history of friedrich ii of prussia v 19-第40部分

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　And　our　poor　Perpetual　President；　at　rest　now　from　all　his　Akakia　burns；　and　pains　and　labors　in　flattening　the　Earth　and　otherwise；　is　gone。

Many　beautifuler　men　have　gone　within　the　Year；　of　whom　we　can　say　nothing。　But　this　is　one　whose　grandly　silent；　and　then　occasionally　fulminant　procedures；　Akakia　controversies；　Olympian　solemnities　and　flamy　pirouettings　under　the　contradiction　of　sinners；　we　once　saw；　and　think　with　a　kind　of　human　pathos　that　we　shall　see　no　more。　From　his　goose　of　an　adorer；　La　Beaumelle；　I　have　riddled　out　the　following　particulars；　chiefly　chronological；　and　offer　them　to　susceptible　readers。　La　Beaumelle　is；　in　a　sort；　to　be　considered　the　speaker；　or　La　Beaumelle　and　this　Editor　in　concert。

FINAL　PILGRIMAGE　OF　THE　PERPETUAL　PRESIDENT。　〃Maupertuis　had　quitted　Berlin　soon　after　Voltaire。　That　threat　of　visiting　Voltaire　with　pistols；to　be　met　by　'my　syringe　and　vessel　of　dishonor'　on　Voltaire's　part；was　his　last　memorability　in　Berlin。　His　last　at　that　time；　or　indeed　altogether；　for　he　saw　little　of　Berlin　farther。

〃End　of　April；　1753；　he　got　leave　of　absence；　set　out　homewards；　for　recovery　of　health。　Was　at　Paris　through　summer　and　autumn：　very　taciturn　in　society；　'preferred　pretty　women　to　any　man　of　science；'　would　sententiously　say　a　strong　thing　now　and　then；　'bitter　but　not　without　BONHOMIE；'　shaking　slightly　his　yellow　wig。　Disdainful；　to　how　high　a　degree；　of　AKAKIA　brabbles；　and　Voltaire　gossip　for　or　against！　In　winter　went　to　St。　Malo；　found　his　good　Father　gone；　but　a　loving　Sister　still　there。

〃June；　1754；　the　King　wrote　to　him；　'VENEZ　VITE；　Come　quickly：'　July；　1754；　he　came　accordingly；　＇　OEuvres　de　Frederic；　　xx。　49。＇　saw　Berlin　again；　did　nothing　noticeable　there；　except　get　worse　in　health；　and　after　eleven　months；　June；　1756；　withdrew　again　on　leave；never　to　return　this　time；　though　he　well　intended　otherwise。　But　at　St。　Malo；　when；　after　a　month　or　two　of　Paris；　he　got　thither　（Autumn；　1756）；　and　still　more；　next　summer；　1757；　when　he　thought　of　leaving　St。　Malo；what　wars；　and　rumors　of　war；　all　over　the　world！

〃June；　1757；　he　went　to　Bordeaux；　intending　to　take　ship　for　Hamburg；　and　return；　but　the　sea　was　full　of　English　cruisers　＇Pitt's　Descents　lying　in　store　for　St。　Malo　itself＇。　No　getting　to　Berlin　by　the　Hamburg　or　sea　route！　'Never　mind；　then；'　wrote　the　King：　'Improve　your　health；　go　to　Italy；　if　you　can。'

〃Summer；　1757；　Maupertuis　made　for　Italy；　got　as　far　as　Toulouse；　stayed　there　till　May　following；　sad；　tragically　stoical；　saying；　sparingly；　and　rather　to　women　than　men；　strong　things；　admired　by　the　worthier　sort。　Renounced　thoughts　of　Italy：　'Europe　bleeding；　and　especially　France　and　Prussia；　how　go　idly　touring？'

〃May；　1758；　Maupertuis　left　Toulouse：　turned　towards　Berlin；　slow；　sad；　circuitous；never　to　arrive。　Saw　Narbonne；　Montpellier；　Nimes；　with　what　meditations！　At　Lyons；　under　honors　sky…high；　health　getting　worse；　stays　two　months；　vomits　clots　of　blood　there。　Thence；　July　24th；　to　Neufchatel　and　the　Lord　Marischal；　happy　there　for　three　months。　Hears　there　of　Professor　Konig's　death　（AKAKIA　Konig）：　'One　scoundrel　less　in　the　world；'　ejaculated　he；　'but　what　is　one！'October　16th；　to　the　road　again；　to　Basel；　stays　perforce；　in　Bernouilli's　house　there；　all　Winter；　health　falling　lower　and　lower。

〃April；　1759；　one　day　he　has　his　carriage　at　the　door　（'Homeward；　at　all　rates！'）：　but　takes　violent　spasms　in　the　carriage；　can't；　can　no　farther　in　this　world。　Lingers　here；　under　kind　care；　for　above　three　months　more：　dying　slowly；　most　painfully。　With　much　real　stoicism；　not　without　a　stiff…jointed　algebraic　kind　of　piety；　almost　pathetic　in　its　sort。　'Two　Capuchins　from　a　neighboring　Convent　daily　gave　him　consolations；'　not　entirely　satisfactory；　for　daily　withal；　'unknown　to　the　Capuchins；　he　made　his　Valet；　who　was　a　Protestant；　read　to　him　from　the　Geneva　Bible；'and　finds　many　things　hard　to　the　human　mind。　July　27th；　1759；　he　died。〃　＇La　Beaumelle；　　Vie　de　Maupertuis；　　pp。　196…216。＇　　

Poor　Maupertuis；　a　man　of　rugged　stalwart　type；　honest；　of　an　ardor；　an　intelligence；　not　to　be　forgotten　for　La　Beaumelle's　pulings　over　them。　A　man　of　good　and　even　of　high　talent；　unlucky　in　mistaking　it　for　the　highest！　His　poor　Wife；　a　born　Borck；hastening　from　Berlin；　but　again　and　again　delayed　by　industry　of　kind　friends；　and　at　last　driving　on　in　spite　of　everything；met；　in　the　last　miles；　his　Hearse　and　Funeral　Company。　Adieu；　a　pitying　adieu　to　him　forever；and　even　to　his　adoring　La　Beaumelle；　who　is　rather　less　a　blockhead　than　he　generally　seems。

This　of　the　Two　Capuchins；　the　last　consummation　of　collapse　in　man；　is　what　Voltaire　cannot　forget；　but　crows　over　with　his　shrillest　mockery；　and　seldom　mentions　Maupertuis　without　that　last　touch　to　his　life…drama。


GRAND　FRENCH　INVASION…SCHEME　COMES　ENTIRELY　TO　WRECK　（Quiberon　Bay；　20th　November；　1759）：　OF　CONTROLLER…GENERAL　SILHOUETTE；　AND　THE　OUTLOOKS　OF　FRANCE；　FINANCIAL　AND　OTHER。

On　the　very　day　of　Maxen；　Tuesday；　November　20th；　the　grand　French　Invasion　found　its　terminus；not　on　the　shores　of　Britain；　but　of　Brittany；　to　its　surprise。　We　saw　Rodney　burn　the　Flat…bottom　manufactory　at　Havre；　Boscawen　chase　the　Toulon　Squadron；　till　it　ended　on　the　rocks　of　Lagos。　From　January　onwards；　as　was　then　mentioned；　Hawke　had　been　keeping　watch；　off　Brest　Harbor；　on　Admiral　Conflans；　who　presides　there　over　multifarious　preparations；　with　the　last　Fleet　France　now　has。　At　Vannes；　where　Hawke　likewise　has　ships　watching；　are　multifarious　preparations；　new　Flat…bottoms；　18；000　troops；could　Conflans　and　they　only　get　to　sea。　At　the　long　last；　they　did　get；in　manner　following：

〃November　9th；　a　wild　gale　of　wind　had　blown　Hawke　out　of　sight；　away　home　to　Torbay；　for　the　moment。　'Now　is　the　time！'　thought　Conflans；　and　put　to　sea　（November　14th）；　met　by　Hawke；　who　had　weighed　from　Torbay　to　his　duty；　and　who；　of　course；　crowded　every　sail；　after　hearing　that　Conflans　was　out。　At　break　of　day；　November　20th　＇in　the　very　hours　when　poor　Finck　was　embattling　himself　round　Maxen；　and　Daun　sprawling　up　upon　him　through　the　Passes＇；　Hawke　had　had　signal；　'A　Fleet　in　sight；'　and　soon　after；　'Conflans　in　sight；'and　the　day　of　trial　come。

〃Conflans　is　about　the　strength　of　Hawke；　and　France　expects　much　of　him；　but　he　is　not　expecting　Hawke。　Conflans　is　busy；　at　this　moment；　in　the　mouth　of　Quiberon　Bay；　opening　the　road　for　Vannes　and　the　18；000；in　hot　chase；　at　the　moment；　of　a　Commodore　Duff　and　his　small　Squadron；　who　have　been　keeping　watch　there；　and　are　now　running　all　they　can。　On　a　sudden；　to　the　astonishment　of　Conflans；　this　little　Squadron　whirls　round；　every　ship　of　it　（with　a　sky…rending　cheer；　could　he　hear　it）；　and　commences　chasing！　Conflans；　taking　survey；　sees　that　it　is　Hawke；　he；　sure　enough；　coming　down　from　windward　yonder　at　his　highest　speed；　and　that　chasing　will　not　now　be　one's　business！

〃About　11　A。M。　Hawke　is　here；　eight　of　his　vanward　ships　are　sweeping　on　for　action。　Conflans；　at　first；　had　determined　to　fight　Hawke；　and　drew　up　accordingly；　and　did　try　a　little：　but　gradually　thought　better　of　it；　and　decided　to　take　shelter　in　the　shoaly　coasts　and　nooks　thereabouts；　which　were　unknown　to　Hawke；　and　might　ruin　him　if　he　should　pursue；　the　day　being　short；　and　the　weather　extremely　bad。　Weather　itself　almost　to　be　called　a　storm。　'Shoreward；　then；　eastward；　every　ship！'　became；　ultimately；　Conflans's　plan。　On　the　whole；　it　was　2　in　the　afternoon　hefore　Hawke；　with　those　vanward　Eight；　could　get　clutch　of　Conflans。　And　truly　he　did　then　strike　his　claws　into　him　in　a　thunderously　fervid　manner；　he　and　all　hands；　in　spite　of　the　roaring　weather：　　a　man　of　falcon；　or　accipitral；　nature　as　well　as　name。

〃Conflans　himself　fought　well；　as　did　certain　of　the　others；all；　more　or　less；　so　long　as　their　plan　continued　steady：thunderous　miscellany　of　cannon　and　tempest；　Conflans　with　his　plan　steady；　or　Conflans　with　his　plan　wavering；　VERSUS　those　vanward　Eight；　for　two　hours　or　more。　But　the　scene　was　too　dreadful；　this　ship　sinking；　that　obliged　to　strike；　things　all　going　awry　for　Conflans。　Hawke；　in　his　own　Flagship；　bore　down　specially　on　Conflans　in　his；who　did　wait；　and　exchange　a　couple　of　broadsides；　but　then　sheered　off；　finding　it　so　heavy。　French　Vice…　Admiral　next　likewise　gave　Hawke　a　broadside；　one　only；　and　sheered　off；　satisfied　with　the　return。　Some　Four　others；　in　succession；　did　the　like；　'One　blast；　as　we　hurry　by'　（making　for　the　shore；　mostly）！　So　that　Hawke　seemed　swallowed　in　volcanoes　（though；　indeed；　their　firing　was　very　bad；　such　a　flurry　among　them）；　and　his　Blue　Flag　was　invisible　for　some　time；　and　various　ships　were　hastening　to　help　him；till　a　Fifth　French　ship　coming　up　with　her　broadside；　Hawke　answered　her　in　particular　（LA　SUPERBE；　a　Seventy…　four）　with　all　his　guns　together；　which　sent　the　poor　ship　to　the　bottom；　in　a　hideously　sudden　manner。　One　other　（the　THESEE）　had　already　sunk　in　fighting；　two　（the　SOLEIL　and　the　HEROS）　were　already　running　for　it；the　HEROS　in　a　very　unheroic　manner！　But　on　this　terrible　plunge…home　of　the　SUPERBE；　the　rest　all　made　for　the　shore；and　escaped　into　the　rocky　intricacies　and　the　darkness。　Four　of　Conflans's　ships　were　already　gone；struck；　sunk；　or　otherwise　extinct；when　darkness　fell；　and　veiled　Conflans　and　his　distresses。　'Country　people；　to　the　number　of　10；000；'　crowded　on　the　shore；　had　been　seen　watching　the　Battle；　and；　'as　sad　witnesses　of　the　White　Flag's　disgrace；'　disappeared　into　the　interior。〃　＇Beatson；　ii。　327…345：　and　Ib。　iii。　244…250。　In　　Gentleman's　Magazine；　　（xxix。　557）；　〃A　Chaplain's　Letter；〃　&c。＇

It　was　such　a　night　as　men　never　witnessed　before。　Walpole　says：　〃The　roaring　of　the　elements　was　redoubled　by　the　thunder　from　our　ships；　and　both　concurred　in　that　scene　of　horror　to　put　a　period　to　the　Navy　and　hopes　of　France。　Seven　ships　of　the　line　got　into　the　River　Vilaine　＇lay　there　fourteen　months；　under　strict　watching；　till　their　backs　were　broken；　〃thumping　against　the　shallow　bottom　every　tide；〃　and　only　〃three；　with　three　frigates；〃　ever　got　out　again＇；　eight　more　escaped　to　different　ports；〃　into　PAGE　371