ith Prussia; and the correspondence between
the two courts became every day more frequent. This led to another
conference between the two princes at Neustadt, in Moravia, which was
held on September 3, 1770, and at which Kaunitz was present. The King
was more courteous than ever; he appeared in the military uniform of
Austria, and continued to wear it as long as he remained in the Austrian
territory. He made use of every species of compliment. One day, as they
were leaving the dining-room and the Emperor made a motion to give him
the precedence, he stepped back, saying with a significant smile and
_double entendre_, not lost on Joseph, "Since your imperial majesty
begins to manoeuvre, I must follow wherever you lead." Nor did he spare
his civilities to Kaunitz, with the view of removing the rankling
feeling which had often made that conceited minister exclaim, "The King
of Prussia is the only man who denies me the esteem which is due to me."

Kaunitz insisted on the necessity of opposing the ambitious views of
Russia, and stated that the Empress would never allow Catharine to take
possession of Moldavia and Wallachia, which would make her states adjoin
those of Austria; nor permit her to penetrate farther into Turkey. He
added that an alliance between Austria and Prussia was the only means of
checking Catharine's overbearing power. To this Frederick replied that
being in alliance with the court of St. Petersburg, his only practicable
measure was to prevent the war from becoming general by conciliating the
friendly feelings of Catharine toward Austria. On the day after this
conference a courier arrived from Constantinople, with the news of the
destruction of the Turkish fleet and the rout of their army, and to
request the mediation of the courts of Vienna and Berlin. To this both
readily assented, but without agreeing upon any terms.

Frederick did not forget to follow up his former mode of tactics with
the Emperor; he pretended to make him the confidant of all his designs,
a species of flattery most gratifying to a young prince. On his return
to Berlin, also, the King affected to imitate the Austrian manners, and
uttered several pompous panegyrics on the talents of Joseph, who had
recited to him some of Tasso's verses, and nearly a whole act of the
_Pastor Fido_.

Thus did Frederick avail himself of circumstances to commence an
amicable correspondence with Austria, and he thus became the medium of
communication betwee