Such was the man that smil'd upon my lays; APPENDIX. APPENDIX TO VOL. IV. CONTAINING SELECT PARTS OF THE CORRESPONDENCE ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE FIRST EDITION. ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE. 1737-1745. SIR ROBERT WALPOLE TO HORACE WALPOLE. [Walpole Papers.] General state of affairs in regard to Spain and France-Urges him to continue at the Hague. MY DEAR BROTHER; London, August 3—14, 1739. YOU could not expect, whilst I was in the country, that I should have any thing worth troubling you with; nor had I any opportunity of reading your dispatches until I came to town; and, upon the perusal of them, I have nothing to offer, but to lament the melancholy situation of the country where you are, which may immediately affect their best friends, and must finally involve them in all the consequences which may arise from the impotent or indolent spirit which governs all the councils there. You will learn, by the accounts that are sent you from the office, how matters stand with us in Spain and France, where they are both fully apprized, by what has happened, that our fleets are under hostile orders with regard to Spain. Mr. Haddock's stopping and searching the French ship going into Cales, and taking his letters from him (without committing the least violence of any other kind), which has been complained of by the cardinal to lord Walde grave, proves his orders are, to stop and seize every Spanish vessel going into or coming out of Cales. Ogle's cruising with four large ships upon the coasts of Spain, and Vernon's being ordered to continue for some time in those seas with nine men of war, plainly denote the uses and services which these squadrons are designed for; and as the Azogues and Buenos-Ayres ships are daily expected home, it cannot miss observation, that they may probably fall in with some of our squadrons, whether they are ordered into Cales or the Bay of Biscay; of this they are so sensible in Spain, that Mr. Keene, in his last letter, says, they are under the greatest apprehension for the Azogues in Spain; and the Spanish merchants heré in London have offered 30 per cent. for insurance, which they can no ways procure; and this is a certain fact. The cardinal has, in one of his usual conversations to lord Waldegrave, mentioned the Azogues as an affair he hopes we will not think of, but not as a matter of form, but purely confidential to lord Waldegrave; he declares himself under no engagement with Spain, but strongly insinuates what we may apprehend if we attack Spain. The letters that came from France this week, go further in that style than ever; and I think it ripens apace. Cambis is expected here very suddenly, and I think his orders will open the whole scene; for I imagine he will have orders to insist that we shall neither take the Azogues nor flota, or galeons coming home, nor stop the flota that is now preparing to go out, which France, as the cardinal has already said, has so great a share in, that they cannot suffer the wealth and treasure of France to be taken, though on board Spanish ships. In short, we live here in daily expectation to hear that the Azogues are either got in or taken; and it seems as if the latter was not thought the least probable. By the intelligence from 101 [Bussy,] it is expressly said that Fenelon has orders to propose to the States a joint |