arly the whole of Britain's
naval conquests, but in order to assure Prussia's gain even at the
expense of the solidarity of the European League. The Coalition's
extremity was Prussia's opportunity. Hanover was her price for joining
it. Such was the purport of a secret article of the Treaty of Potsdam,
to which the Czar had most reluctantly given his consent.

In order to bring the utmost possible pressure to bear upon the British
Government, a special Russian envoy, Count d'Oubril, set out from Berlin
to London, crossing Harrowby on the way. Oubril arrived in London on or
about 16th November; and after a short delay Vorontzoff and he
communicated to Pitt the document containing the ominous demand. The
Russian ambassador noted that Pitt, despite long training in the
concealment of his feelings, displayed some emotion on reading the
fateful words. In truth, they dealt the second of the strokes which
struck him to the heart. But, collecting himself with an effort, he
informed Vorontzoff that, so great was the King's attachment to Hanover,
the patrimony of his family for upwards of a thousand years, that no
Minister would venture ever to name the proposal, as it might either
kill him or drive him mad. All the arguments of Vorontzoff and Oubril on
behalf of the Prusso-Russian demand utterly failed. Pitt expressed a
desire to meet Prussia's wishes for a better western frontier, but never
at the expense of Hanover.[744] Thus he deliberately faced a terrible
diplomatic reverse rather than expose the King to a recurrence of his
mental malady. A little later he recovered his equanimity; for on 19th
November he informed Harrowby that, though Hanover was out of the
question, yet he hoped to find an equivalent which would satisfy
Prussia. The two Emperors could not in their present plight object to
her gaining a large accession of territory. Moreover it would be an
infinite disgrace to them now to make a separate peace with Napoleon.

Still [he added] even if this should happen, we have a strong
interest that a separate peace should provide all the security
that can be obtained for the Continent. If decent terms are
obtained, particularly if France is obliged _really_ to evacuate
Holland and leave it in a state of independence, and if the
three great Continental Powers after extorting concessions from
France in the moment of victory, unite cordially in an
obligation to resist all future encroachments