Paix ; dans laquelle vous poures vivre heureusement, et en repos, si vous voulies contribuer a vostre propre seurete, ainsi que je vous l'avois recommande a l'ouverture de cette Session; mais voyent au contraire, que vous aves si peu de guard a mes advis, et que vous ne prenez auquun si peu de soin de vostre seurete, et vous exposes a une ruine evidente, vous destituant des sules et uniques moiens que pouroit servir des moiens necessaire pour+ vostre defense. Il ne seroit pas juste ou raisonable que je fusse temoin [de] vostre perte, ne pouvant rien faire de mon coste, pour l'eviter [sans vous pouvoir defendre et proteger] ce que a este la seule veu que j'ai eu en venant en ce Paiis; ainsi je dois vous requerir de choisir et me nommer telles personnes, que vous jugeres capable auquels je puisse laissé [l'administration du]§ gouvernement en mon absence, vous asseurant que quoyque je suis oblige a present de me retirer HORS DU ROYAUME. Je concerveres toujours la mesmes inclination pour son adventage et prosperité; et que quandt je poures juger que ma presence y seroit necessaire pour vostre defense, et que je jugeres le pouvoir entreprendre aux succes, vous vous me feres en estat que je seres dont porté a y revenir et hasarde ma vie pour voste seurete, comme je l'ay fait par le passé: priant le bon Dieu de benir vos deliberations, et de vous inspirer ce que est necessaire pour le bien et la seurete du Royaume.' "The words placed in the lower part of the page, with letters of reference, are King William's marginal alterations." There are several letters of Lord Chatham in this collection, and all containing marks of that prompt decision, frank disposition, and warmth of feeling, even to rashness, by which this great man was eminently distinguished. There is little of courtier-like precision, for example, and less of official formality and caution, in the following despatch from the Foreign Secretary to the English Ambassador at Berlin, upon the Earl Marischal's pardon : "SIR, "You will be informed by the Earl of Holdernesse, now returned from Bath, of the pleasure His Majesty took in complying with the wishes of the King of Prussia in favour of Lord Marshal; and I have only to add on the subject, that nothing was left for the King's servants to do on the occasion but to admire the generosity and clemency of two great monarchs displaying themselves so amiably, and to be happy in the growing harmony and confidential friendship which daily manifest themselves between their Majesties. "The approbation the King of Prussia is pleased to express to you of the measures pursued, and of the fair and honest proceedings of the King's servants, fills me with the deepest satisfaction and sincerest joy * auquun. for the public; at the same time that the distinguished protection and infinite condescension of that heroic monarch towards the least amongst them have indeed left me under impressions beyond the power of words, and in addition to all the warmest sentiments which my heart has long devoted to the greatest of Kings and pride of human nature, gratitude, that can only cease with my life, has completed the ties of inviolable attachment. 66 "I have the pleasure to acquaint you that, this day, the pecuniary succour to Prussia, and the subsidy to the Landgrave, together with nineteen thousand Hessians for this year, passed the Committee, with one voice only against it. I return you many thanks for your obliging presents, and desire you will be persuaded that I shall be happy in the occasions of testifying the great truth and consideration with which I remain, "Dear Sir, "Your most obedient, humble servant, "W. PITT. "Whitehall, Jan. 26th, 1759." The same language of high admiration for Frederick II. marks all Lord Chatham's correspondence. "What I sat down only to do, is to acknowledge the favour of your very obliging private Letter of the 20th, past, and to give some expressions in a short word to the deep and lively sentiments of most respectful gratitude and veneration which such a testimony from such a Monarch must engrave for ever in a heart already filled with admiration and devotion. "Truly dear as His Prussian Majesty's interests are to me, it is my happiness to be able to say, that if any servant of the King could forget (a thing, I trust, is impossible) what is due by every tie to such an Ally, I am persuaded His Majesty would soon bring any of us to our memory again. In this confidence I rest secure that whenever Peace shall be judged proper to come under consideration, no PEACE of UTRECHT will again stain the annals of England." The following is in a somewhat different style; and though a private letter, written to a private friend, by a person who had just been brought from his retirement and cabbage-planting in the country, breathes a good deal more of the air of a court than the Secretary of State's despatch to the Ambassador :Strelitz, Aug. 17th, 1761. "DEAR MITCHELL, "How unfortunate am I to lose the opportunity of meeting you at Perleberg! but still more concerned for the accident that has deprived me of that pleasure of introducing you to the most amiable young Princess I ever saw. You may imagine what Reception I have met with at this Court coming upon such an errand as brought me here, where the great honour the King has done this Family is seen in its proper light. "I reached this place on the 14th. On the 15th, the Treaty was concluded, and dispatched away to England. L'Affaire en verité n'etoit pas bien epineuse. "This little Court has exerted its utmost abilities to make a figure suitable to the occasion, and I can assure you they have acquitted themselves not only with magnificence and splendour, but with a great deal of good taste and propriety. "Our Queen that is to be, has seen very little of the World, but her very good sense, vivacity, and cheerfulness, I dare say will recommend her to the King, and make her the darling of the British nation. She is no regular beauty, but she is of a very pretty size, has a charming complexion, very pretty eyes, and finely made. In short she is a very fine girl. "I can't finish my Letter, dear Mitchell, without giving you the strongest assurances of my affection and good wishes for the recovery of your health, and that you may live to return to your Country, and receive rewards adequate to the important and dangerous services you have been employed in.* "I must detain you a little longer to give you a short account of the very unexpected honour His Majesty has done me. I was in the country à planter des choux, when I received an order to attend the Privy Council in which His Majesty declared his intention to marry. Lord Bute, whom I honour, and to whom I am personally obliged, desired me to call upon him, and he declared to me His Majesty's gracious intention to send me upon this honourable commission, and to appoint me her Majesty's Master of the Horse, which honours I expected as much as I did the Bishoprick of London just vacant. "There was no room to hesitate one moment whether I was to accept such a mark of distinction. I waited upon the King immediately, whose goodness to me was such as ought for ever to attach me to his service, if I had not already looked upon myself as one of the most zealous of his subjects. I happened to be one of the few, perhaps the only man of quality that did not solicit some favour of him upon his Accession to the Crown. He took notice of it, and was pleased with it. After what happened to me some years ago, it was beneath me to become a solicitor for favours and employment. If the King thought me worthy to be employed I knew I should receive some mark of favour; if not, I was sure no solicitation would signify. "I have troubled you with this Account because I am sure you will be pleased to see an old friend receive such marks of His Majesty's regard. "If I can be of any service to you at my return to England, you may for ever command "your most sincere, and affectionate friend, "I will take care that not only the Princess shall be convinced of your attention to her, but His Majesty also and Lord Bute shall be apprized of it." *Mr Mitchell often rode by the side of the King of Prussia in his Battles. He was created K. B. in 1765. 2 EDIT. We had forgotten to mention, that the fair young Princess here commemorated, was soon afterwards the Queen of England; and filled that station for half a century. There are many letters of Lord Barrington upon the changes of ministry, so frequent during the early years of the late King's reign they are remarkable for nothing but the jobbing character of their courtier-like, place-loving writer, and for the light they throw upon the conduct of the Duke of Newcastle, whose retirement from office, and general disinterestedness, form a remarkable contrast to the prevailing baseness of statesmen in those days. We regret, however, not having room to extract one, No. DIV. in which Mr Erskine gives a minute account of Lord Chatham's negotiation with the King in 1763, and in which that Prince's steadiness, bearing him through great difficulties, prevented him from being dictated to, and ended in supporting the administration against a truly formidable opposition. There are some letters from General Conway and Lord Chatham, in 1766, upon the subject of a northern confederacy, to resist the power of France. It was apparently a plan, and a favourite one, of Lord Chatham. He wished Russia and Prussia to join England in heading this defensive league; and a special envoy being sent to Russia, the minister at Berlin was desired to lay the project before Frederick. The following cabinet minute contains the outline of this scheme :: "RESOLVED, That his Majesty be advised to take the proper measures for forming a Triple defensive Alliance for the maintenance of the public Tranquillity, in which the Crown of Great Britain, the Empress of Russia, and the King of Prussia, to be the original contracting Parties, with provision for inviting to accede thereto, the Crowns of Denmark, and Sweden, and the States General, together with such of the German, or other Powers, as the Original Contracting Parties shall agree upon, and as are not engaged in the Family Compact of the House of Bourbon. "Resolved, That it is the opinion of his Majesty's Servants, that Mr. Secretary Conway do take his Majesty's pleasure on a Letter to be immediately writ to Sir Andrew Mitchell, to acquaint him with the above Plan, and to inform him at the same time, it is the King's intention, that Mr Stanley, appointed his Majesty's Ambassador at the Court of Russia, shall go by way of Berlin, with a proper Credential to his Prussian Majesty; then in concert and conjunction with Sir A. Mitchell, more fully to open this measure; and will set out for that purpose, as soon as Sir A. Mitchell shall have transmitted hither an Account, that his Prussian Majesty will view with pleasure this very confidential step on the part of His Majesty." The success of this proposal at Berlin was little flattering to its authors; and we close our extracts with two passages from Sir Andrew Mitchell's letters upon the subject, which show both how deeply Frederick felt the treatment he had received from England in the peace of Paris, and how distrustful he was of a cabinet, which, after committing him with his neighbours, might be changed in a day, and thus leave him to escape as he could, while they remained safe in their own insular position. This consideration must ever cripple English negotiators; and, as it follows of necessity from our two great advantages-our physical situation and our popular constitution-there is no use in repining at it on the contrary, it should point out to us the wisdom of keeping as clear as possible from Continental entanglements, and only following that line of liberal policy towards all foreign nations, which must at once secure to our rulers the esteem of the people abroad, and the affections of their subjects at home. "As I found the King of Prussia averse to enter into new and stricter connexions with England, as well on account of the usage he met with towards the end of the late war, as of the unsettled and fluctuating state our government has been in since the conclusion of the Peace, I made a proper use of your Lordship's Secret Letter of the 8th of August, and urged his Prussian Majesty upon this point, that now by your Lordship's taking a share in Government the cause of his distrust was taken away, and therefore his diffidence ought to cease. He answered, I fear my friend has hurt himself by accepting of a Peerage at this time. "I replied that though I did not know your motives, I was persuaded you could give a good reason for what you had done; that I was not at all alarmed by the clamour and abuse thrown out against you on that account, as it was the effect of the arts and malice of your enemies, on purpose to discredit you with the People, who were easily misled by first impression and misrepresentations, but were as easily brought back again to their senses by right actions and a steady conduct; that I was persuaded this would be the case with your Lordship; and to confirm what I said I mentioned to him what I had been a witness to, when by your Speech in Parliament you saved the American Colonies, and was abused most scurrilously as a traitor to your Country for so doing; that in a very short space of time, the People saw they had been deceived, acknowledged their error, and expressed their esteem, gratitude, and attachment to you in a stronger manner than ever they had done before; that this I hoped would be the case now, which brought to my mind what I had observed in the Field when certain great Officers never appeared in their full lustre but by recovering what was deemed desperate. "His Prussian Majesty, smiling, said, I understand your allusion, and hope it will be so. "After the Audience was ended, I took the liberty of observing to the King of Prussia that I remarked with regret, in the course of the conversation, that he had not spoke to me with the same freedom and openness he was wont to do on former occasions, and that I suspected he had only given the specious not the real reasons for his disinclination to the Treaty proposed. |