Sir, be excusable for troubling you with this letter, even if I had no other motive than my desire of assuring you, that nothing could give me more real satisfaction than your favourable opinion of me. I hope I shall not offend if I presume still farther, in making use of this opportunity, to explain to you my thoughts upon the subject.

I did once, as you may possibly remember, intend offering my services in the department of foreign affairs; but as no person was then sent to the court for which I was designed, and as I was during that interval re-elected into parliament, I engaged myself in a different course of business. The plan I had once proposed for myself being thus totally altered, I laid aside any views relative to that branch of public affairs, till the incident I have just mentioned suggested what I now take the liberty of imparting to you.

I feel how disagreeable, and I know how ungraceful, it is to speak of oneself; but as I have received so high an encouragement as that of finding myself at all in your thoughts, I hope you will not conclude that I am guilty of vanity, if I say that my application to the law of nations, as well as to the understanding of their various treaties, interests, and pretensions, has been neither merely occasional, nor entirely superficial. As I have been several times in France, and once resided two years at Paris, I not only possess their language with sufficient readiness and accuracy, but I have had opportunities of being introduced

to their men of business, of cultivating useful acquaintance, and of acquiring some information with regard to that country. I can even flatter myself, that I was considered there with some degree of esteem; and, as a proof that this opinion is not founded merely upon my own imagination, I shall mention, that when I went there for a few weeks, just before the breaking out of the war, I was applied to by their ministry, as a person with whom they would choose to confer on the state of affairs between us and them, and was offered a communication of the papers that had passed between the two courts.

If, in the course of any future negotiations that may possibly occur with France, you should, Sir, for these, or any other reasons, be disposed to employ me there, with or without a public character, I shall be ready to undertake that office, with the confidence of a man who conceives himself to be not wholly unqualified, and I shall very zealously attach and devote myself to those ideas you suggest to me.

I am the more emboldened to open myself to you, Sir, in this manner, because those who know the nature of these commissions cannot be ignorant, that they are not to be sought from any hope of emolument; though, at the same time, I confess myself not to be indifferent to a step wherein, by my secrecy, fidelity, and diligence, I may obtain your esteem, and the favour of my sovereign. I know, Sir, that an employment of this importance

ought neither to be asked, nor to be conferred, as a personal favour. I shall not at all repine at seeing it committed to other hands. I think myself already highly obliged to you, for having thought of me: I shall be still more so, for the continuance of the same good opinion.

I have nothing to add, but that I shall remain entirely silent upon this subject, till I receive any orders with which you may think proper to honour

me.

I am, with great respect, Sir,

Your most obedient,

most humble servant,

H. STANLEY. (')

SIR JAMES GRAY (2) TO MR. PITT.

(Private.)

SIR,

Naples, May 19, 1761.

THE Marquis Tenucci (3) tells me, that his Catholic Majesty writes him, that he thinks himself hardly treated in the negotiation of Honduras, particularly

(1) On the 24th of May, Mr. Stanley was sent to Paris, on the part of the King of England, to treat of the preliminaries of peace.

(2) British envoy-extraordinary at the court of Naples. In 1767, Sir James was appointed ambassador to the court of Madrid, and remained there till 1770. While attending the levee at St. James's, on the 10th of January 1773, he was seized with a fit, and died on the following morning.

(3) See p. 40.

by the refusing to give a more satisfactory answer than that contained in the letter to the Earl of Bristol; the adhering to which measure he ascribes entirely to your influence in council, the Conde de Fuentes having written him, that having by order pressed you for a different answer, you had said, with some warmth, "that if it depended upon you, no other answer should be given;" that although he, his Catholic Majesty, had caused several confidential communications to be made through the Marquis Tenucci, "the surest channel he could make use of to convey his thoughts," (these the Marquis assured me are the words of his Catholic Majesty) no notice had been taken of them; which convinced him, that you have some dislike to him and his alliance, and that he has little to hope from the friendship of England during your ministry; that your intentions seemed to be, to delay adjusting those differences till the peace, which he should look upon as a denial.

The Marquis, after telling me the above, said he was persuaded, could he have the honour of an hour's talk with you, he could convince you of the expediency of finishing forthwith the affair of Honduras, and entering into a closer union with Spain; that otherwise you will leave a door open to France, who will certainly endeavour to unite with Spain after the peace, when he supposes there

will be an end of the alliance between the courts of Vienna and Versailles. I am thoroughly persuaded of the Marquis Tenucci's sincere desire to

see the most perfect harmony and friendship established between England and Spain, and that he will co-operate willingly towards it, and certainly can; having undoubtedly a greater share than any of the Spanish ministers in the confidence of his Catholic Majesty, who has the highest opinion of his probity, capacity, and zeal for his service.

I trust, Sir, you will pardon the frankness with which I have related the sentiments of the King of Spain. I well know that the frowns or smiles of princes will avail nothing with you, where the public good is concerned; but if the monarch is in an error, as I have taken the liberty to insist that he is, these lights, I flatter myself, may be of use in your future transactions with that court. am, with great truth and respect, dear Sir, Your most obliged and

most obedient humble servant,

I

J. GRAY.

MR. PITT TO SIR RICHARD LYTTELTON.

MY DEAR SIR,

[May -, 1761.]

I AM happy in being able to convey to you a proof how much your health interests your friends here, and to be authorised to let you understand that merit, though absent, is not out of the thoughts of the most gracious of sovereigns and