Briefwisseling en aantekeningen. Deel 2
(1976)–Willem Bentinck–
Auteursrechtelijk beschermdDannenberg, 5 oktober 1748Private. In the letter I sent you by Ossorio I told you how Newcastle had changed my words and made me say that we ought to force the queen of Hungary by the means of two powersGa naar voetnoot1). But this is not all. I must tell you the rest of the story, tho'they shall not have it anywhere else. When I explained my meaning and said that the queen would never venture to remain alone out of the general treaty, because she would be exposed to be fallen upon by France on one side and the king of Prussia on the other, - ‘No, no’, says Newcastle, ‘France won't fall upon her’. Upon which I asked why not -. ‘Why’, says he, ‘it would be doing the worst thing in the world for us’. What is the meaning of this? If it has none, it is only excessive stupid. But as he is apt to blow out more than he ought, it may be that the French have worked here with promises to take particular care of the interest of England and more particularly of the ministry and that it is for that reason that France is so | |
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careful to make this project agreeable to the queen, for the great desire to have her satisfied is not for her sake, but because it is thought necessary to please the parliament. And I still much suspect that count Flemming is employed to work upon Newcastle's weak mind. I don't doubt but France thinks and is even persuaded that if England can once get a peace, they will not be in haste to get into a scraple again; things must go very hard first or men alter very much. So if England can but be satisfied, let the queen dispute with us about some towns and with the king of Sardinia about some lands afterwards, France can but win by it. I own, I should think by Newcastle's answer there must be some such underhand work. He drops words without thinking. Friday morningGa naar voetnoot2) I came here and after a long conversation with him, I went to the king, with whom I spoke alone some time. When I went out with Newcastle he asked me: ‘Well, has the king spoke to you of your damn'd barrier?’. This may go under the mark of a joke, but I will not take it for one not even for a foolish one, for the truth of it is, that there is nothing in the whole alliance of any importance, if it dos not serve some little end next sessions, but let a thing be never so wrong, if it be but subservient to some private view of the ministry in parliament, it must of course be of the utmost importance to the liberty of Europe. These kind of things, you may judge, I write to nobody but to you. Sunday the 29th of september the courier came to the Göhrde with the new project. When I came to Newcastle in the afternoon, he had not read it; he told me to come back the next morning at eleven and he would show it me. I came accordingly and found that Wasner and Flemming had been there since eight o'clock to peruse it. Now I cannot see what great hurry there was to communicate it to Flemming, since he has no business in it; and Ossorio was left below stairs in the meanwhile and in a great passion at such usage, you may be sure. I had writ thus far, without knowing how to send you this letter safely, when very luckely I received your courier this morning the 5th of october. Now I can speak quite plain. I will tell you more about Newcastle and Sandwich. You may see by the private letter I gave Ossorio for you that Robinson is the man entirely trusted, tho' I am afraid, by the little I can see of him, he had much better have less confidence put in him. | |
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Newcastle is excessively out of humour with Sandwich. He told me he was too young and too hot and would be wiser than his masters. ‘He has given me a stroke’, says he, ‘that I shall never forget, if he lived to all eternity; for he has set all the pacifick party against me in England and has broke my credit at The Hague. He has gone directly against his orders and if it had not been out of consideration for your brother, with whom he has concerted every thing, he would certainly be recalled and he never will be employed abroad again’. The king had told him upon all this, as he said, that Sandwich was not at all fitt to be secretary of state et vous ferez (ou feriez) mieux d'y mettre un de vos commisGa naar voetnoot3). This was told me in French and you understand that language. I don't know whether you have heard, or whether I ever told you, that there was a push made for the ‘commis’ last winter, when the duke of Bedford came in and Craggs was alledged as a precedent, but it would not doGa naar voetnoot4). I don't know whether the whole of this is proper to be told Sandwich, but he must know the greatest part of it, for tho' I would no put him too much out of humour with Newcastle, whom he must have to do with, wishing him as well as I do, I would have him informed, but he must be very cautious not to drop anything, that may make me suspected of being the informer. |
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