your Majesty's faithful servant,
and bring in other servants they will like better! May have written
to Reichenbach, nay indeed has, this or that trifling thing: but those
Copyists in St. Mary Axe, "deciphering,"--garbling, manufacturing, till
they make a romance of it,--alas, your Majesty? Nay, at any rate,
what are the Letters? Grumkow can plead that they are the foolishest
insignificant rubbish of Court-gossip, not tending any bad road, if they
have a tendency. That they are adapted to the nature of the beast, and
of the situation,--this he will carefully abstain from remarking.

We have no HANSARD of this Session; all is conjecture and tobacco-smoke.
What we know is, not the least effect, except an internal trouble, was
produced on the royal mind by the St.-Mary-Axe Discovery. Some Question
there might well be, inarticulately as yet, of Grumkow's fidelity, at
least of his discretion; seeds of suspicion as to Grumkow, which may
sprout up by and by; resolution to keep one's eye on Grumkow. But the
first practical fruit of the matter is, fierce jealousy that the
English and their clique do really wish to interfere in our ministerial
appointments; so that, for the present, Grumkow is firmer in his place
than ever. And privately, we need not doubt, the matter continues
painful to his Majesty.

One thing is certain, precisely a week after, his Majesty,--much
fluctuating in mind evidently, for the Document "has been changed three
or four times within forty-eight hours,"--presents his final answer
to Hotham. Which runs to this effect ("outrageous," as Hotham defines
it):--

"1. For Hanover and your great liberality on that score, much obliged;
but upon reconsideration think it will not do. 2. Marriage FIRST, Prince
of Wales to Wilhelmina,--Consent with pleasure. 3. Marriage SECOND,
Crown-Prince Friedrich with your Amelia,--for that also we are extremely
wishful, and trust it will one day take effect: but first these
Seville-Treaty matters, and differences between the Kaiser and allied
English and French will require to be pulled straight; that done, we
will treat about the terms of Marriage SECOND. One indispensable will
be,--That the English guarantee our Succession in Julich and Berg."
[Hotham's Despatch, 18th May, 1730.]

"Outrageous" indeed!--Crown-Prince sends, along with this, a loving
message by Hotham, of earnestly deprecating tenor, to the Britannic
Majesty; "begs his Britannic Majesty not to reject the King's