Yr. Excy. will see by the inclosed Letter for Mr. Livingston, what we are doing here.2 After having perused it you will be so Kind as to close and send it under cover to our worthy friend, Mr. Barclay at l’Orient, to be forwarded from thence by the 1st. opportunity.— The other Letter, from Nantes, I've found at my return here from Dort.3

I am just now confidently told, that the business of peace goes backward at Paris, because the British won't consent in the absolute Liberty of Navigation.4

Respect and honour, Sir, due to your private and personal As well as public character, and our own conscience, com̃and us, tho’ repugnantly, to tell you roundly between us, that Yr. servant Jb. is a very bad and dangerous one.5 Mrs. Dumas, under whose watchfull eye the conduct of yr. servants passes every day, found him out very 74early; and her just Suspicions about him have turned successively into compleat proofs, which we have in our hands from people that no more either to fear or to hope from him. Rough and awkward in appearence, he is a conceited hypocrite, Sly and subtle to get what he aims at. He is a cunning fellow, a true Knave, Knowing perfectly well when it is proper for him to creep, and when to be daring and impudent. He has whored in every corner of yr. house with yr. female servants, and swilled with Jn: and others, not only for his lust, but also to make them subservient to his Knaveries— He has pretexted yr. respectable name and orders, Sir, to get horses for carrying yr. dispatches to Delft, run as far as Rotterdam, and came back with the horse nearly Killed. What he did there is unknown.— To extort if possible from the owner of yr. horses 6 Ducats, he threatened him to witness against him before the Magistrate for having unlawfully let his horses to yr. Excy.— These are facts of which we have signed and witnessed Depositions, and after which we think it needless to quote a great many of others daily observed by Mrs. Dumas.— In short, there is not the least doubt with us, that he will be ready to do every thing for money, of which he is passionately fond, and of which he has but lately been observed to have a great deal; and being asked by Mrs. Dumas how he came at, he answered that he had got it and much more (800 gilders was his saying) in the service of his late Master. We are sorry to trouble yr. Excy. with such disagreeable stuff; but we must be utterly undeserving yr. trust & esteem, if we did conceal from you the danger, as great at least abroad as here (where he was and would be continually busy to spoil every right measure of Mrs. Dumas for keeping all your servants and household in good & decent order) of Keeping and trusting such a corrupt & bad fellow. He has been observed dictating to one of his acquaintances here a memorial of several old pretended expences, amounting to a considerable sum, which he intends to present to yr. Excy. for paiment, opportuns tempore captando.6

I have but a moment left, to profess myself with great respect Sir Yr. Exc. / most humble & obedt. servt.

We live in critical Moments. Parliament is to meet and the Kings Speech will be delivered on the 26.— if the Speech announces Mr Oswalds Commission, and the two Houses in their Answers, thank him for issuing it, and there Should be no Change in the Ministry, the Prospect of Peace will be flattering. Or if there Should be a Change in the Ministry, and the Duke of Portland with Mr Fox and Mr Burke Should come in, it will be Still more so. But if Richmond, Cambden, Keppell and Townsend Should retire, and my Lord North and Company, come in, with or without the Earl of Shelburne the appearances of Peace will be very unpromising. My Lord North indeed cannot revoke the Acknowledgment of our Independance, and would not probably renounce the Negotiations for Peace, but ill Will to Us is so habitual to him and his Master, that he would fall in earnestly with the Wing-clipping System; join in attempts to deprive Us of the Fisheries & the Missisippi, and to fasten upon Us, the Tories, and in every other measure to cramp, Stint, impoverish and enfeeble Us. Shelburne is not So orthodox as he should be, but North is a much greater Heretick in American Politicks.

It deserves much Consideration, what Course We should take in Case the old Ministry Should come in, in whole or in Part. It is certain at present, that to be obnoxious to the Americans, and their Ministers is a very formidable popular Cry, against any Minister or Candidate for the Ministry in England, for the Nation is more generally for recovering the good Will of the Americans then they ever have been.— Nothing would Strike Such a Blow to any Ministry as to break off the Negotiations for Peace. if the old Ministry come in, they will demand Terms of Us, at first, probably that We can never agree to.

It is now 11 or 12 days Since the last Result of our Conferences were laid before the Ministry in London. Mr Vaughan went off, on 76Sunday noon the 17. So that he is no doubt, before this Time with my Lord Shelburne.— He is possessed of an ample Budget of Arguments to convince his Lordship, that he ought to give up, all the remaining Points between Us.2 Mr Oswalds Letters will Suggest the Same Arguments in a different Light;3 and Mr Stratchey, if he is disposed to do it is able to enlarge upon them all in Conversation.

The fundamental Point of the Sovereignty of the United States being Settled in England the only Question now is, whether they Shall pursue, a contracted or a liberal, a good natured or an ill natured Plan towards Us. If they are generous, and allow Us all We ask, it will be the better for them. if Stingy, the worse. That France dont wish them to be very noble to Us, may be true. But We Should be Dupes indeed, if We did not make Use of every Argument with them to shew them, that it is their Interest to be so. And they will be the greatest Bubbles of all, if they Should Suffer themselves to be deceived by their Passions, or by any Arts to adopt an opposite Tenor of Conduct.

With great Esteem I have the Honour / to be, Sir your most obedient and / most humble servant