sent, which shall be paid, and it
will be a great pleasure to me if I shall be able to pay up all your
arrears.

"Mr Laurens being now at liberty perhaps may soon come here, and be
ready to join us if there should be any negotiations for peace. In
England they are mad for a separate one with us, that they may more
effectually take revenge on France and Spain. I have had several
overtures hinted to me lately from different quarters, but I am deaf.
The thing is impossible. We can never agree to desert our first and
our faithful friend on any consideration whatever. We should become
infamous by such abominable baseness.

"With great and sincere esteem, I am ever, &c.,

B. FRANKLIN."

You will easily perceive, Sir, that my situation now became very
unpleasant; largely indebted to M. Cabarrus, and without funds, as
well as almost without the hopes of speedily procuring any, either to
satisfy him or pay the swarm of bills that would be payable in the
next month.

M. Cabarrus had offered to advance, or rather to supply me with any
sum of money, that the Minister would authorise him to furnish, on the
same terms on which he procured money for the government. The answer I
received to this proposition was, that the government had occasion for
all the money that M. Cabarrus could possibly collect. He also
repeatedly offered to advance the money wanted for the month of March,
if the Minister or the Ambassador of France would become responsible
for the repayment of it, with interest, within a reasonable time,
sometimes mentioning seven months, and at others extending it to ten
or twelve. The Ambassador did not conceive himself authorised to enter
into any such engagement, and the Minister remained silent; M.
Cabarrus began to grow uneasy, and a day was appointed between us to
confer on this subject. Some intervening business, however, prevented
his attendance, and on the 10th of February he wrote me the following
letter.

Translation.

"Madrid, February 10th, 1782.

"Sir,

"I was summoned yesterday to the Pardo, which prevented me from paying
you my respects as I had intended. Not knowing whether I shall be able
to do it before Tuesday, I write to inform you, that it will be
necessary for me to know on what I am to depend in regard to the
reimbursement you were to make me by drafts on Paris