[Footnote 281: M. de Broglie represents ("Marie Thérèse," I. pp. 202-4) that d'Argenson's policy involved the abandonment of the allies of France. The grounds for the contention are not quite clear. It would be equally true of Frederick's own recent proposal for an immediate peace (Zevort, p. 131). France at this time actually held sufficient territory to satisfy her allies upon the terms proposed by Frederick ("Mémoires du Ministère," Rathery, IV. p. 258); and she had only to defend it, as d'Argenson said, with foresight and success, to weary her enemies and force upon Maria Theresa conditions of peace which would be acceptable to her allies as well as to herself. The occurrence of such suggestions is easily explained. M. de Broglie makes no secret of his strong approval of the campaign in Flanders, and of his strong antipathy to Frederick II. In both respects, though in the case of the Flemish campaign he would appear to have no suspicion of it, he is at absolute variance with the French Foreign Minister; and he is consequently constrained to regard him in a spirit which does not conduce to critical appreciation. In the view of the writer, his account of d'Argenson's share in the events of 1745 cannot be taken as even approximately just. Upon the merits of the rival policies it is not our business to decide. It is sufficient to show that d'Argenson's plans were sound and statesmanlike, and that successive disasters were entailed by the failure of the Government to support him.] [Footnote 282: "Mémoires du Ministère" (Rathery, IV. pp. 257, 258)] [Footnote 283: Zevort, pp. 135, 136.] [Footnote 284: Ibid., p. 135.] [Footnote 285: Ibid., Appendix, p. 349.] [Footnote 286: Ibid., Appendix, p. 348.] [Footnote 287: Ibid., Appendix, p. 349.] [Footnote 288: De Broglie, "Marie Thérèse," I. p. 128.] [Footnote 289: Ibid., I. p. 129.] [Footnote 290: Zevort, p. 136.] [Footnote 291: Ibid., p. 137.] [Footnote 292: Ibid., Appendix, p. 350.] [Footnote 293: De Broglie, "Marie Thérèse," I. p. 131.] [Footnote 294: But three lines appearing in a despatch drafted by him (January 31, 1745. Zevort, Appendix, p. 352) are sufficient to prove what might have been suspected: "En effet n'en aurions-nous tant fait en faveur de la liberté germanique que pour la revoir tombée dans son ancien esclavage." Only one hand could have written the word "esclavage."] [Footnote 295: "Where we should look for the breadth of view and the decision of the statesman, we find but the emotion of a doctrinaire who has attained to office full of confidence in his theories, and who finds himself suddenly thrown into a confused medley of practical complications which he had not even suspected; it is the bewilderment of a solitary who issues from obscurity and is blinded by the unexpected play of light" (De Broglie, "Marie Thérèse," I. p. 208).