Page:The Annual Register 1758.djvu/247

 STATE PAPERS.

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<ime, the generals and minifters had not yet received orders to commence holtilities. The king would not permit them topurfue anymeafures which might give France room to think that he was difpofed to enter into her views. General Zaftrow's letter, annexed to the Parallel, ihews that they conformed exaftly to his majelly's intentions, and that they lignified that they thought the king was refolved henceforward to re- gard the convention as null and void. As foon as we were fure of a general, a refohuion was taken to march againft the enemy. Duke Ferdinand gave notice of this to Marfhal Richelieu, by a letter of the 28th of November.

The king gave all the world an account of the juft motives of this conduft in a memorial publifhed the 26th of that month, and hofti- lities were renewed on both fides. This is the jufteil idea that can be given of an event, which will ferve as an. eternal monument ofFrance's manner of adling as foon as fhe thinks {he has the fuperiority on her fide ; her condudl: will convince all the ftates of the empire, that there is nothing to be gained by yielding to her, and that the pride, and the abufe of her ftrength, in- creafe in proportion as they be- come abjeit.

We Ihall examine as we go along, and diflipate the falfhoods with which the court of France has fought to amufe the public with regard to this event, and the fo- phiftry which ihe has made ufe of for her julHfication. It is impof- fiblc in doing this, not to fall into fome repetitions. The French mi- niitry begin with an exaggerated defcription of the condition of the Hanoverian army at the fjgning of

the convention. It is fa;d in the Parallel, * That the generous fen- ' timents of the Kiog of France ' were never more confpicuous


 * than in the capitulation of Clof-


 * ter-feven : That the Hanoverian.


 * army, forced to fly before that

' obliged to retire to Stade, where ' it was in the molt dangercas
 * of iVIarfhal Richelieu, had been


 * iituation.'

It will be eafily granted, that at the time of making the convention, we had no hopes of foon deiiverino- the king's dominions, and thofe of his allies, by force of" arms, be- caufe we faw an army making head againitus, greatly fuperior to ours in number. But had not Marfiial Richelieu reafon, on the other hand, to fear a reverfe of fortune, if he was refolved to drive an army of forty thoufand men to defpair, whofe valour he had experienced at the affair of Haftenbeck ? Befides, it was that marfhal, and not the D 'ike of Cumberland, who was in- formed of the march of the Kincp of PrulTia againft the Prince of Sou- bife. So there is not the leafl mention made of the haite with which the French army flew to the afTillance of the latter, immediately after figning the convention. As to the reft, it is impofTible to con- ceive that this convention can ferve as an example of the generous fcn- timents of his moft Chriftian ma- jefty. They ingenuouily own, that Marfhal Richelieu granted the ca- pitulation of his own accord, with- out confulting his court. As to the new conditions propofed by the court of Verfailles, and with which fhe connected her ratification, ic would be abfurd to maintain that they were di(^ated by fenti.ments of generofity,

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