VII. Yorke à Holdemesse

La Haye, 14 mars 1760.

Secret.

My présent situation is so very délicate, that I am sensible I stand in need of the utmost indulgence, which I hope I shall continue to find from His Majesty's unbounded goodness, and that your Lordship is convinced that what ever I say or do, has no other motive but the advantage of the Kings service. As it has pleased His Majesty to convey to France his sentiments in gênerai upon the situation of affairs in Europe and to express, by me, His wishes for restoring the publick tranquillity, I suppose that the Court of Versailles imagines the same channel may be the proper one for addressing it self to that of England. This is at least the most natural way of accounting for the pains taken by France to employ any body to talk to me.

Your Lordship knows the history of that extraordinary man, known by the name of Count S*- Germain,

1) Madame de Pompadour.

') Cf. Polit. Correap. Friedr. d. Qr. t. XIX. p. 198.

1760. Mars— Ami.] — 270 —

who resided some times in England, where he did nothing, and has within thèse 2 or 3 years resided in France, where he has been upon the most familiar footing with the French King, Madame de Pompadour, Maréchal de Belle-isle, etc. etc.; which has procured him a grant of the royal castle of Chambord, and has enabled him to make a certain figure in that country. If I don't mistake I once mentioned this phaenomenon to Your Lordship in a private letter.

This man is, within this fortnight, arrived in this country. He appeared for some days at Amsterdam, where he was much caressed and talked of; and upon the marriage of Princess Caroline *) alighted at the Hague. The same curiosity created the same attention to him hère. His volubility of tongue furnished him with hearers; his freedom upon ail subjects ail kinds of suppositions, amongst which his being sent about a peace not the last. Mr. d*Affry treats him with respect and attention, but is very jealous of him. For my part, I took no notice and did not so much as renew my acquaintance with him. He called however at my door; I returned his visit and yesterday he desired to speak to me in the afternoon, but did not come as he appointed, and therefore he renewed his application this moruing and was admitted.

He began immediately to run on about the bad state of France, their want of peace and their désire to make it, and his own ambition to contribute to an event so désirable for humanity in gênerai. He ruD on about his prédilection for England and Prussia, which he pretended at présent made him a good friend to France.

As I knew so much of this man and did not

>) Le mariage fut célébré le 6 mars 1760.

— 271 — (1760. Mars— Avril.

chuse to enter into conversation without being better inforraed, I affected at first to be very grave and dry, told him that those affairs were too délicate to be treated between persons who had no vocation, and therefore desired to know what he meant. I suppose this style was irksome to him: immediately afterwards he produced to me, by way of credentials, 2 letters from Maréchal de Belle-isle, one dated the 4*^, the other the 26'^'^ of February. In the first he sends him the French King's passport en blanc for him to fill up; in the second he expresses great impatience to hear from him and in both runs out in praises of his zeal, his ability and the hopes that are founded on what he is gone about. I hâve no doubt of the authenticity of those 2 letters.

After perusing them and some commonplace compliments I asked him to explain himself, which he did as follows.

The King, the Dauphin, Madame de Pompadour and ail the Court and nation, except the Duc de Choiseul and M"^ Berryer \ désire peace with England. They can*t do otherwise, for their interior requires it. They want to know the real sentiments of Ëngland. They wish to make up matters with some honour. M' d'AflEry is not in the secret and the Duc de Choiseul is so Austrian, that he does not tell ail he receives; but that signifies nothing, for he will be turned out. Madame de Pompadour is not Austrian, but is not firm, because she does not know what to trust to. If she is sure of peace, she will become so. It is she and the Maréchal de Belle-isle, with the French King's knowledge, who send S*^ Germain, as the forlorn hope. Spain is not relied upon. That is a

*) Ministre de la marine.

1760. Mars— Avril.] 272 —

turn given by the Duc de Choiseul and they don*t prétend to expect much good from that quarter.

This and much more was advanced by this political adventurer. I felt myself in a great doubt, whether I should enter into conversation. But as I am convinced he is really sent as he says, I thought I should not be disapproved, if I talked in gênerai terras. I therefore told him, that the Kings désire for peace was sincère and that there could be no doubt of it, since we had made the proposai in the middle of our success, which had much increased since. That with our allies the affair was easy, without them impossible, and that France knew our situation too well, to want such information from me. That, as to particulars, we must be convinced of their désire, before they could be touched upon, and that besides I was not informed. I talked of the dépendance of France upon the Empresses and the disagreable prospect before them, even if the King of Prussia was unfortunate, but declined going any further than the most gênerai, tho' the most positive, assurances of a désire of peace on his Majesty's part.

As the conversation grew more animated, I asked him what France had felt the most for in her losses, whether it was Canada? „No", he said, „for they felt it had cost them 36 millions and brought no return." — «Guadeloupe?'' „They could never stop the peace for that, as they would hâve sugar enough without it/' — „The Eeast-Indies ?" — „That," he said, „wa8 the sore place, as it was connected with ail their money-affairs." I asked him what they said of Dunkirk? „Made no difficulty to demolish it and that I might dépend upon it." — He then asked me, what we thought about Minorca. I answer'd that we had forgot it, at least nobody ever men*

— 273 — [1760. Mars— Avril.

tioned it. — „That'*, sayd he, „l hâve told them over and over again and they are embarrassed with the expence,"

This is the material part of what past in the course of 3 hours conversation, which I promised to relate. He begged the secret might be kept and he should go to Amsterdam and to Rotterdam, till he knew whether I had any auswer. Which I neither encouraged nor discouraged him from expecting.

I humbly hope His Majesty will not disapprove what I hâve done. It is not easy to conduct one self under such circumstances, tho' I can, as easily, break of intercourse as I hâve taken it up. The King seemed desirous to open the door for peace and France seems in great want of it.

The oportunity looks favourable and I shall wait for orders, before I stirr a step further. A gênerai congress seems not to their taste and they seem willing to go further than they care to say, but they would be glad of some offer. His most Christian Majesty and the lady are a little indolent in taking a resolution.