To MANN 6 MARCH 1746 OS 223 news of the King of Sardinia having made his peace:181 think it comes out now that he absolutely had concluded one with , but that the haughty Court of Spain rejected it: what the Austrian pride had driven him to, the Spanish pride drove him from.1? You will allow that our affairs are critically bad, when all our hopes centre in that honest monarch, the King of Prussia20—but so it is; and I own I see nothing that can restore us to being a great nation but his interposition.21 Many schemes are framed, of making him of Holland, or of in Flanders, in lieu of the Silesias,22 or all together, and that I think would follow—but I don't know how far any of these have been carried into propositions. I see by your letters that our fomentations of the Corsican rebellion have had no better success than the French tampering in ours—for

18. The rumour is in Daily Adv. 24 Feb. Hanover of 26 Aug. 1745, and especially OS sub Paris, 21 Feb. NS. A preliminary the British efforts to incite Russia against memoire for a treaty had in fact been Prussia (Frederick II, Politische Corres­ signed on 26 Dec 1745 NS (ante 15 March pondenz v. 33, 37-45, 49-50; J. G. Droysen, 1746 NS, n. 8), but France's refusal to com­ Geschichte der preussischen Politik, Leip­ promise led to the breakdown of negotia­ zig, 1855-86, v. pt ii. 536, pt iii. 78-103; tions for a final treaty (post 5 April 1746 n. 21 below). NS). 21. Frederick II was willing to hold in 19. 's wounded pride had readiness '6,000 hommes d'infanterie . . . made her concentrate on the conquering of pour ... les royaumes de la Grande Bre­ Naples rather than upon aiding Charles tagne . . . sa Majeste Britannique le re- Emmanuel, while the Queen of Spain's am­ querant' (instructions to Andrie, 27 Feb., bition in seeking a Lombard kingdom for 1 March NS. Politische Correspondenz v. Don Philip made her reject the proposed 40); he wrote to Podewils, 3 March NS: peace terms. 'Pour la Hollande, je la crois dans la ne­ 20. 'If we could get the King of Prussia cessite de faire sa paix avec la France, et to join with us, we might still make our ensuite toute la ligue autrichienne . . . party good. But I own I despair of it' sera bien obligee de faire la paix' (ibid. v. (Newcastle to Chesterfield 15 March OS, 39). As to his mediation with France, 'je Lodge, op. cit. 127). Harrington, in offer­ ne me trouvais ni en etat ni en volonte de ing Frederick II a new treaty of alliance me rembarquer des a present dans une to reaffirm existing treaty obligations be­ nouvelle guerre; que par consequent mes tween Britain and Prussia, urged Freder­ remontrances [to France, against any ick to persuade Louis XV against aiding French invasion threats to England], quel­ the Jacobites in Scotland, and to mediate que serieuses qu'elles fussent, ne feraient a peace between France and the Allies jamais assez d'impression sur son esprit (Frederick II to Andrie, his minister at pour la faire changer de mesures' (to An- London, 26 Feb. NS, Politische Correspon­ drie\ 26 Feb. NS, ibid. v. 34). denz v. 33). Villiers's negotiations at Ber­ 22. T saw a scheme t'other day in the lin, 22 Feb. NS (Daily Adv. 26 Feb. OS) Utrecht Gazette ... to give Flanders to the were hampered by the survival of the King of Prussia instead of Silesia. ... I Granville administration's anti-Prussian see no other way of our being able to cope policies. Frederick resented Britain's sub­ with France' (Chesterfield to Newcastle 20 sidies to Maria Theresa, and British fail­ March OS, Lodge, op. cit. 129). ure to fulfill terms of the Convention of