“The King of England, who from caprice or obstinacy
maintained Bute's system, stiffened himself against the
obstacles which arose under his feet. With little
consideration for the misfortunes which fell on his people,
he became all the more ardent in the execution of his
designs; and in order to obtain a superiority of force
over the Americans, he had negotiations carried on
with all the courts of Germany to obtain what little
help they could still furnish. Germany already felt
the evil consequences of sending so many of her men
into those distant climes, and the King of Prussia did
not like to see the Empire deprived of all its defenders,
especially in case of a new war; for in the troubles
of 1756, Lower Saxony and Westphalia alone had
set on foot an army with which the progress of the
French had been stopped and disorganized. For this
reason he made difficulties about the passage of the
troops of the princes allied to England when they had
to pass through Magdeburg, Minden, and the district
on the Lower Rhine. That was but a weak revenge
for the bad attitude which the court of London had
assumed towards him concerning the city and harbor
of Dantzic. Nevertheless, the king did not care to
push matters too far, for long experience had taught
him that one always finds a host of enemies in the
world, without taking the trouble to raise them
wantonly against oneself.”[1]
These troublesome measures of Frederick were but temporary, and in 1778 the business returned to its old channels. The war of the Bavarian Succession had then broken out, and Frederick was inclined to be
- ↑ “Œuvres de Frédéric le Grand,” vol. vi. p. 117.
