Diaries and Correspondence of James Harris, First Earl of Malmesbury, Volume 1 |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
acquainted affairs alliance Ambassador answer appear assured attention believe Berlin bien character Cobenzel conduct considered conversation Count Goertz Count Kaunitz Count Panin courier Court of Vienna DEAR declaration DESPATCH FROM SIR disposition Dutch EARL OF SUFFOLK effect Emperor empire employed Empress endeavoured enemies England Europe event everything EXTRACT favour favourite feel flatter foreign France French friendship give Grand Duke greatest HARRIS TO LORD Holland honour idea immediately Imperial Majesty interests King of Prussia language LETTER FROM SIR LORD STORMONT LORD SUFFOLK LORD VISCOUNT STORMONT Lordship Madrid Majesté Impériale Majesty's manner Masserano Mediation mind Minister Minorca Mons nation never obtain occasion opinion orders Orlow passed peace person Petersburg Poland political Potzdam present Prince of Prussia Prince Potemkin proposed Prussian Majesty qu'elle received Russia sent sentiments ships sincere SIR JAMES HARRIS situation Sovereign Spain speak tion told treaty Vienna wish
Popular passages
Page 235 - Empress discoursed a long while the other day on the ancient Greeks ; of their alacrity and the superiority of their genius, and the same character being still extant in the modern ones ; and of the possibility of their again becoming the first people, if properly assisted and seconded.
Page 140 - Proceeding on these grounds, he has, all along, been guided by his own judgment alone, without ever consulting any of his ministers or superior officers, not so much from the low opinion he entertains of their abilities, as from a conviction, from his own feelings, that if he employed them otherwise than as simple instruments, they would, in time, assume a will of their own, and, instead of remaining accessories, endeavour to become principals.
Page 140 - ... of his Ministers or Superior Officers ; not so much from the low opinion he entertains of their abilities, as from a conviction from his own feelings that if he employed them otherwise than as simple instruments they would, in time, assume a will of their own; and instead of remaining accessories endeavour to become principals. To persevere in this system it was necessary for him to divest himself of compassion and remorse, and of course of religion and morality.
Page 202 - ... she has a masculine force of mind, obstinacy in adhering to a plan and intrepidity in the execution of it ; but she wants the more manly virtues of deliberation, forbearance in prosperity, and accuracy of judgment, while she possesses, in a high degree, the weaknesses vulgarly attributed to her sex, — love of flattery and its inseparable companion, vanity, an inattention to unpleasant but salutary advice...
Page 304 - As soon as he read the declaration and saw the grounds on which the instructions were to be made, he collected the various sentences which had been pronounced last war in the Archipelago by the Russian tribunal instituted for that purpose, and at which he frequently presided, on neutral ships. After proving in the clearest manner that they confiscated and condemned Turkish property wherever they found it, and the only prizes they made were such property on board neutral ships, he gave in the whole...
Page 372 - Russia will effectuate such a peace as is here described, the King will, in that case, cede to Her Imperial Majesty and to the Imperial Crown of Russia, the Island of Minorca, this cession to take place as soon as possible after the preliminaries of the above-described peace are signed. A treaty of perpetual...
Page 142 - ... success through almost every important undertaking he has attempted. ... He undoubtedly owes this, in great measure, to his superior talents; yet I think we may find another cause in the character and position of his subjects ; in general they are poor, vain, ignorant and destitute of principle; had they been rich, his nobility could never have been brought to serve as subaltern officers with zeal and ardour. Their vanity makes them think they see their own greatness in the greatness of their...
Page 95 - A total corruption of morals reigns throughout both sexes in every class of life, joined to penuriousness, necessarily caused partly by the oppression of his present majesty, and partly by the expensive ideas they received from his grandfather, constituting the worst of human characters. The men are constantly occupied how to make straightened (sic) means support the extravagance of their life.
Page ix - with whom I lived were very pleasant, but very idle, fellows. Our life was an imitation of high life in London. Luckily drinking was not the fashion ; but what we did drink was claret, and we had our regular round of evening card-parties, to the great annoyance of our finances.
Page 140 - CORRESPONDENCE. [l770. been the considering mankind in general, and particularly those over whom he was destined to reign, as beings created merely to be subservient to his will, and conducive to the carrying into execution, whatever might tend to augment his power, and extend his dominions.