Briefwisseling en aantekeningen. Deel 1

LXXVII.
Willem Bentinck aan de gravin van Portland.

[B.M., Eg. 1713]

Den Haag, 21 Febr. 1744.

...... People can hardly imagine the French Ministry extravagant enough to make any attempt on England, Scotland or Ireland. I own it would be great madness. But as there are already many proofs of late of their want of conduct, I don't know what to believe. I am very glad of the subsidys granted to the Queen of Hungary and the King of Sardinia²⁾, because it gives credit and spirit to the good party. As to the question of Mr. Godolphin about the communicating or not of the Treaty of Worms³⁾, it is true that it has not been communicated. But I beg he will suspend his judgment as to the reasons why it has not. If he had a true notion

2) Bij het verdrag van Worms, dat eerst nu wereldkundig werd.

3) Of het aan de Staten was meegedeeld, n.l. Godolphin had vermoedelijk een vraag van die strekking in het Parlement gedaan.

[p. 96]

of this government, he would be persuaded that it was most prudent not to do otherwise than has been done hitherto as to that. It would require a great deduction to put this in a clear light, which I am not now at leisure to make. I don't know what turn Mr. Pit¹⁾ gave the thing in the house. One can give a wrong or ridiculous turn to anything, but I assure you that in the manner this affair has been conducted here, it is not in reality susceptible of a bad one ... You will soon have a visit from Monsieur Boetselaer,²⁾ who goes over with an extraordinary commission to England. It will perhaps be found much more extraordinary than he imagines at present.

1) William Pitt, de latere Chatham, onderscheidde zich nu door de bitterheid van zijn oppositie tegen de regeering en van zijn uitvallen tegen haar ‘Hannoversche’ politiek.

2) J.P. baron van den Boetzelaer, lid van de Ridderschap van Holland sedert 1737; tot zijn zending om op herstel van de vrede aan te dringen was 15 Febr. 1744 door Holland besloten; 2 Maart bekrachtigden de St. G. dat besluit; 11 April, na de wisseling van oorlogsverklaringen tusschen Frankrijk en Engeland, werd het gewijzigd, en moest hij tevens over ‘gemeene mesures’ spreken.