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In the years following the conclusion of the Peace of Paris in 1763, George Grenville possessed a reputation for his consistent demands that Britain's war-proven naval superiority should be used to strengthen British diplomacy and prevent the Family Compact reacquiring die means of endangering Britain. In a typical statement to the Commons in 1768, referring to the Grafton Government's mishandling of the Corsican crisis, he said: ‘for fear of going to war, you will make war unavoidable’. It is interesting, therefore, to examine how and for what reasons the Grenville Government used its naval resources in conjunction with diplomacy to defend British interests when they were threatened consecutively in Honduras, Turks Island, and the Gambia in 1764–5.

THE REMARKABLE SUCCESS James Boswell had in arousing aristocratic sympathy throughout Europe for General Paoli's efforts to establish an independent Corsican state is well known, as is Lord Holland's expostulation: "Foolish as we are, we cannot be so foolish as to go to war, because Mr. Boswell has been to Corsica, and yet, believe me, no better reason can be given for siding with the vile inhabitants of one of the vilest islands in the world."' The French conquest and annexation of Corsica, however, was a serious defeat to Britain. After the Seven Years' War Britain was diplomatically isolated and the defense of her interests was dependent upon the maintenance of the power and influence of her preeminent naval forces. French annexation of Corsica impaired the effectiveness of British sea power in the Mediterranean, and the Duc de Choiseul's successful occupation of the Mediterranean island despite Britain's naval preeminence reduced the influence of British sea power throughout Europe. The failure of the government of the Duke of Grafton to prevent the defeat was the result of poor statesmanship compounded by political bickering. Partly as a result of political ineptitude and partly by accident, the Duke of Grafton had brought together in brief coalition an uncongenial group of men of faction. Out of loyalty to William Pitt who he thought should be brought back to power, Grafton had helped to bring about the collapse of the Rockingham government in 1766 by resigning from his office of Secretary of State. Pitt had then agreed to form a government, but he had insisted that Grafton have the