and despairing pictures of Sir James Harris, the British representative, when he had to manœuvre with Catherine, with Panin and Potemkin. In a dispatch of July 1780–a critical year for Britain–Harris states that Prince Potemkin, the favourite of the Empress, assured him that at certain moments she seemed to be determined to join Britain; but she was restrained by the prospect of bringing on herself the sarcasms of the French and of Frederick of Prussia, and especially by the dread of losing by ill-success the reputation she had won.[1] In these circumstances the 'enervating language' of Count Panin, her Minister for Foreign Affairs, was more agreeable to her than the advice of Potemkin. Still, in this matter of fostering the League of Neutrality against the interests of Britain, she began to feel, according to the declaration of her favourite, that she had been influenced too far by the Minister: she really regretted her action as ill-considered, and yet her pride would not allow her to recant. 'When things go smoothly', said Potemkin, 'my influence is small; but when she meets with rubs she always wants me, and then my influence
- ↑ 'L'amour de la gloire et le désir de réparer aux yeux de l'univers le vice de son élévation ont fait de Catherine II une princesse dont le règne fera époque dans l'histoire du monde.'–Instruction, May 6, 1780, to the Marquis de Vérac, Minister Plenipotentiary to the Empress: Instructions …: Russie, ii. 353.
are the Effect of Passion, and Resentment, and grounded upon false Facts and suggestions made by Count Bruhl and His Associates, to mislead that weak and corrupted Court, which is not even now in a condition to fulfill what it has promised, without being supplied with larger Sums of Money than the Court of Vienna can afford; nor can I persuade myself that France will pay for the march and subsistance of a Russian Army to serve Purposes purely Austrian.'–P.R.O., Prussia, 68. On October 15 of the same year Mitchell wrote to Holdernesse: '… If the Empress of Russia should die, I hope not a moment will be lost to improve an event that may still save the whole. How melancholy it is to think, that the Fate of Europe should depend upon such accidents.'–P.R.O., Prussia, 70.
