42 THE INFLUENCE OF GRENVILLE ON PITT’S FOREIGN POLICY. 
* 
since it proposed the partitioning of weaker states among the greater 
powers. According to Grenville’s plan, Prussia was to be won to a 
warlike activity by a promise of the Westphalian provinces and the 
Netherlands, while Austria was to be compensated by the acquisition 
of Bavaria.* The King vigorously opposed the adoption of such a 
policy, terming it a disgrace to England that she should sink to the 
level of continental powers in proposing an unjustifiable spoliation of 
minor states. But while the plan as outlined was agreed to by the 
Cabinet, nothing appears to have been done at the time toward exe¬ 
cuting it. Grenville himself was doubtful if the time had arrived for 
making an offer to Prussia and distrusted the suggestions which had 
evidently been made by that power as merely intended to wring some 
concession from France,f while Elgin considered it so little likely that 
any overtures were to be made to Prussia that on Ma}^ i he asked for 
leave of absence on the ground that there was nothing to do at Ber¬ 
lin.! In the meantime, however, various considerations had brought 
the matter to the front again. Late in April the news of Bona¬ 
parte’s astonishing Italian victories reached England. Early in May 
Bentinck, who had for some months been investigating the likelihood 
of a rising in Holland in favor of the Stadtholder, became convinced 
that nothing was to be done without the aid of Prussia, and was hope¬ 
ful that Prussia w y as about to offer that aid.§ At the same time the 
mutual suspicions of England and Austria were renewed, and Gren¬ 
ville feared that Austria was secretly preparing to make a separate 
peace with France.|| Pie therefore refused Elgin’s request for a leave 
of absence, hinting that important instructions might soon be ex¬ 
pected. H Bentinck’ s hopes in regard to Prussia were based on rumors 
of difficulties with France, and these had existence in fact, though they 
did not tend to the solution desired by England. Prussia was striving 
* George III to Grenville, Feb. 9, 1796. Dropmore, III, 172, 173. 
t Grenville to Elgin, Feb. 9, 1796. Ibid., 174. 
%Ibid., 198. 
\Ibid., 150-159, 176, 208-211. Bentinck’s correspondence with Grenville fills a 
large place in volume III of the Dropmore MSS. In December of 1795 he was very 
hopeful of a revolution in Holland, but as the months went by without any active 
steps being taken to bring this about, he became more and more convinced of the 
necessity of Prussian intervention, if anything was to be accomplished. His letters 
furnish excellent material for a study of conditions in Holland and of the political 
intrigues there. 
|| Grenville to Morton Eden, May 24, 1796. Ibid., 206. The idea was widespread 
in England that Austria was arranging a separate peace. See opinions of Sheffield, 
Perregaux, Crauford, and Rose. Auckland, III, 347, 351, 352. See also Hudson 
to Charlemont, May 29, 1796. Charlemont, II, 273. Thugut was as suspicious of 
England as Grenville was of Austria. Morton Eden to Grenville, June 13, 1796. 
Dropmore, III, 208. 
IfGrenville to Elgin, May 17 and June 23, 1796. Ibid., 206, 215. 
