ion of the consistency of his
position in his _Appeal from the New to the Old Whigs_, which had a
decided effect on the opinions of many of Fox's party.

In June came the French king's flight to Varennes and his enforced
return to Paris. His queen Marie Antoinette appealed to her brother the
emperor for help. Leopold would do nothing save in concert with the
other great powers, and learnt that England would take no part in a
congress.[230] Pitt, always more interested in domestic reforms than in
foreign politics, had no intention of interfering in the internal
affairs of France. War would hinder the commercial progress of the
country; he wanted fifteen years of peace to secure the full benefits of
his economic reforms: his policy was one of strict neutrality. He shared
in the general belief, so soon proved to be mistaken, that the
revolution would prevent France from engaging in war and would ensure
years of peace to England; the funds were high and commerce was
flourishing. Leopold could only look to Prussia for co-operation. The
attitude of England decided that of Spain. Gustavus of Sweden was,
indeed, eager for a war of a crusading kind to re-establish the old
_regime_, but this idea was contrary to the policy of both Austria and
Prussia, and Gustavus allied himself with the French emigrant princes
who commanded an army at Coblentz; themselves selfish and intriguing,
their army undisciplined and ill-provided; Leopold rated them at their
proper value and was on his guard against them. Frederick William,
untrustworthy as he was, seems to have been sincerely anxious to help
the French king. Leopold hoped to avoid war; he distrusted Prussia, and
the designs of Catherine on Poland caused both sovereigns to hesitate.
In August, however, the diet demanded that Leopold should support
certain princes of the German empire against France. He held a
conference with Frederick William at Pilnitz, and on the 27th the two
monarchs signed a declaration that they would employ force on behalf of
the French king, provided that the powers to which they applied would
join them. Leopold knew that England would refuse, and the declaration
was nugatory. It enraged the French, and was used by the _emigres_ as
though it promised the fulfilment of their hopes for an invasion of
France by a foreign confederation. Calonne, who acted as their minister,
applied to Pitt for an assurance of neutrality and for a loan. Pitt
refused his requests and wou