Page:Cassell's Illustrated History of England vol 5.djvu/285

A.D.1780.] part of the congress by pride and stubborness. The French themselves, overwhelmed with debts and difficulties, showed symptoms of desiring to make peace. M. Necker proposed to lord North, in a private letter, a truce, which might be extended as seemed desirable, during which the belligerent powers in America should each hold the possessions which they had now in their power; but George III. would not for a moment listen to any such terms.



At the same time, France openly fêted Franklin, La Fayette, or any other person who had taken part in the American quarrel, not omitting such compliments in her seaports to Paul Jones, whenever he brought into them any of his prizes.

Spain continued the siege of Gibraltar, and entered, at the same time, into secret negotiations with England, through Mr. Hussey, an Irish priest, who had been chaplain to count Almadovar when ambassador in London. Hussey still remained in London, acting, as was strongly suspected, as a spy for the court of Spain; and, through him, Richard Cumberland, the private secretary of lord George Germaine, was induced to make the Spanish wishes known to the ministers. Those were, to purchase Gibraltar from the English on conditions which should restore peace. It appears that these ideas were entertained so far as to induce lord George Germaine to state to Hussey that such a purchase might possibly be effected if Spain would, as an equivalent, yield to England the island of Porto Rica, the fortress and territory of Omao, in Honduras, sufficient coast to create a fort and erect a fortress in the Bay of Oran, on the coast of Africa, the purchase of all the artillery and stores in Gibraltar, together with the payment of two millions sterling for money already expended on the fortress, and if Spain engaged to afford no further assistance to his majesty's white subjects in America, but, on the contrary, should assist him in reducing them to obedience, and neither suffer any American ships to enter her ports, nor American subjects to remain in his dominions.

Yet, even these great requisitions did not seem sufficient to embolden the government to enter seriously on so unpopular a transaction as the surrender of Gibraltar. They soon grew frightened at their own temerity, and receded from