Page:The Annual Register 1758.djvu/20

6 The alliance with Russia was chosen for reasons which were then sufficiently plausible; though it is to be hoped they can never subsist again. The long ill understanding between the king of Prussia and our court, and his close ccnnection with that of Versailles, raised no ill-grounded apprehensions that he might be induced to act a dangerous part on this occasion. Russia was therefore a proper ally, who had both a political and personal enmity to this monarch, and who would be sure to employ a great power with great vigour in such a cause. But this system was in a short time totally reversed. The King of Prussia had been too well apprised of the close conjunction of the courts of Petersbourg and Vienna, and of the real motive to that conjunction, to have the least design of embroiling himself with England. Matters were therefore very soon explained, and the treaty between his Prussian majesty and this court, to keep all foreigners out of the empire, was signed at London in Jan. 1756. These treaties were censured as inconsistent with each other; but in reality they were consistent enough, aiming precisely at the same object, to oppose the scheme meditated by France for disturbing the affairs of Germany.

If, reflecting on the sentiments of these courts, there was something unexpected in the alliance between Groat Britain and Prussia; it was then followed by another alliance of a nature infinitely more surprising. The Empress Queen of Hungary finding England in no disposition to co-operate in her designs, had recourse to other measures. The house of Austria, which had formerly united Europe to preserve her from the power of France, now entered herself into the most intimate union with that power. By this extraordinary revolution, the whole political system of Europe assumed a new face; it was indeed a revolution so extraordinary, that we shall be justified if we interrupt the course of this narrative, to look back at the causes which produced it.

The house of Brandenbourg, a little more than two centuries ago, was in a very humble condition. But by the part she took in the reformation, which put into her hands the estates of the Teutonic order; by a marriage from which she acquired the duchy of Cleves; and by an uncommon succession of able princes, who carefully improved every turn in the affairs of Germany to their advantage, she raised herself by degrees to a considerable state, to an electorate and at last to a royalty, not only in name but in power. The late King of Prussia, in order to strengthen this power, tho' he past almost his whole reign in the most profound peace, gave his whole attention to his army: frugal in all other respects, in this alone he was expensive; it was his business, and, what was perhaps of greater moment, it was his only diversion. Thus in a reign apparently inactive, there was always kept up an army of near 100,000 men, in as much exercise as they could have in peace, and formed with the most perfect discipline.

When his present majesty came to the throne, he immediately shewed a disposition of employing effectually that military force which his father had spent his life only in forming and training. He managed his dispute with the bishop of Liege by the summary method of force: and seemed disposed to carry all things with so high a hand, as made him indeed much respected, but