You have indeed rendered me an essential service.

I should have done ample justice to Sir Hew Dalrymple as to his conduct in Portugal; & made honourable amends to him for the vehemence with which, twelve years ago I expressed a feeling, right in its principle, but injurious in its direction.

I have Lord Burghershs book, & also Col. Jones’s;

& I perceive a consequence of the Convention of Cintra which has not (I believe) yet been pointed out: – that Elvas (if not Almeida), would certainly have held out till the dispersion of the Spanish armies, & that a movement of the French to relieve it, which would of course have been made, would have drawn them to Portugal in that direction, at the time when we only waited for their approach, to abandon Lisbon. Severer terms ought to have been imposed; but we did not then understand how to treat with the French; – neither indeed did we learn it even when we had learnt to beat them thoroughly. You will very soon see in what manner this transaction is treated; I hope & think you will find it in accord with your own feelings; – but if it appears erroneous or unjust in any point, only let me know, & I will reconsider it. For the chance of some such suggestions I shall always detain the proof sheet till the third post, instead of the second, as heretofore.

It is with regard to the former part of Sir Hews conduct that you have served me now, by enabling me to remedy an act of omission, – which must not be called a sin, because it was involuntary. To the best of my recollection, Sir Hews offer of papers was not transmitted to me; – if it were, I could only have returned the answer which I have uniformly made in such cases, – that I should be truly thankful for the communication. – Concerning all the operations of Castaños,

I felt a want of information, & knew not where to obtain it. It did not occur to me to apply to Sir Hew, because I thought that if he had any papers which he wished me to see, he would have offered them; – that he has done this I did not know, & was conscious that I had no right to ask it at his hands. If he will favour me with them now, I will rewrite that part of the chapter;

as in justice I am bound to do. – I will attend also to Gen. Whittinghams remarks,

– for which, & for the Parte Historica

I am greatly obliged. I am now well provided with materials concerning the operations on that coast, the late Lord Sheffield supplied me with some from Sir H Clintons

papers, – & I am promised others from Lord W^m Bentinck.

I received O Donnells narrative, & will return it as soon as it is done with. Is this the O Donnell who became Conde de Bisbal?

Gen: Whittingham can probably tell me whether the Spanish official history of the war, has proceeded beyond the first volume, – or been put a stop to by this miserable Revolution,

– miserable it may well be called, – for in such a state of things one knows not what to wish, where there is nothing but what is evil in prospect. The first volume is exceedingly good, – tho I have only seen it in a French translation.

– Marshal S^t Cyr

has published a good account of his short command in Catalonia. But in general the French books concerning this war are as rascally as their conduct in it