Tobago？　Island　of　Barataria　your　Lordship　must　be　meaning；　Island　of　which　I　cannot　be　the　Sancho　Panza！〃　＇Ib。　31。＇　And　Nivernois　found　he　must　not　mention　Tobago　again。
  For　the　rest；　Friedrich　made　no　secret　of　his　English　Treaty；　showed　it　with　all　frankness　to　Nivernois；　in　all　points：　〃Is　there；　can　the　most　captious　allege　that　there　is；　anything　against　France　in　it。　My　one　wish　and　aim；　that　of　Peace　for　myself：　judge！〃　Nivernois　stayed　till　March；　but　seems　to　have　had；　of　definite；　only　Tobago　and　good　words；　so　that　nothing　farther　came　of　him；　and　there　was　no　Renewal　of　Treaty　then　or　after。　Thus；　in　his　third　month　（March；　1756）；　practical　Nivernois　was　recalled；　without　result；instead　of　whom　fat　Valori　was　sent；　privately　intending　〃to　do　nothing　but　observe；　in　Berlin。〃　From　all　which；　we　infer　that　the　Babiole　Committee　now　saw　land；　and　that　Bernis　himself　had　decided　in　the　affirmative：　〃Austria；　not　Prussia；　yes；　Madame！〃　To　the　joy　of　Madame　and　everybody。　For；　it　is　incredible；　say　all　witnesses；　what　indignation　broke　out　in　Paris　when　Friedrich　made　this　new　〃defection；〃　so　they　termed　it；　revolt　from　his　Liege　Lord　（who　had　been　so　exemplary　to　him　on　former　occasions！）；　and　would　not　bite　at　Tobago　when　offered。　So　that　the　Babiole　Committee　went　on；　henceforth；　with　flowing　sea；　and　by　Mayday　（1st　MAY；　1756）　brought　out　its　French…　Austrian　Treaty　in　a　completed　state。　〃To　stand　by　one　another；〃　like　Castor　and　Pollux；　in　a　manner；　〃24；000；　reciprocally；　to　be　ready　on　demand；〃　nay　I　think　something　of　〃subsidies〃　withal；TO　Austria；　of　course。　But　the　particulars　are　not　worth　giving；　the　Performance；　thanks　to　a　zealous　Pompadour；　having　quite　outrun　the　Stipulation；　and　left　it　practically　out　of　sight；　when　the　push　came。　Our　Constitutional　Historian　may　shadow　the　rest：
  〃France　and　England　going　to　War　in　these　sad　circumstances；　and　France　and　Austria　being　privately　prepared　＇by　Kaunitz　and　others＇　to　swear　everlasting　friendship　on　the　occasion；　instead　of　everlasting　enmity　as　heretofore；　unexpected　changes；　miraculous　to　the　Gazetteers；　became　inevitable；nothing　less；　in　short；　than　explosion　or　topsy…turvying　of　the　old　Diplomatic…Political　Scheme　of　Europe。　Old　dance　of　the　Constellations　flung　heels…over…head　on　the　sudden；　and　much　pirouetting；　jigging；　setting；　before　they　could　change　partners；　and　continue　their　august　dance　again；　whether　in　War　or　Peace。　No　end　to　the　industrious　wonder　of　the　Gazetteer　mind；　to　the　dark　difficulties　of　the　Diplomatic。　What　bafflings；　agonistic　shufflings；　impotent　gazings　into　the　dark；　what　seductive　fiddling；　and　being　fiddled　to！　A　most　sad　function　of　Humanity；　if　sometimes　an　inevitable　one；　which　ought　surely　at　all　times　to　be　got　over　as　briefly　as　possible。　To　be　written　of；　especially；　with　a　maximum　of　brevity；　human　nature　being　justly　impatient　of　talk　about　it；　beyond　the　strictly　needful。〃
  Most　true　it　is；　and　was　most　miraculous；　though　now　quite　forgotten　again；　Political　Europe　had　to　make　a　complete　whirl…　round　on　that　occasion。　And　not　in　a　day；　and　merely　saying　to　itself；　〃Let　me　do　summerset！〃　as　idle　readers　suppose；but　with　long　months　of　agonistic　shuffle　and　struggle　in　all　places；　and　such　Diplomatic　fiddling　and　being　fiddled　to；　as　seldom　was　before。　Of　which；　these　two　instances；　the　Bernis　and　the　Hanbury；　are　to　serve　as　specimen；　two　and　no　more：　a　universe　of　extinct　fiddling　compressed　into　two　nutshells；　if　readers　have　an　ear。
  Chapter　III。
  FRENCH…ENGLISH　WAR　BREAKS　OUT。
  The　French；　in　reality　a　good　deal　astonished　at　the　Prussian…　Britannic　Treaty；　affected　to　take　it　easy：　〃Treaty　for　Neutrality　of　Germany？〃　said　they：　〃Very　good　indeed。　Perhaps　there　are　places　nearer　us；　where　our　troops　can　be　employed　to　more　advantage！〃　＇Their　〃Declaration〃　on　it　（Adelung；　vii。　613。＇hinting　vocally；　as　henceforth　their　silent　procedures；　their　diligence　in　the　dockyards；　moving　of　troops　coastward　and　the　like；　still　more　clearly　did；　That　an　Invasion　of　England　itself　was　the　thing　next　to　be　expected。
  England　and　France　are；　by　this　time；　alike　fiercely　determined　on　War；　but　their　states　of　preparation　are　very　different。　The　French　have　War…ships　again；　not　to　mention　Armies　which　they　always　have；　some　skilful　Admirals　withal；La　Gallisonniere；　our　old　Canada　friend；　is　one；　very　busy　at　present；and　mean　to　try　seriously　the　Question　of　Sea…Supremacy　once　more。　If　an　Invasion　did　chance　to　land；　the　state　of　England　would　be　found　handy　beyond　hope！　How　many　fighting　regiments　England　has；　I　need　not　inquire；　nor　with　what　strategic　virtue　they　would　go　to　work；enough　to　mention　the　singular　fact　（recently　true；　and　still；　I　perceive；　too　like　the　truth）；　That　of　all　their　regiments；　〃only　Three　are　in　this　Country〃；　or　have　Colonels　even　nominated。　Incredible；　but　certain。　And　the　interesting　point　is；　his　Grace　of　Newcastle　dare　not　have　Colonels；　still　less　higher　Officers　nominated；　because　Royal　Highness　of　Cumberland　would　have　the　naming　of　them；　and　they　would　be　enemies　to　his　Grace。　＇Walpole；　　George　the　Second；　　ii。　19　（date；　〃March　25th；　1755；〃　and　how　long　after；　is　not　said：　but　see　Pitt's　Speeches；　ib。；　all　through　1756；　and　farther）。＇　In　such　posture　stands　the　Envy　of　surrounding　Nations　at　this　moment。
  〃Hire　Hessians；〃　cry　they；　〃hire　Hanoverians；　if　France　land　on　us；　we　are　undone！〃and　continue　their　Parliamentary　Eloquences　in　a　most　distressful　manner。　〃Apply　to　the　Dutch；　at　any　rate；　for　their　6；000　as　per　Treaty〃；　cries　everybody。　Which　is　done。　But　the　Dutch　piteously　wring　their　hands：　〃Dare　not；　your　Majesty；　how　dare　we；　for　France　and　our　neglected　Barrier！　Oh；　generous　Majesty；　excuse　us！〃and　the　generous　Majesty　has　to　do　it；　and　leave　the　Dutch　in　peace；　this　time。　Hessians；　Hanoverians；　after　eloquence　enough；　are　at　last　got　sent　for；　to　guard　us　against　this　terrible　Invasion：　about　10；000　of　each　kind；　and　do　land；　the　native　populations　very　sulky　on　them　（〃We　won't　billet　you；　not　we；　build　huts；　and　be！〃）；　with　much　Parliamentary　and　Newspaper　Commentary　going　on；　of　a　distressful　nature。　〃Saturday；　15th　May；　1756；　Hessians　disembark　at　Southampton；　obliged　to　pitch　Camp　in　the　neighborhood：　Friday；　21st　May；　the　Hanoverians；　at　Chatham；　who　hut　themselves　Canterbury　way；〃and　have　（what　is　the　sum…total　of　their　achievements　in　this　Country）　a　case　of　shoplifting；　〃pocket…handkerchief；　across　the　counter；　in　open　day；〃　one　case　（or　what　seemed　to　be　one；　but　was　not）；　＇〃At　Maidstone；　13th　Septemher；　1756；〃　Hanoverian　soldier；　purchasing　a　handkerchief；　imagines　he　has　purchased　two　（not　yet　clipt　asunder）；　haberdasher　and　he　having　no　language　in　common：　　Gentleman's　Magazine；　　for　1756；　pp。　259；　448；　&c。；　Walpole；　SAEPIUS。＇　〃and　the　fellow　not　to　be　tried　by　us　for　it！〃　which　enrages　the　constitutional　heart。　Alas；　my　heavy…laden　constitutional　heart；　but　what　can　we　do？　These　drilled　louts　will　guard　us；　should　this　terrible　Invasion　land。　And　indeed；　about　three　weeks　BEFORE　these　louts　arrived；　the　terrible　Invasion　had　declared　itself　to　have　been　altogether　a　feint；　and　had　lifted　anchor；　quite　in　the　opposite　direction；　on　an　errand　we　shall　hear　of　soon！
  About　the　same　date；　I　observe；　〃the　first　regiment　of　Footguards　practising　the　Prussian　drill…exercise　in　Hyde　Park；〃　and　hope　his　Grace　of　Newcastle　and　the　Hero　of　Culloden　（immortal　Hero；　and　aiming　high　in　Politics　at　this　time）　will；　at　least；　have　fallen　upon　some　method　of　getting　Colonels　nominated。　But　the　wide…　weltering　chaos　of　platitudes；　agitated　by　hysterical　imbecilities；　regulating　England　in　this　great　crisis；　fills　the　constitutional　mind　with　sorrow；　and　indeed　is　definable；　once　more；　as　amazing！　England　is　a　stubborn　Country；　but　it　was　not　by　procedures　of　the　Cumberland…Newcastle　kind　that　England；　and　her　Colonies；　and　Sea…　and…Land　Kingdoms；　was　built　together；　nor　by　these；　except　miracle　intervene；　that　she　can　stand　long　against　stress！　Looking　at　the　dismal　matter　from　this　distance；　there　is　visible　to　me　in　the　foggy　heart　of　it　one　lucent　element；　and　pretty　much　one　only；　the　individual　named　William　Pitt；　as　I　have　read　him：　if　by　miracle　that　royal　soul　could；　even　for　a　time；　get　to　something　of　Kingship　there？　Courage；　miracles　do　happen；　let　us　hope！This　is　whitherward　the　grand　Invasion　had　gone：
  TOULON；　10th　APRIL；　1756。　La　Gallisonniere；　our　old　Canadian　friend；　a　crooked　little　man　of　great　faculty；　who　has　been　busy　in　the　dockyards　lately；　weighs　anchor　from　Toulon；　〃12　sail　of　the　line；　5　frigates　and　above　100　transport…ships；〃　with　the　grand　Invasion…of…England　Armament　on　board：　16；000　picked　troops；　complete　in　all　points；　Marechal　Duc　de　Richelieu　commanding。　＇Adelung；　viii。　70。＇　Weighs　anchor；　and；　singular　to　see；　steers；　not　for　England；　and　the　Hessian…Hanover　Defenders　（who　would　have　been　in　such　excellent　time）；　but　direct　for　Minorca；　as　the　surer　thing！　Will　seize　Minorca；　a　so…called　inexpugnable　Possession　of　the　English；Key　of　their　Mediterranean　Supremacies；really　inexpugnable　enough；　but　which　lies　in　the　usual　dilapidated　state；　though　by　chance　with　a　courageous　old　Governor　in　it；　who　wil