1798. 2En. 45.] COUNT RUMFORD. 61 



tiary and Envoy Extraordinary to the Court of St. 

 James. 



On September 14, 1798, Lord Grrenville sent a 

 despatch to the Hon. Arthur Paget at Munich, 

 saying, ' It is, I apprehend, a thing if not wholly un- 

 precedented, at least extremely unusual, to appoint 

 a subject of the country to reside at the Court of his 

 natural sovereign in the character of minister from a 

 foreign prince. I am to direct you in the last resort 

 to state in distinct terms that his, Majesty will by no 

 means consent to receive Count Eumford in the 

 character which has been assigned to him. You will 

 observe that the circumstance of Count Rumford 

 having heretofore filled a confidential situation (that 

 of Under-Secretary of State in the American Depart- 

 ment) under his Majesty's Government, makes the 

 appointment in his person peculiarly improper and 

 objectionable.' 



On Count Eumford's arrival on September 19 he 

 wrote to Lord Grenville to say that, notwithstanding 

 the information and the intimation which had been 

 communicated to him by Mr. Canning, Under-Secre- 

 tary of State for Foreign Affairs, he considered it his 

 duty formally to notify that, having been appointed 

 Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary, 

 he had come to England in consequence of that 

 appointment, and was charged with a letter to the 

 King, which he ought to endeavour to obtain permis- 

 sion to deliver with his own hands. He therefore 

 asked an audience or personal interview with the 

 minister, to state the objects of his mission, and to 



