Vergennes, Comte de, predicts American independence, 83; favors policy of aiding colonies to weaken England, 227; gets control of king's foreign policy, 229; establishes Beaumarchais as Hortalez & Co., 229; maintains outward neutrality, 230, 231; avoids a quarrel on Franklin's account with English ambassadors, 234; meets the commissioners, 237; tries to suppress license of colonial privateers, 250, 251; self-interest of his policy toward America, 252; secret interview with envoys, 274; liberal dealings with States, 285; keeps departure of Gerard and Deane secret, 290; suspects Lee's secretary of being a spy, 290; dislike for Lee, 291; complains of exorbitant financial demands, 325, 328, 333; appealed to by Morris to help American credit in Spain, 331; confidence in Franklin, 345; antipathy to Adams, 350; angry at proposal to scale American paper money, 350; insists that French creditors be spared, 351; appeals to Franklin against Adams, 352; advises against answering "De Weissenstein," 359; trusted by Franklin, 362, 378; refuses to treat with England apart from United States, 364; amused at Grenville's proposal, 368; puzzled at discord between Grenville and Oswald, 370; advises commissioners not to quibble over wording of Oswald's commission, 373; suspected by Jay, 373, 375; succeeds in having American ultimatum reduced to independence, 378; and commissioners instructed to follow his advice, 378; suspected by Adams, 379; praises success of treaty, 383; informed of the conclusion of preliminary articles, 384; angry note to Franklin, 385; to Luzerne, 387; personal regard for Franklin, 387, 393, 398; apparent generosity, 393-396. "Virtual" representation of the colonies in Parliament, 129; Pitt's opinion, 117; Franklin's, 129. Voltaire, relations with Franklin, 288, 289. Walpole, Horace, remarks on Franklin's voyage to France, 232; receives private news of French and American alliance, 281. Walpole, Robert, said to have planned a stamp tax, 104. Walpole, Thomas, astonished at Franklin's proposed memorial to Dartmouth, 200; advises Franklin not to present it, but to leave England, 201, 202; receives private news of French and American alliance, 281. Washington, George, mentioned, 206, 209, 267, 298, 307, 328, 344, 358; harassed by foreign military adventurers, 242; relieved by Franklin, 245; comparison of services with those of Franklin, 308, 339, 404, 407; supported for president by Franklin, 412. Wedderburn, Alexander, solicitor-general and counsel for Hutchinson and Oliver, 186; bitter attack on Franklin before Privy Council, 188, 189. West, the, its expansion foreseen by Franklin, 57, 83, 84. West India Islands, suggested as members of Confederation by Franklin, 208.