ABSTRACT
A good deal of unnecessary mystery has been made about Pitt's knowledge of the Franco-Spanish treaties. In the Quarterly Review, No. 190, it is suggested that Dutens, author of Memoires d'un Voyageur qui se repose, who was secretary of the English legation at Turin, obtained copies from Tanucci at Naples and sent them to Pitt. On September 21 Pitt saw the King and presented his memorandum, which the King refused to keep and said he would postpone a decision until Stanley's return from Paris. A hopeful letter from Stanley, which had crossed Pitt's letter of recall, gave fresh confidence to the majority in the Cabinet. George III, in the most gracious manner in the world, intimated his complete satisfaction with the Cabinet's decision, adding that he would not have known how to act had it concurred in Pitt's advice. When Pitt left office the Pope of Rome said that he esteemed it the highest honour to be born an Englishman.
