<35> would not ask for it, as he wished not to be a charge à ses alliés, and knew very well what great and indispensable occasions His Majesty had for His fleet in the présent conjuncture to defend His extended dominions and to protect the trade of His subjects in ail parts of the world against the whole power and influence of France; he concluded by saying that his actions should shew the sense he had of this mark of His Majesty's friendship and good faith.
I then proceeded to acquaint the King of Prussia with the steps His Majesty had taken to secure the court of Russia,1 and I gave him an account of your Lordship's letter of the 21st June to Mr. Keith; he approved of the reasonings in the letter, but doubted whether Mr. de Keyserlingk had that interest in the court of Petersburg which was imagined,2 and he trusts more to the arguments to be used with the Russian ministers at Petersburg, than to any persuasive that can corne from their well intentioned minister at Vienna.
The King liked the thought of endeavouring to engage Russia to lend her hand to raise the republic of Holland, and seemed willing to concur in it at a proper time, as he was sensible the present was not, on account of the ill humour at the court of Petersburg against him.
I gave the King an account of what had happened on the 12th of February at Petersburg, on the exchange of the ratifications of the treaty,3 and I put the Russian declaration into His Majesty's hands,4 which he read over unmoved and observed with great calmness that it made our treaty with Russia quite useless, that, as to himself, he wondered why the Empress of Russia had so strong an aversion to him, that he had never done anything to deserve it, that he imputed it to the influence and arts of the court of Vienna …
As to the affaire of Sweden, the King told me that he would concur and second His Majesty's views in that country, but their pre „That he [the King of Prussia may rest persuaded His Majesty will use His utmost efforts, whenever it shall be absolutely necessary, to have such a fleet in the Baltic as may protect the coasts of His Prussian Majesty's dominions from any insuit whatever.“ (British Museum in London.)
1 Vergl. S. 32.
2 Vergl. S. 26. 27.
3 Vergl. Bd. XII, 262.
4 Mitchell war beauftragt, dem Könige von Preussen den Bericht Williams, Petersburg 19. Februar, die Auswechselung der Ratificationen des englisch-russischen Subsidienvertrages betreffend, vorzulegen. Williams berichtete, dass ihm eine von Bestushew und Woronzow unterzeichnete „Déclaration secretissime“ , d. d. Petersburg 1. Februar styli veteris, im Namen der russischen Kaiserin übergeben worden sei. Diese Declaration gipfelte in den folgenden Worten: „Sa Majesté Impériale déclare par ces présentes et se tient à ces termes précis, savoir que le cas de la diversion à faire, à laquelle Sa Majesté Impériale s'est engagé par la convention qui vient d'être ratifiée, ne peut et ne doit exister que lorsque le roi de Prusse attaquera les États de Sa Majesté le roi de la Grande-Bretagne ou ceux de ses alliés.“ (British Museum in London.)