I receive sometimes very friendly letters from the Queen of Spain
[wife of Charles II.]. I am sorry that poor queen is so unhappy. It
would be a great blessing for Europe if she could have a child, boy
or girl would do, provided it lived; for one does not need to be a
prophet to divine that if the King of Spain dies without children a
terrible war will arise; all the Powers will claim the succession, and
none of them will yield to any of the others; nothing but a war can
decide.
I have heard with grief of the conduct of Charles-Maurice in Berlin;
if he behaves in that way we shall not continue good friends. I am
very angry to know that he is dead-drunk nearly half the day. If I
thought that scolding him very severely would correct him I would
write to him. It is distressing to think that the only remaining son
of our father should be a drunkard.