t. I have now joined with France; and to join against it in this
manner? Talk to me no more!'" [Friedrich to Hyndford: _"Au Camp [de
Neuendorf] 14me septembre," 1741. "Milord j'ai recu les nouvelles
propositions d'alliance que l'infatigable Robinson vous envoie. Je les
trouve aussi chimeriques que les precedentes."--"Ces gens sont-ils fols,
Milord, de s'imaginer que je commisse la trahison de tourner en leur
faveur mes armes, et de"--"Je vous prie de ne me plus fatiguer avec
de pareilles propositions, et de me croire assez honnete homme pour ne
point violer mes engagements.--_ FREDERIC." (British Museum: Hyndford
Papers, fol. 133.)]...

Here is a catastrophe for the Two Britannic Excellencies, and the Cause
of Freedom! Robinson, in dudgeon and amazement, has hurried back to
Presburg, has ceased sending even couriers; and, in a three weeks hence
(9th October, a day otherwise notable), wishes "to come home," the game
being up. [His Letter, "9th October, 1741" (in Lord Mahon's _History of
England,_ iii. Appendix, p. iii: edit. London, 1839)]. Such is Robinson's
gloomy view: finished, he, and the game lost,--unless perhaps Hyndford
could still do something? Of which what hope is there! Hyndford, who
has a rough sagacity in him, and manifests often a strong sense of the
practical and the practicable, strikes into--Readers, from the following
Fragments of Correspondence, now first made public, will gather for
themselves what new course, veiled in triple mystery, Hyndford had
struck into. Four bits of Notes, well worth reading, under their
respective dates:--

1. EXCELLENCY HYNDFORD TO SECRETARY HARRINGTON (Two Notes). "BRESLAU,
2d SEPTEMBER, 1711 [on the heel of Robinson's second miscarriage].... My
Lord, all these contretemps are very unlucky at present, when time is
so precious; for France is pressing the King of Prussia in the strongest
manner to declare himself; but whatever eventual preliminaries may be
probably agreed between them, I still doubt if they have any Treaty
signed"--have had one, any time these three months (since 5th June
last); signed sufficiently; but of a most fast-and-loose nature; neither
party intending to be rigorous in keeping it. "I wish to God the Court
of Vienna may be brought to think before it is too late." [HYNDFORD
PAPERS (Brit. Mus. Additional MSS. 11,366), ii. fol. 91.]

2. "BRESLAU, 6th SEPTEMBER.... I am not without hopes of succeeding in a
project which has occurred to me on this occas