Majesty to be forgiven in comparison; "Yield us a road through your
Hanover, merely a road to those Halberstadt-Magdeburg parts, your
Hanover shall have neutrality!" "Neutrality to Hanover?" sighed
Britannic Majesty: "Alas, am not I pledged by Treaty? And, alas,
withal, how is it possible, with that America hanging over us?" and
stood true. Nor is this all, on the part of magnanimous France:
there is a Soubise getting under way withal, Soubise and 30,000,
who will reinforce the Reich's Armament, were it on foot, and be
heard of by and by! So high runs French enthusiasm at present.
A new sting of provocation to Most Christian Majesty, it seems, has
been Friedrich's conduct in that Damiens matter (miserable attempt,
by a poor mad creature, to assassinate; or at least draw blood upon
the Most Christian Majesty ["Evening of 5th January, 1757"
(exuberantly plentiful details of it, and of the horrible Law-
procedures which followed on it: In Adelung, viii. 197-220;
Barbier, &c. &c.).]); about which Friedrich, busy and oblivious,
had never, in common politeness, been at the pains to condole,
compliment, or take any notice whatever. And will now take the
consequences, as due!--

The Wesel-Cleve Countries these French find abandoned: Friedrich's
garrisons have had orders to bring off the artillery and stores,
blow up what of the works are suitable for blowing up; and join the
"Britannic Army of Observation" which is getting itself together in
those regions. Considerable Army, Britannic wholly in the money
part: new Hanoverians so many, Brunswickers, Buckeburgers, Sachsen-
Gothaers so many; add those precious Hanoverian-Hessian 20,000,
whom we have had in England guarding our liberties so long,--who
are now shipped over in a lot; fair wind and full sea to them.
Army of 60,000 on paper; of effective more than 50,000;