88] 
her late ally. She encouraged the 
most eloquent of the French emi- 
grants, to rouze the military pride 
of the king of Prussia, who, from 
his connexions with England, had 
been exposed to the discredit of 
returning from the expeditions of 
Reichenbach and Riga, without 
adding to the renown of the Prus- 
sian armies. 
Frederic William, naturally brave 
and benevolent, and feeling for the 
sufferings of the King, princes, and 
nobles of France, embraced with 
joy, an opportunity of acquiring 
great glory to himself, while at the 
head of his troops, he should restore 
the French monarchy. The new 
Emperor, equally generous, and 
disposed to military glory, was in- 
duced not to consult the ministers 
and friends who had possessed his 
father’s confidence, but yielded to 
the influence of the Russian party: 
which had so many partizans at the 
court of Vienna. 
The human mind forms resolu- 
tions, not from a complication of 
different considerations, but under 
the influence of one predominating 
passion. The motives which ac- 
tuated the great northern powers on 
this occasion, and at this time, were 
probably no other than what have 
been just described. Yet, we may 
easily imagine other motives which 
might have occurred, and might 
have dictated the same conduct 
“on the part ofall the parties, The 
Empress might be well pleased to 
occupy and weaken the power of 
Austria and Prussia, while she still 
kept an eye on Turkey and Poland, 
and extending her influence over 
Germany and Europe. The empe- 
ror might, without the imputation 
of very inordinate ambition, be in- 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1792. 
clined to embrace an opportunity 
of recovering the territories that 
had been wrested by Louis XIV. 
and Louis XV. from his hereditary 
domihions, as well as from the em- | 
pire on the left side of the Rhine; 
and the King of Prussia, besides 
that he might be inclined to em- 
brace an opportunity of cementing 
a reconciliation with the Empress, 
or at least deem it imprudent to op- 
pose her will, seconded by the Em- 
peror, and all this at a juncture 
when he could not reckon on the 
support of France in a_ contest 
with his riva!, had an interest 
in the existence of a power that 
had formed so long a defence to 
the states of the empire against the 
encroachments of Austria. Ata 
meeting at Mayence, the Emperor 
andthe King of Prussia hada confer- 
ence for the purpose of restoring the 
French monarchy. The combined 
troops were placed under the com- 
mand of the Duke of Brunswick,: 
esteemed, from his past services, as, 
one of the first generals inthe world, 
and justly considered in Germany 
as one of the most just and enlight- 
ened of her sovereigns. The Duke 
had been considered by the Empe- 
ror Leopold, as the most proper per- 
son, in every respect, to direct the 
force of this defensive confederacy. 
Anintercourse had been opened be- 
tween them confidentially on this 
subject ; and the Duke was fully ap- 
prised, and approved of the enter- 
prize of Leopold. 
circumstance that led him eventual- 
ly to the command of the combined 
armies. He was, in fact, involved 
in the enterprize, without possessing 
the real power of either controlling 
or guiding it to theobjects of which 
he had approved, and which his own 
wisdom 
This was the 
