blaze that soon filled the empire with ruin and desolation; and
the king of Prussia had drawn upon himself the resentment of the three
greatest powers of Europe, who laid aside their former animosities,
and every consideration of that balance which it had cost such blood
and treasure to preserve, in order to conspire his destruction. The king
himself could not but foresee this confederacy, and know the power it
might exert; but probably he confided so much in the number, the valour,
and discipline of his troops; in the skill of his officers; in his own
conduct and activity; that he hoped to crush the house of Austria by one
rapid endeavour at the latter end of the season, or at least establish
himself in Bohemia, before her allies could move to her assistance. In
this hope, however, he was disappointed by the vigilance of the Austrian
councils. He found the empress-queen in a condition to make head
against him in every avenue to her dominions; and in a fair way of being
assisted by the circles of the empire. He saw himself threatened with
the vengeance of the Russian empress, and the sword of France gleaming
over his head, without any prospect of assistance but that which he
might derive from his alliance with Great Britain. Thus the king of
England exchanged the alliance of Russia, who was his subsidiary, and
the friendship of the empress queen, his old and natural ally, for a
new connexion with his Prussian majesty, who could neither act as an
auxiliary to Great Britain, nor as a protector to Hanover; and for this
connexion, the advantage of which was merely negative, such a price
was paid by England as had never been given by any other potentate of
Europe, even for services of the greatest importance.

{GEORGE II. 1727-1760}

DISPUTES BETWEEN THE PARLIAMENT OF PARIS AND THE CLERGY.

About the latter end of November, the Saxon minister at Ratisbon
delivered to the diet a new and ample memorial, explaining the
lamentable state of that electorate, and imploring afresh the assistance
of the empire. The king of Prussia had also addressed a letter to
the diet, demanding succour of the several states, agreeable to their
guarantees of the treaties of Westphalia and Dresden; but the minister
of Mentz, as director of the diet, having refused to lay it before that
assembly, the minister of Brandenburgh ordered it to be printed, and
sent to his court for further instructions. In the meantime his Prussian
majesty thought