230 
having been defended with the 
most extreme and energetic exer- 
tions; and that the United. Ne- 
therlands, which at that time were 
threatened in the most dangerous 
manner, would also fall into the 
hands of the conquerors. 
The king, however, at that very 
crisis, persevered as the active de- 
fender of the German empire ; his 
army marched at one time to the 
most threatened parts, at another 
to that of the open parts of the 
north of Germany, which latter 
they secured against the supernu- 
merary forces and the victorious 
armies of the advancing enemy. 
But these continued sacrifices, 
the march of a numerous army of 
his majesty to Westphalia, and the 
difficulties.of providing that army 
with the scarce necessaries, and 
particularly with corn, in territories 
but little fertile, and totally ex- 
hausted, formed the last effort of 
the Preiia state in favour of the 
war. After a continual and immense 
draining of finances from the Prus- 
sian territories, which lasted for 
three years ; after an uninterrupted 
warfare, weakening and diminish- 
ing the troops; after the Prussian 
territories on the other bank of the 
Rhine had fallen into the hands of 
the enemy; the sensible influence 
of these events upon the population, 
the provisions and welfare of the 
other provinces, rendered the con- 
tinuance of this war entirely im- 
possible for his majesty ; if it was 
to be supported merely by means 
of his own capacity, and the re. 
sources of his dominions. 
And what other remedies were 
at that time offered to his majesty ; 
when the empire itself even refused 
to furnish provisions for the Prus- 
sian troops who were combating 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 
1793. 
for its defence and security? And 
even at present, when the troops in 
exhausted Westphalia ran the risk 
of fighting against the most formi- 
dable enemy, under the disadvan- 
tage of an insufficiency of provi- 
sions, and when the neighbouring 
and opulent states, who eagerly 
wished for defence, far from grant- 
ing them provisions to fill their ma- 
gazines, even refused permission 
to export provisions from their ter- 
ritories. The extraordinary and 
monstrous expences of his majesty, 
in consequence of the re-conquest 
of Mentz, and of other extraordie 
nary undertakings, in which the 
Prussian army alone executed that 
which was the duty of an army of 
the empire, have remained unliqui- 
dated, although the treasure for 
the operations of the war of the 
empire is destined particularly for 
such objects, and to which consi- 
derable contributions of the Roman 
months (so called) have been fur- 
*nished by the several states of the 
empire, and which even upon re- 
peated claims of his Prussian ma- 
jesty, deduéting what is due to the 
same contributions from his own 
dominions, have yet remained un. 
satisfied. 
What assistance in this warfare 
could his majesty expect for the 
future from any other power of 
the allies? Particularly as by the 
reduction of the United Nether- 
lands, the number of the powers 
combating against the enemy of the 
empire were so extremely dimi- 
nished, and that, by this means, 
the weakest side of Germany had 
been opened to them, through 
which they easily could: penetrate 
into its very heart. Every where 
traces were seen of the continual 
miscarriage of the arms of the al. 
lies, 
