le having stept
into the ring, it is evident, clear as the sun, that one must act, and
act at once; but it is a perfect sphinx-enigma to say How. Seldom
was Sovereign or man so spurred, and goaded on, by the highest
considerations; and then so held down, and chained to his place, by an
imbroglio of counter-considerations and sphinx-riddles! Thrice over, at
different dates (which shall be given), the first of them this Year, he
starts up as in spasm, determined to draw sword, and plunge in; twice
he is crushed down again, with sword half drawn; and only the third time
(in 1743) does he get sword out, and brandish it in a surprising though
useless manner. After which he feels better. But up to that crisis, his
case is really tragical,--had idle readers any bowels for him; which
they have not! One or two Fractions, snatched from the circumambient
Paper Vortex, must suffice us for the indispensable in this place:--

CUNCTATIONS, YET INCESSANT AND UBIQUITOUS ENDEAVORINGS, OF HIS BRITANNIC
MAJESTY (1741-1743).

... After the wonderful Russian Partition-Treaty, which his English
Walpoles would not hear of,--and which has produced the Camp of Gottin,
see, your Majesty!--George does nothing rashly. Far from it: indeed,
except it be paying money, he becomes again a miracle of cunctations;
and staggers about for years to come, like the--Shall we say, like the
White Hanover Horse amid half a dozen sieves of beans? Alas, no, like
the Hanover Horse with the shadows of half a dozen Damocles'-swords
dangling into the eyes of it;--enough to drive any Horse to its wit's
end!--

"To do, to dare," thinks the Britannic Majesty;--yes, and of daring
there is a plenty: but, "In which direction? What, How?" these are
questions for a fussy little gentleman called to take the world on
his shoulders. We suppose it was by Walpole's advice that he gave her
Hungarian Majesty that 200,000 pounds of Secret-Service Money;--advice
sufficiently Walpolean: "Russian Partition-Treaties; horrible to think
of;--beware of these again! Give her Majesty that cash; can be done;
it will keep matters afloat, and spoil nothing!" That, till the late
Subsidy payable within year and day hence, was all of tangible his
Majesty had yet done;--truly that is all her Hungarian Majesty has yet
got by hawking the world, Pragmatic Sanction in hand. And if that were
the bit of generosity which enabled Neipperg to climb the Mountains and
be beaten at Mollwitz, that has he