i., pp. 265, 266.

"At Paris, the negotiations had been much impeded by the resignation of
Mr. Fox and the return of Grenville. These events had, in many minds,
cast a shade of doubt over the true intentions of the British
Government. Lord Shelburne, however, renewed the most pacific
assurances, sending to Paris, in place of Mr. Grenville and conjointly
with Mr. Oswald, Mr. Alleyne Fitzherbert, well known in after years as
Lord St. Helens. These gentlemen acted in amity and concert with each
other, although, strictly speaking, negotiation with America was, as
before, the province of Mr. Oswald, and negotiation with the European
Powers the province of Mr. Fitzherbert. Dr. Franklin, on the other hand,
had associated with him three other American Commissioners, arriving in
succession--first, Mr. Jay, from Spain; then Mr. Adams, from Holland;
and finally, Mr. Laurens, from London.

"It became, ere long, apparent to the British agents that the Courts of
France and Spain were by no means earnest and sincere in the wish for an
immediate close of the war. With the hope of soon reducing Gibraltar, or
of otherwise depressing England, they put forward at this time either
inadmissible pretensions, or vague and ambiguous words. It therefore
became an object of great importance to negotiate, if possible, a
separate pacification with America. At first sight there appeared almost
insuperable difficulties in the way of such a scheme. The treaty of
alliance of February, 1778, between France and the United States,
stipulated in the most positive terms that neither party should conclude
a peace or truce with England, unless with the consent of the other
party first obtained. Since that time the French, far from falling short
of their engagement, had gone much beyond it. To say nothing of their
despatch of a fleet and army, and besides their annual loans and
advances to the United States, they had made, in 1781, a free gift of
six millions of livres, and in the spring of 1782 granted another to the
same amount.

"On the other hand, however, there was a strong temptation to treat
without delay. War, if still waged, would be mainly for French and
Spanish purposes. It could be made clear that when the independence of
the Americans was fully established and secured, they had no interest
anymore than England in continuing an unprofitable contest."--_Ib._, pp.
291-293.

"Moreover, there had sprung up in the minds of the American
Commissioner