‘Our poor ambassador, quite at his wit’s ends, has no idea beyond that of blind vengeance; he has been to his friend the Duke of Bedford, a man even more violent than himself; he has been to all the other ministers to get them to see the book; but all this has only turned to my advantage. He is at present moving heaven and earth, together with the Duke of Bedford, to have me seized by force or by stratagem, that I may be sent to France. I was warned last night by a friend of the Duke of Bedford, that the Count de Guerchy has not left a stone unturned to excite the duke’s wrath against me. This same person also warned me yesterday morning that at a council held at St. James’, the ministers had deliberated upon the means to be employed for arresting me and handing me over to France; but he could not tell me to what decision they had arrived. This, sir, is of the greatest consequence, and it is important that his Majesty should be good enough to order the Count de Guerchy to leave me in peace. I give you notice, most earnestly, that the first person who comes to my house, or attacks me in the street, will at once fall, no matter who he is, and I am quite indifferent as to the consequences. I again give you notice, that several leaders of the opposition send daily to see whether I am safe, and at the first attempt at violence against me, the embassy and all that it contains will be torn to pieces by what is here known as the mob, that is to say, the mariners and rabble from the city, who are at the call of the opposition. You are sensible of all the disasters about to take place. The Count de Guerchy ignores the whole of this; he is not bright enough to apprehend all that is going on, and even if he were, he would not report, but rather conceal from the King what he knew. You are aware that I have never deceived you; I should be loth to do so under such important and pressing circumstances, and I must not conceal from you, that if I am once taken, after having so long and carefully cautioned you, and the King affords no relief, in such a case I will no longer consider myself bound to preserve the secret, and shall be obliged, thus driven to extremities, to justify my conduct; a still greater misfortune than the firing of the French embassy by the people.’ [Sidenote: THE PERSECUTING DUKE DE PRASLIN.]