or near Venice), Hanbury Williams sends a copy of his remonstrance
with Bruhl.

'I asked Count Bruhl whether, in the present divided and factious
state of the nobility of Poland, His Polish Majesty would like to
have a young adventurer (who can fish in no waters that are not
troubled, and who, by his mother, is allied to a family that once sat
upon the Polish throne) to go into that country where it would be
natural for him to endeavour to encourage factions, nourish
divisions, and foment confederations to the utmost of his power, and
might not the evil-minded and indisposed Poles be glad to have such a
tool in their hands, which at some time or other they might make use
of to answer their own ends? To this Count Bruhl answered in such
terms as I could wish, and I must do him the justice to say that he
showed the best disposition to serve His Majesty in the affair in
question; but I am yet of opinion that, whatever is done effectually
in this case, must be done by the Court of Petersburg, and I would
humbly advise that, as soon as it is known for certain that the
Pretender's son is in Poland, His Majesty should order his minister
at the Court of Petersburg to take such steps as His Majesty's great
wisdom shall judge most likely to make the Czarina act with a proper
vigour upon this occasion.

'Your Grace knows that the republic of Poland is at present divided
into two great factions, the one which is in the interest of Russia,
to which the friends of the House of Austria attach themselves; the
other is in the interest of France and Prussia. As I thought it most
likely, if the Pretender's son went into Poland, he would seek
protection from the French party, I have desired and requested the
French ambassador that he would write to the French resident at