Blennerhasset's "Talleyrand," vol. ii., ch.
xvi., for a discussion of Talleyrand's share in the new policy. This
question, together with many others, cannot be solved, owing to
Talleyrand's destruction of most of his papers. In June, 1806, he
advised a partition of Portugal; and in the autumn he is said to have
favoured the overthrow of the Spanish Bourbons. But there must surely
be some connection between Napoleon's letter to him of July 19th,
1807, on Portuguese affairs and the resignation which he persistently
offered on their return to Paris. On August 10th he wrote to the
Emperor that that letter would be the last act of his Ministry
("Lettres inedites de Tall.," p. 476). He was succeeded by Champagny.]

[Footnote 173: "Corresp.," Nos. 13235, 37, 43.]

[Footnote 174: "Corresp.," Nos. 13314 and 13327. So too, to General
Clarke, his new Minister of War, he wrote: "Junot may say anything he
pleases, so long as he gets hold of the fleet" ("New Letters of Nap.,"
October 28th, 1807).]

[Footnote 175: Strangford's despatches quite refute Thiers' confident
statement that the Portuguese answers to Napoleon were planned in
concert with us. I cannot find in our archives a copy of the
Anglo-Portuguese Convention signed by Canning on October 22nd, 1807;
but there are many references to it in his despatches. It empowered us
to occupy Madeira; and our fleet did so at the close of the year. In
April next we exchanged it for the Azores and Goa.]

[Footnote 176: "Corresp.," July 22nd, 1807.]

[Footnote 177: Between September 1st, 1807, and November 23rd, 1807,
he wrote eighteen letters on the subject of Corfu, which he designed
to be his base of operations as soon as the Eastern Question could be
advantageously reopened. On February 8th, 1808, he wrote to Joseph
that Corfu was more important than Sicily, and that "_in the present
state of Europe, the loss of Corfu would be the greatest of
disasters_." This points to his proposed partition of Turkey.]

[Footnote 178: Letter of October 13th, 1807.]

[Footnote 179: "Ann. Register" for 1807, pp. 227, 747.]

[Footnote 180: _Ibid._, pp. 749-750. Another Order in Council
(November 25th) allowed neutral ships a few more facilities for
colonial trade, and Prussian merchantmen were set free (_ibid._, pp.
755-759). In April, 1809, we further favoured the carrying of British
goods on neutral ships, especially to or from the United States.]

[Footnote 181: Bourrienne, "Memoirs." The c