"talk to me of
magnanimity; a prince ought first to consult his own interests. I am not
averse to peace; but I expect to have four duchies, and will have them."

At a subsequent period the same scene was to be renewed, and Mr.
Robinson, the English ambassador, who was very naturally captivated with
the attractions and spirit of Maria Theresa, endeavored to rouse her to
a sense of her danger. "Not only for political reasons," replied the
Queen, "but from conscience and honor, I will not consent to part with
much in Silesia. No sooner is one enemy satisfied than another starts
up; another, and then another, must be contented, and all at my
expense." "You must yield to the hard necessity of the times," said Mr.
Robinson. "What would I not give, except in Silesia?" replied the
impatient Queen. "Let him take all we have in Gelderland; and if he is
not to be gained by that sacrifice, others may. Let the King, your
master, only speak to the Elector of Bavaria! Oh, the King, your
master--let him only march! let him march only!"

But England could not be prevailed upon to declare war. The dangers of
Maria Theresa became more and more imminent, and a consent to further
offers was extorted from her. "I am afraid," said Mr. Robinson, "some of
these proposals will be rejected by the King." "I wish he may reject
them," said the Queen. "Save Limburg, if possible, were it only for the
quiet of my conscience. God knows how I shall answer for the cession,
having sworn to the states of Brabant never to alienate any part of
their country."

Mr. Robinson, who was an enthusiast in the cause of the Queen, is
understood to have made some idle experiment of his own eloquence on the
King of Prussia; to have pleaded her cause in their next interview; to
have spoken, not as if he was addressing a cold-hearted, bad man, but as
if speaking in the House of Commons of his own country, in the assembly
of a free people, with generosity in their feelings and uprightness and
honor in their hearts. The King, in all the malignant security of
triumphant power, in all the composed consciousness of great
intellectual talents, affected to return him eloquence for eloquence;
said his ancestors would rise out of their tombs to reproach him if he
abandoned the rights that had been transmitted to him; that he could not
live with reputation if he lightly abandoned an enterprise which had
been the first act of his reign; that he would sooner be crushed with
his wh