ΧΙΙΙ.

tice thus to involve innocent individuals, igno- BOOK rant of the disputes of monarchs, or the affairs of nations, in the depth of distress and ruin, by 1761. the indiscriminate confiscation of their property." Together with this memorial, M. de Bussy delivered to the English minister another of a very extraordinary nature, importing that the disputes subsisting between England and Spain gave his most Christian majesty cause to apprehend a new war in Europe and America, unless they could be now adjusted: that his Catholic majesty had communicated to the court of Versailles the chief points of discussion, namely, the restitution of some ships taken in the course of the war under Spanish colours, the liberty claimed by the Spanish nation to fish on the banks of Newfoundland, and the settlements made by the English on the Spanish territories in the Bay of Honduras. His most Christian majesty therefore passionately desired, that these differences might be amicably terminated, and that the king of Spain should be invited to guaranty the treaty between the two crowns; because, if these differences were the means of kindling a new war, the most Christian king would be obliged to perform his engagements to his allies. These memorials were accompanied with a third declaration, signifying that the empress queen had consented to a separate peace be

BOOK tween England and France on these terms only :

XIII.

that France should for her benefit keep pos1761. session of the countries conquered in her name, and as her ally, from the king of Prussia; and that the king of Great Britain should no longer afford assistance either in money or troops to the king of Prussia, in like manner as France should be restricted with respect to the empress queen. The indiscretion of these memorials, containing demands thus novel and offensive, was so flagrant, that many persons scrupled not to brand the entire proceedings of the court of Versailles with the most insidious duplicity; though it appeared sufficiently evident to the intelligent and impartial, that the impolicy of her conduct arose from her extreme anxiety for peace, and a too sanguine hope that the prospect of an eventual rupture with Spain would induce Great Britain to relax the rigor of her terms. The resentment and indignation of the court of London at this invidious and unexpected interposition seemed to know no bounds. Mr. secretary Pitt declared, both verbally and in writing, to M. de Bussy, that the king of Great Britain would not suffer the disputes with Spain to be mixed, in any shape whatsoever, with the negotiations for peace now depending with France, and that all further mention of such an idea would be considered as offensive to his dignity: and the right of France

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at any time to intermeddle in like discussions BOOK between England and Spain was denied with the most positive disdain. Upon these grounds 1761. M. de Bussy was informed, that the king of England had ordered the memorial concerning Spain to be returned as totally inadmissible; and also the memorial relating to the king of Prussia, as affecting the honor of Great Britain, and the unshaken fidelity with which his majesty will fulfil his engagements with his allies. The court of Versailles now became fully sensible of the ill consequences that might result from this false, perhaps fatal step. In a subsequent memorial, therefore, she condescended to apologize for proposing a discussion of the points in dispute with Spain, and declared her readiness to make new concessions for the purpose of accomplishing the desirable end of general pacification. In reply, a paper was transmitted to Mr. Stanley, containing the ultimatum of the English courtinsisting upon the entire cession of Canada and its dependencies; of Cape Breton and the other islands in the Gulf of St. Laurence; of the settlements of Goree and Senegal, in Africa; a partition of the neutral islands; the restoration of Minorca; the demolition of Dunkirk; satisfaction to the East-India company; the evacuation of Ostend and Nieuport; the restitution of Cleves, Wesel, Gueldres; and in general of all

BOOK the territories belonging to the king of Prussia and XIII. the other allies of Great Britain. The king of 1761. England also left himself at full liberty to assist

his Prussian majesty according to the terms of the subsisting treaties. With respect to the prizes taken after the commencement of hostilities, though before the formality of declaring war, his Britannic majesty persisted in his opinion, that such a demand on the part of France was neither just nor defensible. Should France comply with these propositions, the court of London declared its readiness to restore to France her conquests of Belleisle and Guadaloupe, and to admit the subjects of his most Christian majesty to a participation of the Newfoundland fishery, agreeably to the thirteenth article of the treaty of Utrecht, and to cede the small island of St. Pierre, on certain conditions, as a harbour for the fishermen. These severe terms France, in the ultimatum on her part, dated September 13, 1761, accepted with little variation, excepting that she refused to recede from her claim of restitution respecting the capture of merchant ships captured previous to the declaration of war; and that his most Christian majesty asserted it to be not in his power, agreeably to the stipulations by which he was already engaged, to evacuate the countries belonging to the empress

XIII.

1761.

To this memorial the court of London deigned BOOK not to reply; and the ministers Stanley and Bussy, this ineffectual negotiation being at length terminated, returned to their respective homes. Notwithstanding the immediate withdrawment of the memorial respecting Spain, and the declaration of France, that the offence given to the English court was perfectly unintentional, much anger and resentment remained, which now indeed appeared chiefly directed against the court of Madrid: and the English minister, of a disposition naturally bold and peremptory, and whom a long course of prosperity had rendered haughty and presumptuous, transmitted instructions to the earl of Bristol, the ambassador of England at the court of Spain, to require from his Catholic majesty an explicit declaration as to the authority by which the French minister acted, in presenting a memorial in the name of the king of Spain, which, to use the language of the English secretary, "best spoke its own enormity;" and in case it should be avowed by the court of Madrid, to remonstrate with energy and firmness the unexampled irregularity of such proceedings, and to declare his majesty's immoveable determination not to add facilities for the satisfaction of that court, in consideration of any intimation on the part of a hostile power of union in councils, or of present