933 “F. O.,” Spain, 18. Leeds to Fitzherbert, 5th July.

934 “F. O.,” Spain, 18. Despatch of 5th July to Fitzherbert. Of course, this does not imply that Pitt would never admit arbitration, but only that he judged it inadmissible in the present case.

935 Ibid. Fitzherbert to Leeds, 12th July.

936 Ibid. Leeds to Fitzherbert, 17th August.

937 Manning, 405, 406; “Dropmore P.,” i, 603, 606.

938 “Despatches of Earl Gower (1790–1792),” 23, edited by Mr. Oscar Browning. Gower succeeded Dorset as ambassador at Paris on 20th June 1790.

939 “Travaux de Mirabeau,” iv, 24–49, which shows that this was not the work of the Assembly, but the proposal of Mirabeau. W. A. Miles reported (“Corresp.,” i, 255), that Mirabeau received from the Spanish ambassador one thousand louis d’or for carrying this proposal.

940 “F. O.,” Spain, 18. Fitzherbert to Leeds, 17th August.

941 “Gower’s Despatches,” 29; “Corresp. of W.A. Miles,” i, 162, 163.

942 Ibid., i, 41–8, 150.

943 In the Pitt MSS. there is a packet (No. 159) of Miles’s letters to Pitt, beginning with 1785. On 13th May 1790 Miles wrote to Pitt that George Rose had informed him he could not see how Pitt could employ him. Miles begged Pitt for a pension as a literary man. There is no other letter to Pitt until 10th December 1790, dated Paris:—“My attachment to your interest and a sincere desire to give every possible support to your Administration induced me to engage without difficulty in the enterprise proposed by Mr. Rose, and to accept of a salary inadequate to the expenses of the most frugal establishment,” viz., £400 a year. He adds that he has trenched on his private property, and concludes by asking for the consulate at Ostend.

944 “Corresp. of W. A. Miles,” i, 171, 172, 199.

945 “Beaufort P.,” etc. (Hist. MSS. Comm.), 368.

946 Pitt MSS., 335.

947 Ibid., 139. See, too, “Gower’s Despatches,” 38, 39, with note.

948 Pitt MSS., 139.

949 Stanhope, ii, 60, 61.

950 Pitt MSS., 139.

951 F. Masson, “Département des Affaires étrangères,” 86 et seq.

In the Pretyman MSS. is an undated letter of Elliot to Pitt (probably of November 1790) referring to his interview with Pitt that morning, and explaining that his phrase to the Diplomatic Committee, “the glorious Revolution,” was meant only for Frenchmen!

952 “Parl. Hist.,” xxviii, 907.

953 “F. O.,” Spain, 19.

954 Machiavelli, “The Prince,” ch. iii.

955 McDonald’s affidavit of 25th September 1790. On this case Bland Burges wrote to Auckland on 30th September (B.M. Add. MSS., 34433) that he was convinced of its authenticity, and that Spain was clearly seeking a quarrel with us. He referred to the signature of the Reichenbach Convention as strengthening our position. On 21st September he wrote to Auckland of the “intolerable suspense” of the Spanish affair, and hinted that Spanish gold had probably bought the recent peace between Sweden and Russia. The position of Bland Burges as permanent secretary at the Foreign Office gives weight to these remarks.

956 “F. O.,” Spain, 19. Despatch of 8th October. For details see Manning, op. cit., chs. xi-xiii. I cannot, however, agree with Dr. Manning’s assertion (p. 440) that it looks as if Pitt and Leeds desired war. The terms of Fitzherbert’s despatch of 16th September, which Dr. Manning does not notice, surely convinced Pitt that Spain would on no account use the French alliance on Mirabeau’s conditions.

957 Pretyman MSS.

958 “F. O.,” Spain, 49 (Drafts of Lord Grenville), shows that the sum of £50,000 was finally demanded from Spain as compensation. For the Convention of 28th October 1790 see “Parl. Hist.,” xxviii, 916–18, and Martens, iv, 492–9.

959 “Auckland Journals,” ii, 374.

960 For this see Hertz, “British Imperialism in the XVIIIth Century.”

961 Stanhope, ii, 63; Lecky, v, 209; Lord Rosebery, “Pitt,” 102; Mr. C. Whibley, “Pitt,” 129.

962 “F. O.,” Russia, 20. Trade Report of the Baltic ports for 1790.

963 “Mems. of Sir R. M. Keith,” ii, 355–74; Sybel, bk. ii, ch. vi. The Congress of Sistova was adjourned on 10th February for some weeks.

964 Vivenot, 5.

965 Ibid., 9, 10; Beer, “Die orientalische Politik Oesterreichs,” App. I.

966 “F. O.,” Russia, 20. “The Emperor still continues, notwithstanding his professions, to flatter the Empress that he may yet enter the lists in her favour” (Whitworth to Leeds, 18th January 1791). See Keith’s letters from Sistova, showing the resolve of Austria to evade the Reichenbach terms, and wring Orsova from the Turks (“Mems. of Sir R. M. Keith,” ii, 365 et seq.).

967 B.M. Add. MSS., 34435.

968 “F. O.,” Sweden, 11.

969 R. Nisbet Bain, “Gustavus III,” ii, 120–3. See, too, Geffroy, “Gustave III et la Cour de France.”

970 Pitt MSS., 332.

971 “F. O.,” Poland, 4. Hailes to Leeds, 12th June 1790.

972 The Prussians forced the Danzig trade to Elbing. Dembinski, i, 101.

973 “Mems. de Michel Oginski,” i, 92–9.

974 “F. O.,” Poland, 5. Hailes’s despatches of January 1791.

975 “F. O.,” Poland, 4. Hailes to Leeds, 1st and 11th December 1790.

976 Dembinski, i, 103, 104. Alopeus to Ostermann, 6th December 1790 (N.S.). The British archives show that Hertzberg continued to smile on our efforts to coerce Russia, and encouraged the Turks to do their utmost against her. Jackson to Leeds, 4th January 1791 (“F. O.,” Prussia, 20).

977 Dembinski, i, 108–10. Ostermann to Alopeus, 1st January 1791 (N.S.).

978 “F. O.,” Russia, 20. Whitworth to Leeds, 8th January 1790.

979 Pitt MSS., 332. Ewart to Pitt, 16th November 1790.

980 “F. O.,” Poland, 5. Leeds to Hailes, 8th January 1791. This evidence and the facts stated later on, in my judgement refute the statement of Lecky (v, 287) that the political security of Poland did not enter into the motives of Pitt’s policy.

981 “F. O.,” Prussia, 20. Leeds to Jackson, 8th January 1791.

982 Ibid. Jackson’s despatches of 23rd January, 12th, 17th, 26th February, 1st March; “F. O.,” Russia, 20. Whitworth’s despatches of 14th, 18th, 25th January (on the “defection” of Spain from Russia); “F. O.,” Sweden, 20, Liston to Leeds, 17th February. For the fears of Marie Antoinette and the French Court that British armaments were aimed at France, see Sorel, ii, 181, 182.

983 Vivenot, op. cit., 78, 79.

984 Ibid., 98 et seq. Cobenzl to Kaunitz, 4th March 1791; Beer, “Leopold II, Franz I, und Catharina,” 39 et seq.

985 I differ from Dr. Salomon (“Pitt,” 514) as to the motives which impelled the Prussian King at this time.

986 On 29th July 1791 Auckland wrote to Grenville about Ewart’s “misconceived energy and violence” (B.M. Add. MSS., 34438). See, too, “Auckland Journals,” ii, 392–3.

987 B.M. Add. MSS., 34436. Ewart must somehow have seen this letter, for he quoted some of its phrases in his letter of 11th February to Pitt (Pitt MSS., 332). See, too, his letters of 8th February and 5th March to Lord Grenville in “Dropmore P.,” ii, 31, 38.

988 B.M. Add. MSS., 34436.

989 Ibid.

990 “Auckland Journals,” ii, 382.

991 B.M. Add. MSS., 34436. Auckland to Leeds, 15th March 1791; also in “F. O.,” Holland, 34 (received on 19th March).

992 Pitt MSS., 337.

993 B.M. Add. MSS., 34436.

994 “Mems. of Sir R. M. Keith,” ii, 367–70, 379.

995 “F. O.,” Prussia, 20. Jackson to Leeds, 9th March. See Heidrich, “Preussen im Kampfe gegen die Franz. Revolution” (1908), ch. i, for the causes of the double face worn by Prussian policy at this time.

996 “F. O.,” Prussia, 20. Jackson to Leeds, 11th March 1791 (received 19th March).

997 “Leeds Mem.,” 150–2.

998 Leeds to Jackson, 27th March 1791. Russia then was seeking to form an alliance with Sweden and Denmark with a view to declaring the Baltic a mare clausum (“F. O.,” Russia, 20. Whitworth to Leeds, 25th March 1791).

999 “F. O.,” Russia, 20. Leeds to Whitworth, 27th March 1791.

1000 “F. O.,” Holland, 34. Pitt to Auckland, 27th March.

1001 Contrast with this the admission of Storer: “Our taxes have proved this year beyond example productive” (“Auckland Journals,” ii, 389).

1002 See Burke’s “Correspondence,” iii, 268, where he calls Ewart “a little, busy, meddling man, little heard of till lately.”

1003 “Parl. Hist.,” xxix, 33–79.

1004 Earl Stanhope (ii, 115) does not give the last figures, which show that the Ministry regained ground on 15th April.

1005 “Auckland Journals,” ii, 388.

1006 Pitt to Ewart, 24th May 1791; Stanhope, ii, 116; Tomline, iii, 260.

1007 “F. O.,” Holland, 34.

1008 “F. O.,” Denmark, 13. Drake to Leeds, 12th March.

In B.M. Add. MSS., 34436, I have found proofs that Auckland on 19th March forwarded by special packet duplicates of the proposals described above, adding his own comments to them, of course in a favourable sense. They probably reached Whitehall about 24th March, but by that time the Cabinet’s bellicose decision had gone to Windsor and received the King’s assent.

1009 “Leeds Mem.,” 157, 158; also despatch of 31st March to Jackson, in “F. O.,” Prussia, 20.

1010 From Major-General Sir Spencer Ewart’s MSS.

1011 From Major-General Sir Spencer Ewart’s MSS.

1012 “Keith Mems.,” ii, 219, 228.

1013 “Dropmore P.,” ii, 54–6; Dr. Hunt, “Pol. Hist. of England,” x, 328.

1014 “F. O.,” Prussia, 21. Grenville to Ewart, 20th April 1791. The details given above refute Sorel’s statement (ii, 208) that Pitt changed front brusquement, and charged Fawkener to say that he would give way about Oczakoff.

1015 Dembinski, i, 449.

1016 Vivenot, i, 126–37, 172–6; Clapham “Causes of the War of 1792,” ch. iv; “Keith’s Mems.,” ii, 436–41, 448. So, too, Whitworth to Leeds, 22nd April 1791: “Count Cobenzl continues buoying them [the Russians] up with the hopes of his Court taking a part in the war” (“F. O.,” Russia, 20).

1017 B.M. Add. MSS., 34438. The despatches printed in Vivenot (i, 172–81) show that the arrival of Bischoffswerder at Milan on 11th June helped to thwart the efforts of Lord Elgin. Elgin suggested to Pitt on 15th June that, if war broke out, he could convict the Emperor of hindering the pacification (Pitt MSS., 132).

1018 “F. O.,” Prussia, 21. Ewart to Grenville, 13th May.

1019 “F. O.,” Russia, 21. Grenville to Fawkener, 6th May; “F. O.,” Poland, 5. Hailes to Grenville, 19th May. Yet as late as 6th July Grenville informed Ewart that in the last resort England would fight on behalf of Prussia, though Ewart was to work hard to avert war (“Dropmore P.,” ii, 124).

1020 “Dropmore P.,” ii, 93, 94. Ewart to Grenville, 8th June. Hertzberg’s influence was lessened by the addition of Schulenberg and Alvensleben to the Foreign Department at Berlin early in May.

1021 B.M. Add. MSS., 34437. Liston to Grenville, 27th May 1791.

1022 “F. O.,” Russia, 21. Fawkener and Whitworth to Grenville, 19th, 27th, 31st May, 18th and 21st June. So, too, Ewart wrote to Grenville, on 18th June (after receiving news from St. Petersburg): “No answer will be given (by the Russian Ministers) to the Allies till after the return of the last messenger to London, for the purpose of knowing if they might rely with certainty on the English Government being unable to take active measures in any case” (“F. O.,” Prussia, 21).

1023 “Memorials of Fox,” ii, 383–7.

1024 Pitt MSS., 337; Tomline, iii, 308–12.

1025 “Auckland Journals,” ii, 388.

1026 “F. O.,” Russia, 20. 2nd May. “I have long thought Woronzow decidedly and personally hostile to the present Government in England, and am persuaded that he suggested the idea of employing Mr. Adair as an envoy from Mr. Fox to the Empress.” Grenville to Auckland, 1st August 1791. (B.M. Add. MSS., 34439.)

1027 B.M. Add. MSS., 34438.

1028 “F. O.,” Russia, 22. Whitworth to Grenville, 5th August.

1029 B.M. Add. MSS., 34438. Wraxall (i, 202; ii, 34) thought Fox deserved impeachment for sending Adair.

1030 “Parl. Hist.,” xxix, 849–1000. Whitbread’s motion was finally negatived by 244 to 116 (1st March 1792).

1031 Vivenot, i, 547; Martens, v, 244–9.

1032 B.M. Add. MSS., 34438.

1033 “F. O.,” Poland, 5. Hailes to Grenville, 5th May, along with a letter by a Polish deputy.

1034 Burke, “Appeal from the New to the Old Whigs.” Burke did not see that by fighting Russia’s battle in Parliament, he was helping to undermine the liberties of Poland.

1035 “F. O.,” Poland, 5. Grenville to Hailes, 25th May.

1036 “Keith Mems.,” ii, 448, 449.

1037 Dembinski, i, 451. Hertzberg to Lucchesini, 7th May 1791.

1038 “F. O.,” Prussia, 21. Ewart to Grenville, 25th June. For Bischofffswerder’s second mission to Vienna see Sybel, bk. ii, ch. vi.

1039 Martens, v, 262–71.

1040 I am indebted to Major-General Sir Spencer Ewart for these particulars and for permission to copy and publish these letters of Pitt. The poison story first became current in one of Fox’s letters published in the “Mems. of Fox.” For letters of Dr. Ewart at Bath on his brother’s affairs see “Dropmore P.,” ii, 181, 253, 256.

1041 Pitt MSS., 102.

1042 “F. O.,” Poland, 5. Hailes to Grenville, 21st August 1791.

1043 Herrmann, “Geschichte Russlands,” vi, 445.