ere had not been in Nature, nor will be.
Friedrich had not yet fought at Mollwitz in assertion of his Silesian
claim, when the poor Pope--poor soul, who had no Covenant to eat,
but took pattern by others--claimed, in solemn Allocution, Parma and
Piacenza for the Holy See. [Adelung, ii. 376 (5th April, 1741)] All the
world is claiming. Of the Court of Wurtemberg and its Protestings, and
"extensive Deduction" about nothing at all, we do not speak; [Ib. ii.
195, 403.] nor of Montmorency claiming Luxemburg, of which he is Titular
"Duke;" nor of Monsignore di Guastalla claiming Mantua; nor of--In
brief, the fences are now down; a broad French gap in those miles of
elaborate paling, which are good only as firewood henceforth, and
any ass may rush in and claim a bellyful. Great are the works of
Belleisle!--

CONCERNING THE IMPERIAL ELECTION (Kaiserwahl) THAT IS TO BE: CANDIDATES
FOR KAISERSHIP.

At equal step with the ruining of Pragmatic Sanction goes on that
spoiling of Grand-Duke Franz's Election to the Kaisership: these two
operations run parallel; or rather, under different forms, they are one
and the same operation. "To assist, as a Most Christian neighbor ought,
in picking out the fit Kaiser," was Belleisle's ostensible mission; and
indeed this does include virtually his whole errand. Till three months
after Belleisle's appearance in the business, Grand-Duke Franz never
doubted but he should be Kaiser; Friedrich's offers to, help him in it
he had scorned, as the offer of a fifth wheel to his chariot, already
rushing on with four. "Here is Kur-Bohmen, Austria's own vote," counts
the Grand-Duke; "Kur-Sachsen, doing Prussian-Partition Treaties for us;
Kur-Trier, our fat little Schonborn, Austrian to the bone; Kur-Mainz,
important chairman, regulator of the Conclave; here are Four Electors
for us: then also Kur-Pfalz, he surely, in return for the Berg-Julich
service; finally, and liable to no question Kur-Hanover, little
George of England with his endless guineas and resources, a little
Jack-the-Giantkiller, greater than all Giants, Paladin of the Pragmatic
and us: here are Six Electors of the Nine. Let Brandenburg and the
Bavarian Couple, Kur-Baiern and Kur-Koln, do their pleasure!" This was
Grand-Duke Franz's calculation.

By the time Belleisle had been three months in Germany, the Grand-Duke's
notion had changed; and he began "applying to the Sea-Powers," "to
Russia," and all round. In Belleisle's sixth month, t