I received on Friday night last the honour of your Lordship's very secret letter of the 18th OS with the inclosed letters from Mr. Guydickens, which I communicated the next day to the Pensionary and Greffier, who had both been informed before by Monsieur Ginckell of all that had happened between the king of Prussia and the Prince Royal, and I asked them according to his Majesty's orders, whether they thought any thing could be done to mitigate the Prince's misfortunes? They said they thought it a very delicate matter, and that considering that king's suspicious and cruel temper, any interposition of England & Holland might exasperate him rather more against the Prince, and make him suspect a secret concert between them; but that however if I approved of it, Mons. de Ginckell should have orders to represent to the King of Prussia with how much concern the Republick had heard of the unfortunate difference that had arisen between his Majesty and the Prince Royal; and of His Royal Highness's confinement at Custrin, to recommend mildness and moderation to His Majesty in this affair, and to lay before him the ill consequences of a contrary conduct, together with a great deal about the Protestant Religion, and concluding with an offer of their good offices to accommodate this unhappy difference. I told them I thought such an application could do no harm, tho considering the Person to whom it was made, I did not expect much good from it. Orders are accordingly sent this day to Monsieur Ginckell to that effect.
Every body here is extreamly incensed against the King of Prussia, & wishes well to the P. Royal, but at at the same time they are all so much afraid of so powerfull & dangerous a neighbour, that they will be as cautious of offending him, as they are cordiall in detesting him.
Chesterfield
Notes:
N.S.: "New Style", the Gregorian calendar in use on most of the Continent (but not Russia).
O.S.: "Old Style", the Julian calendar in use in Great Britain. It lagged behind New Style by 12 days.
Pensionary and Greffier: titles held by ministers in the Netherlands.
Ginckel: The Dutch envoy to Prussia.
The Republick: The Netherlands.
The one thing that was new to me in here is I didn't know they tried talking religion to FW! Nice try, but the Brandenburg pastors tried it with Gundling's funeral and they tried it with Wilhelmine's marriage. No dice.
Monsieur Masch has made a visit to General Keppell no doubt with a design to let him know his orders about the Prince Royal's affair. The General told him that it was reported that a manifesto was to be published and he named in it as having concerted the Prince's escape with Sr. Chas. Hotham, and that complaints were to be made to the States General upon this account. Mr. Masch said to him that he did not know any thing about such maniesto, nor had he orders to make complaints to the States against him, but that his orders were to declare in case he was spoke to about the Prince Royal, that it had been necessary to confine him closely on account of his pernicious designs and intention of making his escape, and that England & Holland had favoured his schme, especially he (General Keppell) & Sr. Chas. Hotham, and to declare also that his Prussian Majesty had broke off all transactions with England about either single or double matches, & what had passt about them was void. The General justify'd himself by saying htat it was false that he concerted the said escape, and that if Mr. Keith was come to him, he had no notice of his errand, & received him publickly and with regard to his being a Prussian officer, as he had done Col. Du Moulin, shewing them all manner of civilitys on account of his Prussian Majesty, who had always honored him with his friendship, without concerning and troubling himself about the reasons of their coming or going.
Holzendorf
Notes:
Masch: The new Prussian envoy to the Netherlands after Meinerzhagen died of a stroke right after learning of Peter's escape. Pointedly makes visits to all the envoys except Chesterfield, to the point where Chesterfield has to tell him, "Don't bother coming over unless it's to make reparations, you have offended me and my master with your disregard for etiquette."
General Keppel: Former Dutch envoy to Prussia; had lunch with Peter Keith in The Hague and probably gave him money and all kinds of support in escaping, and then denied it.
States General: The governing body of the Netherlands.
Col. Du Moulin: Prussian officer sent to hunt down Peter and bring him back.
Holzendorf: Chesterfield's secretary, who was at home when the "servants" took Peter in and hid him from the Prussian, and who later claimed he had no authority over the servants and couldn't help Du Moulin and Meinerzhagen in their quest.
In other words, "We totally didn't help Peter escape, we were just nice to him because of our deep respect for you, FW, and anyone in your army!"
The one thing that was new to me in here is I didn't know they tried talking religion to FW! Nice try, but the Brandenburg pastors tried it with Gundling's funeral and they tried it with Wilhelmine's marriage. No dice.
This is why in the AU where William of Orange adopts 12 years old FW, it's an open race as to whether FW once he's King of England first offends to aristocracy by lecturing them on how to live an austere manly life or the Anglican clergy by telling them they've been doing Protestantism all wrong, and hey, since he's now head of their Church, he'll tell the Archbishop of Canterbury exactly how to run things. The excuse for the Peter aiding and abetting is hilarious.
The excuse for the Peter aiding and abetting is hilarious.
Isn't it just? "His Prussian Majesty, who had always honored him with his friendship" made me chuckle and think of "To Ferdinand, who has always shown me friendship."
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timeasmymeasure
Hating on FW
Date: 2025-04-17 01:33 am (UTC)To Lord Harrington,
September 5, 1730, N.S.
I received on Friday night last the honour of your Lordship's very secret letter of the 18th OS with the inclosed letters from Mr. Guydickens, which I communicated the next day to the Pensionary and Greffier, who had both been informed before by Monsieur Ginckell of all that had happened between the king of Prussia and the Prince Royal, and I asked them according to his Majesty's orders, whether they thought any thing could be done to mitigate the Prince's misfortunes? They said they thought it a very delicate matter, and that considering that king's suspicious and cruel temper, any interposition of England & Holland might exasperate him rather more against the Prince, and make him suspect a secret concert between them; but that however if I approved of it, Mons. de Ginckell should have orders to represent to the King of Prussia with how much concern the Republick had heard of the unfortunate difference that had arisen between his Majesty and the Prince Royal; and of His Royal Highness's confinement at Custrin, to recommend mildness and moderation to His Majesty in this affair, and to lay before him the ill consequences of a contrary conduct, together with a great deal about the Protestant Religion, and concluding with an offer of their good offices to accommodate this unhappy difference. I told them I thought such an application could do no harm, tho considering the Person to whom it was made, I did not expect much good from it. Orders are accordingly sent this day to Monsieur Ginckell to that effect.
Every body here is extreamly incensed against the King of Prussia, & wishes well to the P. Royal, but at at the same time they are all so much afraid of so powerfull & dangerous a neighbour, that they will be as cautious of offending him, as they are cordiall in detesting him.
Chesterfield
Notes:
N.S.: "New Style", the Gregorian calendar in use on most of the Continent (but not Russia).
O.S.: "Old Style", the Julian calendar in use in Great Britain. It lagged behind New Style by 12 days.
Pensionary and Greffier: titles held by ministers in the Netherlands.
Ginckel: The Dutch envoy to Prussia.
The Republick: The Netherlands.
The one thing that was new to me in here is I didn't know they tried talking religion to FW! Nice try, but the Brandenburg pastors tried it with Gundling's funeral and they tried it with Wilhelmine's marriage. No dice.
To George Tilson,
October 10, 1730, N.S.
Monsieur Masch has made a visit to General Keppell no doubt with a design to let him know his orders about the Prince Royal's affair. The General told him that it was reported that a manifesto was to be published and he named in it as having concerted the Prince's escape with Sr. Chas. Hotham, and that complaints were to be made to the States General upon this account. Mr. Masch said to him that he did not know any thing about such maniesto, nor had he orders to make complaints to the States against him, but that his orders were to declare in case he was spoke to about the Prince Royal, that it had been necessary to confine him closely on account of his pernicious designs and intention of making his escape, and that England & Holland had favoured his schme, especially he (General Keppell) & Sr. Chas. Hotham, and to declare also that his Prussian Majesty had broke off all transactions with England about either single or double matches, & what had passt about them was void. The General justify'd himself by saying htat it was false that he concerted the said escape, and that if Mr. Keith was come to him, he had no notice of his errand, & received him publickly and with regard to his being a Prussian officer, as he had done Col. Du Moulin, shewing them all manner of civilitys on account of his Prussian Majesty, who had always honored him with his friendship, without concerning and troubling himself about the reasons of their coming or going.
Holzendorf
Notes:
Masch: The new Prussian envoy to the Netherlands after Meinerzhagen died of a stroke right after learning of Peter's escape. Pointedly makes visits to all the envoys except Chesterfield, to the point where Chesterfield has to tell him, "Don't bother coming over unless it's to make reparations, you have offended me and my master with your disregard for etiquette."
General Keppel: Former Dutch envoy to Prussia; had lunch with Peter Keith in The Hague and probably gave him money and all kinds of support in escaping, and then denied it.
States General: The governing body of the Netherlands.
Col. Du Moulin: Prussian officer sent to hunt down Peter and bring him back.
Holzendorf: Chesterfield's secretary, who was at home when the "servants" took Peter in and hid him from the Prussian, and who later claimed he had no authority over the servants and couldn't help Du Moulin and Meinerzhagen in their quest.
In other words, "We totally didn't help Peter escape, we were just nice to him because of our deep respect for you, FW, and anyone in your army!"
Re: Hating on FW
Date: 2025-04-17 06:22 am (UTC)This is why in the AU where William of Orange adopts 12 years old FW, it's an open race as to whether FW once he's King of England first offends to aristocracy by lecturing them on how to live an austere manly life or the Anglican clergy by telling them they've been doing Protestantism all wrong, and hey, since he's now head of their Church, he'll tell the Archbishop of Canterbury exactly how to run things. The excuse for the Peter aiding and abetting is hilarious.
Re: Hating on FW
Date: 2025-04-17 09:09 pm (UTC)Isn't it just? "His Prussian Majesty, who had always honored him with his friendship" made me chuckle and think of "To Ferdinand, who has always shown me friendship."
Re: Hating on FW
Date: 2025-04-17 09:12 pm (UTC)To quote Selena when this kept happening to her:
Why I keep getting logged out, I do not know, but I suspect some conspiracy involving Prussian cyber agents from the beyond.