12 THE INFLUENCE OF GRENVILLE ON PITT’S FOREIGN POLICY. 
apparently in reply to a request by Grenville for information,* and 
after this opening had been presented, Auckland, in nearly every letter, 
up to the actual change in English policy in April, 1791, continued to 
supply arguments for peace.f Moreover, he took advantage of the 
necessity of corresponding with Pitt on the commercial treaty then being 
negotiated between Holland and England to emphasize his objections 
to the policy about to be pursued,J writing to Grenville by the same 
mail: “I have addressed to Mr. Pitt the answer which I wished to 
write to your letter from Hoi wood, and as happily for both of you 
and for the public, whatever is written to one may be considered as 
written to the other, I will not detain the packet.” § 
Yet Grenville was in no sense attempting to influence Pitt by indirect 
means. Auckland was entirely correct in supposing that it made no 
^difference to whom his letters were addressed, for they were certain to 
be read by both men. Grenville was in fact convinced of the inad¬ 
visability of pushing Russia to extremes, and was trying to bring Pitt 
to the same conclusion ; yet he was so loyal to his chief as to give 
Auckland no hint of his own sentiments. On March 5 Auckland, who 
had just received a strong letter from Burges,|| an Under Secretary 
of Foreign Affairs, urging increased efforts to procure effective Dutch 
armaments, wrote to Grenville: “I have collected with concern from 
your silence * * § that my sentiments and those of the Grand 
Pensionary have not the good fortune to be approved by you.” 
A few days later this judgment seemed premature, for on March 7 
Pitt addressed a private letter to Auckland asking for specific infor¬ 
mation on the importance of Ochakov, information which Auckland 
hastened to give, quoting Kingsbergen, the Dutch admiral, as author¬ 
ity for his statements of the small importance of the district in ques¬ 
tion.** In spite, therefore, of a savage letter from Burges threatening 
investigation and censure for his indifference,ff Auckland was sufii- 
ciently hopeful to write to Keith at Sistovo, hinting at a probable 
change in English policy. 
In reality, however, Pitt had not as yet decided to yield to the ad¬ 
vice of Grenville and Auckland, though he was becoming less firm in 
his determination to risk a war with Russia. The instructions to 
* Auckland to Grenville, Dec. 31, 1790. Dropmore, I, 612. 
t Auckland to Grenville, Feb. and March, 1791. Ibid., II, 31, 32, 33 
t Auckland to Pitt, Feb. 2, 1791. Ibid., 23. 
§ Auckland to Grenville, Feb. 2, 1791. Ibid., 25. 
|| Burges to Auckland, March 1, 1791. Burges, 160. 
'll Dropmore, II, 38. 
** Pitt to Auckland, March 7, 1791. Auckland, II, 382. 
tf Burges to Auckland, March 21, 1791. Burges, 163. 
it Auckland to Keith, March 24, 1791. Keith, II, 394. 
