I have this evening wrote you a general Letter to which I beg to be referred— my last of the 22 March (which I presume you had not rec’d when you wrote yours of the 31st of the same month) gave you an Acc’t of the Change in our Administration, I gave you therein to understand that I knew the new Ministers, wou’d cooperate, in any measures, that might tend to peace, when I said this, I did not say it lightly or conjecturally, I spoke from Authority, given me from themselves, with whom, you will clearly see, I have of late had much conference, indeed my Connextion, & manner of thinking, had lead me, to some degree of Intimacy with them, before any Change was expected, insomuch, that they had thoughts, of charging me with a Commission to you, to see if any plan cou’d be hit upon to bring about, that object, that seems so much, to be the wish of all Parties, Peace—

I must own, that my Vanity, wou’d have been much gratified, to have been charged with such a Commission, but I was told Yesterday, that on Acc’t of the publicity of my Connections & Principles, it had been judged adviseable, to drop that Idea— The reason, tho’ perhaps a good one, I cou’d easily see, was not the true one, the true one, as I conjecture, is much more substantial & tho’ I do not certainly know it, yet I have no doubt you do, or will do, before this reaches you, by seeing a person of the first rank & great consideration, upon the same Errand, I am by no means, dissatisfied at this, on the contrary, I think, they have made a much better choice, & it convinces me, that they really mean to do, that which they profess; all this while, I am not supposed to know, any thing of this, nor in fact do I, but from Combination of Circumstances, the other Letter therefore I meant for Communication, this not, shoud the Person I allude to, I mean Mr Laurens, appear— The person who will deliver you this pacquet, is not personally known to me, but he is to a very confidential Friend of mine, [in the margin: he may be trusted] he will make a short stay of a few days at Paris & will come direct to London, I therefore beg the favor of you to take that opportunity of answering my general Letter, in as full a manner as you shall think proper, he will have instruction to wait a day or two for that purpose shou’d you be pressed in point of Time & I coud wish that in that Letter which regards the exchange of Prisoners & all that relates thereto, you woud make it such a Letter as I can with propriety produce, as my Instructions in the Business which is to be settled.

You will, I am sure excuse me, in wishing to be informed of the probable success, of the measure I have alluded to, & the more so because I see in your very last Letter that you remind me of your attention to a similar request made some Time agoe— I beg the favor of you therefore, at the same Time you write me the public & official Letter that you wou’d oblige me so far as to write a few Lines private & Confidential, just to inform me if the Weather is likely to be fair or foul or in any other way you may judge most proper & circumstanced as I am at present with our Ministers, any Communications you may wish to have made I can do with the greatest Ease & procure you the speediest & most direct Answers— The Bearer of this will be desired to leave his address & to call upon you to know when you shall have any commands for London I am with great Esteem Dr sir your most obedt Hbl sert