gentleman, of sly, delicately cunning ways, and disliking war, as George
I. did, unless when forced on him: now and henceforth, no mediating
power more anxious than France to have the ship in trim.

George and Bourbon laid their heads together, deeply pondering this
little less than awful state of the Terrestrial Balance; and in about
six months they, in their quiet way, suddenly came out with a Fourth
Crisis on the astonished populations, so as to right the ship's
trim again, and more. "Treaty of Hanover," this was their unexpected
manoeuvre; done quietly at Herrenhausen, when his Majesty next
went across for the Hanover hunting-season. Mere hunting:--but the
diplomatists, as well as the beagles, were all in readiness there. Even
Friedrich Wilhelm, ostensibly intent on hunting, was come over thither,
his abstruse Ilgens, with their inkhorns, escorting him: Friedrich
Wilhelm, hunting in unexpected sort, was persuaded to sign this Treaty;
which makes it unusually interesting to us. An exceptional procedure on
the part of Friedrich Wilhelm, who beyond all Sovereigns stays well
at home, careless of affairs that are not his:--procedure betokening
cordiality at Hanover; and of good omen for the Double-Marriage?

Yes, surely;--and yet something more, on Friedrich Wilhelm's part. His
rights on the Cleve-Julich Countries; reversion of Julich and Berg,
once Karl Philip shall decease:--perhaps these high Powers, for a
consideration, will guarantee one's undoubted rights there? It is
understood they gave promises of this kind, not too specific. Nay we
hear farther a curious thing: "France and England, looking for immediate
war with the Kaiser, advised Friedrich Wilhelm to assert his rights
on Silesia." Which would have been an important procedure! Friedrich
Wilhelm, it is added, had actual thoughts of it; the Kaiser, in those
matters of the RITTER-DIENST, of the HEIDELBERG PROTESTANTS, and
wherever a chance was, had been unfriendly, little less than insulting,
to Friedrich Wilhelm: "Give me one single Hanoverian brigade, to
show that you go along with me!" said his Prussian Majesty;--but the
Britannic never altogether would. [_OEuvres de Frederic,_ i.
153.] Certain it is, Friedrich Wilhelm signed: a man with such
Fighting-Apparatus as to be important in a Hanover Treaty. "Balance of
Power, they tell me, is in a dreadful way: certainly if one can help
the Balance a little, why not? But Julich and Berg, one's own outlook
of rever