HISTORY OF STAFFORDSHIRE. [307 



and assured Lord Whitworth of the pacific intentions of the First 

 Consul ; adding, that he should always consider a refusal to evacu- 

 ate Malta as a commencement of hostilities, and as we had hitherto 

 hesitated upon that point, his Government was justified in the pre- 

 cautionary measures which it had taken. At a subsequent confe- 

 rence, M. Talleyrand informed his Lordship of the extreme displea- 

 sure of the First Consul at his Majesty's suspicions, yet he (Buona- 

 parte) would not suffer his passions to master him so far as to entail 

 upon humanity the sufferings which this discussion might lead to. M. 

 Talleyrand then delivered to Lord Whitworth a sort of Proces Ver- 

 bale, which stated in substance, that if his Britannic Majesty in his 

 Message meant to speak of the expedition of Helvoetsluys, all the 

 world knew that it was destined for America, but that in conse- 

 quence of his Majesty's Message it must be countermanded ; that 

 if the armaments in England actually took place, it would be na- 

 tural for the First Consul to march 20,000 troops into Holland ; to 

 form an encampment on the frontiers of Hanover ; to embark addi- 

 tional troops for America ; to form several camps at Calais ; to 

 continue a French army in Switzerland ; to send a French force 

 into Italy ; and as England was arming, and arming with so much 

 publicity, to put the armies of France on the war establishment 

 a step so important, as could not fail to agitate all Europe. Two 

 days afterwards, the British Minister had a conference with the 

 First Consul himself, which is thus described by Lord Whitworth, 

 in his dispatch to Lord Hawkesbury, dated March 14, 1803: 

 " The messenger Mason, went on Saturday with my dispatches of 

 that date, and until yesterday (Sunday) I saw no one likely to 

 give me further information such as I could depend on, as to the 

 effect which his Majesty's Message had produced on the First 

 Consul. At the Court which was held at the Thuilleries on that 

 day, he accosted me, evidently under very considerable agitation. 

 He began by asking me if I had any news from England. I told 

 him that I had received a letter from England two days ago. He 

 immediately said, " And so you are determined to go to war." 

 ' No/ I replied, ' we are too sensible of the advantages of peace.' 

 "We have," said he, " already waged war these 15 years." As 

 he seemed to wait for an answer, I observed only, ' That is already 

 too long.' " But," said he, " you wish to carry it on for 15 years 

 more, and you force me to do it." I told him that was very far 

 from his Majesty's intention. He then proceeded to Count Markoff 

 and the Chevalier Azara, who were standing together at a little 



