STATE PAPERS. aai
fcerfuaded her that it was her ifi- The following is part of a
tereft to make war on the conti- letter from Count Fleming, dated
nent. Her envoys made no fe- July 29, 1756. ' If the court of
cret of her defign, as we have * London does not feparate itfelf
already obferved. The prepara- ' from the King of Prulfia, and
tions which fhe made, and the ' make peace with France on the
troops which (he affembied in 1755 * beil terms poiTible, the latter
upon the Upper Rhine and ihe * will go on from fuccefs to fuccefs,
Mofellc, were a convincing proof * and from fcheme to fcheme,
of the blow which fhe meditated. * which may in the end become,
Sbe even induced the emprefs * fatal to the houfe of Hanover.*
queen to make a treaty with her. The court of Vienna, which the
figned at Verfailles the firft of king had fo faithfully fuccoured.
May 1756. Nothing can be lefs and which, in confequence of the
difficult than to difcover the views moft folemn treaties, ougnt to
of the courts of Vienna and Ver- have defended the electorate of
failles, in making that alliance, Hanover, made fo little oppoiition
and the confequences which they to its being invaded, that Count
promifed themfelves from that Fleming gave the following opi-
fyltem. France wanted to punifh wion of it in a letter, dated June
the King of Pruffia for having 12, 1756. * I think (fays he)
dared to difpute the dependence * that it would not be ill-timed,
which fhe exads from all the ' if Fr«nce, the more to embarrafs
courts of Europe, and for having ' the King of Prulfia, Ihouid fend
made with England a treaty, which, * an army of 60,000 men into
though inolFenfive, was inconlillent * the country of Hanover ; which
with the views of the French mi- ' would greatly facilitate its de-
nillry. ' f:gns.' The fame minifter in-
She above all flattered herfeif, forms his court of his reafons for
that by the meafures ihe had pur- thinking fo, and of the court of
fued, by the war which fhe was Vienna's motives for refufing to
going to make on the coninent, fuccour the king in cale of an hof-
and by the invafion of the king's tile invafion, in a letter dated May
German dominions, he uould be 10, 1756, being the very day the
brought to make a peace prejudi- treaty of Verfailles was figned.
cial to his crown, or in cafe he ' It plainly appears (fays he)
refufed to come into that, defigns ' that fince the court of Vienna
might be accompiiihed, that would * cannot have the King of Pruffia
include the ruin of the houfe cf ' for the objeft of the war, it
Hanover. Thefe are not mcje con- * will no longer run the rifque with,
jedures j they are the fentiments * England agaiail France, which
of a perfon whofe penetration, * it looks upon as a much lefs
and the confidence which the allied ♦ dangerous enemy than the King
courts juftly put in him, enabled * of PrufTia.'
him to difcover the truth, and who His difpatch of June 9, 1756,
had the intelligence which he fent gives the following account wny
to his court, from the fountain it did not yet fear France fo much
li«ad, as the King of Pruffia: ' Never-
- theicfs
