“You will hardly believe that the Duchess of Gordon persecutes me even here. She
sent me a message by Gen. Fitzpatrick,
the substance of which was that she had received a letter from the D[uke] of Bedford, disavowing everything I had
said in his name. The Gen[eral] told her that if she desired it he would
certainly deliver her message, but that he was quite sure I had never said
anything, purporting to be by the D[uke] of B[edford]’s authority, without having had such authority. Soon after that, I
received
WHIG SOCIETY IN PARIS | 49 |
“I asked Fox
yesterday about his Election to the Institute. He says he knows nothing more
about it than that La Place & some
of the great literary men told him it was intended. I have no doubt that it
will be so. If any body should abuse Fox for receiving these & other distinctions (I say receiving for he does not in the least covet them) tell him to come & live a short time in Paris, &
see with his own eyes the necessity of there being some leading man in the
Councils of England to whom France can look up for the preservation of Peace. I
promise you that War is half declared with the present incapable Ministers, who
are just able to irritate but much too weak to encounter France or gain any
point over her. Addington and his little
council of youngsters will be receiving continued insults from France, &
when they can submit no longer they will go to War about a straw. If
Fox were Minister, Buonaparte could not quarrel with him without rendering his
views plain to the world, and quarrelling with all the publick opinion of his
own country at the same time. And do
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