Folio 85. New instructions for Stepney as minister to the Elector of Saxony [who...

Folio 85. New instructions for Stepney as minister to the Elector of Saxony [who is at the Hague]. Is to repair speedily to Dresden and assure the ministers there that orders have 'actually' been given for the payment of the second term of subsidies and that he, Stepeny, is in 'daily expectation' of the money from the banker at Hamburg [Stratford]. The imperial envoy to London, Count [Leopold] Auersperg, has proposed [to the King] that the Saxon troops might, in the next campaign, instead of acting on the Rhine, be sent to Flanders or to Hungary. He, Stepney, is to confer with the imperial minister at Dresden [Aloys count Harrach] and to let him know that the King fully approves of sending all these [Saxon] troops to Hungary 'if the Elector may be persuaded to it', or, alternatively, that in case only one part of the [Saxon] troops be deployed in Hungary, the King is willing to have the other in Flanders, when some of the Brandenburg or other allied forces now in Hungary are to be sent for service on the Rhine. To which Stepney is to give his approval, provided that such of the troops as shall be sent to Flanders enter, upon their arrival there, into English or Dutch pay instead of such of the troops of Hanover or Celle which may be sent thence [i.e. from Flanders] to the Rhine, and that England be put to no more charge for subsistence or march of any of those troops than the Kingdom is at present obliged to. He is to inform the imperial envoy of his being under orders to assist him [Harrach] to the utmost of his power 'in compassing the effect of these two last propositions' and that he is also to solicit the Saxon court 'in ye most effectual manner' to the intent and purposes above-mentioned. Such troops as may be sent to Flanders are not to be 'commanded by any profess' creature of Schöning's or any other person whose zeal for the publick good may be anywise doubted of'. He is 'to dissuade and discourage' the Elector strongly from commanding his own forces on the Rhine or from going to Flanders in person with any part of them, as well as to 'protest' against giving the command of any of the troops, except those which may be sent to Hungary, to Schöning, with whom he, Stepney is to 'keep up a civill acquaintance', always reminding him, however, to keep strictly to the 'Revers' whereby he 'stands engaged to the Emperor not to concern himself' without the latter's consent, 'either in civill or military affaires'. If the Elector should refuse to send all his troops to Hungary, or partly to Hungary and partly to Flanders and to deploy them anywhere but on the Rhine where 'he may pretend to command as an Elector according to such precedents as he may alledge for it', Stepney and Harrach are to refer the Elector to his predecessor's compliance with other measures that were more suitable to the present state of affairs in Germany by consenting to leave the high command to Prince Louis of Baden and remain satisfied with some marks of honour '& rouling on some occasions with that prince' - which Stepney may adduce as a proof that the [late] Elector did not act as a volunteer 'as is pretended', but 'as one in command in ye army upon ye Rhine; and he is to express strongly the King's 'dislike' that the superiority of command should be disputed with Prince Louis: only great inconvenience can ensue by such controversy 'which may not only render ye assistance of ye Saxon troops altogether useless, but their conjunction even prejudiciall to ye public service'. Stepney is to intercede with the Elector on the King's behalf for [Otto Heinrich baron] Friesen [former envoy to the States General, 1693-4] who faces a 'council of warr' [? court martial], being 'by influence of Schöning' accused of having usurped, during the reign of the former Elector, the command of his guards 'to the prejudice (as is pretended) of Schöning, ye former colonel'. [Cf. SP 105/85, ff.48v-51v and 65-69]. Stepney is to signify in the King's name 'that he be not only continued as envoy att our Court, but that he be employ'd att ye congress at ye Hague, both which services he may be able to perform while we shall remain beyond ye seas'. Having effected the above business and reported thereon, Stepney is to repair to the court of the landgrave of Hessen-Cassel, having, beforehand conferred with Baron Goertz (see f.81B, supra) 'what measures ye publick service may require you to take for ye setting a good correspondence between the landgrave and Prince Lewis, & for ye conjunction of those troops with ye imperiall army which wee think absolutely necessary att such times as Prince Lewis with respect to ye motions of ye French & other occurrences shall judge requisite ...'.

Date and Place: 1695 Jan 15/25 Kensington