Briefwisseling en aantekeningen. Deel 2

539
Charles Bentinck aan Willem Bentinck

[B.M., Eg. 1728]

Den Haag, 23 september 1749

As I hear there is a courier expected here on his way from London to Vienna, I will get this ready to go by him and having this safe opportunity. I must write plain to you which you would have reason to complain, if I did not. I told you in my letter of the 12 inst. how I had disputed with Gronsveld and De Back about the answer to be given to England.

[p. 304]

I as little expected as lord Holdernesse to find Gronsveld in a system so different from yours and going so directly against your principles. To tell you the plain truth, I don't know, what to think of such things, neither do I like them, for I love to know whom I have to do with. I must speak plain to him about it and you will wonder, that since the 12th I have not been able to do it. Yet it is very true; he has been so excessive busy, that it has been not possible for me to get him alone. Another thing that has surprised me is, that speaking to sir William of De Back, he told him he was the man to whom he owed every thing he had; I don't understand in what sense he could say this, but thinks myself obliged to let you know it for your own information. I suppose he writes to you what passes here and that he has let you know the bad success of the enquiries or perquisitions he was about at Amsterdam¹⁾. The way that has been followed in so important an affair and the persons employed in it at Amsterdam (viz. two young strangers and a third who is as unthinking a creature as ever I saw) give me but a very indifferent idea of the judgment of those who had the direction of the work and I have made bold to tell Gronsveld before De Back, que je n'avois jamais vu une affaire aussi mal menée.

I have received yours of the 14th and 15th from Ratisbon²⁾. You may very well in our present circumstances be uneasy to know how things go on here, very likely this letter won't make you very easy, but I must speak plain to you and only to you; so pray keep it to yourself. I am every day more and more confirmed in my opinion that reason alone will never determine Pinchfinger³⁾ and that he must be forced to act as he ought; now I think this method ought to have been taken before prince Louis comes. For when he is here, it must be taken and as it will then apear new, it will fall upon him hated and set them⁴⁾ against him, which would make worse work than ever. In short notwithstanding the great desire I have to see prince Louis here, I cannot help dreading it, because I know him well enough to be persuaded, he will not come without very good assurances of his being able to bring about some changes

1) De kapitein von Bühla had meegedeeld dat er te Amsterdam een samenzwering tegen de Prins en de Republiek werd gesmeed. Zie Archives IV, I, p. 391 vlg., 404 vlg., 409 vlg.

2) Deze brieven ontbreken. De reis naar Wenen ging via Regensburg; 20 september kwam Bentinck te Wenen aan.

3) De Prins

4) Prins en Prinses.

[p. 305]

in our affairs; if he should come on such assurances and, when he is here, find them ill-grounded, it would fall upon you in a most terrible manner. There is another thing relating to him, which ought to be settled already; I mean his appointments. This article ought to be quite ready without the least difficulty, for, as I hear, it is expected he should give up all he has in the imperial service, he must at least be indemnified and that alone won't do, for he must have enough to live here as becomes him, which cannot be a trifle and in the dismal conditions the finances are in at present, it will be a very hard point to settle.

I must return once more to Gronsfeld and desire you to find out some natural way without letting him suspect, that I have writ to you about him, to let him know your opinion on the general system; for if we are to act with England with the same caution, shifts, mistrust and diffidence as he has been used to do with the king of Prussia, we shall not go on long together and yet by his behaviour, I am sorry to say I must think, that in his opinion and De Back goes the same way. This last may be chiefly out of a spirit of contradicting the greffier whom he takes to be partial to the English and in particular to lord Holderness.