The Copies brought by Mr De Clonard of your Letters of 28 May & 10 8 June, gave me the first & only notice I have had of their originals, neither of which ever came to my Hands—nor have I recd. the one you mention to have written on the 17 June. The above two Copies, a Letter of 3d. July (also brought by Mr De Clonard) ^& another of 9. July,^ being the only ones from You that have reached me, since I left Madrid—1

A long & severe attack of a Disorder which they ^is^ calld here the Influenza,2 prevented my doing any Business till very lately; and hence it happened that the Rect. of these Letters has not been sooner acknowledged. The Number of Letters which I have to answer & to write, has been so considerably encreased by by my Indisposition that I find myself constrained to be less particular in most of them than my I could wish; and that is more particularly the Case now, as I am employed in preparing Dispatches for America, which are to go by a Gentleman who purposes to leave Paris on Monday Morning next.

As nobody it seems will give for my Mules what you expected, be pleased to sell them for what they will fetch, and dismiss their Keeper. As to the House, I prefer keeping it for the present. I am obliged to you for paying my Servants their Wages—^retain only^ the Porter only is necessary to be retained after the Sale of the Mules. By a few Lines to Mr Littlepage, written in great Haste at Bordeaux, I consented to his applying to You for a certain Sum of Money ^writes me that agreable to my consent he had applied to & recd from You 60 Dollars^ on my Credit but ^&^ should I have occasion to request the Favor of You to make him any further advances on my account, I shall write to You directly and expressly for the Purpose—be pleased to forward the Enclosed Letter to him.

If I had a little Leisure I would give you in Detail the Intelligence communicated by Mr Livingston.3 You seem however to be already apprized of it in general. He tells me that great preparations were making for a vigorous Campaign, and that our Army at Westpoint would consist of sixteen or Eighteen thousand Men besides Militia—

I have seen and conversed with Count de Aranda, but my Sickness has till now prevented our entering on Business— We begin this morning—4 The same Cause has also prevented my writing more than one Letter to Count de Montmorin—he & the Chevalier may rely on my Attention. I am well pleased with France, & am perfectly satisfied with the my Reception & Treatmt. in it—

Mr Oswald is still here, & will probably remain, provided the british Court is in earnest— Mr Fitzherbert is to succeed Mr Grenville— Facts only can decide how far Ld. Shelbourne’s Professions are sincere. For my part I think appearances too often prove delusive to merit much Reliance—

I have fully & accurately stated to Dr. Bancroft what I know respecting the affair of his Letters, and am Sir your most Obt. & hble Servant