L30/14/203/5

Sent from Baron Juel, The Hague (In French):

17 Feb 1774

From: 1774 To: 1774

Translation: My dear Milord, I have to thank my dear and amiable Milord for your last letter of 24th January, which gave me a deal of pleasure, and I have no need to assure you of my affection, it is always true, always the same and for all time. I propose to write to you frequently and I will put off this pleasant occupation from one day to the next in order to find something interesting with which to acquaint you. Therein lies, H assure you, the only reason for such enormous gaps between my letters and not the liveliness of the entertainment to be found here. It was thought at home that it was a great honour for me to be given the position which I occupy today, I try daily to convince myself of it, though I succeed but poorly when I look back to the dear friends whom I have left in Spain. The picture you recreate for me of your Wednesday and Sunday assemblies, reminds me so much of the taste and comfort which you give to society, that it seems, my dear Milord, that I see you there, ready to reproach Juel for his impatience. Unfortunately for him, he was unable to pull out his watch at the last ambassadorial dinner, in order to vex you a little. Mr. de Rech complains much about the expense of the country where he lives and I have reason to believe that a brief conversation took place between him and Mr. G. which was not affable, news of it has reached this far and I question whether it was much liked. It is superfluous, my dear Milord to beg you to keep this anecdote between ourselves, especially if he knows that I have the honour of corresponding with you. It would appear that the Marquis de Noailles, who is here with us, is destined to replace M. Guines, he is a worthy man, full of good qualities and I am sure he will succeed in England. I see him nearly every day as he is so often at the house of the Spanish Minister where I go to spend my evenings. I dare not flatter myself that I succeeded in pleasing Ch., whatever trouble I put myself to at the beginning, this conquest is so difficult because of the present situation that I begin to despair. We have seen My Lord Guernsey here for a few weeks and before the opening of parliament, he asked me for news of you. He is altogether a good child who likes the amusements suited to his age. Our minister in Paris has sometimes given me news of the Vivys, whom, he tells me, he sees quite often. At the beginning she was not completely happy and regretted her friends in Spain. M. d'Aranda is often at the house of Madame Bentheim, therefore he does not seem to be part of Madame Viry's set. Mr. Harris is spending a lot of money in B., he has a French actress in keeping there and has set her up in a charming house where he gives suppers for his friends. The Count of Verelst suffered an apoplexy there, from which he died three days later. I was told that your Ambassador at la Vorte had been recalled but the last letters contradict that. Those from Russia deal very indifferently with the apparent revolution, which must have taken place near Lafan and the objective of which has been grossly exaggerated. M. de St. Saphorin will not be much longer delayed in taking up his post, I have his letters from Turin in which he expected to leave imminently and I recommend him to your kindness. I embrace my dear Mr. Robinson a million times, in spite of all the delay in the arrival of the razors, there is only my valet who is angry about it. God be with you my dear Milord. Rest assured of my lifelong and absolute devotion. P.S. A thousand good wishes to the good Sp. I am extremely flattered by the way in which M. de Gr. has spoken about me.

item

Rechtern,
Noailles,
Guines,
Juel,
Guernsey, Lord,
Viry,
Aranda,
Bentheim,
Harris,
Guernsey, Lord,
Saphorin