From John Jay to Grenville, 7 April 1795
To Grenville
Royal Hotel—Pall Mall—7 Ap. 1795—
My Lord
Your obliging Letter of today1 was this Moment handed to me— a uniform Observance of the ^usual^ respectful Attentions to Sovereigns & other Magistrates, which custom has established, tends to impress & preserve a proper Respect for these Stations as well as Persons. It is the common Interest of all Governmts. to make those marks of Respect easy to all, & indispensable to all— I percieve and feel the Impropriety of returning to america
Preprinted invitation card from Lord Grenville to John Jay for dinner on 8 April 1795. (Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University in the City of New York)
your Lordships undertaking to make the necessary Explanations to the King, and your confidence in ^being persuaded that^ they his will be satisfactory, relieves me from the Sollicitude I shd otherwise experience—3
It wd. really give me pleasure to dine, for the last Time in London, with yr Lordship— and yet the many little things to be done and attended to on the Eve of Departure, will not permit me— but at the appointd. Hour on Thursday I will wait on yr. Lordship at yr Office—4 with the best wishes for yr Health & Happiness I have the Honor to be yr. Lordship’s most ob Serv The Rt. Hon’ble Ld. Grenville
Dft, NNC (EJ: 08512).
2. In addition to Grenville’s letter, JJ had received a note that morning from James Burges, the under-secretary of state for foreign affairs, requesting that JJ present his credentials so that a meeting with George III could be scheduled prior to JJ’s departure for New York. Burges to JJ, 7 Apr. 1795, ALS, NNC (EJ: 05518).
3. JJ did meet with George III before he left London. Grenville wrote the following day and explained that the king is “unwilling that you should go without His seeing you” and therefore instructed that JJ should be brought the next day to the “Queens House exactly at twelve.” JJ was both “gratified and obliged” that Grenville was able to reschedule a meeting, and promised to be “punctual to the Hour”. Grenville to JJ, 8 Apr. 1795, ALS, NNC (EJ: 08546); JJ to Greenville, 8 Apr. 1795, ALS, NNC (EJ: 08515).
4. Grenville had offered to host a farewell dinner for JJ; Grenville also requested that JJ stop by his office for a final visit if he could not attend the dinner.