Bath, November 26, 1757

My dear friend:  I received by the last mail your short account of the King of Prussia’s victory; which victory, contrary to custom, turns out more complete than it was at first reported to be.  This appears by an intercepted letter from Monsieur de St. Germain to Monsieur d’Affry, at The Hague, in which he tells him, ‘Cette arme est entierement fondue’, and lays the blame, very strongly, upon Monsieur de Soubize.  But, be it greater or be it less, I am glad of it; because the King of Prussia (whom I honor and almost adore) I am sure is.  Though ‘d’ailleurs’, between you and me, ‘ou est-ce que cela mene’?  To nothing, while that formidable union of three great Powers of Europe subsists against him, could that be any way broken, something might be done; without which nothing can.  I take it for granted that the King of Prussia will do all he can to detach France.  Why should not we, on our part, try to detach Russia?  At least, in our present distress, ‘omnia tentanda’, and sometimes a lucky and unexpected hit turns up.  This thought came into my head this morning; and I give it to you, not as a very probable scheme, but as a possible one, and consequently worth trying.  The year of the Russian subsidies (nominally paid by the Court of Vienna, but really by France) is near expired.  The former probably cannot, and perhaps the latter will not, renew them.  The Court of Petersburg is beggarly, profuse, greedy, and by no means scrupulous.  Why should not we step in there, and out-bid them?  If we could, we buy a great army at once; which would give an entire new turn to the affairs of that part of the world at least.  And if we bid handsomely, I do not believe the ‘bonne foi’ of that Court would stand in the way.  Both our Court and our parliament would, I am very sure, give a very great sum, and very cheerfully, for this purpose.  In the next place, Why should not you wriggle yourself, if possible, into so great a scheme?  You are, no doubt, much acquainted with the Russian Resident, Soltikow; Why should you not sound him, as entirely from yourself, upon this subject?  You may ask him, What, does your Court intend to go on next year in the pay of France, to destroy the liberties of all Europe, and throw universal monarchy into the hands of that already great and always ambitious Power?  I know you think, or at least call yourselves, the allies of the Empress Queen; but is it not plain that she will be, in the first place, and you in the next, the dupes of France?  At this very time you are doing the work of France and Sweden:  and that for some miserable subsidies, much inferior to those which I am sure you might have, in a better cause, and more consistent with the true interest of Russia.  Though not empowered, I know the manner of thinking of my own Court so well upon this subject, that I will venture to promise you much better terms than those you have now, without the least apprehensions of being disavowed.  Should