168. 
final determination of Prussia, to 
yisk the chances of hostility with 
France, we presume not to decide. 
But we apprehend, that her reluc- 
tance to pa:t with Hanover, her in- 
dignation at the treacherous conduct 
of France in that affair and the 
growing influence of publi¢ opinion 
upon her counsels, were the chief 
causes that stimulated her to that 
resolutioa, ‘he king himself, is 
said to have been the last person 1a 
his cabinét, who was brought over 
to the opinion for war, 
At what time all hopes of peace 
were abandoned, and hostilities fi- 
nally resolved upon by Prussia, we 
are equally uncertain. Her govern. 
ment began to make preparations 
about the middle of August, and to 
put her army on the war establish- 
ment. It is generally understood, 
that Knobelsdorif was sent to Paris, 
in the beginning of September, for 
the purpose of gaining time, and 
not with any view to an amicable 
adjustment of the differences be- 
tween Prussia and France. Luc- 
chesini, who had been ‘long’ the 
Prussian minister at Paris, when 
he foresaw that war between France 
and Prussia was inevitable, had 
eontrived, that one of his dis- 
patches to his court, full of com- 
plaints against the French govern- 
ment, should fall into their hands. — 
Tncenscd at the tone of his dispatch, 
the French demanded his reeall from 
Paris, and imputed to his misrepre- 
sentations, the misunderstanding 
that had arisen between France and 
Prussia. With this demand . the 
court of Berlin willingly complied, 
and congratulated itself on the suc- 
cess of a stratagem, which, it hoped, 
had given a false direction to the 
* Sept. 12. : 
Labiss 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1806. 
suspicions of its enemy. To pro.. 
long the deceit, it made choice of ge- 
neral Knobelsdorff to be its minister 
at Paris, a warm partizan of France, 
sincerely attached to peace, and quite 
unsuspicious of the artifice, which 
he was sent to practise. The pro- 
fessions of peace, which he made by 
desire of his court, after it had de- 
termined on hostilities, were on his 
part sincere ; and so little was he 
aware of the secret designs, either 
of his own government or of that 
to which he was sent, that when 
Bonaparte left Paris to take the 
command of his army against Prus- 
sia, Knobelsdorff enquired with the 
greatest simplicity, whether he 
should not accompany his majesty 
the emperor to head quarters, little 
Suspecting against whom his march 
was directed. Such a negotiator 
might be duped by his employers, 
but could not long deceive the pe- 
netration of Bonaparte and Talley- 
rand. Knobelsdorff arrived at Pa- 
ris, on the 7th of September, witha 
letter from his Prussian majesty to 
Bonaparte, full of civil and friendly 
expressions, to which correspond. 
ing returns, probally equally sin- 
cere, were made. On the 11th, a 
note was addressed to him by Tale 
leyrand, complaining of warlike 
preparations in Prussia, which were 
publicly stated at Berlin, to be di- 
rected against France; and adding, 
amidst professions of regard for 
Prussia, and of regret that she 
should listen to counsels so much at 
variance with her true interests, 
that the emperor had ordered rein- 
forcements to be sent to his army. 
Knobelsdorff in reply, * assured the 
French minister, that his master had 
entered into no concert with the 
enemies 
