sentative of France in England, now employed all his diplomatic skill to gain time, in order to convince those with whom he had to negotiate that his intentions were strictly pacific. The English Embassy in Spain was vacant, and the Earl of Rochfort had been just appointed to Paris. "The three articles," writes Shelburne to Chatham, who was again ill, "proposed to be added to the instructions given the former Ambassador, will convey to your Lordship the general line of what I took the liberty to recommend more particularly to his attention. The article of Dunkirk I found very strongly stated in the former instructions. The Duke of Richmond made Dunkirk his road. Lord Rochfort begs not to do this; as he said it was the first thing that disgusted not only the Court but the people of France against the Duke of Richmond; but that he will be very ready to go some time hence from Paris to examine the state of it.
"I took care to lay before the King the contents of your Lordship's last letter. It had come round to the King that if a nobleman was not sent to Spain, Prince Masserano would be recalled in order to send a man of inferior rank.[1] This, as well as other considerations, has made the King very desirous that some nobleman should be found, and made General Conway think of Lord Hillsborough. I cannot say it met my idea, not because I do not think Lord Hillsborough most extremely fit, but I am convinced, all things considered, that he will also decline; but as the King put it upon my saying that his affairs might suffer from a delay of ten days, and that otherwise he thought it convenient for his service that the offer should go, having stated my opinion I did not think my objection of weight enough to urge it further."[2]
The projected appointment was most distasteful to Chatham. He begged that when the offer was made, Lord Hillsborough should be informed that it did not come "with his advice or suggestion," since, had he judged that Lord Hillsborough could be spared from the royal
