derstand, how ten thousand men might do the bufinefs; that is to fay, what fcheme has been contrived, and what motive they propofe to offer, to induce the king of Sweden to enter into this affair.'

Count Gyllenburg, in his anfwer, dated at London, October 12-23, 1716, tells baron Gortz, I fay nothing to the alliance lately made by France. Laft fpring, France offered the Hanoverians their guaranty of the poffeffion of Bremen, and I doubt not but they have now done it. How do we know, but this may produce good difpofitions at Vienna towards us? It was in jeft only that count Volkra told M. Petkum, that his mafter would enter into that

alliance.

I am very glad, that my pamphlet meets with your excellency's approbation. I af fure you, that to print the pieces, that will be neceffary, will coft me, at leaft, fixty pounds. Printers must be bribed to it, for they run great rifques, in printing any thing that difpleafes the government: But I will keep an exact account of every penny.

I would begin with our treaty, and make short remarks upon it. Afterwards, I will print extracts from the cuftom-house, to fhew the little neceffity there is of the trade to Petersburg and Riga, especially this year. Then I will come to the Hanover declaration of war, and will examine it, if it be neceffary. Af

It

ter that, I will proceed to every one of our enemies, and I doubt not, but to undeceive the nation.'

To this letter count Gyllenburg fubjoins this remarkable postscript:

• Your excellency will have feen, by my last to M. de Mullern, what I have written upon the fubject in question. You will be pleafed to fend, or keep back, that letter, juft as you fhall judge convenient. However, I beg you would be pleafed to inform me which you do.

There is no medium; either Bremen, or the Hanoverians, must be facrificed. The latter is not fo difficult, confidering the general difcontent. Ten thousand men would be fufficient. The malecontents require but a body of regular troops, to which they may join themselves. That body, being tranfported in the month of March, when the easterly winds reign, and when it will not in the leaft be dreamt on, will caufe a general revolt. We muft alfo have arms for between fifteen and twenty thousand men, and as many accoutrements as can be got; for, as to horses, we shall have them here. Your excellency may eafily This was judge of what advantage this done and will be to the king; and, in fold privatemy poor opinion, we have no other course to take, unless we are willing to give up every thing. My friends are not in town, but I fhall fpeak with

them

ly.

them fome day the next week; and then your excellency may expect their scheme: In the mean time, I should be of opinion, that, if the business could be done, without making use of a great many English, there would be the lefs rifque run; for I do not know whether I ought to touch upon what the king must have further; for, although they will endeavour to do every thing that I afk, yet, as it must be by a contribution raised among a great many, it may happen, that there may be a falfe brother. Our men once landed, I answer for the reft. In the mean time, I beg you would remember what I had the honour to write to you, laft fummer, concerning one N. No body knows the fea and the coats better than he, and he is a brave and honeft man. In fhort it will be a glorious enterprife, which will put an end to all our misfortunes, by ruining those who are the authors of them. As to what I have to fay of the time, the fooner the better, after the trade to Gottenburg is ended, or before it be gins.'

The next letter is from count Gyllenburg, to his brother Guftavus Gyllenburg, fecretary to baron de Gortz, dated at Lon don, October 16-27, 1716; in which the poftfcript to baron Gortz, is only material, which is as follows:

I have fince spoken with two of the principals, who have affured me, that there fhall be

given

fixty thousand pounds fterling, ready, as foon as I fhall fhew them a line from the king, with affurances under his own hand, that he will affift them. As for the fcheme, I fhall have it within a few days. One of them, who is the chief promoter of the affair, affured me, that we had nothing to apprehend from the regent on this occafion.'

By a letter dated at the Hague, November 3, 1716. M. Guftavus Gyllenburg acquaints his brother, the count, that he has given baron Gortz his letter of the 16-27 of October, to read, as well as the note therein inclosed; to which he made him the following answer: It is my repeated advice, to forbear speaking any thing at all of money; but to hear people only, fo as to learn clearly what they are able and difpofed to do, and to acquaint me with it, without o pening yourself to them.'

6

The next letter is from count Gyllenburg to baron Gortz, dated at London, November 4, 1716, as follows: In anfwer to what your excellency has done me the honour to write to me in the poftfcript to your letter of the 16-27 past, I grant there will be no harm in hearing the infinuations of this court, if they were made not only without my promising to make report of them to his majesty, but also my giving them hopes of his majesty's being refolved to be reconciled to the Hanoverians, and to facrifice Bremen to them for fome equivalent on

the

the part of the czar. But as, without that, they will make no overtures, for fear we fhould make use of them to increase ftill more the distrust, which is between the northern allies, and fo make an advantage of them; it is not in my power to get any thing particular out of them; nor am I able to fay of what fervice to us their affiitance againft the czar would be; but if I were to guess by their discourse, who have been talking with me about it, as from themselves, though I easily perceived it was by order of the minifters, I fhould believe, that, if the preliminary concerning Bremen was fettled, the English minifters would be very well pleafed to retrieve the falfe itep they have made, by talking loudly of the defenfive treaty between us, and by perfuading the nation to give us the fuccours therein ftipulated, either in money or hips. I fhould fancy alfo, that we might come to an agreement in relation to what they ought to help us to take from the czar, by way of reprifal for our loffes in Germany. On the other hand, and if we do not fubmit to them, your excellency may be affured, that, as well to juftify their past actions, as to force us to a compliance, they will prevail upon the mercenary parliament, which they have at prefent, to take vigorous refolutions, and even to declare war against us. This is what we muft expect. The English minifters do not mince the matter;

general.

and they have already made it appear, that they will stick at nothing. They are all furious períons. Sunderland, who is, in a manner, at the head of affairs, and who has got all the interest he has with the king of England, by having confented to what has been done against us (being befides our enemy) is at prefent at Hanover, to take his inftructions from the Germans, and your excellency may depend upon it, he will execute them with all the boldness [Effronterie] imaginable. Your excellency will therefore find, we ought to make use of this opportunity to enter into meafures against people, who certainly will not do things by halves. We must either ruin them, or be undone ourselves, that is, if it be in their power to bring it to pafs.

Poftfcript. My friends are now in town, An express, which came to them yesterday from the pretender, will put them in a better condition for forming a plan. To-day they are going about it. There are only five or fix of the most confiderable perfons confulted. They would know, in cafe we agree, whether the money must be paid here or elsewhere, or if it must be fent over to Sweden. They have also asked me, if we had any occafion for fea-officers, for then they could furnish us with good ones.'

In another letter at London, November 13, 1716, count Gyllenburg made good his pro