Page:Cassell's Illustrated History of England vol 4.djvu/468

454 disabled; nine pieces of cannon and four standards were taken. The Prussians had lost nearly as many men, and Frederick, reflecting with shame on his part in that conflict, wrote down in his memoirs "that Molwitz was the school of the king of Prussia and his troops, for he there saw his faults and errors, and tried to correct them in future." Neuperg, the Austrian general, retreated across the Neisse, and there entrenched himself, waiting for reinforcements, whilst Frederick marched against Brieg, which, notwithstanding its vigorous defence by Piccolomini, was compelled to surrender on the 4th of May. France, rendered confident in the fortunes of Frederick by these successes, hesitated no longer to pull off the whole of the mask of friendship for Austria, and disregarding her guarantee of the Pragmatic Sanction, dispatched marshal de Belleisle from Frankfort to conclude an alliance with the Prussian king. The conditions of this alliance proposed by France were—1st, The division and dismemberment of the provinces of the queen of Hungary; 2nd, The elevation of the elector of Bavaria to the imperial dignity; 3rd, The guarantee of France to Prussia of all Lower Silesia, on condition that Frederick renounced his claims on the duchies of Berg and Juliers, and that he voted at the Diet for the elector of Bavaria. France promised to send two armies into Germany if these terms were accepted—one to support the elector of Bavaria in his demand of being made emperor, and the other to keep in check the army of George in Hanover.

Frederick was willing enough to make a league with France, but he was cautious enough not to make it too soon. He wanted to know whether he could keep England out of the campaign, in which case he could deal easily with Austria himself. The French ambassador, Belleisle, thinking only of the advantages to Frederick of this alliance, and not of the obstacles in Frederick's own mind, was proposing to him nothing short of the utter dismemberment of the Austrian dominions. "He seemed," said Frederick, "as if he thought all the territories of the queen of Hungary were already on sale to the highest bidder." One day the marshal looking puzzled, Frederick asked him whether he had any bad news. "None, sire," said the marshal, "none whatever; but what embarrasses me now is, that I cannot settle what we shall do with Moravia." "Oh," replied Frederick, laughing, "offer it to the king of Poland." The crafty Prussian was all this time waiting to see what terms England would offer. Walpole was exerting himself both with Prussia and Austria to bring matters to a compromise. He instructed the envoy to the imperial court to urge the good policy of making some concession to Prussia, in order to save all the rest, and break up the alliance betwixt Prussia and France, which threatened the most disastrous consequences. But the high spirit of Maria Theresa rejected all fresh overtures, and the envoys to Frederick were as little successful. John Carmichael, earl of Hyndford, was first sent to Frederick, and he was followed by Mr. Schwickell from Hanover. Hyndford endeavoured to touch the feelings of Frederick, and rouse in him a sense of chivalry, by representing the magnanimity of not pressing too far on a young, beautiful, and defenceless woman. But all such arguments were lost on the so-called great monarch, this disciple of Voltaire and French materialism. "Talk not to me," he exclaimed, "of magnanimity. A prince ought first to consult his own interests. I am not averse to a peace, but I want four duchies, and I will have them." Robinson, the English ambassador at Vienna, all this time was labouring to induce Maria Theresa to give up something, but for some time without success. At length the queen consented to resign the duchy of Limbourg and some other trifling territories in the Netherlands, and Robinson hastened to the head-quarters of Frederick to make this known. But the Prussian king treated the matter with contempt. He exclaimed, "Still beggarly offers! Since you have nothing to propose on the side of Silesia, all negotiations are useless. My ancestors would rise out of their tombs to reproach me should I abandon my just rights!" and, pulling off his hat in grand, theatrical style, he rushed behind the curtain of his tent, leaving the envoy in amazement. Frederick, in his memoirs, asserts that George II. offered to assume a neutral position as regarded Hanover, provided that certain territories were ceded to the electorate to complete its compactness. Nothing, however, moved the Frenchified Prussian king, and Walpole counted more on obtaining allies who should keep both Frederick and the French in play, and paralyse their efforts. He used all his efforts to detach Russia from Prussia, and to direct military operations from the province of Livonia against Frederick, and thus divide his attention; but France counteracted that plan by winning over Sweden, which at that period was all French in taste and spirit. Sweden declared war against Russia, which at the time was distracted by internal commotions, and thus effectually prevented any demonstration against Prussia. France at the same time endeavoured to excite a fresh Jacobite ferment in Scotland, and thus keep England engaged; and the treaty being formally signed with the Prussian king, marshal Maillebois marched an army across the Rhine, and Belleisle and Broglie with another. Maillebois pursued his course direct for Hanover, where George was drilling and preparing a number of troops, but in no degree capable of making head against the French. Panic-stricken at their approach, he made haste to come to terms, and agreed to a year's neutrality for Hanover, leaving Maria Theresa to her fate, and, moreover, engaging not to vote for the election of her husband, the duke of Lorraine, to be emperor. The news of this ignominious conduct of the king of England in the person of the elector of Hanover was received in Great Britain with the utmost indignation and contempt. Here was the man who had always been so fond of military affairs, and who was so ready to engage in war. What a humiliation! Well would it have been for George to have remained, according to the advice of Walpole, in England!

Belleisle and De Broglie had, during this time, joined their forces to those of the old elector of Bavaria, the constant enemy of Austria and the friend of France, and had marched into Austria. Ho took Linz, on the Danube, and commenced his march on Vienna. As this allied army approached Vienna, Maria Theresa fled with her infant son, afterwards Joseph II., into Hungary, her husband and his brother, prince Charles of Lorraine, remaining to defend the city. The Hungarians received their menaced queen with