history of friedrich ii of prussia v 17-第3章

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y；　and　the　world　gives　opportunity；　to　pick　a　quarrel　with　Friedrich；　and　overwhelm　and　partition　him；　according　to　covenant：　This；　wandering　through　endless　mazes　of　detail；　is　in　sum　what　the　Menzel　Documents　disclose　to　Friedrich　and　us。　How；　in　a　space　of　ten　years；　the　small　seed…grain　of　a　Treaty　of　Warsaw；　or　Treaty　of　Petersburg；　planted　and　nourished　in　that　manner；　in　the　Satan's　Invisible　World；　has　grown　into　a　mighty　Tree　there；prophetic　of　Facts　near　at　hand；　which　were　extremely　sanguinary　to　the　Human　Race　for　the　next　Seven　Years。

This　is　the　sum…total：　but　for　Friedrich's　sake；　and　to　illustrate　the　situation；　let　us　take　a　few　glances　more；　into　the　then　Satan's　Invisible　World；　which　had　become　so　ominously　busy　round　Friedrich　and　others。　The　Czarina；　we　say；　was　got　to　engage；　22d　May；　1746；　there　came　a　Treaty　of　Petersburg　duly　valid；　which　is　that　of　Warsaw　under　a　new　name：　and　still　Bruhl　durst　not；　for　above　a　year　coming；not　till　August　15th；　1747；　＇MEMOIRE　RAISONNE　（in　　Gesammelte　Nachrichten　）；　i。　459。＇　and　then；　only　in　a　hypothetic　half…and…half　way；　with　fear　and　trembling；　though　with　hunger　unspeakable；　in　sight　of　the　viands。　　A　very　wretched　Bruhl；　as　seen　in　these　Menzel　Documents。　On　poor　Polish　Majesty　Bruhl　has　played　the　sorcerer；　this　long　while；　and　ridden　him　as　he　would　an　enchanted　quadruped；　in　a　shameful　manner：　but　how；　in　turn　（as　we　study　Menzel）；　is　Bruhl　himself　hagridden；　hunted　by　his　own　devils；　and　leads　such　a　ghastly　phantasmal　existence　yonder；　in　the　Valley　of　the　Shadow　of　CLOTHES；mere　Clothes；　metaphorical　and　literal！　＇〃MONTREZ…MOI　DES　VERTUS；　PAS　DES　CULOTTES　（Have　you　no　virtues　then　to　show　me；　nothing　but　pain　of　breeches）！〃　exclaimed　an　impatient　French　Traveller；　led　about　in　Bruhl's　Palace　one　day：　Archenholtz；　　Geschichte　des　Siebenjahrigen　Krieges；　　i。　63。＇　Wretched　Bruhl；　agitated　with　hatreds　of　a　rather　infernal　nature；　and　with　terrors　of　a　not　celestial；　comes　out　on　our　sympathies；　as　a　dog　almost　pitiable；were　that　possible；　with　twelve　tailors　sewing　for　him；　and　a　Saxony　getting　shoved　over　the　precipices　by　him。

A　famishing　dog　in　the　most　singular　situation。　What　he　dare　do；　he　does；　and　with　such　a　will。　But　there　is　almost　only　one　thing　safe　to　him：　that　of　egging　on　the　Czarina　against　Friedrich；　of　coining　lies　to　kindle　Czarish　Majesty；　of　wafting　on　every　wind　rumors　to　that　end；　and　continually　besieging　with　them　the　empty　Czarish　mind。　Bruhl　has　many　Conduits；　〃the　Sieur　de　Funck；〃　〃the　Sieur　Gross〃　plenty　of　Legationary　Sieurs　and　Conduits；which　issue　from　all　quarters　on　Petersburg；　and　which　find　there　a　Reservoir；　and　due　Russian　SERVICE…PIPES；　prepared　for　them；and　Bruhl　is　busy。　〃Commerce　of　Dantzig　to　be　ruined；〃　suggests　he；　〃that　is　plain：　look　at　his　Asiatic　Companies；　his　Port　of　Embden。　Poland　is　to　be　stirred　up；has　not　your　Czarish　Majesty　heard　of　his　intrigues　there？　Courland；　which　is　almost　become　your　Majesty'scunningly　snatched　by　your　Majesty's　address；　like　a　valuable　moribund　whale　adrift　among　the　shallows；this　bad　man　will　have　it　out　to　sea　again；　with　the　harpoons　in　it；　fairly　afloat　amid　the　Polish　Anarchies　again！〃　These　are　but　specimens　of　Bruhl。　Or　we　can　give　such　in　Bruhl's　own　words；　if　the　reader　had　rather。　Here　are　Two；　which　have　the　advantage　of　brevity：

1。　。。。　The　Sieur　de　Funck；　Saxon　Minister　at　Petersburg；　wrote　to　Count　Bruhl；　9th　July；　1755　（says　an　inexorable　Record）；　　　〃That　the　Sieur　Gross　＇now　Minister　of　Russia　at　Dresden；　who　vanished　out　of　Berlin　like　an　angry　sky…rocket　some　years　ago＇　would　do　a　good　service　to　the　Common　Cause；　if　he　wrote　to　his　Court；　'That　the　King　of　Prussia　had　found　a　channel　in　Courland；　by　which　he　learned　all　the　secrets　of　the　Russian　Court；'〃　and　Sieur　Funck　added；　〃that　it　was　expected　good　use　could　be　made　of　such　a　story　with　her　Czarish　Majesty。〃To　which　Count　Bruhl　replies；　23d　July；　〃That　he　has　instructed　the　Sieur　Gross；　who　will　not　fail　to　act　in　consequence。〃

2。　Sieur　Prasse；　same　Funck's　Secretary　of　Legation；　at　Petersburg；　writes　to　Count　Bruhl；　12th　April；　1756：　　　〃I　am　bidden　signify　to　your　Excellency　that　it　is　greatly　wished；　in　order　to　favor　certain　views；　you　would　have　the　goodness　to　cause　arrive　in　Petersburg；　by　different　channels；　the　following　intelligence：　'That　the　King　of　Prussia；　on　pretext　of　Commerce；　is　sending　officers　and　engineers　into　the　Ukraine；　to　reconnoitre　the　Country　and　excite　a　rebellion　there。'　And　this　advice；　be　pleased　to　observe；　is　not　to　come　direct　from　the　Saxon　Court；　nor　by　the　Envoy　Gross；　but　by　some　third　party；to　the　end　there　may　be　no　concert　noticed；as　they　＇L'ON；　the　〃service…　pipes；〃　and　managing　Excellencies；　Russian　and　Austrian＇　have　given　the　same　commission　to　other　Ministers；　so　that　the　news　shall　come　from　more　places　than　one。

〃They　＇the　said　managing　Excellencies＇　have　also　required　me　to　write　to　the　Baron　de　Sack；〃　our　Saxon　Minister　in　Sweden；　〃upon　it；　which　I　will　not　fail　to　do；　and　they　assured　me　that　our　Court's　advantage　was　not　less　concerned　in　it　than　that　of　their　own；　adding　these　words　＇comfortable　to　one's　soul＇；　'The　King　of　Prussia　＇in　1745＇　gave　Saxony　a　blow　which　it　will　feel　for　fifty　years；　but　we　will　give　him　one　which　he　will　feel　for　a　hundred。'〃

To　which　beautiful　suggestion　Excellency　Bruhl　answers；　2d　June；　1756：　〃As　to　the　Secret　Commission　of　conveying　to　Petersburg；　by　concealed　channels；　Intelligence　of　Prussian　machinations　in　the　Ukraine；　we　are　still　busy　finding　out　a　right　channel；　and　they　＇L'ON；　the　managing　Excellencies＇　shall　very　soon；　one　way　or　the　other；　see　the　effect　of　my　personal　inclination　to　second　what　is　so　good　an　intention；　though　a　little　artful　（UN　PEU　ARTIFICIEUSE；〃　UN　PEU；　nothing　to　speak　of）！　＇MEMOIRE　RAISONNE　（in　　Gesammelte　Nachrichten　）；　i。　424…425；　and　ib。　472。＇

Fancy　a　poor　fat　Czarina；　of　many　appetites；　of　little　judgment；　continually　beaten　upon　in　this　manner　by　these　Saxon…Austrian　artists　and　their　Russian　service…pipes。　Bombarded　with　cunningly　devised　fabrications；　every　wind　freighted　for　her　with　phantasmal　rumors；　no　ray　of　direct　daylight　visiting　the　poor　Sovereign　Woman；　who　is　lazy；　not　malignant　if　she　could　avoid　it：　mainly　a　mass　of　esurient　oil；　with　alkali　on　the　back　of　alkali　poured　in；　at　this　rate；　for　ten　years　past；　till；　by　pouring　and　by　stirring；　they　get　her　to　the　state　of　SOAP　and　froth！　Is　it　so　wonderful　that　she　does；　by　degrees；　rise　into　eminent　suspicion；　anger；　fear；　violence　and　vehemence　against　her　bad　neighbor？　One　at　last　begins　to　conceive　those　insane　whirls；　continual　mad　suspicions；　mad　procedures；　which　have　given　Friedrich　such　vexation；　surprise　and　provocation　in　the　years　past。

Friedrich　is　always　specially　eager　to　avoid　ill…will　from　Russia；　but　it　has　come；　in　spite　of　all　he　could　do　and　try。　And　these　procedures　of　the　Czarish　Majesty　have　been　so　capricious；　unintelligible；　perverse；　and　his　feeling　is　often　enough　irritation；　temporary　indignation；which　we　know　makes　Verses　withal！　I　can　nowhere　learn　from　those　Prussian　imbroglios　of　Books；　what　the　Friedrich　Sayings　or　Satirical　Verses　properly　were：　Retzow　speaks　of　a　PRODUKT；　one　at　least；　known　in　interior　Circles。　＇Retzow；　i。　34。＇　PRODUKT　which　decidedly　requires　publication；　beyond　anything　Friedrich　ever　wrote；though　one　can　do　without　it　too；　and　invoke　Fancy　in　defect　of　Print。　The　sharpness　of　Friedrich's　tongue　we　know；　and　the　diligence　of　birds　of　the　air。　To　all　her　other　griefs　against　the　bad　man；　this　has　given　the　finish　in　the　tender　Czarish　bosom；and　like　an　envenomed　drop　has　set　the　saponaceous　oils　（already　dosed　with　alkali；　and　well　in　solution）　foaming　deliriously　over　the　brim；　in　never…imagined　deluges　of　a　hatred　that　is　unappeasable；very　costly　to　Friedrich　and　mankind。　Rising　ever　higher；　year　by　year；　and　now　risen；　to　what　height　judge　by　the　following：

AT　PETERSBURG；　14th…15th　MAY；　1753；　〃There　was　Meeting　of　the　Russian　Senate；　with　deliberation　held　for　these　two　days；　and　for　issue　this　conclusion　come　to：

〃That　it　should　be；　and　hereby　is；　settled　as　a　fundamental　maxim　of　t