Beschreibung:

MAXIMILIAN, COUNT OF MERVELDT: (1764-1815) Westphalian noble. Austrian General of Cavalry. Served as Ambassador to Russia under Holy Roman Emperor Francis II, and later as extraordinary envoy to Great Britain. Maximilian fought with distinction against the Ottoman empire, in the French Revolutionary wars and in the Napoleonic wars. A very fine L.S., `Merveldt´, four pages, 4to, London, 29th March 1814, to Wilhelm von Genotte, in Madrid, in French. A very interesting content letter with good association, written the day the allies and the Tsar Alexander I entered Paris, and only few days before Napoleon signed his abdication. Maximilian states in part `Le Baron de Wessenberg en partant d´ici il y a trois semaines m´a prévenu que vous adréssiez vos rapports à S. A. le Prince de Metternich par le canal de l´Ambassade à Londres, adréssés encore sous le couvert du Baron de Wessenberg…´ (Translation: ` The Baron of Wessenberg, when leaving here three weeks ago, informed me that you were sending your reports to H.H. the Prince of Metternich through the channel of the Embassy in London, still addressed under cover of the Baron de Wessenberg…´ Maximilian further refers to the allies negotiations with the French representatives, stating in part `Les dernières dépêches que j´ai reçues de Chaumont m´annoncent que les negotiations de Chatillon continuaient encore alors que le duc de Vicence ayant tardé à répondre au projet de paix préliminaire qui lui a été remis par nos plénipotentiaires où était convenu avec lui que le 27 suivant que la réponse ne pourrait être différée au-delà du 10 Mars. Les explications que le négociateur français a donné ce jour-là, n´accordant ni ne refusant rien et étant visiblement calculées pour trainer la négociation en longueur, nos plénipotentiaires ont eu ordre de demander itérativement et dans les vingt quatre heures ou l´acceptation ou le refus purs et simples de nos propositions…´ (Translation: `The latest dispatches that I have received from Chaumont inform me that the negotiations at Chatillon were still continuing while the Duke of Vicenza having been slow to respond to the preliminary peace draft treaty which was given to him by our plenipotentiaries, where it was agreed with him until the following 27th that the answer could not be deferred beyond March 10th. The explanations that the French negotiator gave that day, neither granting nor refusing anything and being visibly calculated to drag out the negotiation, our plenipotentiaries were ordered to request iteratively and within twenty-four hours either the acceptance or the pure and simple refusal of our proposals...´) Further again Maximilian refers to an initial treaty signed, stating `… ont arrêté entre elles un traité daté du 1er mars et signé le 9 entre le Prince de Metternich, le comte de Nesselrode, Lord Castlereagh et le Baron Hardenberg. Le traité est destine à remplir le double objet d´une coopération plus forte, plus intime encore, dans le cas où nos efforts pour le rétablissement de la paix resteraient sans effet et d´une garantie mutuelle entre les Puissances pour le maintien de l´ordre des choses qui sera le résultat de la negotiation. Un article particulier stipule d´inviter les Puissances les plus exposées à une invasión de la France à acceder au dit traité d´alliance défensive et on compte beaucoup que l´Espagne et le Portugal y prendront part´ (Translation: `… have concluded between them a treaty dated March 1st, and signed on the 9th, between the Prince of Metternich, the Count of Nesselrode, Lord Castlereagh and Baron Hardenberg. The treaty is intended to fulfil the double object of a stronger, even more intimate cooperation, in the event that our efforts for the restoration of peace should prove ineffective, and of a mutual guarantee between the allies for the maintenance of peace order which will be the result of the negotiation. A particular article stipulates to invite the allies most exposed to an invasion of France to acced