history of friedrich ii of prussia v 19-第30部分

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；　were　and　are　inexorably　severe　on　Daun。　Certain　it　is；　no　rashness　could　have　better　spilt　Daun's　game　than　did　this　extreme　caution。


DAUN；　SOLTIKOF　AND　COMPANY　AGAIN　HAVE　A　COLLOQUY　（Bautzen；　September　15th）；　AFTER　WHICH　EVERYBODY　STARTS　ON　HIS　SPECIAL　COURSE　OF　ACTION。

Soltikof's　disgust　at　this　new　movement　of　Daun's　was　great　and　indignant。　〃Instead　of　going　at　the　King；　and　getting　some　victory　for　himself；　he　has　gone　to　Bautzen；　and　sat　down　on　his　meal…bags！　Meal？　Is　it　to　be　a　mere　fighting　for　meal？　I　will　march　to…morrow　for　Poland；　for　Preussen；　and　find　plenty　of　meal！〃　And　would　have　gone；　they　say；　had　not　Mercury；　in　the　shape　of　Montalembert　with　his　most　zealous　rhetoric；　intervened；　and　prevailed　with　difficulty。　〃One　hour　of　personal　interview　with　Excellency　Daun；〃　urges　Montalembert；　〃one　more！〃　〃No；〃　answers　Soltikof。〃Alas；　then；　send　your　messenger！〃　To　which　last　expedient　Soltikof　does　assent；　and　despatches　Romanzof　on　the　errand。

SEPTEMBER　15th；　at　Bautzen；　at　an　early　hour；　there　is　meeting　accordingly；　not　Romanzof；　Soltikof's　messenger；　alone；　but　Zweibruck　in　person；　Daun　in　person；　and　most　earnest　council　is　held。　〃A　noble　Russian　gentleman　sees　how　my　hands　are　bound；〃　pleads　Daun。　〃Will　not　Excellency　Soltikof；　who　disdains　idleness；　go　himself　upon　Silesia；　upon　Glogau　for　instance；　and　grant　me　a　few　days？〃　〃No；〃　answers　Romanzof；　〃Excellency　Soltikof　by　himself　will　not。　Let　Austria　furnish　Siege…Artillery；　daily　meal　I　need　not　speak　of；　10；000　fresh　Auxiliaries　beyond　those　we　have：　on　these　terms　Excellency　Soltikof　will　perhaps　try　it；　on　lower　terms；　positively　not。〃　〃Well　then；　yes！〃　answers　Daun；　not　without　qualms　of　mind。　Daun　has　a　horror　at　weakening　himself　to　that　extent；　but　what　can　he　do？　〃General　Campitelli；　with　the　10；000；　let　him　march　this　night；　then；　join　with　General　Loudon　where　you　please　to　order：　Excellency　Soltikof　shall　see　that　in　every　point　I　conform。〃　＇Tempelhof；　iii。　247…249。＇An　important　meeting　to　us；　this　at　Bautzen；　and　breaks　up　the　dead…lock　into　three　or　more　divergent　courses　of　activity；　which　it　will　now　behoove　us　to　follow；　with　the　best　brevity　attainable。　〃Bautzen；　Saturday；　15th　September；　early　in　the　morning；〃　that　is　the　date　of　the　important　Colloquy。　And　precisely　eight…and…forty　hours　before；　〃on　Thursday；　13th；　about　10　A。M。〃；　in　the　western　Environs　of　Quebec；　there　has　fallen　out　an　Event；　quite　otherwise　important　in　the　History　of　Mankind！　Of　which　readers　shall　have　some　notice　at　a　time　more　convenient。

Romanzof　returning　with　such　answer；　Soltikof　straightway　gathers　himself；　September　15th…16th；　and　gets　on　march。　To　Friedrich's　joy；　who　hopes　it　may　be　homeward；　waits　two　days　at　Waldau；　for　the　Yes　or　No。　On　the　second　day；　alas；　it　is　No：　〃Going　for　Silesia；　I　perceive；　thither；　by　a　wide　sweep　northward；　which　they　think　will　be　safer！〃　Upon　which　Friedrich　also　rises；　follows；　with　another　kind　of　speed　than　Soltikof's；　and；　by　one　of　his　swift　clutchings；　lays　hold　of　Sagan；　which　he；　if　Soltikof　has　not；　sees　to　be　a　key…point　in　this　operation。　Easy　for　Soltikof　to　have　seized　this　key…point；　key　of　the　real　road　to　Glogau；　easy　for　Loudon　and　the　new　10；000　to　have　rendezvoused　there：　but　nobody　has　thought　of　doing　it。　A　few　Croats　were　in　the　place；　who　could　make　no　debate。

From　Sagan　Friedrich　and　Henri　are　at　length　in　free　communication；　Sagan　to　the　Landskron　at　Gorlitz　is　some　fifty　miles　of　country；　now　fallen　vacant。　From　Henri；　from　Fouquet　（the　dangers　of　Landshut　being　over）；　Friedrich　is　getting　what　reinforcement　they　can　spare　（September　20th…24th）；　will　then　push　forward　again；　industriously　sticking　to　the　flanks　of　Soltikof；　thrusting　out　stumbling…blocks；　making　his　march　very　uncomfortable。

Strange　to　say；　from　Sagan；　while　waiting　two　days　for　these　reinforcements；　there　starts　suddenly　to　view；　suddenly　for　Friedrich　and　us；　an　incipient　Negotiation　about　Peace！　Actual　Proposal　that　way　（or　as　good　as　actual；　so　Voltaire　thinks　it）；　on　the　part　of　Choiseul　and　France；　but　as　yet　in　Voltaire's　name　only；　by　a　sure　though　a　backstairs　channel；　of　his　discovering。　Of　which；　and　of　the　much　farther　corresponding　that　did　actually　follow　on　it；　we　purpose　to　say　something　elsewhere；　at　a　better　time。　Meanwhile　Voltaire's　announcement　of　it　to　the　King　has　just　come　in；　through　a　fair　and　high　Hand：　how　Friedrich　receives　it；　what　Friedrich's　inner　feeling　is；　and　has　been　for　a　fortnight　pastHere　are　some　private　utterances　of　his；　throwing　a　straggle　of　light　on　those　points：


FOUR　LETTERS　OF　FRIEDRICH'S　（10th…24th　September）。

No。　1。　TO　PRINCE　FERDINAND　（at　Berlin）。　Poor　little　Ferdinand；　the　King's　Brother；　fallen　into　bad　health；　has　retired　from　the　Wars；　and　gone　to　Berlin；　much　an　object　of　anxiety　to　the　King；　who　diligently　corresponds　with　the　dear　little　man；giving　earnest　medical　advices；　and　getting　Berlin　news　in　return。

〃WALDAU；　10th　September；　1759。

〃Since　my　last　Letter；　Dresden　has　capitulated；the　very　day　while　Wunsch　was　beating　Maguire　at　The　Barns　＇north　side　of　Dresden；　September　5th）　day　AFTER　the　capitulation＇。　Wunsch　went　back　to　Torgau；　which　St。　Andre；　with　14；000　Reichs…people　under　him；　was　for　retaking；　him　too　Wunsch　beat；　took　all　his　tents；　kettles；　haversacks　and　utensils；　300　prisoners；　six　cannon　and　some　standards。　Finck　is　uniting　with　Wunsch；　they　will　march　on　the　Prince　of　Zweibruck；　and　retake　Dresden　＇hopes　always；　for　a　year　and　more；　to　have　Dresden　back　very　soon＇。　I　trust　before　long　to　get　all　these　people　gathered　round　Dresden；　and　our　own　Country　rid　of　them：　that；　I　take　it；　will　be　the　end　of　the　Campaign。

〃Many　compliments　to　the　Prince　of　Wurtemberg　＇wounded　at　Kunersdorf＇；　and　to　all　our　wounded　Generals：　I　hope　Seidlitz　is　now　out　of　danger：　that　bleeding　fit　（EBULLITION　DE　SANG）　will　cure　him　of　the　cramp　in　his　jaw；　and　of　his　colics；　and　as　he　is　in　bed；　he　won't　take　cold。　I　hope　the　viper…broth　will　do　you　infinite　good；　be　assiduous　in　patching　your　constitution；　while　there　is　yet　some　fine　weather　left：　I　dread　the　winter　for　you；　take　a　great　deal　of　care　against　cold。　I　have　still　a　couple　of　cruel　months　ahead　of　me　before　ending　this　Campaign。　Within　that　time；　there　will　be；　God　knows　what　upshot。〃　＇　OEuvres　de　Frederic；　　xxvi。　544。＇This　is　〃September　10th：〃　the　day　of　Captain　Kollas's　arrival　with　his　bad　Dresden　news；　Daun　and　Soltikof　profoundly　quiet　for　three　days　more。

No。　2。　TO　THE　DUCHESS　OF　SACHSEN…GOTHA　（at　Gotha）。　Voltaire　has　enclosed　his　Peace…Proposal　to　that　Serene　Lady；　always　a　friend　of　Friedrich's　and　his；　to　whom　Friedrich；　directly　on　receipt　of　it；　makes　answer：

〃SAGAN；　22d　September；　1759。

〃MADAM；I　receive　on　all　occasions　proofs　of　your　goodness；　to　which　I　am　as　sensible　as　a　chivalrous　man　can　be。　Certainly　it　is　not　through　your　hands；　Madam；　that　my　Correspondence　with　V。　＇with　Voltaire；　if　one　durst　write　it　in　full＇　ought　to　be　made　to　pass！　Nevertheless；　in　present　circumstances；　I　will　presume　to　beg　that　you　would　forward　to　him　the　Answer　here　enclosed；　on　which　I　put　no　Address。　The　difficulty　of　transmitting　Letters　has　made　me　choose　my　Brother；〃　Ferdinand；　at　Berlin；　〃to　have　this　conveyed　to　your　hand。

〃If　I　gave　bridle　to　my　feelings；　now　would　be　the　moment　for　developing　them；　but　in　these　critical　times　I　judge　it　better　not；　and　will　restrict　myself　to　simple　assurances　of〃　F。

No。　3。　TO　VOLTAIRE；　at　the　Delices　（so　her　Serene　Highness　will　address　it）。　Here　is　part　of　the　Enclosure　to　〃V。〃　Friedrich　is　all　for　Peace；　but　keeps　on　his　guard　with　such　an　Ambassador；　and　writes　in　a　proud；　light；　only　half…believing　style：

〃SAGAN；　22d　September；　1759。

〃The　Duchess　of　Sachsen…Gotha　sends　me　your　Letter。　I　never　received　your　packet　of　the　29th：　communications　all　interrupted　here；　with　much　trouble　I　get　this　passed　on　to　you；　if　it　is　happy　enough　to　pass。

〃My　position　is　not　so　desperate　as　my　enemies　give　out。　I　expect　to　finish　my　Campaign　tolerably；　my　courage　is　not　sunk：it　appears；　however；　there　is　talk　of　Peace。　All　I　can　say　of　positive　on　this　article　is；　That　I　have　honor　for　ten；　and　that；　whatever　misfortune　befall　me；　I　feel　myself　incapable　of　doing　anything　to　wound；　the　least　in　the　world；　this　principle；which　is　so　sensitive　and　delicate　for　one　who　thinks　like　a　gentleman　（PENSE　EN　PREUX　CHEVALIER）；　and　so　little　regarded　by　rascally　politicians；　who　think　like　tradesmen。

〃I　know　nothing　of　what　you　have　been　telling　me　about　＇your　backstairs　channels；　your　Duc　de　Choiseul　and　his　humors＇：　but　for　making　Peace　there　are　two　conditions　which　I　never　will　depart　from：　1。　To　make　it　conjointly　with　my　faithful　Allies　＇Hessen　and　England；　I　have　no　other＇；　2。　To　make　it　honorable　and　glorious。　Observe　you；　I　have　still　honor　remaining；　I　will　preserve　that；　at　the　price　of　my　blood。

〃If　your　people　want　Peace；　let　them　propose　nothing　to　me　which　contradicts　the　delicacy　of　my　sentiments。　I　am　in　the　convulsions　of　military　operations；　I　do　as　the　gamblers　who　are　in　ill…luck；　and　obstinately　set　themselves　against　Fortune。　I　have　forced　her　to　return　to　me；　more　than　once；　like　a　fickle　mistress；　when　she　had　run　away。　My　opponents　are　such　foolish　people；　in　the　end　I　bid　fair　to　catch　some　advantage　over　them：　but；　happen　whatsoever　his　Sacred　Majesty　Chance　may　please；　I　don't　disturb　myself　about　it。　Up　to　this　point；　I　have　a　clear　conscience　in　regard　to　the　misfortunes　that　have　come　to　me。　As　to　you；　the　Battle　of　Minden；　that　of　Cadiz〃　（Boscawen　VERSUS　De　la　Clue；　Toulon　Fleet　running　out；　and　caught　by　the　English；　as　we　saw）；　these　things　perhaps；　〃and　the　loss　of　Canada；　are　arguments　capable　of　restoring　reason　to　the　French；　who　had　got　confused　by　the　Austrian　hellebore。

〃This　is　my　way　of　thinking。　You　do　not　find　me　made　of　rose…water：　but　Henri　Quatre；　Louis　Quatorze；my　present　enemies　even；　whom　I　could　cite　＇Maria　Theresa；　twenty　years　ago；　when　your　Belleisle　set　out　to　cut　her　in　Four＇；were　of　no　softer　temper　either。　Had　I　been　born　a　private　man；　I　would　yield　everything　for　the　love　of　Peace；　but　one　has　to　take　the　tone　of　one's　position。　This　is　all　I　can　tell　you　at　presen