can be disgraceful to the patronage which I promise myself you will afford to, sir, your sincere admirer and suffering humble servant.

JAMES LOVELL.

Halifax, Provost's, June the 25th, 1776."

This letter from his manly and suffering fellow citizen, did not reach Mr. Lee in time to enable him to exert himself to procure the release of Mr. Lovell. Between this gentleman and Mr. Lee there began a warm friendship and correspondence from Mr. Lee's receipt of this letter which continued until their death. They had never seen each other until the return of Mr. Lee from France in the year 1781, although the terms of their letters written during the residence of Mr. Lee abroad, would induce a reader to suppose they had long been personally acquainted.

CHAPTER III.

Mr. Lee is appointed in Dec. 1775, secret Agent of Congress-Letter of the "Secret Corresponding Committee" of Congress, acquainting him of the appointment and the purpose of it-His interviews with the French Minister at London— He goes to France as secret Agent, in the spring of the year 1776-His interviews with Vergennes and Turgot-The Result of his Mission-In the fall of 1776, he is appointed a Joint Commissioner to the Court of France, with Dr. Franklin and Silas Deane-Letter to Lord Shelburne Interesting Anecdote of VoltaireAgency for the State of Virginia-His learned and political friends in France, Turgot, Adanson, Vergennes, Neckar, Breteuil, &c.-State of Affairs in America in the winter of 1776-7—Memorial on this subject, from the American Commissioners to the Court of France-Written by Mr. Lee-Note of the Commissioners to the same, touching the capture of an American vessel on the coast of France-Mr. Lee is appointed sole Commissioner to the Court of Madrid—Goes to Spain-Is desired by that Court not to proceed to Madrid-His letters to the Commissioners in Paris, from Victoria in Spain-Their Reply written by Dr. Franklin-The British Court remonstrates with that of Spain against the reception of Mr. Lee-His Correspondence on this subject-His Memorial to the Court of Spain on the subject of his Mission-Results of it-He returns to Paris -Is sent to Berlin as Commissioner to the Court of Prussia-Letter from Berlin to General Washington-Spanish Papers.

IN the month of November 1775, the congress appointed a committee for the purpose of secretly corresponding with the friends of the colonies, "in Great Britain, Ireland, and in other parts of the world."* The principal object of this committee was to ascertain the feelings and views of the courts of France and Spain, in regard to the dispute between the colonies and Great Britain; and how far they would be disposed to assist them in arms, ammunition and money, and eventually to form treaties of commerce and alliance with them. It was known that France had not been an idle spectator of the contest between Great Britain and her colonies. The congress was desirous of ascertaining more directly her views on this subject. To enable them to attain their object, the committee was authorized to appoint secret

See Secret Journals, vol. i.

agents abroad to aid them in obtaining the most authentic information on every point on which it was important to have certain intelligence. The committee, which was styled "the Secret Committee of Congress," appointed Mr. Lee their secret agent in London. Of this appointment he was informed by a letter from that committee, which is here inserted from the original MS. in the handwriting of Dr. Franklin, with the signatures of Dr. Franklin, John Dickinson and John Jay, in their handwriting. This letter cannot fail to interest the reader, for it contains the views of congress, at an early and momentous period of the revolution, on subjects of the last importance.

PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 12th, 1775.

"Sir,-By this conveyance we have the pleasure of transmitting to you sundry printed papers, that such of them as you think proper may be immediately published in England.

We have written on the subject of American affairs to Monsieur C. G. F. Dumas, who resides at the Hague. We recommend to you to correspond with him, and to send through his hands any letters to us which you cannot send more directly. He will transmit them via St. Eustatia. When you write to him direct your letter thus, A Mons: Mons: C. G. F. Dumas, cher Mad. le V. Loder a la Hague,' and put it under cover, directed to Mr. A. Stucky, merchant, at Rotterdam.

Mr. Story may be trusted with any despatches you think proper to send us. You will be so kind as to aid and advise him.

It would be agreeable to congress to know the disposition of foreign powers towards us, and we hope this object will engage your attention. We need not hint that great circumspection and impenetrable secresy are necessary. The congress rely on your zeal and abilities to serve them, and will readily compensate you for whatever trouble and expense a compliance with their desire may occasion. We remit you for the present £200.

Whenever you think the importance of your des

patches may require it, we desire you to send an express boat with them from England, for which service your agreement with the owner there shall be fulfilled by us here.

We can now only add that we continue firm in our resolutions to defend ourselves, notwithstanding the big threats of the ministry. We have just taken one of their ordnance storeships, in which an abundance of carcasses and bombs intended for burning our towns, were found. With great esteem we are, sir, your most obedient humble servants.

Arthur Lee, Esq.

B. FRANKLIN,
JOHN DICKINSON,
JOHN JAY,

Committee of
Correspondence.

In the capacity of agent for the secret committee of congress Mr. Lee acted with a zeal yet more active than he had heretofore done, and with more assured confidence exerted himself in behalf of his country. Feeling that his new character as agent for so respectable a body as the continental congress gave more importance and imparted more weight to his efforts as its authority empowered him to enlarge them, he gave free course to his active and patriotic mind. From this time until he left England he devoted himself almost entirely to public concerns.

As soon as he received the foregoing letter from the secret committee, he sought and obtained several interviews with the French ambassador at the court of Great Britain, and urged upon the attention of his court the direct interest of France, in affording to the colonies the cheerings of her friendship, and even her aid. In consequence of these conferences with the French ambassador, the count de Vergennes, then the prime minister of Lewis the 16th, an able and enlightened statesman to whom the colonies were deeply indebted, sent a gentleman* in a confidential manner to Mr. Lee in London, to inform him "that the French court could not think of entering

* This person was Mons. Caron de Beaumarchais.

into a war with England; but that they would assist America by sending from Holland this fall £200,000 worth of arms and ammunition to St. Eustatia, Martinique or Cape Francois; that application was to be made to the governors or commandants of those places, by enquiring for Mons. Hortalez; and that on persons properly authorized applying, the above articles would be delivered to them." Mr. Lee immediately informed Mr. Storey, (the gentleman mentioned in the foregoing letter from the secret committee) who had been sent by that committee on a secret agency to France, Holland and England. This gentleman did not reach America with this important intelligence until several months afterwards.*

In the winter of 1776 Mr. Lee repaired to Paris by the direction of the secret committee of congress (to which committee that body had intrusted all its business with foreign agents and foreign courts), as their secret agent, to improve the favourable disposition of France towards the colonies. In this capacity he was received and was kindly and respectfully treated by Count Vergennes. The reader can well imagine with what earnestness and ability he availed himself of the opportunity now afforded him of placing the situation, character and concerns of his country in favourable and interesting views before the mind of Vergennes. Mr. Lee did not confine his exertions to the French ministry alone, but laboured to produce the same sentiments in the minds of distinguished and influential men in France who held no official stations; and to awaken a feeling of good will towards America in the French nation. To enable him to do this, he obtained the acquaintance of the class of men just alluded to, and wrote short and popular pieces in the journals of the day calculated to inform the public mind of the amount of the population of the colonies, the products of their country, and the commercial advantages they held out to France. There were at this

* See the first No. of the American Quarterly Review, which contains a very interesting article, "The Secret Journals of the old Congress.' The writer of it had access to the journal of the secret committee, from which he has given extracts confirming the account here given of Mr. Lee's agency in the incipient and important negotiations of the United States with France.