his conquest; that he
had at this time 130,000 soldiers always ready; that he would make of
Neisse, Glogau, Brieg, fortresses as strong as Wesel [which he is now
diligently doing, and will soon have done]; that besides he was well
informed the Queen of Hungary already owed 80,000,000 German crowns,
which is about 300 millions of our money [about 12 millions sterling];
that her Provinces, exhausted, and lying wide apart, would not be able
to make long efforts; and that the Austrians, for a good while to come,
could not of themselves be formidable." Of themselves, no: but with
Britannic soup-royal in quantity?--

"My Lord Hyndford had spoken to him" as if France were entirely
discouraged and done for: How false, Monseigneur! "And Lord Stair in his
letters represented France, a month ago, as ready to give in. Lord Stair
has not ceased to press his Majesty during this Aix Excursion even:"
and, in spite of what your Eminency hears from the Hague, "there was,
on the 30th of August, an Englishman at Aix on the part of Milord Stair;
and he had speech with the King of Prussia [CROYEZ MOI!] in a little
Village called Boschet [Burtscheid, where are hot wells], a quarter of
a league from Aix. I have been assured, moreover, that the Englishman
returned in much discontent. On the other hand, General Schmettau, who
was with the King [elder Schmettau, Graf SAMUEL, who does a great deal
of envoying for his Majesty], sent, at that very time, to Brussels,
for Maps of the Moselle and of the Three Bishoprics, and purchased five
copies,"--means to examine Milord Stair's proposed Seat of War, at any
rate. (Here is a pleasant friend to have on visit to you, in the next
apartment, with such an eye and such a nose!)...

"Monseigneur," finely insinuates Voltaire in conclusion, "is not there"
a certain Frenchman, true to his Country, to his King, and to your
Eminency, with perhaps peculiar facilities for being of use, in such
delicate case?--"JE SUIS," much your Eminency's. [_OEuvres,_ lxxii. p.
568 (to Cideville), p. 579 (D'Argenson), p. 574 (Fleury).]

Friedrich, on the day while Voltaire at Brussels sat so busy writing of
him, was at Salzdahl, visiting his Brunswick kindred there, on the
road home to his usual affairs. Old Fleury, age ninety gone, died
29th January, 1743,--five months and nineteen days after this Letter.
War-Minister Breteuil had died January 1st. Here is room for new
Ministers and Ministries; for the two D'Argensons,--if it