Here are some dates and some comments, which the reader should take with him;--here is a very strange issue to the Joint-Resolution of a strong nature now on hand! A few days after that First Audience, Ginkel the Dutch Excellency, with the due Papers in his pocket, did arrive.

Excellency Hyndford, who is not without rough insight into what lies under his nose, discovers clearly that the grand Dutch-English Resolution, or Joint-Exhortation to evacuate Silesia, will do nothing but mischief; and (at his own risk, persuading Ginkel also to delay) sends a Courier to England before presenting it.

And from England, in about a fortnight, gets for answer, "Do harm, think you?
Hm, ha!--Present it, all the same; and modify by assurances afterwards,"-- as if these would much avail! This is not the only instance in which St.James's rejects good advice from its Hyndford; the pity would be greater, were not the Business what it is! Podewils has the greatest difficulty to keep Friedrich quiet till Hyndford's courier get back.

And on his getting back with such answer, "Present it all the same," Friedrich will not wait for that ceremony, or delay a moment longer.

Friedrich has had his Valori at work, all this while; Valori and Podewils, and endless correspondence and consultation going on; and things hypothetically almost quite ready; so that-- June 5th, 1741, Friedrich, spurring Podewils to the utmost speed, and "ordering secrecy on pain of death," signs his Treaty with France! A kind of provisional off-and-on Treaty, I take it to be; which was never published, and is thought to have had many IFS in it: signs this Treaty;--and next day (June 6th, such is the impetuosity of haste) instructs his Rasfeld at the Hague, "You will beforehand inform the High Mightinesses, in regard to that Advice of April 24th, which they determined on giving me, through the Excellency Herr von Ginkel along with Excellency Hyndford, That such Advice can, by me, only be considered as a blind complaisance to the Court of Vienna's improper urgencies, improper in such a matter.