When I came to France, in the spring of 1787, the Archbishop of
Thoulouse was then Minister, and at that time highly esteemed. I
became much acquainted with the private Secretary of that Minister, a
man of an enlarged benevolent heart; and found that his sentiments
and my own perfectly agreed with respect to the madness of war, and
the wretched impolicy of two nations, like England and France,
continually worrying each other, to no other end than that of a
mutual increase of burdens and taxes. That I might be assured I had
not misunderstood him, nor he me, I put the substance of our opinions
into writing and sent it to him; subjoining a request, that if I
should see among the people of England, any disposition to cultivate
a better understanding between the two nations than had hitherto
prevailed, how far I might be authorised to say that the same
disposition prevailed on the part of France? He answered me by letter
in the most unreserved manner, and that not for himself only, but for
the Minister, with whose knowledge the letter was declared to be
written.

I put this letter into the, hands of Mr. Burke almost three years
ago, and left it with him, where it still remains; hoping, and at the
same time naturally expecting, from the opinion I had conceived of
him, that he would find some opportunity of making good use of it,
for the purpose of removing those errors and prejudices which two
neighbouring nations, from the want of knowing each other, had
entertained, to the injury of both.

When the French Revolution broke out, it certainly afforded to Mr.
Burke an opportunity of doing some good, had he been disposed to it;
instead of which, no sooner did he see the old prejudices wearing
away, than he immediately began sowing the seeds of a new inveteracy,