722 
The form. of negotiation which 
took place during lord Rocking~ 
ham’s administration is more parti- 
cularly present to my memory, as I 
then held the same office with which 
his majesty has lately been pleased 
to honour me. Let France and 
England change situations, and the 
form you mention is exactly similar 
to that which J have proposed. 
Wethen treated with France and 
her allies ; let France now treat with 
us and our allies. The basis offered 
in your second proposition is exactly 
conformable to the views of our go- 
vernment, provided it be well un- 
derstood that, whilst we mutually 
acknowledge our respective rights 
of intervention and guaranty with 
regard to the affairs of Europe, we 
also mutually agree to abstain from 
all encroachment upon the greater 
or lesser states which compose it. 
I should regret equally with your 
excellency that this discussion should 
break off. If we can only act so as 
not to incur the reproach of a breach 
of faith towards an ally, who for so 
many reasons deserves our entire 
confidence, we shall be content, and 
the more so as we know that an 
honourable peace would be no less 
conformable to the wishes of Russia, 
than to those of France and Eng- 
land. 
I have the honour to be, &c. 
(Signed) ° COS. Fox, 
No. XII. 
Communication ‘made by the Earl of 
Yarmouth to Mr. Sccretary Fox, 
dated June 13, 1806. 
A few days after my arrival at 
Paris from the depot at Verdun, 
Mons. Talleyrand desired me to call 
upon him ; having done so, he told 
me.that the French government had 
3 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1806. 
been looking out for some means by 
which a secret and confidential com- 
munication might be made, explana~ 
tory of the sentiments and views of 
France, as well as the outlines of 
the terms on which peace might 
be restored between the two coun-, 
tries. 
Having mentioned the extreme 
desire of making this communica- 
tion in sueh a manner that no pub- 
licity might in any case ensue, 
should the object of it not be ob- 
tained, Mons. ‘Talleyrand proceeded 
to state, in along argument, which 
it is useless to repeat, as it forms 
the substance of several of the 
French government’s dispatches 3, 
the reasons which prevent their treat- 
ing fora general peace jointly with 
Russia. 
Hesaid, that in a dispatch sent 
some weeks before to Mr. Fox he 
had been ordered to name Lisle ra- 
ther than Amiens for the negotiation 
of a definitive treaty, in order to re- 
move all former discussions, and to 
facilitate to England the possession 
of Malta. 
I then took the liberty of inter. 
rupting M. Talleyrand, to say that, 
however flattering the confidence he - 
was ordered to place in me might 
be, yet that, feeling as I did, the 
interests, and above all the honour 
of my country, it was impossible — 
for me to be the bearer of a com- 
munication having peace for its ob- 
ject, against which I should feel ob- 
liged to vote in parliament ; and — 
viewing the restoration of Hanover 
in this light, I could not receive 
any further communication till I — 
had explicit declaration with re- 
gard to his majesty’s German domi- 
nions. ; 
M. Talleyravd then broke off the 
conyersation, 
