strial Balance, as they and I hope. So that things look
well? Alas,--

DECEMBER 25th. "Queen sent for me yesterday: Hopes she does no wrong in
complaining of her Husband to her Brother. King shows scruples about
the Marriages; does not relish the expense of an establishment for the
Prince; hopes, at all events, the Marriage will not take place for a
year yet;--would like to know what Dowry the English Princess is to
bring?"--"No Dowry with our Princess," the English answer; "nor shall
you give any with yours."

NEW-YEAR'S DAY, 1729. "Queen sent for me: King is getting intractable
about the Marriages; she reasoned with him from two o'clock till
eight," without the least permanent effect. "It is his covetousness,"
I Dubourgay privately think!--Knyphausen, who knows the King well,
privately tells me, "He will come round." "It is his avarice," thinks
Knyphausen too; "nay it is also his jealousy of the Prince, who is very
popular with the Army. King does everything to mortify him, uses him
like a child; Crown-Prince bears it with admirable patience." This is
Knyphausen's weak notion; rather a weak creaky official gentleman,
I should gather, of a cryptosplenetic turn. "Queen told me some days
later, His Majesty ill-used the Crown-Prince, because he did not drink
hard enough; makes him hunt though ill;" is very hard upon the poor
Crown-Prince,--who, for the rest, "sends loving messages to England," as
usual; [Dubourgay, 16th January.] covertly meaning the Princess Amelia,
as usual. "Some while ago, I must inform your Lordship, the Prince was
spoken to," by Papa as would appear, "to sound his inclination as to the
Princess Caroline," Princess likewise of England, and whose age, some
eighteen months less than his own, might be suitabler, the Princess
Amelia being half a year his elder; [Caroline born 10th June 1713;
Amelia, 10th July, 1711.] "but,"--mark how true he stood,--"his Royal
Highness broke out into such raptures of love and passion for the
Princess Amelia, and showed so much impatience for the conclusion of
that Match, as gave the King of Prussia a great deal of surprise,
and the Queen as much satisfaction." Truth is, if an old Brigadier
Diplomatist may be judge, "The great and good qualities of that young
Prince, both of person and mind, deserve a distinct and particular
account, with which I shall trouble your Lordship another day;"
[Despatch, 25th December, 1728.]--which unluckily I never did; his
Lordship Townshe