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