muft lead 
to this necefflary conclufion, that 
there did exift when it was framed, 
an intention on the part of the Di- 
rectory to break off the negotiation 
in the outfet. My fecond objeé& 
in point of reafoning, though a ve- 
ry primary one in point of import- 
ance, was either to prevent the 
negotiation breaking off at all, or 
if this was not to be prevented, to 
endeavour to be fo clear and expli- 
cit in my language, and to draw the 
line fo diftinétly between fuch fa- 
crifices as his Majefty might be in- 
clined to make in order to reftore 
fo great a blefiing as peace, and 
thofe to which the dignity of his 
crown 
