Meissen, Thursday, 31st July, 1760
My lord,
Secret
…Two days ago, happening to dine with his Prussian majesty alone, I […] took the liberty to observe that some late letters his Prussian majesty had written, which had fallen into the French ministers’ hands, seemed to give great offence. His Prussian majesty replied, I have wrote no letter but one to Voltaire. I ventured to say, Perhaps your majesty may have in that letter made use of strong expressions with regard to the duke de Choiseul; he answered, No. I think I made use of this proverbial phrase, that the duke de Choiseul was possessed by ten millions of Austrian devils; that as to the rest, he had told Voltaire, he would keep to his alliance with England, and that if the French had a mind for peace, they must speak out plainly; and he said that this letter to Voltaire was an answer to one he had received from him, in which Voltaire had assured him that the French ministers were perfectly well disposed towards a peace.
I think proper to acquaint your lordship minutely with every circumstance concerning this affair, which I wish may agree with the accounts received from other parts, but I cannot help adding that the king of Prussia's correspondence with Voltaire has, on this and former occasions, given me some uneasiness and suspicions; for I believe the court of France make use of the artful pen of Voltaire to draw secrets from the king of Prussia, and when that prince writes as a wit and to a wit, he is capable of great indiscretions. But what surprises me still more is, that whenever Voltaire's name is mentioned, his Prussian majesty never fails to give him the epithets he may deserve, which are the worst heart and greatest rascal now living; yet with all this he continues to correspond with him. Such in this prince is the lost of praise from a great and elegant writer, in which, however, he will at last be the dupe; for by what I hear, from good authority, of Voltaire's character, he may dissemble, but never can nor never will forgive the king of Prussia for what has passed between them.
I am, &c.,
Andr Mitchell