In vain I torture my mind to form for myself some notion of that of the emperor and of his character. All that I understand of it is that this singular being, by dint of wanting to become a king of kings and to resemble all at once Alexander, Charles XII, Peter I, and Frederick, has succeeded in resembling nothing at all, not even himself.

I have it on very good authority that he has a system of strange principles, seriously advanced in discussions, according to which the United Netherlands have been unceasingly sullied, since Philip II, with the original and indelible sin of rebellion. According to the same principles, the United States of America are in the same way still rebels, and this is the reason that he forbade the Baron von Reischach here from presenting a ministerial card to your excellency.

There are two letters here from the Baron van Reede, one to Their High Mightinesses and the other to Mr. Fagel privately.1 In the first he informs Their High Mightinesses that the emperor has notified the king of Prussia in a friendly way, as if to a good neighbor, through his minister at Berlin that as the States General of the United Netherlands have dishonored the imperial dignity, he has given marching orders to 80,000 men to punish them for it.

He uses the same language in the letters circulated to other princes of the empire, from whom he demands passage, and he certainly claims to be able to banish the republic from the empire and condemn it to forfeiture and consequently to confiscation.

In the other letter Mr. Reede informs Mr. Fagel that four days before receiving this notification, the king of Prussia, talking with the Chevalier Normande, who wondered what would result from this German quarrel, said to him, “France will be the mediator and will work it all out. In the meantime the emperor will cause a great stir. Parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. 2 When all this comes to pass, remember, my dear Normande, that I predicted it.”3

As for the rest, no sluggishness here at all. The order was given and carried out several days ago to open the locks, pierce the dikes, and flood the borders.4 It is still a secret here but will not be any more by the time you, 372 sir, receive this letter. On this side they can submerge the whole country as far as Ghent.

A distinguished figure5 has left for Berlin. At our friends’ request, I made for him a code by means of which he will correspond with them. I will probably encode and decode all of this correspondence, which may become very important.

A distinguished traveler, passing through here, told me an epigram circulating in your neighborhood, the substance of which is that the Dutch ambassador to the king asks what he will do. Answer: no one wants everyone to be able to trade freely in the Netherlands.

This letter will arrive under the designated cover of London. I would never dare to risk sending one like this by the direct route.6

In a conversation with the Rhinegrave, he asked me what I thought of the emperor, etc. I told him that I, like Aretino, had a list in my head and too high an opinion of France to fear having to change it, as he did, if it let the emperor do as he would. He understood me, smiled, and indicated his approval. Here’s how it is: Charles V, having come to the Netherlands through France, wrote to the caustic Aretino to convince him that it was not folly to have traveled through the lands of his enemy. But then, responded Aretino, I have erased Your Majesty from my list and put François I in your place.7

Please give our respects to madam and to their excellencies your colleagues. You know, sir, without my signing my name to it, how much I am your excellency’s very humble and very obedient if little-known servant.