Lds. Grenville and Howick wrote to the Prince after Mr. Fox’s death. His answer to Lord Howick was that he wished for no change but that Ld. Holland should have his uncle’s Seals. But, being in the meantime informed of the arrangements agreed upon, he wrote to Ld. G. that his political interest was buried in the grave with Mr. Fox, but that, as it was probable he might at some future time be again forced to public matters, he thought it proper to say that he was ready to give his support to the present Administration, on acct. of the friends he had in it, and that he should always look to ye friends of Mr. Fox, and particularly to Ld. H., as his own political friends.
LORD HOLLAND’S POST
The Duke of Bedford in writing, and the D. of Norfolk in conversation, have also expressed to Ld. H. that they look upon him as his uncle’s representative in the Whig Party. Ld. H. stipulated, as it was his uncle’s wish, that the first blue ribbon was to be given to the D. of Norfolk. Agreed to.
Ld. Holland strenuously against sending any person to Prussia, but to allow whatever business there may be to be transacted by the Minister, Jacobi,[246] who is at Hambro’ [sic] on the part of Prussia, and by Mr. Thornton on our part, our Minister at Hambro’.
On the 10th October, the funeral of Mr. Fox. He was accompanied to the grave by his old friends, public and private, and by the Ministers. I was present in a gallery erected for me in the Abbey over the grave.
12th December, 1806.[247]—The fragment of the Prussian army may amount altogether to about 50,000 men. Old Kalkreuth, who made his escape after the Battle of Auerstadt, is in Dantzic with 12,000. The King is not at Petersburg, but whenever he is, his councils are directed by Haugwitz more than ever, which makes him perfectly nugatory.
The Russian Proclamation, which declares the necessity of Wallachia and Moldavia being occupied by their troops,[248] has excited alarm and distrust in the Austrian Cabinet. Those Courts are wrangling about punctilios, just as if Bonaparte were not alive. The Austrians want to coalesce with Russia, but they are afraid and undecided; however, Pozzo di Borgo, who is in the Russian Military Service, is despatched to Vienna to see whether he can bring about any co-operation. Little can be expected even if he does, Bonaparte has so completely secured his rear and kept a communication with France by means of menacing and cajoling, that all attempts against him are idle.
KING OF SWEDEN
The King of Sweden, tho’ very wrong-headed, and ill-gifted with that rare commodity common sense, has some notion of honour and high sense of it. Bernadotte, either at Altona or Hamburg, made some overtures to the Swedish Minister, saying that Bonaparte had always considered the King of Sweden as the only high-spirited Monarch; talked of the old alliance between France and Sweden, and threw out hints of Bonaparte’s willingness to give him Norway. The only notice the K. of Sweden bestowed upon this was a severe reproof and recall of his Minister for listening to any proposals from the French, and giving instructions to have the whole proceeding laid before the Danish Government, in order to show them the perfidy of the French, who were soliciting their friendship.[249] Our Government intend to augment his subsidy, and hold out a prospect hereafter of giving him ships to assist in the conquest of an island, Martinique or Guadalupe. The Danes are terrified, and will yield Holstein if the French should be peremptory; not, it is to be hoped, with impunity on our part.