so it shall and must irrevocably be. To the other Powers, and
indolent impartial Sovereigns of the world, he was lavish in
embassies; in ardent representations; and spared no pains in
convincing them that to-morrow would surely come, and that then it
would be a blessedness to have accepted this Pragmatic Sanction,
and see it lying for you as a Law of Nature to go by, and avoid
incalculable controversies.

This was another vast Shadow, or confused high-piled continent of
shadows, to which our poor Kaiser held with his customary
tenacity. To procure adherences and assurances to this dear
Pragmatic Sanction, was, even more than the shadow of the Spanish
Crown, and above all after he had quitted that, the one grand
business of his Life henceforth. With which he kept all Europe in
perpetual travail and diplomacy; raying out ambassadors, and less
ostensible agents, with bribes, and with entreaties and proposals,
into every high Sovereign Court and every low; negotiating
unweariedly by all methods, with all men. For it was his
evening-song and his morning-prayer; the grand meaning of Life to
him, till Life ended. You would have said, the first question he
asks of every creature is, "Will you covenant for my Pragmatic
Sanction with me? Oh, agree to it; accept that new Law of
Nature: when the morrow comes, it will be salutary for you!"

Most of the Foreign Potentates idly accepted the thing,--as things
of a distant contingent kind are accepted;--made Treaty on it,
since the Kaiser seemed so extremely anxious. Only Bavaria, having
heritable claims, never would. Saxony too (August the Strong),
being in the like case, or a better, flatly refused for a long
time; would not, at all,--except for a consideration.