9498. UNTERREDUNG DES KÖNIGS MIT DEM GROSSBRITANNISCHEN MINISTER MITCHELL.
[Merseburg, 9. November 1757.]
Mitchell berichtet an Holdernesse, Leipzig 11. November (most secret) : „ . . . His Prussian Majesty told me that he had sent for me, in order to be présent at an audience he was to give to General Count Schulenburg, who was sent to him from the Hanoverian ministry; that I could not be surprised if, after what had happened,1 he was diffident and distrustful of every thing that came from that quarter.
Mitchell richtet an den König die Bitte, mit seinem siegreichen Heere den Marschall Richelieu aus Hannover zu vertreiben.
The King answered plainly it was impossible, that he must immediately go into Silesia to endeavour to save Schweidnitz, and, when I pressed again to this point, he answered with great warmth: « Sure, it is but just that I should take some care of my own country; what assistance have I had of any sort? You know, you have seen what I have suffered by the Hanoverian convention,2 and from your nation I have nothing but good words. »3 I replied I hoped they would sopn be realized, and that this act of generosity on his part of helping to drive the French out of Hanover, would for ever secure to him His Majesty's friendship and the gratitude of the English nation. « Well, » says he, « but, in the mean time, the Austrians will get a settlement in Silesia; will the Hanoverian troops help me to recover it? » I replied I made no doubt they would; but he still remained inflexible and concluded with saying he thought, as the troops at Hanover were 42,000 men compleat, they might act for themselves; « you see what I have done with less than half that number. I will however, when maréchal Lehwaldt arrives, give any assistance in my power, after he has chastised the Swedes. »
I then put His Prussian Majesty in mind of the promise he has made to His Majesty of a general to command his troops.4 He desired that Count Schulenburg might come in, and I renewed the request about the général. His Prussian Majesty asked whether, if Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick5 was to go to Hanover, the troops would obey him, and the ministers receive him as general. I answered 1 had the King's commands to ask this favour of His Prussian Majesty, but did not know whether any commission was yet made out for the Prince, and Count Schulenburg added that he believed the troops would obey him, but that the ministers of Hanover had not told him that there was a commission ready for the Prince, and proposed the Prince's going incognito to Stade. The King of Prussia replied he could not advise
1 Vergl. Bd. XV, 489.
2 Vergl. Bd. XV, 489.
3 Vergl. Bd. XV, 143. 162. 228. 237.
4 Vergl. Bd. XV, 467.
5 Vergl. S. 12; Bd. XIII, 609; XIV, 550; XV, 467.