v40 ANNUAL RE 
be unuseful, with a view to the con- 
duct. of the negotiation, that you 
should be apprized of some details 
which I have hitherto omitted 
dwelling upon, partly from the ur- 
gency of more important subjects, 
and partly from my desire not. to 
trespass upon your attention to so 
great av extent. I trust, sir, that 
his majesty will see in these details 
wherewithal to justify my conduét 
in the dificult situation in which I 
was placed. 
The fate of Holland and Naples 
were setilod betore I was honoured 
with his majesty’s confidence. My 
conversation here with M. Talley- 
rand soon convinced me that these 
were only preludes to still greater 
changes in the system of Europe. 
1 saw at the same time a great desire 
of negotiation, before the final exe- 
cutien of some- of the emperor’s 
schemes shouldhave removed anyhope 
of its being attended with success. 
This opinion, not preconceived 
or lightly taken up, but gradually 
formed from a variety of circum- 
stances, was confirmed by the nature 
oi the offers held out, unofficially 
indeed, but in such clear and une- 
quivocal terms, that it was impossible 
to entertain any doubt of the inten- 
tion of this government to adhere to 
them. 
The point which of all others was 
the most essential, and thaton which 
eatisfaction was due to the national 
bouour, and to that of his majesty, 
Hanover, would, | was assured, be 
given up without restriction ; for I 
did not then know we should be 
asked to allow the king of Prussia 
to obtain the sovereignty of some of 
the lesser principalities. 
* And we will never recede from it. 
GISTER, 1806. 
I received similar assurances 
about Malta, and the Cape of Good 
Hope; nor have I any reason to 
doubt but that, before Russia had- 
made her peace separately, these 
terms might have been obtained, and 
the treaty have had solely for its 
basis the uti possidetis, with the 
sole exception in our favour of © 
Hanover restored, and latterly, in- 
deed, ofsome arrangements toler- 
able toall parties in exchange for 
Sicily. 
M. Talleyrand held the same lan- 
guage to me with respect to Russia, 
which he had before held with re- 
gard to the affairs of Germany. 
¢¢ You have now been here amonth; 
we have been willing to converse 
with you, to give you an insight into 
our views, and to communicate them 
to the British government. We 
told you, that if you had the pow. 
ers, and would enter into negotiati- 
on, we would notsign the arrange- 
ment of Germany, A reasonable 
time was left for you to consult. 
your government: we had no an- 
swer. The arrangement was signed) 
*et nous. n’en reviendrons jamais. 
We now ask you whether you will 
treat before Russia has signed, which 
will not pass two days.” 
It cannot be necessary to state my 
answer to such a proposition. I 
will only add, that the treaty with 
Russia was signed within the time 
mentioned, and then commenced 
the difficulty of my situation. 
‘¢ Switzerland, I was told by the 
same authority, is on the eve of un- 
dergoing a great change. This can- 
not be averted but by a peace with 
England ; butstill less can we alter 
for any other consideration our in- 
tenticr 
