exactitude; amongst others the habit, in which the Colonel indulged, of quoting Latin and French, and then translating for the benefit of his more uneducated hearers. Every one had read the pamphlet, except Barré, who had been in the country, and only arrived in the town just before the opening of Parliament. He rose to speak early in the Debate on the Address, and at once betrayed the foible which Tickell had ridiculed. At every new instance the House laughed and laughed again. Barré was of course completely unable to understand the joke, and vainly sought an explanation, which naturally only served to increase the merriment at his expense.[1]
The inferiority of England on the element where hitherto she had reigned supreme, encouraged Spain to put an end to her hesitations, and once more to throw in her lot with France, after offering her mediation on terms which England could not accept. In the debate which followed the issue of the Spanish manifesto on the 16th of June, Shelburne plainly declared that it was the incapacity of the Ministers, and especially of Lord George Germaine and Lord Sandwich, which had added the Court of Madrid to the number of the enemies of England; and he acknowledged that the state and condition of affairs was thereby much changed since the time when he had last given his views respecting the proper conduct to be pursued with regard to America. From this time forward though not abandoning the idea that a connection between the Mother Country and the Colonies might still be preserved, he acknowledged that it could only be through negotiations, preceded by the complete withdrawal of English troops from the Colonies.[2]
The Spanish fleet joined the French Channel squadron, and the English Admiralty could only muster thirty-six ships-of-the-line under Sir Charles Hardy, to meet the combined forces of the enemy. An invasion was hourly expected. The Standing Orders of both Houses were suspended, amidst the protests of the Oppo-
