"I apprehend that the principal object of the court of Vienna will be to distract, divide, and _devour_ the Prussian dominions. Their pride, their vengeance, and, above all, their _bigotry_ will naturally lead them to destroy a _Protestant_ power that has dared to offend them." At length it was ascertained that a private negotiation had been commenced between Austria and France, the result of which must expose the Electoral dominions to invasion by France. An alliance with Prussia was immediately concluded. The account subsequently given by Thiébault, in his _Memoirs of the Prussian Court_, gives a strong impression of Mitchell's manliness and intelligence:-- "Sir Andrew Mitchell, Knight of the Order of the Garter, [a mistake for the Bath,] had been for several years the English ambassador at Berlin, when I first arrived there. Some time, however, elapsed before I had the least acquaintance with him, not only because it was little to be expected that Englishmen should be desirous of the society of Frenchmen, but also because Sir Andrew Mitchell was of the number of those meritorious characters who stand in no need of perpetual society for existence, and have the philosophy to prefer being occasionally alone. When he first arrived in Berlin, he had caused the persons who necessarily invited him to their houses considerable perplexity; for he played at no game of cards, so that his hosts constantly said,--'What shall we do with the Englishman, who never plays at cards?' In a few days, however, the contest was, who should withhold himself from the card-table, and have the advantage of conversing with a man in whom they had discovered every requisite to afford the highest pleasure in colloquial intercourse. In reality, his understanding was no less admirable than the virtues of his character. Of this I cannot give a more substantial proof, than by observing that he was united in the strictest bonds of friendship with the author of _L'Esprit des Loix_." Some of the shrewd _bons-mots_ of the diplomatic Scot are given by the Frenchman. On one occasion, when the English mail had three times been due, the king said to him at the levée--"Have you not the spleen, M. Mitchell, when the mail is thus delayed?" The reply was,--"No, Sire, not when it is delayed, but often enough when it duly arrives." The English cabinet having promised to send a fleet to the Baltic, to prevent the Russians from sending troops against the king, and the fleet not appearing, Frederick was chagrined; at length he ceased to invite the envoy to the royal table. One day some of the servants, meeting him, asked,--"Is it dinner-time, M. Mitchell?" The significant retort was,--"Gentlemen, no fleet, no dinner." This was told to Frederick, and the invitations were renewed.