<229> si, en cas de besoin, je pouvais m'attendre à un aide subsidiaire en argent de la part de l'Angleterre,1 si l'Angleterre ne me manquerait pas pour cet article, et à quelle somme on pourrait bien porter ces subsides, lesquels, cependant, je ne réclamerais. qu'au cas de la dernière extrémité.

Federic.

Nach dem Concept.


9183. UNTERREDUNGEN DES KÖNIGS MIT DEM GROSSBRITANNISCHEN MINISTER MITCHELL.

[Leitmeritz, Juli 1757].2

Mitchell berichtet an Holdernesse, Leitmeritz, 9. Juli 1757 (most secret): „I have seen the King of Prussia again and have communicated to him the verbal declaration His Majesty was pleased to order to be made to Prince Golizyn.3 The King of Prussia observed that it was couched in the most soft and gentle terms, which indeed I could not deny, I only said, though our words were soft, I hoped our actions would be manly.

His Prussian Majesty said that, as he resolved to continue firmly united with His Majesty, it would be for their mutual interests to think of terms of peace,4 honourable and safe for both, and to concert together what terms they would accept, if a favourable opportunity occurred to propose them. He said it was his opinion that, in order to procure such a peace, the utmost exertion of force must be continued on all sides, that this was what he resolved to do, and he hoped His Majesty would do the same, that this ostentation of war might perhaps render the French more tractable, and then, if a fair opportunity offered, His Majesty might make proposals either by his minister in Holland5 or by any other channel His Majesty thought fit.

I took the liberty to observe that propositions so general and undefined could have very little effect and at best might procure a loose and equivocal answer, I therefore begged His Prussian Majesty to be a little more particular as to the terms upon which he chose to treat.

He answered for preserving the peace of Germany

1° to put things upon the footing they were before the war;

2° to give security for the future that he, King of Prussia, may be free from constant alarms;

3° to execute in full the treaties of Breslau and Dresden, which have never yet taken effect as they ought to have done.

Auf Mitchells Einwendung, es sei zu befürchten, dass der Wiener Hof diesen Vorschlägen nicht zustimmen werde, hat der König entgegnet: „If England and France could agree, the court of Vienna



1 Vergl. S. 194.

2 Die Unterredungen werden vermuthlich am 8. und 9. Juli stattgefunden haben.

3 Vergl. Nr. 9158. 9182.

4 Vergl. Nr. 9128. 9138. 9157. 9167.

5 Yorke.