ucceeded to power, there were some who
entertained expectations of peace, and he was thought to have undertaken
the foreign department with that end in view. France manifestly desired
peace; and but a short time elapsed before the government contrived to
bring about some negociations, in order to ascertain what terms of peace
the new ministry would be likely to allow. Before ten days elapsed from
the appointment of the new administration an agent of that government
arrived at Gravesend without a passport, and acquainted Fox by letter,
that he had a very important communication to make. Fox sent him a
passport, and admitted him to an interview; but indignantly repelled
his disclosure, true or false, of a plot to assassinate Napoleon. Fox
detained his man in custody, and communicated his designs, if they were
really entertained by him, to the French government; and this led to
a communication between him and Talleyrand. It appeared, from the
negociations which took place, that the greatest obstacle was the
determination of Napoleon to obtain Sicily for his brother Joseph, in
addition to Naples. Fox, however, had sufficient penetration to discover
that he had other ambitious demands to be satisfied, should this be
complied with--that he would demand Holland for his brother Louis,
etc.; and therefore he determined to break off the negociations, and
to continue the war. He made this determination fully known, when he
rejected the treaty of Amiens as a basis, and insisted on the Emperor of
Russia being admitted as a party. Yet the French Government seem to have
considered that England would one day soon consent to peace, even on
the hard terms proposed. Negociation was renewed in June, when Lord
Yarmouth, who had been released from prison at Fox's intercession, was
invited to a conference with Talleyrand. At this interview it was said
that the Emperor was willing to restore Hanover, as well as to gratify
the British court in other respects, while France asked for nothing.
Pleased with this intelligence, the King sent a commission to Lord
Yarmouth, but desired him to withhold the communication of his full
powers, until it was promised that Sicily should not be alienated from
the house of Bourbon. It was replied that Napoleon was anxious to obtain
Sicily for his brother Joseph, and would procure the Hanstowns for
Ferdinand; but this answer was not deemed satisfactory, and the
negociations were still held in abeyance. The Russian