The Eve of the French Revolution 3^9 In February of the following year a projected visit of the Emperor Joseph II to Paris seemed likely to be abandoned. His mother, Maria Theresa, who had great hopes of happy results from it, both personal and politi- cal, writes to Marie Antoinette as follows : Vienna, February 3, 1777. ... As I desire nothing else in this world but the good of our holy religion, the happiness of my dear, and more than dear, children, the welfare of our states, and the felicity of our peoples, whom I love just as sincerely as my children, so I long to see not only our houses and our interests bound together closely and indissolubly, as indeed they already are, but a cordial personal friendship as well, which will bear every test and which no minister or other envious power shall ever be able to change or diminish. The emperor and the king are both so young, and both have such good and generous hearts, that I believe my hopes to be well founded if only they can learn to know each other and establish that mutual confidence which will be so useful and so necessary to them in their political careers, for their own happiness and that of their countries, — indeed, for all Europe. These reflections of a doting old mother and sovereign have led me to send off new instructions to Mercy, directing him to furnish you with information and arrange with you as to the policy to be adopted toward your ministers. There are matters of the highest importance which I can only touch upon in passing. The quarrels between the Turks and the Russians and between Spain and Portugal, as well as the war in America, may well bring about a general conflagration into which I shall be drawn in spite of myself ; particularly as it is necessary to act with the greatest caution on account of our bad neighbor, 1 whose persistent enmity toward us is greatly increased since we have ventured to oppose his unjust designs in Poland and elsewhere. He is performing the impossible in the effort to frustrate, or at least to weaken 382a. Maria Theresa urges the necessity of a close alliance between France and Austria. 1 Namely, Frederick the Great of Prussia.
