Folio 270: St. Paul to Rochford. The week has been taken up with the festivals at...

Folio 270: St. Paul to Rochford. The week has been taken up with the festivals at Versailles [see f.248]. He comments on the magnificence of the occasions and the organisation of the duc de Duras. St. Paul had tried to ensure that the 50 Britians present were properly treated. He describes the pretensions for precedence of the princes and princesses of the blood. The Comte de Maillebois, a distinguished lieutenant general, disgraced after service under marshal d'Estrées, was reported to be entering Spanish service but this now is unlikely. He believes that Spain has decided to bombard Algiers and keep a large fleet in the Mediterranean, since the Algerians will become more insolent after Spain's failure. O'Reilly is to remain at Cartagena. St. Paul and Aranda have had frank and friendly `military conversations'. The duc de Bouillon has sold his place of great chamberlain to his nephew, the prince de Guimenée but has retained the survivance. He has reports of unrest in Bohemia in spite of the measures taken by the court of Vienna. Prussian encouragement is suspected.

Date and place: 1775 Aug 23 Paris.