more regard to the guaranties and promises of the European powers, than to those essential means of securing his plans, without which the faith of princes is but a broken reed. Maria Theresa found, on her accession, an empty treasury, an enfeebled army, and discontented subjects. The cabinet was without union; and composed of old men, who had lost all decision,-or upstart favourites, who had risen by flattery rather than talents. Every one knows what a storm soon burst upon her head :-the conquest of Silesia by Frederic; the invasion of Bohemia by the French and Bavarians. In that moment of dismay, and almost of despair, the House of Austria was saved by the pride and courage of its sovereign. Maria Theresa was far from an Elizabeth or a Catharine. She possessed none of those hardy and masculine virtues which have distinguished some female sovereigns; she had neither superior talents nor enlightened views: she had only violent susceptibility, and a simple purity of intention, which rendered her more resolute, without submission or compromise, to stand up against the injustice of others. But all that heroines have ever done by dint of a manly sternness, which rather disgusts us in the midst of our admiration, she achieved without trespassing on the delicacy of her sex. The struggle of Maria Theresa against her enemies, is the pride of woman. We shall now make a long extract, which being taken from private despatches, must be new, and will display the characters both of the Queen of Hungary and of Frederic, in an interesting manner. It relates to the year 1741, at the time when the British minister was urging the court of Vienna to break the confederacy which was forming against her by some sacrifices to the King of Prussia. While Mr Robinson was endeavouring to rouse the Court of Vienna to a fenfe of their danger, and to draw from the minifters of the conference the ultimatum of the Queen, a courier from George II, who was then at Hanover, brought information that Frederic had figned, on the 5th of June, a treaty with France. The British minifter was ordered to urge this tranfaction, as a new and preffing motive to detach the King of Pruffia before the exchange of the ratifications, and offered to repair to the Pruffian camp with the proposals of the Queen of Hungary. Maria Theresa liftened to the communication with profound filence; and in reply to his representations, broke out into exclamations and fuddea starts of paffion, which fhowed the defpair and agony of her mind. Adverting to his million to the King of Pruffia, the faid, "Not only for political reafons, but from confcience and honour, I will not confent to part with much in Silefia. I am even afraid you will not be autho rized to offer Glogau, though perhaps I might be induced to part with that province, if I could be fecure of peace on all fides. But no forner is one elemy fati.fied, than another starts up; another, and then another, N 2 muit must be contented, and all at my expense. I am convinced of your good-will, but I pity you. Your miffion to Silefia will be as fruitlefs as that of Count Gotter was here: remember my words." When Mr Robinson reprefented that it was in her Majefty's power to render his miffion fuccefsful, and urged that her own fate, the fate of the Duke, of her whole family, and of all Europe, depended upon her yielding to the hard neceflity of the times, fhe exclaimed, "What would I not give, except in Silefia! let him take all we have in Guelderland; and if he is not to be gained by that facrifice, others may. Let the princes of the empire, let the King your mafter only fpeak to the Elector of Bavaria, he may be more flexible, and means may be found to gain him. Oh, the King your mafter, let him only march, let him march only!" No other anfwer could be drawn from this highfpirited woman; and her refolution was ftrengthened by the arrival of another courier, announcing the fignature of a treaty at Hanover, on the 24th of June, which fecured to her a fubfidy of 300,000l. granted by the British Parliament. The Queen, as well as the Duke of Lorraine, and the whole cabinet, received this news with marks of joy equal to their former defpondency, and were lavifh in their profeffions of friendship and gratitude. But their long expected anfwer to the earHeft demand of the ultimatum, evinced little difpofition to purchase the alliance of the King of Pruffia. They indulged themselves in a bitter invective agamft his conduct; affected condefcenfion in overlooking and forgiving his unprovoked invafion; difapproved the offer of Glogau; ftudiouly avoided the mention of the fmalleft ceffion in Silefia; and only declared that the Queen was not averfe to purchase a peace by a facrifice on the fide of the Low Countries, and by the payment of 2,000,000 florins. After many contemptuous expreffions againft the King of Pruffia, they concluded with conjuring his Britannic Majefty, both as King and Elector, to affift the Queen of Hungary, and to order the inftant march of the ftipulated fuccours, as the common danger would be increafed by delay. As if fecure of the immediate cooperation of England, Count Oftein, the Auftrian ambaffador, delivered a note to the King, requiring his Majefty to put his auxiliary troops in motion, to pay the fubfidy at the fhorteft terms, to forward the affociation of the Circles, and to ascertain the affiftance ftipulated by the courts of Ruffia and Saxony. + In fact, the Queen of Hungary was fo far from entertaining the fmalleft inclination to gain the King of Pruffia by ceffions, that the even formed the chimerical fcheme to divide his dominions; to fecure the Elector of Saxony by the gift of Cropen and the fiefs of Lufatia, which the King had forfeited, in confequence of his felony to the crown of Bohemia; and to detach the Elector of Bavaria, by yielding to him either Tuscany, the Milanefe, or the Low Countries, in exchange for the diftrict of Bavaria, between Upper Auftria and the river Inn. She * Defpatch of Mr Robinfon to Lord Harrington, 1741, July 2. + Lord Harrington's and Mr Robinfon's Defpatches. even even attempted to obtain the acquiefcence of England in this wild project, by threatening to throw herself in the power of France, and yield Luxemburg and part of Flanders, rather than gratify the prefumptuous demands of the King of Pruffia. But as neither her remonftrances or threats could prevail on England to declare war, without the concurrence of Holland, and as the danger from the grand confederacy became more and more imminent, her confent to offer an accommodation with Pruffia was at length extorted, by the urgent reprefentations of the Duke of Lorraine and of her principal minifters. After much hefitation, and many changes and delays in arranging the terms, fhe committed the propofals to Mr Robinfon, who was to repair in perfon to the Pruffian camp in Silefia, and to offer Auftrian Guelderland and Limburgh; and, at the last extremity, the dutchy of Glogau. But, in arranging these proposals, the difplayed the ftrongest averfion to an accommodation; and occafionally exclaimed to Mr Robinfon, who expreffed his apprehenfions that fome of the conditions would be rejected by the King, "I wish he may re"ject them!" When he took his leave, the recommended her interefts to his care; and faid, "Save Limburgh, if poffible; fave it only for the quiet of my confcience; God knows how I fhall anfwer for the ceffion, having fworn to the States of Brabant never to alienate any part of their country. " † In coofequence of thefe obftacles and delays, Mr Robinfon did not depart for Sileúa till the goth of July. He reached Breffau on the 3d of August; and on the 5th had an audience of the King, in his tent at the camp of Strehlin, accompanied by Lord Hyndford, and Count Podewilz the Pruffian minifter. • After fome defultory and unconnected converfation, in which the King ftigmatized the answer of the court of Vienna as extremely impertinent, Mr Robinson opened his commiflion with the offer of Auftrian Guelderland, and a florid description of its value and importance. The King, without anfwering, turned to Count Podewilz, and asked, "What have we got left in Guelderland?" and when the minifter replied," Almoft nothing;" he exclaimed, "Still beggarly offers! What! nothing but a paltry town for all my juft pretenfions in Silefia?" He here gave way to his indignation; and Mr Robinson, after fome hefitation, added the offer of Limburgh, as the ultimatum of the N 3 Queen *The project of ceffion,' writes Mr Robinfon in a letter to Lord Harrington, was drawn up, and the inftructions for the propofal of terms to the King of Pruffia. The Queen, after much ftruggle, forced to approve them, changed them with her own hand; added, that she liked one thing too much, or another too little; what with defpair, what with reluctance, what with irrefolution, fpoiled the whole paper, and fent it back to the chancellor fo mangled, then fent for it again. Mr Robinfon's Defpatches. Queen of Hungary, exaggerating its advantages ftill higher than those of Guelderland. But he was interrupted in his encomiums by the King, who ironically afked, "How can the Queen of Hungary dare to think of violating fo folemn an engagement as that of the Barrier Treaty, which renders every inch of the Low Countries inalienable? I have no defire to aggrandize myfelf in parts which are useless to me; nuch less to expend money on new fortifications. But why more for tifications? Am I not fortifying Glogau and Bireg, which are fuffi 'cient for one who intends to live well with his neighbours? Neither the French or the Dutch have offended me, nor will I offend them by fuch unlawful acquifitions. Befides, who will guaranty them?" Mr Robinfon anfwering, that the Queen would obtain the guaranty of England, Ruffia, Saxony, and even of the States-General. "Gua ranties! " contemptuously exclaimed the King, "who obferves guaranties in thefe times? Has not France guarantied the Pragmatic Sanc tion? Has not England guarantied it? Why do you not all fly to her fuccour?" The converfation continued for fome time in the fame tone of contempt and irony on the part of the King. He ridiculed the conduct of thofe powers who affected to efpoufe the caufe of the Houfe of Auftria, and dwelt with great energy on the advantages of his fituation. "I am at the head, he faid," of an invincible army, already matter of a country which I will have, which I must have, and which is the only object of my views. My anceftors," he continued, "would rife out of their tombs to reproach me, fhould I abandon the rights they have tranfmitted to me. With what reputation can I live, fhould I lightly quit an enterprize, the firft act of my reign, begun with reflexion, profecuted with firmnefs, and which ought to be maintained to the laft extremity? I will fooner be crushed with my whole army, than re nounce my just rights in Silefia. Have I occafion for peace? Let thofe who want peace give me what I want; or let them fight me again, and be again beaten ! This burit of real or affected indignation, was accompanied with theatrical geftures; and turning, as if to finish the converfation, he faid to Mr Robinfon, "I will accept no equivalent in the Low Countries; and fince you have nothing to offer on the fide of Silefia, all proposals are ineffectual. I will not only have the four dutehies; but, as the Court of Vienna has rejected that demand, 1 revoke it, and require all Lower Silefia, with the town of Breflau." After frequently and per emptorily repeating his laft words, he added, "If the Queen does not fatisfy me in fix weeks, I will have four dutchies more." • His indignation feemed to be ftill further inflamed by the offer of Glogau, which was now made by Lord Hyndford: reiterating his demand of all Lower Silefia, he faid to Mr Robinfon, "Return with this answer to Vienna; they who want peace will give me what I want." Mr Robinfon, not rebuffed by his peremptory treatment, ventured to propofe propose a negotiation with his minifter; but Frederic difdainfully added, "I am fick of ultimatums; I will hear no more of them; my part is taken. I again expect my demand of all Lower Silefia; this is my final anfwer, and I will give no other." He then interrupted all further representations; and, taking off his hat, precipitately retired, with looks of high indignation, behind the interior curtain of his tent. • Thus terminated this extraordinary conference; and Mr Robinfon returned to Prefburg without the fmalleft hope of bending the inflexible fpirit of the King. P. 247. Relying on her beauty and grace, and on the eloquence of her distresses, Maria Theresa summoned the States of Hungary at Presburg. Her Austrian counsellors had dissuaded this measure. To their cold maxims of policy, it appeared unsafe to confide in a people who had long borne so impatiently the yoke of her ancestors. But there are circumstances, in which enthusiasm judges better than experience. Nations are apt to be slandered in the cabinets of princes; and that insubordinate spirit, which, though often deceived, is always actuated by the notion of injury, passes for brutal depravity, and deficiency of moral feeling. The Queen was amply repaid for more generous sentiments, as the following passage will show. Mr Robinson, who was an eyewitness of this ceremony, has well defcribed the impreffion made on the furrounding multitude. "The coronation on the 25th was lefte, magnificent, and well ordered. The Queen was all charm; fhe rode gallantly up the Royal Mount, and defied the four corners of the world with the drawn fabre, in a manner to fhow she had no occafion for that weapon to conquer all who faw her. The antiquated crown received new graces from her head, and the old tattered robe of St Stephen became her as well as her own rich habit, if diamonds, pearls, and all forts of precious ftones, can be called clothes. Illam quicquid agit quoque vefligia vertit, An air of delicacy, occafioned by her recent confinement, increased the perfonal attractions of this beautiful princess; but, when the fat down to dine in public, the appeared ftill more engaging without her crown: the heat of the weather, and the fatigues of the ceremony, dif. fused an animated glow over her countenance, while her beautiful hair flowed in ringlets over her fhoulders and bofom. Thefe attractions, and the firmness of her mind, kindled the zeal and enthusiasm of that brave and high-fpirited people; and to them fhe turned as to her principal refource. The grey-headed politicians of the court of Vienna, in vain urged, that the Hungarians, who, when Charles VI. propofed the Pragmatic Sanction, had declared they were accuftomed to be governed by men, and would not confent to a female fucceffion, would feize this opportunity of withdrawing from the Auftrian domination. But Maria N 4 Therefa |