history of friedrich ii of prussia v 17-第27章

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to　poor　Loudon；　after　his　twenty　years　of　painful　eclipse　under　the　Indigo　Trencks；　and　miscellaneous　Doggeries；　Austrian　aud　Russian。　＇LA　VIE　DU　FELDMARECHAL　BARON　DE　LOUDON　（Translation　of　one　Pezzl's　German：　a　Vienne　et　a　Paris；　1792）；　i。　1…32。＇

Tetschen；　therefore；　will　again　need　capture　by　the　Prussians；　if　they　again　intend　that　way。　And　in　the　mean　while；　Friedrich；　to　counterpoise　those　mischievous　Croat　people；　has　bethought　him　of　organizing　a　similar　Force　of　his　own；Foot　chiefly；　for；　on　hint　of　former　experience；　he　already　has　Hussars　in　quantity。　And；　this　Winter；　there　are　accordingly；　in　different　Saxon　Towns；　three　Irregular　Regiments　getting　ready　for　him；　three　〃Volunteer　Colonels〃　busily　enlisting　each　his　〃Free　Corps；〃　such　the　title　chosen；chief　Colonel　of　them　one　Mayer；　now　in　Zwickau　neighborhood　with　6　or　700　loose　handy　fellows　round　him；　getting　formed　into　strict　battalion　there：　＇Pauli　（our　old　diffuse　friend）；　　Leben　grosser　Helden　des　gegenwartigen　Krieges　　（9　vols。；　Halle；　1759…1764）；　iii。　159；　？　Mayr。＇　of　whom；　and　of　whose　soldiering；　we　shall　hear　farther。　For　the　plan　was　found　to　answer；　and　extended　itself　year　after　year；　and　the　〃Prussian　Free　Corps；〃　one　way　and　another；　made　considerable　noise　in　the　world。

Outwardly　Friedrich's　Life　is　quiet；　busy；　none　can　be　more　so；　but　to　the　on…looker；　placid；　polite　especially。　He　hears　sermon　once　or　twice　in　the　Kreuz…Kirche　（Protestant　High　Church）；　then　next　day　will　hear　good　music；　devotional　if　you　call　it　so；　in　the　Catholic　Church；　where　her　Polish　Majesty　is。　Daily　at　the　old　hour　he　has　his　own　Concert；　now　and　then　assisting　with　his　own　flute。　Makes　donations　to　the　Poor；　and　such　like；　due　from　Saxon　Sovereignty　while　held　by　him；　on　the　other　hand；　reduces　salaries　at　a　sad　rate　Guarini；　Queen's　Confessor；　from　near　2；000　pounds　to　little　more　than　300　pounds；　for　one　instance；cuts　off　about　25；000　pounds　in　all　under　this　head。　＇　Helden…　Geschichte；　　iv。　306　（〃December；　1756〃）。＇　And　is　heavy　with　billeting；　as　new　Prussians　arrive。　Billets　at　length　in　the　very　Ambassadors'　Hotels；and　by　way　of　apology　to　the　Excellencies；　signifies　to　them　in　a　body：　〃Sorry　for　the　necessity；　your　Excellencies：　but　ought　not　you　to　go　to　Warsaw　rather？　Your　credentials　are　to　his　Polish　Majesty。　He　is　not　here；　nor　coming　hither；　for　some　time！〃　Which　hint；　I　suppose；　the　Excellencies　mostly　took。　From　his　own　Forests　there　came　by　the　Elbe　great　rafts　of　firewood；　to　warm　his　soldiers　in　their　quarters。　Once　or　twice　he　makes　excursions；　of　a　day　of　two　days；　to　the　Lausitz；　to　Leipzig　（through　Freyberg；　where　he　has　a　post　of　importance）；very　gracious　to　the　University　people：　〃Students　be　troubled　with　soldiering？　Far　from　it　ye　learned　Gentlemen；　servants　of　the　Muses！　Recruitment；　a　lamentable　necessity；　is　to　go　on　under　your　own　Official　people；　and　wholly　by　the　old　methods。〃　＇　Helden…Geschichte；　　iv。　303…313；　UNIVERSITATSANSCHLAG　ZU　LEIPZIG；　WEGEN　DER　WERBUNG　（〃University…Placard　about　Enlisting：〃　in　　Gesammelte　Nachrichten；　　i。　811）。＇

Once；　and　once　only；　he　made　a　run　to　Berlin；　January　4th…18th；　1757：　the　last　for　six　years　and　more。　Came　with　great　despatch；　Brother　Henri　with　him；　whole　journey　in　one　day；　got；　〃to　his　Mother's　about　11　at　night。〃　＇Ib。　iv。　308。＇　A　joyful　meeting；　for　the　kindred：　cheerful　light…gleam　in　the　dark　time；　so　suddenly　eclipsed　to　them　and　others　by　those　hurricanes　that　have　risen。　His　Majesty　seems　to　be　in　perfect　health；　and　wears　no　look　of　gloom。　At　Berlin　is　no　Carnival　this　year；　all　are　grave；　sunk　in　sad　contemplations　of　the　future。　Of　his　businesses　in　this　interval；　which　were　many；　I　will　say　nothing；　only　of　one　little　Act　he　did；　the　day　before　his　departure：　the　writing　of　this　SECRET　LETTER　OF　INSTRUCTIONS　to　Graf　Finck　von　Finkenstein；　his　chief　Home　Minister；　one　of　his　old　boy…comrades；　as　readers　may　recollect。　The　Letter　was　read　by　Count　Finck　with　profound　attention；　11th　January；　1757；　and　conned　over　till　he　knew　every　point　of　it；　after　which　he　sealed　it　up；　inscribing　on　the　Cover：　〃HOCHSTEIGENHANDIGE　UND　GANX　GEHEIME〃that　is；　〃Highest…　Autographic　and　altogether　Secret　Instructions；　by　the　King；　which；　with　the　Appendixes；　were　delivered　to　me；　Graf　von　Finkenstein；　the　12th　of　January；　1757。〃　In　this　docketing　it　lay；　sealed　for　many　years　（none　knows　how　many）；　then　unsealed；　still　in　strict　keeping；　in　the　Private　Royal　Archives〃　＇Preuss；　i。　449。＇till　on　Friedrich's　Birthday；　24th　January；　1854；　it　was；　with　some　solemnity；　lithographed　at　Berlin；　and　distributed　to　a　select　public；as　readers　shall　see。


〃SECRET　INSTRUCTION　FOR　THE　GRAF　VON　FINCK。

〃BERLIN；　10th　January；　1757。　

〃In　the　critical　situation　our　affairs　are　in；　I　ought　to　give　you　my　orders；　so　that　in　all　the　disastrous　cases　which　are　in　the　possibility　of　events；　you　be　authorized　for　taking　the　necessary　steps。

〃1。　If　it　chanced　（which　Heaven　forbid）　that　one　of　my　Armies　in　Saxony　were　totally　beaten；　or　that　the　French　should　drive　the　Hanoverians　from　their　Country　＇which　they　failed　not　to　do＇；　and　establish　themselves　there；　and　threaten　us　with　an　invasion　into　the　Altmark；　or　that　the　Russians　should　get　through　by　the　Neumark；you　are　to　save　the　Royal　Family；　the　principal　DICASTERIA　＇Land…Schedules；　Lists　of　Tax…dues＇；　the　Ministries　and　the　Directorium　＇which　is　the　central　Ministry　of　all＇。　If　it　is　in　Saxony　on　the　Leipzig　side　that　we　are　beaten；　the　fittest　place　for　the　removal　of　the　Royal　Family；　and　of　the　Treasure；　is　to　Custrin：　in　such　case　the　Royal　Family　and　all　above　named　must　go；　escorted　by　the　whole　Garrison〃　of　Berlin；　〃to　Custrin。　If　the　Russians　entered　by　the　Neumark；　or　if　a　misfortune　befell　us　in　the　Lausitz；　it　would　be　to　Magdeburg　that　all　would　have　to　go：　in　fine；　the　last　refuge　is　Stettin；but　you　must　not　go　till　the　last　extremity。　The　Garrison；　the　Royal　Family　and　the　Treasure　are　inseparable；　and　go　always　together：　to　this　must　be　added　the　Crown　Diamonds；　the　Silver　Plate　in　the　Grand　Apartments；which；　in　such　case；　as　well　as　the　Gold　Plate；　must　be　at　once　coined　into　money。

〃If　it　happened　that　I　were　killed；　the　Public　Affairs　must　go　on　without　the　smallest　alteration；　or　its　being　noticeable　that　they　are　in　other　hands：　and；　in　this　case；　you　must　hasten　forward　the　Oaths　and　Homagings；　as　well　here　as　in　Preussen；　and；　above　all；　in　Silesia。　If　I　should　have　the　fatality　to　be　taken　prisoner　by　the　Enemy；　I　prohibit　all　of　you　from　paying　the　least　regard　to　my　person；　or　taking　the　least　heed　of　what　I　might　write　from　my　place　of　detention。　Should　such　misfortune　happen　me；　I　wish　to　sacrifice　myself　for　the　State；　and　you　must　obey　my　Brother；who；　as　well　as　all　my　Ministers　and　Generals；　shall　answer　to　me　with　their　heads；　Not　to　offer　any　Province　or　any　Ransom　for　me；　but　to　continue　the　War；　pushing　their　advantages；　as　if　I　never　had　existed　in　the　world。

〃I　hope；　and　have　ground　to　believe；　that　you；　Count　Finck；　will　not　need　to　make　use　of　this　Instruction：　but　in　case　of　misfortune；　I　authorize　you　to　employ　it；　and；　as　mark　that　it　is；　after　a　mature　and　sound　deliberation；　my　firm　and　constant　will；　I　sign　it　with　my　Hand　and　confirm　it　with　my　Seal。〃

Or；　in　Friedrich's　own　spelling　&c。；　so　far　as　our　possibilities　permit：

〃INSTRUCTION　SECRETE　POUR　LE　CONTE　DE　FINE。

〃BERLIN；　ce　10　de　Janv。　1757。　

〃Dans　La　Situation　Critique　ou　se　trouvent　nos　affaires　je　dois　Vous　donner　mes　Ordres　pour　que　dans　tout　Les　Cas　Malheureux　qui　sont　dans　la　possibilite　des　Evenemens　vous　Soyez　autorisse　aux　partis　quil　faut　prendre。　1）＇Yes；　but　there　follows　no　〃2）〃　anywhere；　such　the　haste！＇　Sil　arivoit　（de　quoi　le　Ciel　preserve）　qu'une　de　mes　Armees　en　Saxse　fut　totallement　battue；　oubien　que　Les　francais　chassassent　Les　Hanovryeins　de　Leur　pais　et　si　etablissent　et　nous　menassassent　d'un　Invassion　dans　la　Vieille　Marche；　ou　que　les　Russes　penetrassent　par　La　Nouvelle　Marche；　il　faut　Sauver　la　famille　Royale；　les　principeaux　Dicasteres　les　Ministres　et　le　Directoire。　Si　nous　somes　battus　en　Saxse　du　Cote　de　leipssic　Le　Lieu　Le　plus　propre　po