to embarrass Ministers whom he had not taken from inclination."[1]
The Bedfords next prevailed on the King through Grafton to name Mr. Lynch, one of their own friends, Minister to Turin.[2] This was in Shelburne's department, but though he considered Lord Tankerville the "best man for the post," and resented the interference of Grafton, who had not even consulted him before recommending Mr. Lynch to the King, he accepted the explanations which were offered, and no immediate breach ensued.[3]
Choiseul on receiving the protest of Shelburne against the annexation of Corsica, "declared to God that when he first thought of his plan he did not believe it could give the least umbrage to any Court in Europe, much less to that of England which was so far removed from the place of action. If, said he, we were not so far engaged in this business—for ten battalions are already landed in Corsica[4]—seeing the alarm it gives your Court, I would give it up coûte que coûte, mais de le faire à présent nous serions déshonorés à jamais dans les yeux de tout le monde et la ruine tomberoit particulièrement sur mot. Ainsi que faire? Car pourtant il nest pas possible d'avoir la guerre pour la Corse. Cela seroit trop ridicule. Pourtant si on nous attaque il faudroit nous défendre. L'alternative est terrible."[5] He at the same time declared his readiness to send the Treaty "when ratified" to the English Court,[6] assuring them that they would find nothing objectionable in its clauses; that it was only a Treaty by which France took territorial security for the reimbursement of the expenses incurred and to be incurred on behalf of the Genoese; though he oddly enough confessed in conversation with Rochfort that he believed the Genoese would not only never be able to reimburse them, but never intended it, and that consequently France would always be in possession of the places ceded.[7] The impression
- ↑ Walpole, Memoirs of the Reign of George III., iii. 222, 223.
- ↑ Ibid., iii. 244.
- ↑ Grafton to Shelburne, June 10th; Shelburne to Grafton, June 11th, 1768.
- ↑ Where they at once said publicly that the island was to be annexed.—Gazettino di Corsica, June 17th, 1768.
- ↑ Rochfort to Shelburne, June 2nd, 1768.
- ↑ Choiseul to Rochfort, June 5th, 1768.
- ↑ Rochfort to Shelburne, June 2nd, 1768.
