The minister, in the affection of
his heart for peace, readily joined in conference, and a declaration and
counter-declaration were cooked up at Versailles, and sent to London for
approbation. They were approved, arrived here at one o'clock the 27th,
were signed that night at Versailles, and on the next day, I had the
honor of enclosing them to you, under cover to the Count de Moustier,
whom I supposed still at Brest, dating my letter as of the 27th, by
mistake for the 28th. Lest, however, these papers should not have got to
Brest before the departure of the Count de Moustier, I now enclose you
other copies. The English declaration states a notification of this
court, in September, by Barthelemy, their minister at London, 'that
they would send succors into Holland,' as the first cause of England's
arming; desires an explanation of the intentions of this court, as to
the affairs of Holland, and proposes to disarm; on condition, however,
that the King of France shall not retain any hostile views in any
quarter, for what has been done in Holland. This last phrase was to
secure Prussia, according to promise.
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