re, he begins to doubt if they zealously
wish it,--and at last to believe that they sincerely do not wish it;
that "they mean to amuse me" (as he said to Hyndford)--till my French
chance too is over. "To amuse me: but, PAR DIEU--!" His Notes to
Podewils, of which Ranke, who has seen them, gives us snatches, are
vivid in that sense: "I should be ashamed if the cunningest Italian
could dupe me; but that a lout of a Hanoverian should do it!"--and
Podewils has great difficulty to keep him patient yet a little; Valori
being so busy on the other side, and the time so pressing. Here are some
dates and some comments, which the reader should take with him;--here is
a very strange issue to the Joint-Resolution of a strong nature now on
hand!

A few days after that First Audience, Ginkel the Dutch Excellency, with
the due Papers in his pocket, did arrive. Excellency Hyndford, who
is not without rough insight into what lies under his nose, discovers
clearly that the grand Dutch-English Resolution, or Joint-Exhortation
to evacuate Silesia, will do nothing but mischief; and (at his own
risk, persuading Ginkel also to delay) sends a Courier to England before
presenting it. And from England, in about a fortnight, gets for answer,
"Do harm, think you? Hm, ha!--Present it, all the same; and modify by
assurances afterwards,"--as if these would much avail! This is not
the only instance in which St. James's rejects good advice from its
Hyndford; the pity would be greater, were not the Business what it
is! Podewils has the greatest difficulty to keep Friedrich quiet till
Hyndford's courier get back. And on his getting back with such answer,
"Present it all the same," Friedrich will not wait for that ceremony,
or delay a moment longer. Friedrich has had his Valori at work, all this
while; Valori and Podewils, and endless correspondence and consultation
going on; and things hypothetically almost quite ready; so that--

June 5th, 1741, Friedrich, spurring Podewils to the utmost speed, and
"ordering secrecy on pain of death," signs his Treaty with France! A
kind of provisional off-and-on Treaty, I take it to be; which was
never published, and is thought to have had many IFS in it: signs this
Treaty;--and next day (June 6th, such is the impetuosity of haste)
instructs his Rasfeld at the Hague, "You will beforehand inform the
High Mightinesses, in regard to that Advice of April 24th, which they
determined on giving me, through the Excellency Herr