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Memoires de Richelieu; Paris; 1793; ix。 175; the one fountain…head in regard to this small affair): for 〃the 15;000 pounds〃 and other rumored particulars; sea Retzow; i。 197; Preuss; ii。 84; OEuvres de Frederic; iv。 145。'
Richelieu; it appears by any evidence there is; went willingly into this scheme; and applied at Versailles; as desired; with a peremptory negative for result。 Nothing came of the Richelieu attempt there; nor of 〃CE M。 DE MIRABEAU;〃 if he ever went; nor of any other on that errand。 Needless to apply for Peace at Versailles (and a mere waste of your 〃sum of 15;000 pounds;〃 which one hopes is fabulous in the present scarcity of money):or should we perhaps have mentioned the thing at all; except for the sake of Wilhelmina; whose fond scheme it is in this extremity of fate; scheme which she tries in still other directions; as we shall see; her Brother willing too; but probably with much less hope。 If a civil Letter and a bribe of Money will do it; these need not be spared。
This at Rotha is the day while Winterfeld; on Moys Hill; is meeting his death。 To…day at Pegau; in this neighborhood; Seidlitz; who could not fall in with Turpin; has given the Hussars of Loudon a beautiful slap; the first enemy we have seen on this march; and the last;nothing but Loudon and Hussars visibly about; the rest of those Soubise…Reichs people dormant; as would seem。 〃D'Elcheset;〃 Balbi; or whoever he was; would not find Richelieu at Hanover; but at a place called Kloster…Zeven; in Bremen Country; fifty or sixty miles farther on。 There; this day; are Richelieu with one Sporcken a Hanoverian; and one Lynar a Dane; rapidly finishing a thing they were pleased to call 〃Convention of Kloster…Zeven;〃 which Friedrich regarded as another huge misfortune fallen on him; though it proved to have been far the reverse a while after。 Concerning which take this brief Note; cannot be too brief on such a topic:
〃Never was there a more futile Convention than that of Kloster… Zeven; which filled all Europe with lamentable noises; indignations and anxieties; during the remainder of that Year; and is now reduced; for Europe and the Universe; to a silent mathematical point; or mere mark of position; requiring still to be attended to in that character; though itself zero in any other。 Here are the main particulars; in their sequence。
〃August 3d; towards midnight; '11 P。M。' say the Books; Marechal de Richelieu arrives in the D'Estrees Camp ('Camp of Oldendorf;' still only one march west of Hastenbeck); to whom D'Estrees on the instant loftily delivers up his Army; explains with loyalty; for a few days more; all things needful to the new Commander; declines to be himself Second; and loftily withdraws to the Baths of Aachen 'for his health。'
〃Royal Highness of Cumberland is; by this time; well on Elbe…ward; Ocean…ward。 Till August 1st; for one week; Royal Highness of Cumberland lay at Minden; some thirty odd miles from Hastenbeck; deploring that sad mistake; but unpersuadable to stand; and try amendment of it: August lst; the French advancing on him again; he moved off northward; seaward。 By Nienburg; Verden; Rothenburg; Zeven; Bremenvorde; Stade;arrived at Stade; on the tidal Waters of the Elbe; August 5th; and by necessity did halt there。 From Minden onwards; Richelieu; not D'Estrees; has had the chasing of Royal Highness: one of the simplest functions; only that the country is getting muddy; difficult for artillery…carriage (thinks Richelieu); with an Army so dilapidated; hungry; short of pay; and that Royal Highness; a very furious person to our former knowledge; might turn on us like a boar at bay; endangering everything; and finally; that one's desire is not for battle; but for a fair chance of plunder to pay one's debts。
〃Britannic Majesty; in this awful state of his Hanover Armaments; has been applying at the Danish Court; Richelieu too sends off an application thither: 'Mediate between us; spare useless bloodshed!' 'Valfons; p。 291。'Whereupon Danish Majesty (Britannic's son…in… law) cheerfully undertakes it; bids one Lynar bestir himself upon it。 Count Lynar; an esteemed Official of his; who lives in those neighborhoods; Danish Viceroy in Oldenburg;much concerned with the Scriptures; the Sacred Languages and other seraphic studies; and a changed man since we saw him last in the Petersburg regions; making love to Mrs。 Anton Ulrich long ago! Lynar; feeling the axis of the world laid on his shoulder in this manner; loses not a moment; invokes the Heavenly Powers; goes on it with an alacrity and a despatch beyond praise。 Runs to the Duke of Cumberland at Stade; thence to Richelieu at Zeven; back to the Duke; back to Zeven: 'Won't you; and won't YOU?' and in four short days has the once world…famed 'Convention of Kloster…Zeven' standing on parchment;signed; ready for ratifying: 'Royal Highness's Army to go home to their countries again 'routes; methods; times: when; how; and what next; all left unsettled'; and noise of War to cease in those parts。' Signed cheerfully on both sides 9th September; 1757; and Lynar striking the stars with his sublime head。 'Busching (who alone is exact in the matter); Beitrage; iv。 167; 168; ? Lynar: see Scholl; iii。 49; Valfons; pp。 202; 203; OEuvres de Frederic; iv。 143 (with correction of Preuss's Note there)。'
〃Unaccountable how Lynar had managed such a difficulty。 He says seraphically; in a Letter to a friend; which the Prussian hussars got hold of; 'The idea of it was inspired by the Holy Ghost:' at which the whole world haha'd again。 For it was a Convention vague; absurd; not capable of being executed; ratification of it refused by both Courts; by the French Court first; if that was any matter:and the only thing now memorable of it is; that IT was a total Futility; but; that there ensued from it a Fact still of importance; namely:
〃That on the 5th of October following; Royal Highness quitted Stade; and his wrecked Army hanging sorrowful there; like a flight of plucked cranes in mid…air;arrived at Kensington; October 12th; heard the paternal Majesty say; that evening; 'Here is my son who has ruined me; and disgraced himself!'and thereupon indignantly laid down his military offices; all and sundry; and ceased altogether to command Armies; English or other; in this world。 'In WALPOLE (iii。 59…64) the amplest minuteness of detail。' Whereby; in the then and now diagram of things; Kloster…Zeven; as a mathematical point; continues memorable in History; though shrunk otherwise to zero!
〃Pitt's magnanimity to Royal Highness was conspicuous。 Royal Highness; it is said; had been very badly used in this matter by his poor peddling Father and the Hanover Ministers; the matter being one puddle of imbecilities from beginning to end。 He was the soul of honor; brave as a Welf lion; but; of dim poor head; and had not the faintest vestige 'ALLERGERINGSTE says Mauvillon' of military skill: awful in the extreme to see in command of British Armies! Adieu to him; forever and a day。〃
Ever since July 29th; three days after Hastenbeck; Pitt had been in Office again; such the bombardment by Corporation…Boxes and Events impinging on Brit