, and renounce this enterprise!'

KING. "'Retire out of Silesia? And for money? Do you take me for a
beggar! Retire out of Silesia, which has cost me so much treasure and
blood in the conquest of it? No, Monsieur, no; that is not to be thought
of! If you have no better proposals to make, it is not worth while
talking.' These words were accompanied with threatening gestures and
marks of great anger;" considerably staggering to the Two Diplomatic
British gentlemen, and of evil omen to Robinson's phantasm of a
compliance. Robinson apologetically hums and hahs, flounders through the
bad bit of road as he can; flounderingly indicates that he has more to
offer.

KING. "'Let us see then (VOYONS), what is there more?'

ROBINSON (with preliminary flourishings and flounderings, yet
confidently, as now tabling his best card).... "'Permitted to offer
your Majesty the whole of Austrian Guelderland; lies contiguous to your
Majesty's Possessions in the Rhine Country; important completion of
these: I am permitted to say, the whole of Austrian Guelderland!'
Important indeed: a dirty stripe of moorland (if you look in Busching),
about equivalent to half a dozen parishes in Connemara.

KING. "'What do you mean? [turning to Podewils]--QU'EST-CE QUE NOUS
MANQUE DE TOUTE LA GUELDRE (How much of Guelderland is theirs, and not
ours already)?'

PODEWILS. "'Almost nothing (PRESQUE RIEN).

KING (to Robinson). "'VOICI ENCORE DE GUEUSERIES (more rags and rubbish
yet)! QUOI, such a paltry scraping (BICOQUE) as that, for all my just
claims in Silesia? Monsieur--!' His Majesty's indignation increased
here, all the more as I kept a profound silence during his hot
expressions, and did not speak at all except to beg his Majesty's
reflection upon what I had said.--'Reflection?'" asks the King, with
eyes dangerous to behold;--"My Lord," continues Robinson, heavily
narrative, "his contempt of what I had said was so great," kicking his
boot through Guelderland and the guilders as the most contemptible of
objects, "and was expressed in such violent terms, that now, if ever (as
your Lordship perceives), it was time to make the last effort;" play our
trump-card down at once; "a moment longer was not to be lost, to hinder
the King from dismissing us;" which sad destiny is still too probable,
after the trump-card. Trump-card is this:

ROBINSON.... "'The whole Duchy of Limburg, your Majesty! It is a Duchy
which--' I extolled the Duchy to the utmost, descri