the East Indies to Europe under some particular circumstances, gave rise to a new negotiation of peace, the first advances being made by the Duke of Choiseul. They were carried on for a considerable time very boldly and very secretly by Lord Bute without any other person, through the Count de Viri,[1] who was mediator, as the other Sardinian Ambassador was with M. de Choiseul at Paris.[2] The Count de Viri was really a politician, he professed it, thought of nothing else; was an artful, assiduous, observant, prudent man; had the greatest spirit of intrigue that can be conceived perpetually working, with a good deal of experience, having been in two republics before, Berne and Holland; he had been here for five years, and knew everybody perfectly, and was well with everybody: but Lord Bute and his brother were perfectly known by him in every respect as to their tempers, their views, and their abilities, and he knew, therefore, what was for their interests much better than they did themselves. The style this was carried on in till such time as Lord Bute opened it to the Council must do Lord Bute the greatest honour as a Minister. It is not fair to examine too nicely how far accident on either side helped, or how far the abilities of Count Viri, or even the very failings of Lord Bute's character might have led him thus far in it, but in affairs of this high nature the event ought to go a great way, as it would have operated on the judgments of most very strongly if it had through any accident failed. Happy that the plant was strong in its first appearance, else it must have quickly drooped, for Lord Bute's abilities were by no means so successful in the arrangements he had made at home as they were in the negociations he was carrying on abroad. The Council, though now entirely composed of persons of his creating almost, or at least more than preferring, and loaded with
- ↑ This secret negotiation began on November 17th, 1761, and continued with intervals till May 22nd, 1763. There is a copy of the correspondence in the Lansdowne House MSS., partly in cypher.
- ↑ M. le Bailli Solar de Breille. Lord Chesterfield writes as follows: " This however is certain, that in all Courts and Congresses, where there are foreign Ministers, those of the King of Sardinia are generally the ablest, politest and les plus delies."—Letters (ed. Bradshaw), i. 172, November 18th, 1748.
