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第26章

history of friedrich ii of prussia v 17-第26章

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Austria; it appears; is quite ungrateful: 〃Was n't he bound?〃 thinks Austria;as its wont rather is。 Forgetful of the great deliverance wrought for it by poor Polish Majesty; whom it could not deliver…except into bottomless wreck! Austria; grateful or not; stands unscathed; has time to prepare its Armaments; its vocal Arguments: Austria is in higher provocation than ever; and its very Arguments; highly vocal to the Reich and the world; 〃Is not this man a robber; and enemy of mankind?〃 do Friedrich a great deal of ill。 Friedrich's sudden Campaign; instead of landing him in the heart of the Austrian States; there to propose Peace; has kindled nearly all Europe into flames of rage against him;which will not consist in words merely! Never was misunderstanding of a man at a higher pitch: 〃Such treatment of a peaceable Neighbor and Crowned Head;witness it; ye Heavens and thou Earth!〃 Dauphiness falling on her knees to Most Christian Majesty; 〃Princess and dearest Sister〃 to Most Christian Majesty's Pompadour; especially no end of Pleading to the German Reich; in a furious; Delphic…Pythoness or quasi…inspired tone: all this goes on。

From the time when Pirna was blockaded; Kaiser Franz; his high Consort and sense of duty urging him; has been busy in the Reich's… Hofrath (kind of Privy…Council or Supreme Court of the Reich; which sits at Vienna); busy there; and in the Reich's Diet at Regensburg; busy everywhere; with utmost diligence over Teutschland;forging Reich thunder。 Manifestoes; HOF…DECRETS; DEHORTATORIUMS; EXCITATORIUMS; so goes it; exploding like Vesuvius; shock on the back of shock:20th September it began; and lasts; CRESCENDO; through Winter and onwards; at an extraordinary rate。 'In  Helden…Geschichte  (iv。 163…174; iii。 956; and indeed PASSIM through those Volumes); the Originals in frightful superabundance。' Of all which; leaving readers to imagine it; we will say nothing;except that it points towards 〃Armed Interference by the Reich;〃 〃Reich's Execution Army;〃 nay towards 〃Ban of the Reich〃 (total excommunication of this Enemy of Mankind; and giving of him up to Satan; by bell; book and candle); which is a kind of thunder…bolt not heard of for a good few ages past! Thunder…bolt thought to be gone mainly to rust by the judicious; which; however; the poor old Reich did grasp again; and attempt to launch。 As perhaps we shall have to notice by and by; among the miracles going。

France too; urged by the noblest concern; feels itself called upon。 France magnanimously intimates to the Reich's Diet; once and again; 〃That Most Christian Majesty is guarantee of the Treaty of Westphalia; Most Christian Majesty cannot stand such procedures;〃 and then the second time; 〃That Most Christian Majesty will interfere practically;〃by 100;000 men and odd。 ' Helden…Geschichte;  iv。 340 (〃26th March; 1757〃)。' In short; the sleeping world…whirlwinds are awakened against this man。 General Dance of the Furies; there go they; in the dusky element; those Eumenides; 〃giant…limbed; serpent…haired; slow…pacing; circling; torch in hand〃 (according to Schiller); scattering terror and madness。 At least; in the Diplomatic Circles of mankind;if haply the Populations will follow suit!

Friedrich; abundantly contemptuous of Reich's…thunder in the rusted kind; and well able to distinguish sound from substance in the Reich or elsewhere; recognizes in all this sufficiently portentous prophecies of fact withal; and understands; none better; what a perilous position he has got into。 But he cannot mend it;can only; as usual; do his own utmost in it。 As readers will believe he does; and that his vigilance and diligence are very great。 Continual; ubiquitous and at the top of his bent; one fancies his effort must have been;though he makes no noise on the subject。 Considerable work he has with Hanover; this Winter; with the poor English Government; and their 〃Army of Observation;〃 which is to appear in the Hanover parts; VERSUS those 100;000 French; next Spring。 To Hanover he has sent Schmettau (the Younger Schmettau; Elder is now dead) in regard to said Army; has made a new and closer Treaty with England (impossible to be fulfilled on poor England's part);and laments; as Mitchell often does; the tragically embroiled condition of that Country; struggling so vehemently; to no purpose; to get out of bed; and not unlike strangling or smothering itself in its own blankets; at present! With and in regard to Saxony; his work is of course extremely considerable; and in regard to his own Army; and its coming Business; considerablest of all。 Counter…Manifesto work; to state his case in a distinct manner; and leave it with the Populations if the Diplomacies are deaf: this too; is copiously proceeding; under Artists who probably do not require much supervision。 In fact; no King living has such servants; in the Civil or the Military part; to execute his will。 And no King so little wastes himself in noises; a King who has good command of himself; first of all; not to be thrown off his balance by any terror; any provocation even; though his temper is very sharp。

Friedrich in person is mainly at Dresden; lodged in the Bruhl Palace;endless wardrobes and magnificences there; three hundred and sixty…FOUR Pairs of Breeches hanging melancholy; in a widowed manner: C'EST ASSEZ DE CULOTTES; MONTREZ…MOI DES VERTUS! Bruhl is far away; in Poland; Madam Bruhl has still her Apartments in this Palace;a frugal King needs only the necessary spaces。 Madam Bruhl is very busy here; and not to good purpose; being well seen into。 〃She had a cask of wine sent her from Warsaw;〃 says Friedrich; 〃orders were given to decant for her every drop of the wine; but to be sure and bring us the cask。〃 Cask was found to have two bottoms; intermediate space filled with spy…correspondence。 Madam Bruhl protests and pleads; Friedrich not unpolite in reply; his last Letter to her says; 〃Madam; it is better that you go and join your Husband。〃

Another high Dame gets sausages from Bohemia;some of Friedrich's light troops have an appetite; beyond strict law for sausages; break in; find Letters along with the other stuffing。 ' OEuvres de Frederic;  iv。 108; Mitchell; 〃27th March; 1757〃 (Raumer p。 321)。' Friedrich has a good deal of watching and coercing to do in that kind;some arresting; conveyance even to Custrin for a time; though nothing crueler proved needful。 To the poor Queen he keeps up civilities; but is obliged to be strict as Argus;she made him a Gift too; the NIGHT of Correggio; admired NOTTE of Correggio; having heard that he sat before it silent for half an hour; on entering that fine Gallery; which is due to our Sovereign Lord and his Bruhl; alas! On the other hand; Friedrich had to take from her Majesty's Royal Abode those Hundred Swiss of Body…guard; to discharge the same; and put Prussians in their stead。 Nay; at one time; on loud outcry from her Majesty; and great private cause of complaint against her; there was talk of sending the poor Royal lady to Warsaw; after her Husband; but her objection being violent; nothing came of that: Winter following; her poor Majesty died; '27th November; 1757。' and gave nobody any farther trouble。

Friedrich's outposts; especially in the Lausitz; are a good deal disturbed by Austrian Tolpatcheries; and do feats; heroic in the small way; in smiting down that rabble。 A valuable Officer or two is lost in such poor service; poor but indispensable; 'Funeral Discourses (of a very curious; ponderous and serious tone); in  Gesammelte Nachrichten;  ii。 458; 464; &c。' and the troops have not always the repose which is intended them。 Lieutenant…Colonel Loudon (Scotch by kindred; and famous enough before long) is the soul of these Croat enterprises;and gets his Colonelcy by them; in a month or two; Browne recommending。 Loudon had arrived too late for Lobositz; but had been with Browne to Schandau; and; on the march homewards; did a bright feat of the Croat kind:surprisal; very complete; of that Hill…Castle of Tetschen and considerable Hussar Party there; done in a style which caught the eye of Browne; and was the beginning of great things to poor Loudon; after his twenty years of painful eclipse un

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