agreeable to the intention of the royal author, that his work should come into the hands of his best friends, in order to destroy the impression which a false edition of the same book, published some months ago, may have made upon the public. (') I have the honour to be, with the greatest respect, Sir, Your most obedient and most humble servant, ANDREW MITCHELL. PRINCE FERDINAND OF BRUNSWICK TO MR. PITT. MONSIEUR, 'A Wavern, ce 23 de Mai, 1760. J'AI eu la satisfaction de reçevoir la lettre que votre Excellence m'a fait l'honneur de m'écrire en date du 6o. (2) Cela a été une surprise bien agréable, que celle de la nouvelle du renfort que vous m'annoncez.(3) Moins je comptois sur ce secours, (1) In a letter to Lord Holdernesse, of the 16th of March, Mr. Mitchell says:-"I hear there has been lately surreptitiously printed at Amsterdam a book, of which your Lordship may be curious to have a copy, as it is the King of Prussia's writing. The copies have been seized at Amsterdam by order, but one bale is sent over to Scheyfert, a bookseller in London. Voltaire and others, that had copies from the King of Prussia, are suspected of this infidelity. The title is 'Oeuvres du Philosophe de Sans Souci à Potzdam.'' Mitchell MSS. (2) On this day Prince Ferdinand, by his proxy sir Charles Cottrell Dormer, and likewise the marquis of Rockingham and earl Temple, had been installed knights of the garter at Windsor. (3) On the 15th of the month, six regiments of foot, com plus j'en suis charmé, et plus je souhaite de le rendre aussi utile que possible à la bonne cause. Si l'impression qu'il a fait sur l'esprit de tout le monde peut être acceptée comme un augure de l'avenir, je n'en puis pas désirer des meilleurs, ni m'empêcher de concevoir de bonnes espérances. Je suis inviolablement avec cette parfaite et haute considération, que vous me connoissez pour vous, Monsieur, de votre Excellence, Le très humble et très obéissant serviteur, FERDINAND DUC DE BRUNSWIC MR. PITT TO LADY HESTER PITT. Friday morning, [June, 1760.] JOIN, my love, with me in most humble and grateful thanks to the Almighty. The siege of Quebec was raised on the 17th of May, with every happy circumstance. The enemy left their camp standing, abandoned forty pieces of cannon, &c. Swanton arrived there in the Vanguard on the 15th, and destroyed all the French shipping, six or seven in number. Happy, happy day! My joy and hurry are inexpressible. W. PITT. manded by major-general Griffin, had sailed to join the Prince. Elliot's regiment of light horse soon followed them. At the opening of the campaign, the British army in Germany amounted to twenty-two thousand men. THE DUKE OF NEWCASTLE TO MR. PITT. DEAR SIR, Kensington, Tuesday, past two. [June 3, 1760.] I HOPE I have obeyed all your commands to your satisfaction. I was last night above an hour with the Spanish ambassador (') and the ambassadress. I like them both very well. well. They seem mighty good humoured, and extremely well disposed. (2) I had nothing but general discourse, and general professions of good intentions; which were as strong, and seemingly as sincere, as possible. The ambassador did very well in his audience, as far as I could hear; but he spoke his speech so very low, that neither the King nor I could hear it. I think there was something that tended to his master's desire to promote peace; but my hearing of it was so imperfect, and the King heard nothing relative to it, that I may very well mistake. (1) The Count de Fuentes. (2) In describing a ball given by Miss Chudleigh, on the 4th of June, the Prince of Wales's birth-day, Horace Walpole says: "The new Spanish embassy was there. M. de Fuentes is a halfpenny print of Lord H * * * * ; his wife homely, but seems good-humoured and civil; the son does not degenerate from such high-born ugliness. They seem to have no curiosity, sit where they are placed, and ask no questions about so strange a country." Indeed, the ambassadress could see nothing; for Dodington stood before her the whole time, sweating Spanish at her; of which it was evident, by her civil nods without answers, she did not understand a word. She speaks bad French, danced a bad minuet, and went away." His own professions I heard; they were so strong, that he said he had the King's interest as much at heart as his own master's. The King outdid himself, both with regard to the King of Spain, and to his ambassador. His Majesty expressed his desire to cultivate that intimate relation with Spain, which had been, and ought always to be, and his knowledge of, and dependance upon, the ambas'sador's good intentions. His Majesty ordered me afterwards to see how the ambassador was pleased with him. To the highest degree; he said he was confounded with the King's goodness; that he should be a faithful reporter, jusqu'à la moindre syllabe. I gave him a hint not to mind what might be intimated, and begged he would rely only upon what the King and his ministers said to him. He seemed to understand me, and to answer very properly. His D'Abreu had also his audience, in which the King behaved as well, — with great dignity, firmness, and politeness; and thus ends my secrétariat ('), except when you have any commands for me. Majesty inquired very kindly after you. I told him you were better, and I hope you continue to mend. I am, dear Sir, ever most sincerely yours, HOLLES NEWCASTLE. (1) During the temporary absence of the Earl of Holdernesse from London. ARTHUR VILLETTES, ESQ. (1) TO MR. PITT. (Very secret.) SIR, Berne, June 29, 1760. I HAVE been absent from home eight days, having been invited to meet an uncle of my wife's at a house of his on the borders of the lake of Geneva, that we might confer together on a subject which he hinted to me was of the greatest consequence, and by no means to be trusted to the ordinary post. This gentleman, Mr. Jasper Sellon, has lived thirty years in England, and most part of that time in the greatest intimacy with the late Sir Luke Schaub, and having acquired no inconsiderable fortune in trade, he is of late years retired to Geneva, which is the place of his birth; but he has still retained a sincere attachment to, and an honest zeal for, the interests and welfare of Great Britain. He has a brother who has long resided at Paris, and who, besides the private concerns of his own, which he manages there, is employed in a public character, as the republic of Geneva's minister to the court of France. In this station he has acquired no small degree of esteem and confidence with the Duke of Choiseul, with whom, particularly since the rumours of a peace, that have been the general topic of discourse for some (1) British minister to the Swiss cantons. The original of this letter is in cipher. |