7.]

The sittings of this little Congress at Berlin lasted all through
May and June; to the disgust of Schmettau and the ardent Prussian
mess-rooms, "lying ready here, and forbidden to act." For the Austrians
all the while were at their busiest, improving the moments, marching
continually hitherward from Hungary, from Limburg, from all ends of the
earth. Both negotiating parties had shown a manifest wish to terminate
without war; and both made various attempts or proposals that way;
Friedrich offering, in the name of European peace, to yield the
Austrians some small rim or paring of Bavaria from the edge
adjoining them; the Austrians offering Anspach-Baireuth with some
improvements;--always offering Friedrich his own Baireuth-Anspach with
some new sauce (as that he might exchange those Territories with Saxony
for a fine equivalent in the Lausitz, contiguous to him, which was a
real improvement and increase):--but as neither party would in the least
give up in essentials, or quit the ground it had taken, the result was
nothing. Week after week; so many weeks are being lost to Friedrich;
gained to Austria: Schmettau getting more and more disgusted.

Friedrich still waited; not in all points quite ready yet, he said, nor
the futile diplomacies quite complete;--evidently in the highest degree
unwilling to come to the cutting point, and begin a War which nobody
could see the end of. Many things he tried; Peace so precious to him,
try and again try. All through June too, this went on; the result always
zero,--obviously certain to be so. As even Friedrich had at last to own
to himself; and likewise that the Campaign season was ebbing away; and
that if his grand Moravian scheme was to be tried on Austria, there was
not now a moment to lose.

Friedrich's ultimate proposal, new modification of what all his
proposals had been, "To you some thin rim of Baiern; to Saxony and
Mecklenburg some ETCETERA of indemnity, money chiefly (money always to
be paid by Karl Theodor, who has left Baiern open to the spoiler in this
scandalous manner)," was of June 13th; Austrians for ten days meditating
on it, and especially getting forward their Army matters, answer, June
24th "No we won't." Upon which Friedrich--to the joy of Schmettau and
every Prussian--actually rises. Emits his War-Manifesto (JULY 3d):
"Declaration to our Brethren (MITSTANDE) of the Reich," that
Austria will listen to nothing but War; [Fischer, ii 388; Dohm,
_Denkwurdigkeit