LETTERIII.To Dr. MUSGRAVE ofPlymouth.
SIR,
The article respecting the East-India Company, is a demonstration that better terms of peace might have been obtained, if they had been insisted upon. During the negociation Mr. Wood waited upon Mr. Rous, on the subject of an article, including the Company’s affairs, to be inserted in the treaty. An article was accordingly framed, and sent to the ministers, who said it was impossible to obtain what was therein demanded. They altered it: and if it had been permitted to remain with their alterations, as it had been agreed to by the French ministers, and as it stood in the preliminaries, the interests of the Company would have been essentially injured. But Lord Clive opposed it; and in consequence of this opposition, it was altered to the form in which it now stands in the general treaty.
With regard to thepresent, or rathernewtreaty of commerce, the following is not a little curious.
When the D. of B. Mr. N——le, and the Ducs de Choiseul and Praslin were together at Choiseul’s hotel, at a conference on the peace, the D. of B. said, he would not renew the treaty of Commerce that was made atUtrecht, because some of the articles had been objected to by the British parliament. The subject dropped after a short conversation upon it: and they proceeded to renew the treaty of Aix la Chapelle, and other matters. At length the D. of B. renewed the subject of the treaty of commerce: upon which Choiseul said, the treaty of commerce had never been mentioned during the negociation. But, answered the D. it has always been understood. Choiseul replied, you must either take the treaty of commerce as it now is, between the two nations (meaning that which was offered to be renewed) or there must be no treaty of commerce at all. The D. of B. declared, he would not accept of that treaty; nor would he sign the treaty of peace unless a treaty of commerce was previously agreed to. And so, says Choiseul, you want to carve that treaty just as you please; to put in some articles, and to strike out others—No!said he in an exclamation, and turning about to a picture of the French King, which hung up in the room, and clasping his hands together, cried out,My dear master! when I sacrifice your honour, take off my head.
Mr. N——le then said, Mons. Choiseul, what better would you be if that treaty was renewed? The British parliament would disapprove of it, and the D. of B. would be impeached for it.—Think you so, said Choiseul?—Yes, answered the D. of B. and added, if you do not consent to the making anew treaty of commerce, I will return to England to-morrow morning, and tell the K. there is no honour in the French ministry; that he must send for Mr.Pitt, who is the only man to deal with them, and renew the war. The name ofPittfrightened the French minister; he gave up the contest. A treaty of commerce was made; but has not been published, nor was it laid before parliament.
During the negociation, the Duc de Choiseul was constantly complaining of the English news-papers; which, he said, were continually publishing the terms of the peace; and these papers coming into France, he added, induced the French to think, and say, he was sacrificing the interest of France in that treaty; which he apprehended might occasion some enthusiast to assassinate him. In complaisance to him, and to quiet his fears on that head, it was, that no authentic defence or even authentic account of the negociation and treaty, was ever published.
Every reader will make his own observations on this series ofextraordinaryFacts. I have given them to the world without any of those advantages which they might have derived from a detail in fine language, being convinced,that plain truth needs no flowers of speech. I am, SIR,
Your most humble servant,
AnENGLISHMAN.
FINIS.
Transcriber’s NoteA number of probable printers’ errors were identified and corrected during the preparation of this e-text:Page 8, “oppor-” changed to “opportunity” (an early opportunity of)Page 13, “dons” changed to “dans” (alleguez dans votre derniere lettre)Page 22, “tremble mentque” changed to “tremblement que” (plus terrible tremblement que ce soldat)Page 31, “conjuction” changed to “conjunction” (his Court, in conjunction with your’s)Page 32, “pui” changed to “qui” (activite d’esprit qui donne les succes)Page 37, “n’enoblit” changed to “n’ennoblit” (la truye n’ennoblit pas le cochon)Page 37, “burreau” changed to “bourreau” (is with you abourreau)Page 42, “dress” changed to “address” (tendency of the address)Page 42, “gentlemen” changed to “gentleman” (can bind a French gentleman)Page 43, “absosolutely” changed to “absolutely” (at last, absolutely refused)Page 50, “conjuction” changed to “conjunction” (in conjunction with the Court of France)Page 52, duplicated word “an” removed (till an event turned up)Page 53, “negocitien” changed to “negociation” (no trouble in the negociation)Page 53, duplicated word “and” removed (and the Duc de Choiseul)Page 56, “preremptory” changed to “peremptory” (in a high and peremptory tone)Page 56, “Tho” changed to “The” (The originals of all these important letters)Page 57, “negociaaion” changed to “negociation” (particulars of this extraordinary negociation)Punctuation errors were amended without note.
Transcriber’s Note
A number of probable printers’ errors were identified and corrected during the preparation of this e-text:
Punctuation errors were amended without note.