Briefwisseling en aantekeningen. Deel 1

CIII.
Willem Bentinck aan de gravin van Portland.

[B.M., Eg. 1713]

Den Haag, 29 Jan. 1745.

(Dood van de Keizer (Karel VII).)

[p. 120]

......France must now find some other pretext to carry on the war in Germany, which she will never be at a loss for, no more than the King of Prussia. But what it will be, is what nobody knows. If I was Master of the votes of all the electors, I would make the Queen of Hungary Empress. - But as that cannot be, I would make the Grand Duke Emperor, that she might be Empress par contrecoup. You may find this plan ridiculous. But I am afraid that what will happen, tho' less ridiculous in theory, will be much more so in practice, and I wish it may not be pernicious into the bargain......