It is now time to return to the affairs of Prussia and to point out the chief stages in her downward course.  On January 3rd, 1806, an important State Council was held at Berlin in order to decide on certain modifications to the Schoenbrunn Treaty with Napoleon.  The chief change resolved on was as follows:  Instead of the cessions of territory being immediate and absolute, as proposed by Napoleon, they were not to take effect before the general peace.  Until that took place, Frederick William resolved to occupy Hanover provisionally, meanwhile answering to France for the tranquillity of the north of Germany.[71] The Prussian Government therefore gave strong hints that the presence of a British force there was objectionable, and the troops were withdrawn.[72]

Napoleon was to be less pliable.  And yet Haugwitz assured the Prussian King and council that he had looked Napoleon through and through, and had discerned an unexpressed wish to deal easily with Prussia.  As to his acceptance of these changes in the Schoenbrunn Treaty, Haugwitz felt no doubt whatever, at least so his foe, Hardenberg, states.  But the Prussian Ministers were now proposing, not the offensive and defensive treaty of alliance that Napoleon required, but rather a mediation for peace between France and England.  They were, in fact, striving to steer halfway between Napoleon and George III.—­and gain Hanover.  Verily, here was a belief in half measures passing that of women.

The envoy despatched to assure Napoleon’s assent to these new conditions was the very man who had quailed before the Emperor at Schoenbrunn.  Count Haugwitz set out on January 14th for Munich and thence for Paris; but long before any definite news was received from him, the Court of Berlin decided, on the strength of a few oily compliments from the French ambassador, Laforest, to regard the acceptance of Napoleon as fully assured.  Accordingly, on January 24th, the Government resolved to place the Prussian army on a peace-footing and recall the troops from Franconia, as a daily saving of 100,000 thalers might thereby be effected.  Never was there a greater act of extravagance.  As soon as the retreat and demobilizing of the Prussian forces was announced, the French troops in Bavaria and Franconia began to press forward, while others poured across the Rhine.  Affecting to ignore these threatening moves, the Prussian Court strove peaceably to acquire Hanover by secretly offering George III. a re-arrangement of territories, whereby the Hanoverian lands east of the Weser, along with a few districts west of Hameln and Nienburg, should pass to Prussia.  Frederick William proposed to keep Minden and Ravensburg, but to cede East Frisia and all the rest of his Westphalian possessions to King George, who would retain the electoral dignity for these new lands.[73] The only reply that our ruler deigned to this offer was that he trusted: