Folio 18: Forbes and Rondeau to Harrington. Plain speech to Emperor's minister out...

Folio 18: Forbes and Rondeau to Harrington. Plain speech to Emperor's minister out of the question because he is in strictest confidence with Count Osterman and we feared he might reveal all said to him: minister shown by Count Biron that interests professed by Osterman towards Emperor would be abandoned if they differed from Prussia's. Emperor's minister informs me that this court is making necessary arrangements for war on the Turks and has informed Vienna of this untimely decision with the hope she can avert it, through Count Lowenwolde, because if it continues it will be doing for France what France has been labouring to do at great expense at Constantinople. This will prevent the help expected by the Emperor from this court and perhaps tempt the Swedes to join in and revive the conflagration now quenched in Poland. If it is not stopped at Vienna it will be ended here and our aid will be solicited by the Emperor. This news confirmed by Count Lynar, the Saxon minister, and the arrival of an ambassador from Persia is awaited to make final decisions. Count Jaguzinski has asked the king of Prussia 1. not to grant Stanislaus passage through his territories or Swedish Pomerania and 2. not to give refuge to the Polish magnates. The king has given his word to France to permit Stanislaus passage through all territories, and has promised Count Poniatowski to protect all Polish magnates. This court not pleased at this answer. If Prussian king answered demands from Mardefeld similarly, there would be little prospect of adjustment between them. Dated St Petersburg 19 Jan 1733/4.