Mirabcaii's Secret Mission to Berlin 245 actuated by no very well-defined aggressive ambition'; the one point on which her foreign policy was likely to lead her into difficulties shall be indicated presently. Russia, under Catherine II., was principally occupied in repres- sing Poland and extending her borders at the expense of Turkey. The affairs of Sweden and Courland need not be noticed here. Austria, under Joseph II., was on amicable terms~with Russia, and also with France, through the Emperor's sister, Marie An- toinette. Up to the year 1786, his chief preoccupation had been internal reforms of a liberal character ; from that date, his policy be- came one of expansion towards the south. Yet Prussia viewed with suspicion the son of Maria Theresa, and could never feel entirely certain that the conquest of Silesia was forgotten and that the Em- peror would not some day attempt its recovery or perhaps seek compensation in some other direction. England was fast recovering from the effects of the disastrous war which, arising out of the foolish policy pursued towards her American colonies, had resulted in the humiliating treaty of Paris. Wiser counsels were now in the ascendant, the younger Pitt had com- menced his administration of affairs, and the public funds were rising by leaps and bounds. Commerce and finance now engrossed the attention of England's statesmen, while on the Continent such shrewd men as Harris, Dalrymple and Ewart were rapidly increas- ing her lately impaired influence. France was on the verge of a great revolution ; for a century past her monarchs and ministers had, with but rare exceptions, been distinguished for nothing but profligacy, dishonesty and incompe- tence. Yet the wealth of the country had increased, principally through the exertions of the middle class, professional and mercan- tile, that had vastly increased in numbers and importance. Finance and speculation had been introduced, and notwithstanding one or two panics, the extent of the banking and company operations testi- fied, not only to the wealth, but to the enterprise of the country. Alongside of this class, in which intelligence, whether honest or otherwise, was the one means of success, arose a school of writers of whom Diderot, Voltaire and Rousseau may be recalled ; these lit- erary giants and their followers, together with the French travellers and soldiers who had visited America at the time of the War of Inde- pendence, had set the fashion of thinking towards the natural rights of man, and against maladministration and despotism. Last of all, the condition of the masses was deplorable, and worse, in that it was largely remediable. The farming of the revenue, the restrictions on inland circulation, the improvidence, incapacity and dishonesty of
