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given him, a recommendation to, and bills upon a mer- 1777chant in London, to the amount of 300l. which however he had found it neceffary to burn to prevent a difcovery; and that in confequence of this encouragement he procured a passport from the French king. He was condemned at Winchester affizes, and executed at Portfmouth dock-gate the tenth of March, and then hung in chains. While he lay at Winchester after condemnation, and before being taken away to execution, he denied his having recommendations and bills, and burning the fame. It was while working at Titchfield in Hampfhire, that he conceived the idea of fetting fire to the dock yards. He then went, as he faid, to France, and applied to Mr. Deane, who told him, that when the work was done he should be rewarded. He added, that on his return, and after fetting fire to the rope-yard at Portsmouth, he went to London and waited on Doctor Bancroft, to whom he had a verbal recommendation from Mr. Deane, but that the doctor gave him no countenance, and did not approve of his conduct.

When gen. Lee's capture came to be known by the gazette of February the twenty-fifth, the rejoicing in Great Britain on the occafion was great. Perfonal animofities contributed not a little to the triumph and exultation it produced. But the fame gazette furnished more than a counterpoife to the joy, in the accounts it contained of gen. Washington's fucceffes at Trenton and Princeton.

The name of Lee reminds me of Mr. Arthur Lee. The latter received timely notice of the acts of congress, fo as to withdraw and get to Paris a few days after Dr. Franklin's arrival. While in England he was particu

1777. larly commiffioned by a certain body, and that under every facred promife of fecrefy, to make difcoveries and tranfmit them to America: he was alfo perfonally confulted by Monfieur Caron de Beaumarchais upon a project, which the latter had formed, of establishing a commercial house, sufficiently powerful and spirited, to hazard the risks of the fea and enemy in carrying stores and merchandise for the American troops. A correfpondence was afterward opened between them: and on the 21st of June 1776, Mr. Lee, under the name of Mary Johnston, wrote in cyphers to Mr. Beaumarchais, that the army of Great Britain in America would confift of forty thousand men, and their fleet of a hundred ships, and but two only of feventy-four guns. He advised the dispatching fecretly ten large fhips of war to the Cape or Martinico; and their joining the American fleet, fcouring the American coaft, and deftroying the whole British fleet difperfed as it would be, upon which fuccefs the land army could be eafily defeated. By this ftroke," fays he, "the English fleet will be mortally wounded. Do you fear that this will kindle a war between the two nations? But how will England be able to fupport a war without fleets, without colonies, without feamen, without refources? On the contrary, if you

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fuffer America to fall again under the dominion of England, the latter will be for ever invincible." If this propofal was communicated to the French minister, it was adjudged too venturous to be profecuted. Though France muft, for her own intereft, wish to have the American states perpetually separated from Great Britain, yet the court will be cautious of rifking a rupture with this country till the profpects of fuccefs are ex

tremely encouraging. This accounts for the French 1777king's iffuing out, about the month of February, a proclamation, prohibiting the fale of English prizes, taken by American privateers, in any of the ports of France: but as the purchase of them is not prohibited, and the fale of them only in the ports, the Americans will find no difficulty in difpofing of them to Frenchmen. The police of France is fo well conftructed, that they can eafily convey to the extremities of the kingdom, the views and fentiments of the court, and fecure a ready compliance with them. It is only for the minifter to give the farmers-general his inftructions; and for them, through their lines of connection with every province, city, town and village, to distribute their directions; on which the inhabitants of the moft diftant parts will think, speak and act mechanically, in unifon with their betters? at Verfailles.

On the 20th of February, the British ambaffador at the Hague, prefented a memorial to their high mighti-i neffes containing various complaints; and clofing with an exprefs' demand of a formal difavowal of the falute by Fort George at St. Euftatia, to the American flag, and of the difmiffion and immediate recall of the governor; followed by a further declaration, that till that fatisfaction was given, they were not to expect that his majesty would fuffer himself to be amused by mere affurances, or would delay one inftant to take fuch meafures as he should think due to the interefts and dignity of his crown. Their high mightineffes difdaining the fpirit and manner of the complaint, paffed by the ambaffador (Sir Jofeph Yorke) and alfo the fecretary of ftate, and commanded their minifter at London, the

1777. larly commiffioned by a certain body, and that under

every facred promise of fecrefy, to make discoveries and tranfmit them to America: he was alfo perfonally confulted by Monfieur Caron de Beaumarchais upon a project, which the latter had formed, of establishing a commercial house, sufficiently powerful and spirited, to hazard the risks of the fea and enemy in carrying stores and merchandise for the American troops. A correfpondence was afterward opened between them: and on the 21st of June 1776, Mr. Lee, under the name of Mary Johnston, wrote in cyphers to Mr. Beaumarchais, that the army of Great Britain in America would confift of forty thousand men, and their fleet of a hundred ships, and but two only of feventy-four guns. He advised the dispatching fecretly ten large fhips of war to the Cape or Martinico; and their joining the American fleet, fcouring the American coaft, and destroying the whole British fleet difperfed as it would be, upon which fuccefs the land army could be eafily defeated. "By this ftroke," fays he, "the English fleet will be mortally wounded. Do you fear that this will kindle a war between the two nations? But how will England be able to fupport a war without fleets, without colonies, without feamen, without refources? On the contrary, if you fuffer America to fall again under the dominion of England, the latter will be for ever invincible." If this propofal was communicated to the French minister, it was adjudged too venturous to be profecuted. Though France muft, for her own intereft, wish to have the American states perpetually feparated from Great Britain, yet the court will be cautious of rifking a rupture with this country till the prospects of fuccefs are ex

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tremely encouraging. This accounts for the French 1777. king's iffuing out, about the month of February, a proclamation, prohibiting the fale of English prizes, taken by American privateers, in any of the ports of France: but as the purchase of them is not prohibited, and the fale of them only in the ports, the Americans will find no difficulty in difpofing of them to Frenchmen. The police of France is fo well conftructed, that they can eafily convey to the extremities of the kingdom, the views and fentiments of the court, and fecure a ready compliance with them. It is only for the minister to give the farmers-general his inftructions; and for them, through their lines of connection with every province, city, town and village, to diftribute their directions; on which the inhabitants of the most distant parts will think, speak and act mechanically, in unifon with their betters at Versailles.

On the 20th of February, the British ambaffador at the Hague, prefented a memorial to their high mighti-i neffes containing various complaints; and clofing with an exprefs' demand of a formal difavowal of the falute by Fort George at St. Euftatia, to the American flag, and of the difmiffion and immediate recall of the governor; followed by a further declaration, that till that fatisfaction was given, they were not to expect that his majefty would fuffer himself to be amufed by mere affurances, or would delay one inftant to take fuch meafures as he should think due to the interefts and dignity of his crown. Their high mightineffes difdaining the spirit and manner of the complaint, paffed by the ambaffador (Sir Jofeph Yorke) and alfo the fecretary of ftate, and commanded their minifter at London, the

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