d. At the same time, he sent
an envoy-extraordinary to Versailles, to negotiate with the French
king for a very considerable body of auxiliaries, in case he should fee
attacked. These circumstances induced the maritime powers, and the
court of Vienna, to use their utmost endeavours for the prevention of
a rupture; and accordingly they made remonstrances on this subject by
their ministers at Petersburgh, proposing that the quarrel should be
terminated without bloodshed, and all cause of animosity be buried in
oblivion.

{GEORGE II. 1727-1760}

MEASURES FOR ELECTING A KING OF THE ROMANS.

In the meantime they eagerly prosecuted the design of the election; and
the Imperial minister at Berlin not only communicated to his Prussian
majesty the sentiments of the king of England on this expedient, but
even solicited his vote for the archduke Joseph, when the election of a
king of the Romans should be proposed in the electoral college. To this
proposal he replied, that he was extremely well disposed to manifest his
regard for their imperial majesties, and to give the most genuine
proofs of it, even in the proposed election of a king of the Romans,
considering the great merit of the present candidate the archduke
Joseph; but he left it to the consideration of their imperial majesties,
whether the election would not be a little premature, if transacted at
a time when his imperial majesty was in the flower of his age; enjoying
perfect health; and when all Europe, particularly the empire, was
hushed in the bosom of tranquillity, so that no circumstance seemed
to prognosticate the necessity of such an election; or of putting in
execution the motives mentioned in the capitulation of the reigning
emperor's election; especially as the examination of these motives
belonged to the whole empire, and ought to precede the election, by
virtue of the eighth article of the treaty of Westphalia. He observed,
that in case of the emperor's death, Germany would find herself in a
very disagreeable situation under the government of a minor. For these
reasons, he said, he could not help advising their imperial majesties
to wait until the archduke should be of age, when his election might be
carried on more conformably to the laws and constitutions of the empire,
and more suitable to the majesty of the whole Germanic body. This reply
he circulated among the electors, and in particular transmitted it to
the king of Great Britain, desiring they