Page:The invasion of the Crimea vol. 1.djvu/425

 APPENDIX. NOTE I. Respecting the Attitude of Austria towards Russia in 1828-9. Prince Mettermch's endeavour to form a league for this purpose has been questioned; and there can be no doubt that the Duke of Wellington, and with him Lord Aberdeen, thought poorly of all that Metternich could or would do ; but the Russian Government — a Government served at that time with an extraordinary abundance of diplomatic skill and energy — acquired what it deemed to be a certainty on this subject. After suggesting the possibility of a triple alliance between Russia, Prussia, and France, Count Po/.zo di Borgo, on the 28th of November 1828, writes thus to Count Nesselrode : — ' Lorsque je trace de telles combinaisons, M. Le Comtn, ' e'est avee le ddsir qu'elles ne puisscnt jamais devenir 1 necessaires : il a fallu la conduite inconcevable du Prince ' Metternich pour etre force* a, chercher dans de si grands •' changemens les moyens de dejouer ccttc ligue gendralc • qu'il travaille a former contre la Russie, et a contenir les ' coups directs qu'il voudrait lui porter.' — Portfolio, vol. i. p. 4G9.