St. James's, May 21st, 1782.
Dear Grenville,
You are certainly one of the best negotiators that ever
negotiated; and so says the King, your royal master, who is
going to send you the fine silver box which you receive with
this, and which, with great envy, I learn is your property; and
which, if the serious modesty of your former despatch could have
been seriously construed, you would not have been entitled to.
Though I have not written before, have not my punctuality and
remembrance appeared conspicuous in the newspapers you receive?
These tell you all the private news, and all that is important
of public you will have heard before you receive this; so this
must be a very short letter, and indeed the messenger is almost
going; and Charles has been writing to you, which is another
reason for my saying very little. Mr. Oswald talks very
sanguinely about Franklin, and says he is more open to you than
he has been to any one; but he is a Scotsman, and belonging to
Lord Shelburne. If the business of an American treaty seemed
likely to prosper in your hands, I should not think it
improbable that Lord Shelburne would try to thwart it. Oswald
had not yet seen Lord Shelburne; and by his cajoling manner to
_our secretary_ and eagerness to come to him, I do not feel much
prejudiced in his favour; but probably I judge wrongly whenever
the other secretary is concerned, for I grow suspicious of him
in every respect, the more I see of every transaction of his.
I am just told that the messenger is ready, so more in my next.
There is no particular news. The Dutch are got back to the
Texel. Lord Howe still off there, but nothing likely to come of
it. Sir G. Rodney, notwithstanding his victory, is to be
recalled, and Pigott is sailed. This I think very magnanimous in
the Ministers or very impolitic; events must justify, but it is
putting themselves too much in their power.
We had a good illumination for this news. You see how we go on
in Parliament by the papers; we were bullied outrageously about
our poor Parliamentary Reform; but it will do at last, in spite
of you all.
Yours ever sincerely,
R.B. Sheridan.