ut found itself
no abler for work than that of Cambrai had been. The Deputies from
France I do not mention; nor from Spain, nor from Austria. The Deputies
from England were Colonel or now properly Brigadier-General Stanhope,
afterwards Lord Harrington; Horace Walpole (who is Robert's Brother,
and whose Secretary is Sir Thomas Robinson, "QUOI DONE, CRUSOE?" whom we
shall hear of farther); and Stephen Poyntz, a once bright gentleman, now
dim and obsolete, whom the readers of Coxe's _Walpole_ have some nominal
acquaintance with. Here, for Chronology's sake, is a clipping from the
old English newspapers to accompany them: "There is rumor that POLLY
PEACHUM is gone to attend the Congress at Soissons; where, it is
thought, she will make as good a figure, and do her country as much
service, as several others that shall be nameless." [_Mist's Weekly
Journal,_ 29th June, 1728.]

Their task seemed easy to the sanguine mind. The Kaiser has agreed with
Spain in the Italian-Apanage matter; with the Sea-Powers in regard to
his Ostend Company, which is abolished forever: what then is to prevent
a speedy progress, and glad conclusion? The Pragmatic Sanction. "Accept
my Pragmatic Sanction," said the Kaiser, "let that be the preliminary
of all things."--"Not the preliminary," answered Fleury; "we will see to
that as we go on; not the preliminary, by any means!" There was the rub.
The sly old Cardinal had his private treaties with Sardinia; views
of his own in the Mediterranean, in the Rhine quarter; and answered
steadily, "Not the preliminary, by any means!" The Kaiser was equally
inflexible. Whereupon immensities of protocolling, arguing, and the
Congress "fell into complete languor," say the Histories. [Scholl, ii.
215.] Congress ate its dinner heartily, and wrote immensely, for the
space of eighteen months; but advanced no hair's-breadth any-whither; no
prospect before it, but that of dinner only, for unlimited periods.

Kaiser will have his Pragmatic Sanction, or not budge from the place;
stands mulelike amid the rain of cudgellings from the by-standers; can
be beaten to death, but stir he will not.--Hints, glances of the eye,
pass between Elizabeth Farnese and the other by-standers; suddenly, 9th
November, 1729, it is found they have all made a "TREATY OF SEVILLE"
with Elizabeth Farnese; France, England, Holland, Spain, have all
closed,--Italian Apanages to be at once secured, Ostend to be at once
suppressed, with what else behoove