To this Fox assented, but traversed the French claim that Russia’s participation would imply her mediation.  Peace could only come from an honourable understanding between all the Powers actually at war.  Talleyrand denied that Russia was at war with France, as the Third Coalition had lapsed; but Fox held his ground, and declared there must be peace with England and Russia, or not at all:  otherwise France would be seen to aim at “excluding us from any connection with the Continental Powers of Europe."[79]

Such a beginning was disappointing:  it showed that Napoleon and Talleyrand were intent on sowing distrust between England and Russia, who were mutually pledged not to make peace separately; and for a time all overtures ceased between London and Paris, until it was known that a Russian envoy was going to Paris.  Hitherto the French Foreign Office had won brilliant successes by skilfully separating and embittering allies.  But now it seemed that their tactics were foiled.  Two firm and trusty allies yet remained, Britain and Russia.  To Czartoryski our Foreign Minister had expressed his desire that the former offensive alliance should now take a solely defensive character:  “If we cannot reduce the enormous power of France, it will always be something to stop its progress.”  To these opinions the Russian Minister gave a cordial assent, and despatched a special envoy to London to concert terms of peace along with the British Ministry, while Oubril, “a safe man on whose prudence and principles the two allied Courts may safely rely,” was despatched to Vienna and Paris.[80]

Oubril proceeded to Vienna, where he had long discussions with the British and French ambassadors:  Fox also requested that Lord Yarmouth, one of the many hundreds of Englishmen still kept under restraint in France, might have his freedom and repair at once to Paris for a preliminary discussion with Talleyrand.  The request being granted, the prisoner left the depot at Verdun, and, early in June, saw that Minister in his first flush of pride at the new title of Prince of Benevento.  At that time Paris was intoxicated with Napoleon’s glory.  The French were lords of Franconia, whence they levied heavy exactions:  in Italy they defied the Pope’s authority.[81] They were firmly installed at Ancona, despite repeated protests of Pius VII.  King Joseph with an army of 45,000 men was planning the expulsion of the Bourbons from Sicily.  And in these early days of June, Louis Bonaparte was declared King of Holland.

Yet Talleyrand was not so dazzled by this splendour as to slight the idea of peace with England; and when Lord Yarmouth stated that George III. would above all things require the restoration of Hanover, the Minister, after a delay in which he consulted his master, stated that that would make no difficulty.  As to the other questions, namely, Sicily and the maintenance of the Turkish Empire, he replied:  “You hold Sicily, we do not ask it of you:  if we possessed