quotas, as per contract!" So the Ships were seized; held in
sequestration, "till many of the cargoes (being perishable goods,
some even fish) rotted." [Smollett's History of England;
&c. &c.] And in return, as will be seen, not one
auxiliary came to hand: so that the diplomatic Head had his rotted
cargoes, and much public obloquy, for his pains. Not a fortunate
stroke of business, that!--

Britannic Majesty, on applying at Vienna (through Keith, Sir or Mr.
Robert Keith, the FIRST Excellency of that name, for there are two,
a father and a son, both Vienna Excellencies), was astonished to
learn That, in such event of an Aggression, even on Hanover, there
was no co-operation to be looked for here. Altogether cold on that
subject, her Imperial Majesty seems; regardless of Excellency
Keith's remonstrances and urgencies; and, in the end, is flatly
negatory: "Cannot do it, your Excellency; times so perilous, bad
King of Prussia so minatory,"--not to mention, SOTTO VOCE that we
have turned on our axis, and the wind (thanks to Kaunitz) no longer
hits us on the same cheek as formerly!

"Cannot? Will not?" Britannic Majesty may well stare, wide-eyed;
remembering such gigantic Subsidizings and Alcides Labors,
Dettingens, Fontenoys, on the per-contra side. But so stands the
fact: "No help from an ungrateful Vienna;--quick, then, seek
elsewhere!" And Hanbury and the Continental British Excellencies
have to bestir themselves as they never did. Especially Hanbury;
who is directed upon Russia,--whom alone of these Excellencies it
is worth while to follow for a moment. Russia, on fair subsidy,
yielded us a 35,000 last War (willingly granted, most useful,
though we had no fighting out of them, mere terror of them being