Note 81 — Chapter X
Albert D. (Albert Dresden) Vandam translation
The official despatch of the ambassadors of the French King at the Congress of Vienna reports the incident as follows:—
The Emperor of Russia.—‘I have pledged my word and I shall keep it. I promised Saxony to the King of Prussia the moment we joined each other.’
Talleyrand.—‘Your Majesty has promised to the King of Prussia between nine and ten millions of souls. Your Majesty can give them without destroying Saxony.’
The Emperor.—‘The King of Saxony is a traitor.’
Talleyrand.—‘Sire, the qualification of traitor can never be applied to a king; and it is important that there shall never be any necessity for applying it.’
After a few moments of silence the czar resumed:
‘The King of Prussia shall be King of Prussia and of Saxony, just as I am Emperor of Russia and King of Poland.’—Mémoires de Talleyrand, vol. ii.
Finally, the interests of Saxony and Prussia were settled, ‘not to the satisfaction of the one and the other, but by agreement between them,’ i.e. Prussia acquired the two Lusatias, part of Thuringia, and Torgau and Wittemberg (Treaty of 18th May 1815).