9137. UNTERREDUNG DES RÖNIGS MIT DEM GROSSBRITANNISCHEN MINISTER MITCHELL.

[Leitmeritz, 28. Juni 1757.]

Mitchell berichtet an Holdernesse, Leitmeritz 29. Juni (most secret): „ . . . I am informed, His Prussian Majesty, unaccustomed to disappointments, was a good deal dejected immediately after the battle, he, now, has recovered his spirits and applies [himself] as usual to business. I had, yesterday, a very long conversation with him, the substance of which I shall lay before Your Lordship.

He talks very reasonably and with great coolness upon the unhappy event, he sees in their full extent what may be the consequences to him, to his family and to all Europe, but he fears them not and has taken his party. He thinks an other battle lost must end in his ruin, and therefore will be cautious of venturing, but he will not lose a favourable opportunity. What chiefly distresses him, is the number of his enemies and the attacks they are threatening in the different parts of his very extended dominions. He mentioned to me again the necessity of an English fleet in the Baltic193-2 and said he was persuaded a very small squadron would be sufficient, and that he could not conceive why we did not speak an other language to Russia, and added that, before and after signing of the treaty with the King,193-3 he had the strongest and most authentic assurances from England that we were absolutely secure of Russia.193-4

He said what gave him most pain since the late misfortune, was that, at the great loss of men and officers, it was not now in his power to give the assistance to His Royal Highness and the Landgrave of Hesse he intended, that his impatience to fulfil his engagements with his allies, was the chief cause of his hurrying too much,193-5 in order to put an end to affairs in Bohemia, which the last action, if successful, would have done, that still he did not despair of bringing things to bear, tho' he must now alter his plan of operations and could not well form a new one, till he saw what steps the enemy would take.

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I said on this occasion every thing I could to sooth and calm his mind. He replied « I wish we would make peace, and if the King dees, I hope I shall not be sacrificed. » I assured him that he might rely on His Majesty's honour and good faith.

The King of Prussia then said « I will now speak to you as a private man, you know my aversion to all subsidies, that I have ever refused them;194-1 I thought and I think still it is too mean a footing for me to put myself upon; that, since the late misfortune and attacked as I am on all sides, if Prussia should be occupied by the Russians and the French and Austrians be able to make a farther progress into my dominions, my revenue will greatly fail. I should be glad to know what succour I might expect from the King and from your nation; at the same time I do assure you that my aversion to subsidies is now as strong as ever, and that I shall never accept of any but in the case of absolute necessity, it would however be a satisfaction to me to know the sentiments of the English ministers, if you could sound them. »

I answered that I was persuaded the English ministers would be unanimous upon this point, and that the King had given too many marks of his sincere friendship to leave the least room to doubt of his intentions, but that, by the constitution, no money could be given but by Parliament, which however I believed was as favourably disposed to him as could be wished, and the whole nation were highly pleased with the alliance between His Majesty and him.

The King of Prussia said « I have still good hopes to be able to do without pecuniary assistance, and I give you my word that nothing but absolute and irresistible necessity shall make me be any burden to my allies, and the kinder their dispositions are, I will be the more cautious of not abusing them. » I said if he would give me leave, I would write about it as from myself and in such a manner as not to commit him. To this he agreed as it imports him to know what he may reasonably expect, if the worst should happen. . .

I must observe that it is the first time I ever saw His Prussian Majesty abashed, and this was the only conversation I have had with him, which seemed to give him pain . . “

Nach der Ausfertigung im Public Record Office zu London.


193-2 Vergl. S. 162. 163.

193-3 Westminster-Convention vom 16. Januar 1756. Vergl. Bd. XII, 503.

193-4 Vergl. Bd. XI, 413. 418; XII, 203. 236. 237. 327. 328. 351. 350. 360. 389. 414. 430. 431.

193-5 Vergl. S. 174. 175.

194-1 Vergl. Bd. XIII, 98. 101. 102.