Mitchell berichtet an Holdernesse, Leipzig 30. October (secret), er habe an diesem Tage den König gefragt, ob das hannoversche Ministerium mit einem Theile des vorgeschlagenen Operationsplanes bekannt gemacht werden dürfe. „He answered by no means; after what has passed, they ought not to be trusted, they will spoil everything; I have confidence in His Majesty, but can have none in his Hannoverian ministers, and I wonder the King continues to consult them ...“
Mitchell berichtet an Holdernesse, Leipzig 30. October (particular): „In obedience to Your Lordship's letter of the 10th I have acquainted1 the King of Prussia with the difficulty the King was under of finding a proper general to command his army, and His Prussian Majesty said he would give His Majesty Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick or any other general, but he added that, in case the plan he had proposed, took place, either maréchal Lehwaldt must command or he, King of Prussia, would go thither and take the command of the whole upon himself, and, in the mean time, he advised that at Hannover they should be quiet and endeavour to gain time till the signal be made to them to act.“ 2
Nach der Ausfertigung im Public Record Office zu London.
9472. AN DEN ETATSMINISTER GRAF FINCKENSTEIN IN MAGDEBURG.
Leipzig, 30. October 1757.
Ew. Excellenz mit wenigem und vor mich im Vertrauen zu melden, habe vor meine Schuldigkeit zu sein erachtet, dass des Königs Majestät heute früh mit Dero affiner zusammengestossenem Corps d'armée aufgebrochen und geradesweges3 auf Mark-Ranstadt4 vorerst marschiret seind, auch allda campiren werden, um gleich darauf dem feindlichen Corps von Soubise und Prinz Hildburghausen, davon ersteres zu Weissenfels,
1 Der Bericht enthält keinen Hinweis darüber, ob diese Unterredung auf den 27. oder den 30. October zu setzen sei;
2 Ueber eine Unterredung mit Eichel berichtet Mitchell an Holdernesse, Leipzig 30. October (very secret): „The King of Prussia avoids ever mentioning the subsidy to me, I find it gives him pain to think of it (vergl. S. 194; Bd. XIII, 98), but his unhappy situation makes it absolutely necessary, for he cannot carry on the war without it.
Yesterday, Monsieur Eichel spoke to me in the King of Prussia's name, and, after renewing in the strongest manner the promises his master has already made, not to treat but in concert with England, he insinuated that it would be very agreeable to the King of Prussia to know, as soon as possible, when the subsidy of four millions of crowns (vergl. S. 426), if granted by Parliament, would be paid; the King of Prussia wished it might be early, as it imported greatly to have this point settled forthwith, that the King of Prussia, who never loses time, might thereby be enabled to employ it to the best purpose, which he will communicate so soon as the campaign is ended. I promised to write about it and assured him there was no occasion to press the King's ministers to exert themselves for the support of the King of Prussia“. [Public Record Office zu London.]
3 Vorlage: geradeswegen.
4 d. i. Markranstädt.