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The Hon. Sir Charles Stewart to Mr. Edward Cooke.

Chatillon, February 6, 1814. My dear Cooke-I know you will be very eager just now, and I wish I had time to write to you as fully and as confidentially as I wish. But, as this goes by Calais, I cannot say much. However, I see no objection to send you my Minute of Conference, which, I believe, is nearly cerbatim of what passed as I write quick, I took all down, and Aberdeen has made his report from it. Of course, I make none; and my part puts me in mind of some play, where three conspirators stalk in, muffled up in cloaks, and sit down, and two remain very quietly on the bench, while the one who is to perform gets up and makes his speech, and stabs the King.

The two last defeats were very decided: that at Brienne, by old Blücher, most glorious, considering his numbers, and the superiority of the enemy. That at La Routière was of most importance, from the immense loss of cannon to the enemy. I know not why we have fewer prisoners than usual on such great days.

Bonaparte has taken up ground at Troyes. He makes front also in the countries of Vitry and Chaillons. I have no doubt what might be done, but it is difficult to pronounce what will. You will hear the Allies are moving to their left, to Barsur-Seine, this day. This may be changed to-morrow—m'entendez-vous? Nothing has appeared as yet to show he is not de facto what he appears. The legions still stick by him. To do them justice, they fought well the other day.

You know what chimeras are in the cauldron about C. J.: his remuant spirit, aided, as it tacitly is, in a certain quarter, is not to be overlooked. Still, if we could force our own opinions and wishes by other instruments, it would be glorious. But how much do we risk! The House of Hanover is not to be slighted; and what has been sent home annexed in his own handwriting on M.'s travail should be well weighed. I am of

opinion, if we have entered fairly, we should prudently, but not precipitately, pursue the act of entering into Conference with him; extinguishing in some degree what would be most our object to see in a flame. I like bold measures, and hate chicane; and indeed I do not understand its depth. A part is playing here in a great quarter I don't approve: still I am silenced by superior judgment. How much I extricated our commencement and entanglement God only knows!-once in a strong degree committed, without an unexpected convulsion, how depart? It is not sound to do so on slight and feigned pretences. I think C. set out with this; but, I believe, your despatch from England, L. and B.'s longings for things as they were, have made him rather wink at what is the evident driving in another quarter. A. is for pressing; R. for holding. We are a little passive.

This is all I can say; and I hope you will make it out. I don't care how soon things are at an end here. Let me hear from you by every messenger; tell me real opinions. Will you be satisfied with old F. and B? I think we can get this: indeed, from yesterday's appearances, we have only to dictate. You may write some words in cipher, if you send by Calais. Believe me ever most affectionately yours,

CHARLES STEWART.

Lord Castlereagh to A. Horne, Esq.

Chatillon sur Seine, February 6, 1814. Sir-As, in the present state of the Continent, the Prince Regent is enabled to re-establish a regular diplomatic intercourse with the different States, I am to acquaint you that his Royal Highness has no further occasion for the services of persons not regularly accredited. I cannot, however, make this communication to you without adding the expression of my entire satisfaction with the zeal and activity which you have uniformly displayed in the discharge of the several duties. which have been entrusted to you.

Under these circumstances, if you have any wishes of a personal nature, I have to request that you will address yourself to Mr. Cooke, at the Foreign Office in London.

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Lord Castlereagh to Lord Clancarty.

Chatillon sur Seine, February 8, 1814. My Lord I have the honour to transmit to your lordship, under a flying seal, a despatch which I have this day addressed to the Earl of Liverpool, upon the subject of the military arrangements which it may be expedient to make for the defence of Holland.

Your lordship is at liberty to take a copy of this despatch, (so far as it relates to that point) and you will use your discretion in communicating the substance of that extract to the Prince of Orange; although I have reason to believe that the sentiments of the Prince Regent's Government upon this important subject do not differ from those which I have expressed. Your communication to the Prince of Orange respecting it must be made in the strictest confidence, until you shall receive (as you probably will at an early period) more precise and definitive instructions from England.

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Lord Castlereagh to Sir George Burgman.

Chatillon sur Seine, February 8, 1814. Sir I have received from Count Nesselrode, the Russian Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, the official notification that his Imperial Majesty the Emperor of Russia has appointed M. de Gervais his commissioner for transacting all affairs connected with the Federative Paper lately established by the Allied Courts.

This gentleman has been directed by his Government to

proceed to Amsterdam, and I hereby authorize you to enter into official communication with him, on his arrival there, upon all the subjects relating to the important business with which you are charged.

I have, &c.,

CASTLEREAGH.

Lord Castlereagh to Edward Thornton, Esq.

Chatillon sur Seine, February 8, 1814. Sir-As there is reason to suppose that the Prince Royal will arrive on the Rhine, and that his army will be assembling in that quarter about the middle of the month, I deem it expedient that you should proceed, without loss of time, to his Royal Highness's head-quarters.

You will not disguise from the Prince Royal the disappointment, or rather the dissatisfaction, which was produced by his Royal Highness's movements, with the great mass of his force, to the Elbe, instead of to the Rhine, as he undertook to do when at Leipsick; the effect of which divergence from the main operation was to put the enemy in a situation to defend the Dutch fortresses and the Low Countries, which must otherwise have fallen without a blow.

You may state that your Court could have the better reconciled themselves to this departure from the understood principle upon which the campaign was to be conducted, if the necessity for it, on any grounds of Swedish policy, had been openly avowed, and if the various assurances transmitted through you, that it was not his Royal Highness's intention to carry the mass of his army to conquer Norway in Holstein, had not proved successively illusory.

Having done justice to the grounds on which your Court could not conceal their dissatisfaction, you will acquaint the Prince Royal that the British Government is not the less disposed to cultivate an intimate union with Sweden; that they rejoice in the prosperous result of his Royal Highness's campaign; that they have cheerfully made the sacrifices to Denmark

necessary to secure the cession of Norway to Sweden. With respect to the Prince Royal himself, you may assure him that they are willing to give to what is past the most favourable construction, and to concert their views, with respect to the future interests of both States, cordially with his Royal Highness.

You may state to the Prince Royal that their first wish is that his Royal Highness would actually direct the force under his orders to the reduction of the military power of the enemy; being assured that the Allies have no disposition to impose upon France any terms of peace inconsistent with the honour or interests of the French nation, fairly understood.

You may represent to his Royal Highness, with respect to the British troops in Holland, that they have already been sent as an auxiliary force, and placed under the orders of the Prince of Orange; that the composition of the force in Holland with Dutch and British, and the state of the country, yet imperfectly delivered from the enemy, preclude either for the present from being employed in distant operations; that it is hoped hereafter this army may enter upon more active service, in which case, the Prince of Orange, if his Royal Highness should take the field in person, or whoever may be placed at the head of that army, will no doubt be prepared to combine their operations in the most cordial manner with those of his Royal Highness.

With respect to the views of Great Britain and the Allies, in the prosecution of the war, the four principal Powers, acting in the spirit of the known views of the other confederate States, are engaged in preliminary discussions with the enemy, with a view of ascertaining whether France is prepared to return to a a state of possession and power consistent with the security of other States, and calculated to re-establish a just equilibrium in Europe.

With respect to the existing ruler of France, (however personally calculated to inspire distrust) these discussions have been entered upon with him: so long as he shall continue to be

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