<361> commandant les troupes — et que je priais instamment lui, milord Holdernesse, en ami et comme le ministre qui avait renoué les liaisons entre moi et l'Angleterre par cette convention1 en haine de laquelle je m'étais mis tant d'ennemis à dos, de m'avertir tout naturellement de ce que j'aurais à espérer ou non sur tous ces sujets-là, afin que je saurais prendre mes mesures là-dessus. J'attendrai avec impatience le rapport que vous m'en ferez.
Federic.
Nach dem Concept.
8712. UNTERREDUNG DES KÖNIGS MIT DEM GROSSBRITANNISCHEN MINISTER MITCHELL.
[Dresden, 11. März 1757.]
Mitchell berichtet an Holdernesse, Dresden 12. März (secret): „Yesterday the King of Prussia sent for me and told me, with some warmth, he had just received accounts from Hannover,2 which were very disagreeable, that the ministers there did not second the King's intentions, but declined making the necessary preparations for the army taking the field, and were still negociating a neutrality; that if he had not the highest opinion of the King's honour and good faith, he should on this occasion become suspicious.
I said I was persuaded the ministers at Hannover would soon receive final Orders to do every thing necessary with all possible expedition, but as they were not accustomed to military preparations, it could not be expected that they should act with the same alertness that Prussian gênerais did.
My answer did not satisfy, but it was all I could say, and the King of Prussia replied: « this matter must be cleared up instantly, it is of the greatest importance, and I désire to know the worst; I will Write to the King directly, and I hope you will send a Courier forthwith. » This I promised to do, and very late last night the letter to the King3 was sent to my house, which is here inclosed ...“
Mitchell schreibt an Holdernesse, Dresden 12. März (most private):4„The bomb has burst, I wonder it has held so long, we are all disgraced; the King of Prussia received last Thursday5 night by express from Hannover General Schmettau's report, which lays every thing open . . . There were some lively expressions which I have thought fit to surpress,6 such as: »it is hard to be the first betrayed by the very
1 Die Neutralitätsconvention vom 16. Januar 1756. Vergl. S. 277. 281; Bd. XI, 474. 475; XII, 503.
2 Vergl. Nr. 8711.
3 Nr. 8713.
4 Das Schreiben findet sich nicht unter den officiellen Berichten im Public Record Office, sondern nur unter den Privatschreiben Mitchells an Holdernesse. British Museum Addit. MSS. Vol. 6831. Auch das Concept ist eigenhändig von Mitchell.
5 10. März.
6 In dem oben im Auszuge mitgetheilten officiellen Berichte an Holdernesse.