9079. UNTERREDUNG DES KÖNIGS MIT DEM GROSSBRITANNISCHEN MINISTER MITCHELL.

[Lager vor Prag, 9. Juni 1757.]154-1

Mitchell berichtet an Holdernesse, Weleslawin, 12. Juni (particular): „I had the honour on the 9th instant to communicate the substance of Your Lordship's letter of the 27th May to the King of Prussia, and I have the satisfaction to assure Your Lordship that he does think very seriously how he may be able to assist His Royal Highness,154-2 and to protect the Landgrave of Hesse, whose firmness and fidelity to the common cause deserves every mark of attention and gratitude.154-3

The King of Prussia has had the same information concerning the designs of the French against Emden and their project upon the navigation of the Elbe and the Weser, he has ordered his governor154-4 to defend Emden and has even spread a report that English troops are to be sent to defend it.154-5 This, he knows, cannot happen, but he desires that it may be inserted in our newspapers, and that mention may be made of the particular regiments destined for this service and the transports, convoys etc. that are to carry them. A puff of this kind properly inserted and repeated in our newspapers, he thinks, will make the French cautious of attempting the siege of Emden and may, at least, serve to gain a little time, till His Prussian Majesty can turn his face towards them . . .“

[Lager vor Prag, Juni 1757.]154-7

Mitchell übersendet mit einem Bericht, Weleslawin, 12. Juni (secret), das Schreiben des Königs vom 11. Juni.154-6

„ ... By way of commentary to the King of Prussia's letter I must acquaint Your Lordship with what passed in a conversation I had with him a very few days before. Upon my acquainting him with the news I had received from Petersburgh, by the way of Warsaw, he said briskly >I see I have nothing to expect from England, I have never asked<155> anything but a squadron to be sent to the Baltic, and have yet received no answer to my demand.“ Upon this I offered to write again; he answered cooly « It is to no purpose, they will give no answer; I know you have written about it several times. »

I answered this was owing to the unhappy state of our internal affairs.155-1 He replied « It is true, and to that is likewise owing that the English are no longer the same people, your want of union and steadiness has dissipated the natural strength of your nation, and if the same conduct is continued, England will no longer be considered of that great importance in Europe. Your marine is certainly superior to that of France, and yet, for want of spirit to exert yourselves, that of France still triumphs; it is in your power to distress France many ways, but you have acted hitherto with the cool indifference of auxiliaries and not with that ardor and spirit which would become your nation. »

Here I was very glad the conversation ended upon my asking a question about the state of the Russian fleet, which, he told, was very weak,155-2 and that he believed a bare declaration155-3 on the part of the King, that he intended to send a squadron into the Baltic, would prevent the Russians from attempting anything by sea, but that surely a very small squadron of English men-of-war in that sea would secure everything.

As I found His Prussian Majesty in this humour, I did not think it a proper time to ask for explanations, but by accident i imagine i have got a satisfactory one of what i was directed to enquire about by Your Lordship's secret letter of the 6th May.155-4 At the end of this conversation, I took the liberty to ask the King of Prussia concerning the intelligence he had from France. He told me very freely that his accounts were very imperfect, that the best he had were by a secretary or resident of the Dutch, that the letters passed thro' the Princess of Orange's hands, and that he was much obliged to Her Royal Highness for it . . .“155-5

Nach den Ausfertigungen im Public Record Office zu London.


154-1 Vergl. über die Unterredung vom 9. Juni auch die Tagebücher Mitchell's. Memoirs and papers of Sir Andrew Mitchell, by Bisset. London 1850. Bd. I, 343.

154-2 Vergl. S. 118. 143; Bd. XIV. 514. 522.

154-3 Vergl. S. 87. 140; Bd. XIV. 466.

154-4 Kalckreith. Vergl. S. 48.

154-5 Vergl. S. 95.

154-6 Nr. 9087.

154-7 Mitchell nennt in seinem Bericht den Tag der folgenden Unterredung nicht. In den Tagebüchern Mitchells ist die Unterredung unter dem 4. Juni erwähnt. Memoirs. Bd. I, 341. 342.

155-1 Vergl. S. 123.

155-2 Vergl. Bd. XIV, 511.

155-3 Vergl. S. 143; Bd. XIV, 502.

155-4 In Betreff der den englischen Argwohn erregenden Nachricht, dass ein Packet durch die Hand der Prinzessin von Oranien aus Paris in das preussische Hauptquartier gelangt sei. Vergl. S. 61. 62.

155-5 Vergl. Bd. XIV, 323. 388.