ens；there　has　an　ulterior　oracular　point　disclosed　itself　to　Friedrich；　in　vaguer　condition；　but　not　less　indubitable；　and　much　more　perilous：　namely；　That　now；　at　last　（end　of　1755）；　the　Two　Imperial　Majesties；　very　eager　both；　consider　that　the　time　is　come。　And　areas　Friedrich　looks　abroad　on　the　Austrian…Russian　marchings　of　troops；　campings；　and　unusual　military　symptoms　and　combinationsvisibly　preparing　to　that　end。
  〃They　have　agreed　to　attack　me　next　Year　（1756）；　if　they　can；　and　next　again　（1757）；　without　IF：〃　so　Friedrich；　putting　written　word　and　public　occurrence　together；　gradually　reads；　and　so；　all　readers　will　see；　the　fact　was；though　Imperial　Majesty　at　Schonbrunn；　as　we　shall　find；　strove　to　deny　it　when　applied　to；　and　scouted；　as　mere　fiction　and　imagination；　the　notion　of　such　an　〃Agreement。〃　Which　I　infer；　therefore；　NOT　to　have　existed　in　parchment；　not　in　parchment；　but　only　in　reality；　and　as　a　mutual　Bond　registered　inshall　we　say　〃in　Heaven〃；　as　some　are　wont？　registered；　perhaps；　in　TWO　Places；　very　separate　indeed！　No　truer　〃Agreement〃　ever　did　exist；though　a　devout　Imperial　Majesty　denies　it；　who　would　shudder　at　the　lie　direct。
  Poor　Imperial　Majesty：　who　can　tell　her　troubles　and　straits　in　this　abstruse　time！　Heaven　itself　ordering　her　to　get　back　the　Silesia　of　her　Fathers；　if　she　could；yet　Heaven　always　looking　dubious；　surely；　upon　this　method　of　doing　it。　By　solemn　Public　Treaties　signed　in　sight　of　all　mankind；　and　contrariwise；　in　the　very　same　moments；　by　Secret　Treaties；　of　a　fell　nature；　concocted　underground；　to　destroy　the　life　of　these！　Imperial　Majesty　flatters　herself　it　may　be　fair：　〃Treaty　of　Dresden；　Treaty　of　Aix…la…Chapelle；　Treaties　wrung　from　me　by　force；　the　tyrannic　Sea…Powers　screwing　us；　Kaunitz　can　tell！　A　consummate　Kaunitz；　who　has　provided　remedies。　Treaties　do　get　broken。　Besides；　I　will　not　go　to　War；　unless　HE　the　Bad　One　of　Prussia　do！〃Alas；　your　noble　Majesty；　plain　it　at　least　is；　your　love　of　Silesia　is　very　strong。　And　consummate　Kaunitz　and　it　have　led　you　into　strange　predicaments。　The　Pompadour；　for　instance：　who　was　it　that　answered；　〃JE　NE　LA　CONNAIS　PAS；　I　don't　know　her；　I〃？　How　gladly　would　the　Imperial　Maria　Theresa；　soul　of　Propriety；　have　made　that　answer！　But　she　did　not；　she　had　to　answer　differently。　For　Kaunitz　was　imperative：　〃A　kind　little　Note　to　the　Pompadour；　one；　and　then　another　and　another；　it　is　indispensable；　your　Imperial　Majesty！〃　And　Imperial　Majesty　always　had　to　do　it。　And　there　exist　in　writing；　at　this　hour；　various　flattering　little　Notes　from　Imperial　Majesty　to　that　Address；　which　begin；　〃MA　COUSINE；〃　〃PRINCESSE　ET　COUSINE；〃　say　many　witnesses；　nay　〃MADAME　MA　TRES　CHERE　SOEUR；〃　says　one　good　witness：　＇Hormayr　（cited　in　Preuss；　i。　433　n。；as　are　Duclos；　Montgaillard；　MEMOIRES　DE　RICHELIEU；　&c。＇Notes　which　ought　to　have　been　printed；　before　this；　or　given　at　least　to　the　Museums。　〃My　Cousin；〃　〃Princess　and　Cousin；〃　〃Madame　my　dearest　Sister：〃　Oh；　high　Imperial　Soul；　with　what　strange　bed…fellows　does　Misery　of　various　kinds　bring　us　acquainted！
  Friedrich　was　blamably　imprudent　in　regard　to　Pompadour；　thinks　Valori：　〃A　little　complaisance　might　have〃what　might　it　not　have　done！〃But　his　Prussian　Majesty　would　not。　And　while　the　Ministers　of　all　the　other　Powers〃　allied　with　France　〃went　assiduously　to　pay　their　court　to　Madame；　the　Baron　von　Knyphausen　alone；　by　his　Master's　order；　never　once　went　＇〃Don't！　JE　NE　LA　CONNAIS　PAS〃＇；　while　the　Empress…Queen　was　writing　her　the　most　flattering　letters。　The　Prince　of　Prussia；　King's　eldest　Brother；　wished　ardently　to　obtain　her　Portrait；　and　had　applied　to　me　for　it；　as　had　Prince　Henri　to　my　Predecessor。　The　King；　who　has　such　gallant　and　seductive　ways　when　he　likes；　could　certainly　have　reconciled　this　celebrated　Lady〃；a　highly　important　Improper　Female　to　him　and　others。　＇Valori；　i。　320。＇
  Yes；　but　he　quite　declined；　not　counting　the　costs。　Costs　may　be　immediate；　profits　are　remote；remote；　but　sure。　Costs　did　indeed　prove　considerable；　perhaps　far　beyond　his　expectation；　though；　I　flatter　myself；　they　never　awoke　much　remorse　in　him；　on　that　score！
  Friedrich's　Enigma；　towards　the　end　of　1755　and　onwards；　is　becoming　frightfully　stringent；　and　the　solution；　〃What　practically　will　be　the　wise　course　for　me？〃　does　not　lessen　in　abstruse　intricacy；　but　the　reverse；　as　it　grows　more　pressing。　A　very　stormy　and　dubious　Future；　truly！　Two　circumstances　in　it　will　be　highly　determinative：　one　of　them　evident　to　Friedrich；　the　other　unknown　to　him；　and　to　all　mortals；　except　two　or　three。　FIRST；
  That　there　will　be　an　English…French　War　straightway；　and　that；　as　usual；　the　French；　weaker　at　sea；　will　probably　attack　Hanover；　that　is　to　say；　bring　the　War　home　to　one's　own　door；　and　ripen　into　fulfilment　those　Austrian…Russian　Plots。　This　is　the　evident　circumstance；　fast　coming　on；　visible　to　Friedrich　and　to　everybody。　But　that；　in　such　event；　Austria　will　join；　not　with　England；　but　with　France：　this　is　a　SECOND　circumstance；　guessable　by　nobody；　known　only　to　Kaunitz　and　a　select　one　or　two；　but　which　also　will　greatly　complicate　Friedrich's　position；　and　render　his　Enigma　indeed　astonishingly　intricate；　as　well　as　stringent　for　solution！
  Chapter　II。
  ENGLISH　DIPLOMACIES　ABROAD；　IN　PROSPECT　OF　A　FRENCH　WAR。
  Britannic　Majesty；　I　know　not　at　what　date；　but　before　the　launching　of　that　poor　Braddock　thunder…bolt；　much　more　after　the　tragic　explosion　it　made；　had　felt　that　French　War　was　nearly　inevitable；　and　also　that　the　French　method　would　be；　as　heretofore；　to　attack　Hanover；　and　wound　him　in　that　tender　part。　There　goes　on；　accordingly；　a　lively　Foreign　Diplomatizing；　on　his　Majesty's　part；　at　present；in　defect；　almost　total；　of　Domestic　Preparation；　military　and　other；Majesty　and　Ministers　expecting　salvation　from　abroad；　as　usual。　Military　preparation　does　lag　at　a　shameful　rate：　but；　on　the　other　hand；　there　is　a　great　deal　of　pondering；　really　industrious　considering　and　contriving；　about　Foreign　Allies；　and　their　subsidies　and　engagements。　That　step；　for　example；　the　questionable　Seizure　of　the　French　Ships　WITHOUT　Declaration　of　War；　was　a　contrivance　by　diplomatic　Heads　（of　bad　quality）：　〃Seize　their　ships；〃　said　some　bad　Head；　after　meditating；　〃put　their　ships　in　SEQUESTRATION；　till　they　do　us　justice。　If　they　won't；　and　go　to　War；then　THEY　are　the　Aggressors；　not　we；　and　our　Allies　have　to　send　their　auxiliary　quotas；　as　per　contract！〃　So　the　Ships　were　seized；　held　in　sequestration；　〃till　many　of　the　cargoes　（being　perishable　goods；　some　even　fish）　rotted。〃　＇Smollett's　　History　of　England；　　&c。　&c。＇　And　in　return；　as　will　be　seen；　not　one　auxiliary　came　to　hand：　so　that　the　diplomatic　Head　had　his　rotted　cargoes；　and　much　public　obloquy；　for　his　pains。　Not　a　fortunate　stroke　of　business；　that！
  Britannic　Majesty；　on　applying　at　Vienna　（through　Keith；　Sir　or　Mr。　Robert　Keith；　the　FIRST　Excellency　of　that　name；　for　there　are　two；　a　father　and　a　son；　both　Vienna　Excellencies）；　was　astonished　to　learn　That；　in　such　event　of　an　Aggression；　even　on　Hanover；　there　was　no　co…operation　to　be　looked　for　here。　Altogether　cold　on　that　subject；　her　Imperial　Majesty　seems；　regardless　of　Excellency　Keith's　remonstrances　and　urgencies；　and；　in　the　end；　is　flatly　negatory：　〃Cannot　do　it；　your　Excellency；　times　so　perilous；　bad　King　of　Prussia　so　minatory；〃not　to　mention；　SOTTO　VOCE　that　we　have　turned　on　our　axis；　and　the　wind　（thanks　to　Kaunitz）　no　longer　hits　us　on　the　same　cheek　as　formerly！
  〃Cannot？　Will　not？〃　Britannic　Majesty　may　well　stare；　wide…eyed；　remembering　such　gigantic　Subsidizings　and　Alcides　Labors；　Dettingens；　Fontenoys；　on　the　per…contra　side。　But　so　stands　the　fact：　〃No　help　from　an　ungrateful　Vienna；quick；　then；　seek　elsewhere！〃　And　Hanbury　and　the　Continental　British　Excellencies　have　to　bestir　themselves　as　they　never　did。　Especially　Hanbury；　who　is　directed　upon　Russia；whom　alone　of　these　Excellencies　it　is　worth　while　to　follow　for　a　moment。　Russia；　on　fair　subsidy；　yielded　us　a　35；000　last　War　（willingly　granted；　most　useful；　though　we　had　no　fighting　out　of　them；　mere　terror　of　them　being　enough）：　beyond　all　things；　let　Hanbury　do　his　best　in　Russia！
  Hanbury；　cheerfully　confident；　provides　himself　with　the　requisites；　store　of　bribe…money　as　the　chief；at　Warsaw　withal；　he　picks　up　one　Poniatowski　（airy　sentimental　coxcomb；　rather　of　dissolute　habits；　handsomest　and　windiest　of　young　Polacks）：　〃Good　for　a　Lover　to　the　Grand…Duchess；　this　one！〃　thinks　Hanbury。　Which　proved　true；　and　had　its　uses　for　Hanbury；Grand…Duchess　and　Grand…Duke　（Catherine　and　Peter；　whom　we　saw　wedded　twelve　years　ago；　Heirs…Apparent　of　this　Russian　Chaos）　being　an　abstrusely　situated　pair　of　Spouses；　well　capable　of　something　political；　in　private　ways；　in　such　a　scene　of　affairs；　and　Catherine；　who　is　an　extremely　clever　creature；　being　out　of　a　lover　just　now。　A　fine　scene　for　the　Diplomatist；　this　Russia　at　present。　Nowhere　in　the　world　can　you　do　so　much　with　bribery；　quite　a　standing　item；　and　financial　necessary…of…life　to　Officials　of　the　highest　rank　there；　as　Hanbury　well　knows。　＇His　Letters　（in　Raumer）；　PASSIM。＇　That　of　Poniatowski　proved