I took occasion in the course of this conversation to acquaint the King of Prussia with the contents of your Lordship's letter to Sir Charles Williams, and, at the same time, I told him what the court of Russia had done in favour of the King of Sweden, and the declaration their minister was directed to make,1 he seemed highly pleased with this and added « C'est la première fois que ces gens-là mont rendu un service. » I said that the Great-Chancellor thought that this incident of the affairs of Sweden would afford an opportunity to him to open the eyes of his mistress with regard to her true interests, which he was resolved to improve; I therefore humbly hoped that the King of Prussia would consider well of the answer from the court of Vienna, as any hostility, begun by him, might throw everything back into the bad Channel.
As to the second point I was directed to speak upon, viz. the succour the King of Prussia would give to His Majesty, in case his German dominions were attacked,2 the King of Prussia is still of opinion that the French will not march towards Germany this year, they have yet taken no Steps for that purpose, no magazins of any sort are formed, that he has had emissaries at Lille, Liege and Metz, and they ail agrée in the same report that no preparations are being made there for the reception of troops, that, if the troops were to march, they cannot come from the coasts of the océan into Germany in less than two months or six weeks at soonest.
He then was pleased to say that, as the King thought there was immédiate danger of an attack from France, the troops he had in Pomerania,3 which amounted to upwards of 10,000 men, should be at His Majesty's service, but that he could spare them no longer than to the end of the month of February next, and he hoped that by this time the King would be provided for his own defence; as he did not know what enemies he might have to do with next spring.
I confess I was equally surprised and pleased with what the King of Prussia said after the very positive declaration he had formerly made of the impossibility of giving any succour whatever to His Majesty,4 and I took courage upon this to represent to him, that, as there was no danger of Russia's taking any part this year, I hoped he would increase the number and spare some regiments out of Prussia or from the camp of Halberstadt. He replied that the distance between Königs-
1 Nach einem Bericht von Williams an Holdernesse, Petersburg 13. Juli, sollte der russische Gesandte in Stockholm, Panin, beauftragt werden, die Erklärung abzugeben: „That Her Imperial Majesty cannot look with a quiet eye upon all that is now doing in Sweden&'133; and that Her Imperial Majesty insists that His Swedish Majesty be immediately restored to the full exercice of that power which the laws of Sweden allow him.“ [Public Record Office zu London; Russia.]
2 Vergl. S. 243.
3 Vergl. S. 5; Bd. XII, 463.
4 Vergl. S. 101.