Kaunitz, and the High Lady's fixed passion for her Schlesien, had
changed everybody else. The ulterior facts are as follows,
abbreviated to the utmost.

September 22d, 1755, a few days before Hanbury's Subsidy-feat at
Petersburg, which took such a whirl for Hanbury, there had met for
the first time at Versailles, more especially at Babiole, Pleasure-
House of the Pompadour, a most Select Committee of Three Persons:
Graf von Stahremberg, Austrian Ambassador; Pompadour herself; and a
certain infinitely elegant Count and Reverence de Bernis (beautiful
Clerico-Mundane Gentleman, without right Benefice hitherto, but
much in esteem with the Pompadour);--for deepest practical
consideration in regard to closure of a French-Austrian Alliance.
Reverend Count (subsequently Cardinal) de Bernis has sense in
Diplomacy; has his experiences in Secular Diplomatic matters; a
soft-going cautious man, not yet official, but tending that way:
whom the Pompadour has brought with her as henchman, or unghostly
counsellor, in this intricate Adventure.

Stahremberg, instructed from home, has no hesitation; nor has
Pompadour herself, remembering that insolent "JE NE LA CONNAIS
PAS," and the per-contra "MA COUSINE," "PRINCESSE ET SOEUR:"--but
Bernis, I suppose, looks into the practical difficulties; which are
probably very considerable, to the Official French eye, in the
present state of Europe and of the public mind. From September 22d,
or autumnal equinox, 1755, onward to this Britannic-Prussian
phenomenon of January, 1756, the Pompadour Conclave has been
sitting,--difficulties, no doubt, considerable. I will give only
the dates, having myself no interest in such a Committee at
Babiole; but the dates sufficiently betoken that there were