[Extract]
Secret
N^o 160 
My Lord

. . . I went yesterday Morning to M de Maurepas . . . . I then My Lord went over all the essential Pieces of Intelligence transmitted to me in the Papers marked A and E, which I had arranged and digested in my Head before I went to His Excellency. I spoke shortly, but strongly, and He did not interrupt me except once, to say that He knew one of the ships I had mentioned to be building in Holland, according to a new construction imagined by M^r. Boux, was for the Service of the King his Master, that there might be two, but that He knew only of one, mounting four and thirty twenty four Pounders. I asked Him if He was absolutely certain that that ship was for the use of the French Navy, and would not be employed in the service of the Rebels. He replied that he could safely answer for that. When I had finished my Narration, which I made as rapid as possible knowing his incurable aversion to Details—He answered in short broken sentences, that they never intended to stop all commerce with the americans; that if Merchant Vessels engaged in that branch of Trade, it was a Leur Risques et Perils; that they ought not indeed to carry Arms and Ammunition, that that was expressly prohibited, but as to every thing else Government could not interfere, could not pretend de donner des Entraves au Commerce. 

I observed to Him what a difference there was between selling Merchandize to the Americans who came to purchase it in France, and sending out ships to North America, to which according to universally known established, and uncontroverted Rule they could have no Right to Trade at all. Without pretending Sir to say what we shall or shall not do, I will ask you a plain Question If you knew for certain that forty or fifty English Merchantmen were going to Martinico or S^t. Domingo, with false Lettres de Mer, to conceal their real Destination, would you with a certainty of such an Intention suffer it to be carried into Execution. He was embarrassed, and could not say they would suffer it. The present case is much stronger than the imaginary one I have put to you, these ships are not only designed for North America, to which they have no Right to go, designed to carry every species of succour to the Rebels of a Nation of which France calls herself the Friend, but they are to unite into Fleets, and be escorted by a large Convoy consisting of French and American Ships of War. I should mispend your Time Sir, I should wrong the opinion I have of your Judgement, if I stopped to make Remarks upon such Projects as these, your Eye must go at once to the Consequences without being guided by me. You are Still in Time to prevent the Execution of these Projects, but you have not a Moment to lose. You are perhaps the only Man breathing who can effectually Stop them, and if your Intentions are as pacific as I love to think they are, you will Stop them. 

His Answers were short, and not very Satisfactory. He only said that he had never heard before of a Fleet assembling at Bilboa, that He did not know how to credit the existence of such a Project, qu il s'informeroit plus particulierement et verroit ce qu'il y auroit a faire He renewed the Professions of his Pacific Intentions. . . .¹ I am [&c.]