here were in undertaking such a War, and the advantages that were to
be hoped from it. On one side, presented itself the potent House of
Austria, not likely to want resources with so many vast Provinces under
it; an Emperor's Daughter attacked, who would naturally find allies in
the King of England, in the Dutch Republic, and so many Princes of the
Empire who had signed the Pragmatic Sanction." Russia was--or had
been, and might again be--in the pay of Vienna. Saxony might have some
clippings from Bohemia thrown to it, and so be gained over. Scanty
Harvest, 1740, threatened difficulties as to provisioning of troops.
"The risks were great. One had to apprehend the vicissitudes of war. A
single battle lost might be decisive. The King had no allies; and his
troops, hitherto without experience, would have to front old Austrian
soldiers, grown gray in harness, and trained to war by so many
campaigns.

"On the other side were hopeful considerations,"--four in number: FIRST,
Weak condition of the Austrian Court, Treasury empty, War-Apparatus
broken in pieces; inexperienced young Princess to defend a disputed
succession, on those terms. SECOND, There WILL be allies; France and
England always in rivalry, both meddling in these matters, King is sure
to get either the one or the other.--THIRD, Silesian War lies handy to
us, and is the only kind of Offensive War that does; Country bordering
on our frontier, and with the Oder running through it as a sure
high-road for everything. FOURTH, "What suddenly turned the balance,"
or at least what kept it steady in that posture,--"news of the Czarina's
death arrives:" Russia has ceased to count against us; and become a
manageable quantity. On, therefore!--

"Add to these reasons," says the King, with a candor which has not been
well treated in the History Books, "Add to these reasons, an Army ready
for acting; Funds, Supplies all found [lying barrelled in the Schloss at
Berlin];--and perhaps the desire of making oneself a name," from which
few of mortals able to achieve it are exempt in their young time: "all
this was cause of the War which the King now entered upon." [_OEuvres de
Frederic_ (Histoire de mon Temps), i. 128.]

"Desire to make himself a name; how shocking!" exclaim several
Historians. "Candor of confession that he may have had some such desire;
how honest!" is what they do not exclaim. As to the justice of his
Silesian Claims, or even to his own belief about their justice,