HISTORY OF EUROPE. 



n 



drid with indifference and contempt, 

 without any provocation, and when 

 they had thus finally driven tlieni 

 into the hands of Franco, that they 

 acted with Tiolence, injustice, and 

 unpardonable precipitancy. In con- 

 firmation of tlicsi- charges, the nuljle 

 lord contended, from the p;ipers. that 

 though the British minister at Ma- 

 drid had strongly ur^cd to his ma. 



her own terms. After d '.veiling at 

 length upon these points, he further 

 observed, that the whole of Mr. 

 Frere's mission was marked by the 

 same kind of remissne-s in our mi- 

 nisters at home; that he was left for 

 two, four, six, and son»«tinies for 

 eightmonths together, without any 

 specific instructions, until he was 

 considered by the Spanish ministry 



jesty's ministers the necessity of as a person not having tlie confidence 



treating the court of vSpain with care, 

 attention, and respect ; had stated 

 the eagerness o( that court to coine 

 to a good understanding, and repre- 

 sented the cause of England to be 

 then popular with all ranks-of peo- 

 ple in Spain, yci the Spanish go- 



of that court by which he was accre- 

 dited. His lordship then proceeded 

 to state the conditions of (he neu- 

 trality of Spain to be, that nothing 

 like an armament should go on in 

 any of her i)orts, nor any British 

 prizes to be condemned and sold in 



vernment, goaded as it was all the them, and that Tiritish ships of war 

 time by the French government, and should experience the same treat- 

 in the utmost state of suspense, ment as French in all her harbours, 

 could, for several months together, After this had been agreed to, the 

 obtain from the British ministers no Spanish government were further 

 other treatment but that of silent told, that the contingent in money 

 contempt. Spain appeared desirous must not be paid to France without 

 to connect herself with England, as lca\ing it to the British gove.niuent 

 the means of keeping her out of the to consider it as a cause of war 

 hands of J'rancc. According to whenever she thought proper to act 

 Mr. Frere's letters, the English go- thereupon. His lordship then touch- 

 vernment and character m ere popu- ed upon the personal interview be- 

 iar wiih the king of Spain, the no- tween Mr. Frere and the Prince of 

 bility, the government, the mercan. Peace, and the former having been 

 ^e body, nay, even with the mob, .succeeded by his brother, who was 

 and this spirit and happy disposition belure only secretary, or charge 

 might have been kept up by a system d' a [I aires ; the latter's demanding 

 of conciliation. Yet all this produced explanations which exceeded his in- 

 nothing. Even the Spanish minister strnctions, and his departure after 

 Acre was treated with neglect, and it was refused, leaving no accredited 

 remonstrances neglected. The ofier minister, at such a crisis, at the 

 of mediation made by the king of court of Spain. After all this, how- 

 Spain was treated with indifference ever, the Spanish minister in Lon- 

 and scorn ; and as France had not don, the chevalier D'Anduaga, 

 negociatcd during all this time, had vvaited upon the British secretary of 

 the British minister been authorised state for foreign affairs, and failing 



to have met the Spanish government, 

 •France would have been anticipated, 

 instead of being allowed to negoci- 

 ate, as she afterwards did, and upon 

 -Vol. XLVII. 



to see him, from indisposition, ad- 

 dressed a respectful letter to inform 

 him that, notwithstanding all that 

 liad i)assed, he was ready to nego- 

 C ciatc 



