<315> willing to go all lengths, that he had at that court an emissary1 with a credit for 300,000 crowns, that is 50,000 sterling, and he hoped on this occasion the King would do his utmost to render the Porte active.
I then touched on the affair of the subsidy from England,2 in the manner directed in Your Lordship's letter.3 His Prussian Majesty answered, he was sorry it was now become necessary; that, the French and Russians having taken possession of so great a part of his dominions, he saw his resources would fail; he was, therefore, obliged most unwillingly to become a burden to his allies;4 that, if he could weather it out till winter, there would be time for négociation; that a subsidy of four millions of crowns would be necessary for the next year.
I took the liberty to observe that this subsidy was larger than England had ever given in one year to any foreign power whatever; that the nation, engaged in a most expensive war with France, might find a difficulty in raising so great a sum.
His answer was that he had hitherto asked nothing; that necessity only had forced him to it now; that, if measures were to be concerted, they ought to be such as might be effectual.
I replied that it was absolutely necessary His Prussian Majesty should explain in what manner he intended to apply the subsidy His Majesty may be enabled by his Parliament to give, in order to satisfy His Majesty and the nation of the expedience and utility of granting so large a subsidy as 670,000 pounds in one year. His answer was it is impossible to be particular as to the manner in which this sum may be usefully employed, till we see the end of the campaign.“
Mitchell berichtet an Holdernesse, Dresden 31. August (most secret):5 „When the King of Prussia mentioned to me the accounts he had received from Berlin6 of the negociation that was actually begun at Hannover for a neutrality, I urged every argument that occurred to me7 arising from the present most unhappy situation of affairs, from the absolute impossibility there was of His Royal Highness resisting so superior a force, and from the utter ruin that must fall upon His Majesty's German dominions, if this measure had not been adopted; which however, I was persuaded, His Majesty had embraced with the greatest unwillingness.
His Prussian Majesty heard me with the greatest patience, but did not seem satisfied with my reasons. He put me in mind what his dominions had suffered and were likely to suffer, that the treaty he had
1 Rexin. Vergl. Bd. XIII, 619.
2 Vergl. S. 194. 279.
3 Erlass des Grafen Holdernesse vom 17. Juli 1757. Vergl. S. 279. Anm. 1 und in Bisset. l. c. I, 254—265.
4 Vergl. S. 279.
5 Vergl. zu der folgenden Unterredung die kurzen Angaben in den Tagebüchern Mitchell's. Bisset I, 366.
6 Vergl. Nr. 9299. 9304.
7 Eichel schreibt an Podewils am 28. August: „M. Mitchell ist inzwischen au désespoir über die honteuse und, wie er sie qualificiret, infame Démarche des obgedachten (hannoverschen) Ministerii.“