history of friedrich ii of prussia v 19-第41部分

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e；　with　three　frigates；〃　ever　got　out　again＇；　eight　more　escaped　to　different　ports；〃　into　PAGE　371　BOOK　XIX…NO　OPENING　QUOTES　FOR　THESE　CLOSING^


the　River　Charente　ultimately。　〃Conflans's　own　ship　and　another　were　run　on　shore；　and　burnt。　One　we　took。〃　Two；　with　their　crews；　had　gone　to　the　bottom；　one　under　Hawke's　cannon；　one　partly　by　its　own　mismanagement。　〃Two　of　ours　were　lost　in　the　storm　＇chasing　that　SOLEIL　and　HEROS＇；　but　the　crews　saved。　Lord　Howe；　who　attacked　LA　FORMIDABLE；　bore　down　on　her　with　such　violence；　that　her　prow　forced　in　his　lower　tier　of　guns。　Captain　Digby；　in　the　DUNKIRK；　received　the　fire　of　twelve　of　the　enemy's　ships；　and　lost　not　a　man。　Keppel's　was　full　of　water；　and　he　thought　it　sinking：　a　sudden　squall　emptied　his　ship；　but　he　was　informed　all　his　powder　was　wet；　'Then；'　said　he；　'I　am　sorry　I　am　safe。'　They　came　and　told　him　a　small　quantity　was　undamaged；　'Very　well；'　said　he；　'then　attack　again。'　Not　above　eight　of　our　ships　were　engaged　in　obtaining　that　decisive　victory。　The　Invasion　was　heard　of　no　more。〃　＇Walpole；　　George　Second；　　iii。　232。　Here　is　the　List；　accurately　riddled　out：　1。　FORMIDABLE；　struck　（about　4　P。M。）：　2。　THESEE；　sunk　（by　a　tumble　it　made；　while　in　action；　under　an　unskilful　Captain）：　3。　SUPERBE；　sunk：　4。　HEROS；　struck；　could　not　he　boarded；　such　weather；　and　recommenced　next　day；　but　had　to　run　and　strand　itself；　and　be　burnt　by　the　English；as　did　（5。）　the　SOLEIL　ROYAL　（Conflans's　Flagship）；　Conflans　and　crew　（like　those　of　the　HEROS）　getting　out　in　time。＇

Invasion　had　been　fully　intended；　and　even；　in　these　final　days；　considerably　expected。　In　the　old　London　Newspapers　we　read　this　notice：　MONDAY；　NOVEMBER　19th：　〃To…day　there　came　Three　Expresses；〃Three　Expresses；　with　what　haste　in　their　eyes；　testifying　successively　of　Conflans's　whereabouts。　But　it　was　believed　that　Hawke　would　still　manage。　And；　at　any　rate；　Pitt　wore　such　a　look；and　had；　in　fact；　made　such　preparation　on　the　coasts；　even　in　failure　of　Hawke；there　was　no　alarm　anywhere。　Indignation　rather；and　naturally；　when　the　news　did　come；　what　an　outburst　of　Illumination　in　the　windows　and　the　hearts　of　men！

〃Hawke　continued　watching　the　mouths　of　the　Vilaine　and　Charente　Rivers　for　a　good　while　after；　and　without　interruption　henceforth；　till　the　storms　of　Winter　had　plainly　closed　them　for　one　season。　Supplies　of　fresh　provisions　had　come　to　him　from　England　all　Summer；　but　were　stopped　latterly　by　the　wild　weather。　Upon　which；　in　the　Fleet；　arose　this　gravely　pathetic　Stave　of　Sea…Poetry；　with　a　wrinkle　of　briny　humor　grinning　in　it：

　　　　　　　Till　Hawke　did　bang　Monsieur　Conflans　＇CONGFLANG＇；　　　　　　　　　　You　sent　us　beef　and　beer；　　　　　　　　Now　Monsieur's　beat；　we've　nought　to　eat；　　　　　　　　　　Since　you　have　nought　to　fear。〃　＇Beatson；　ii。　342　n。＇

The　French　mode　of　taking　this　catastrophe　was　rather　peculiar。　Hear　Barbier；　an　Eye…witness；　dating　PARIS；　DECEMBER；　1759：　〃Since　the　first　days　of　December；　there　has　been　cried；　and　sold　in　the　streets；　a　Printed　Detail　of　all　that　concerns　the　GRAND　INVASION　projected　this　long　while：　to　wit；　the　number　of　Ships　of　the　Line；　of　Frigates；　Galiots；among　others　500　Flat…bottomed　Boats；　which　are　to　carry　over；　and　land　in　England；　more　than　54；000　men；with　list　of　the　Regiments；　and　number　of　the　King's　Guards；　that　are　also　to　go：　there　are　announced　for　Generals…in…　Chief；　M。　le　Prince　de　Conti　＇do　readers　remember　him　since　the　Broglio…Maillebois　time；　and　how　King　Louis　prophesied　in　autograph　that　he　would　be　〃the　Grand　Conti〃　one　day？＇Prince　de　Conti；　Prince　de　Soubise　＇left　his　Conquest　of　Frankfurt　for　this　greater　Enterprise＇；　and　Milord　Thomont　＇Irish　Jacobite；　whom　I　don't　know＇。　As　sequel　to　this　Detail；　there　is　a　lengthy　Song　on　the　DISEMBARKMENT　IN　ENGLAND；　and　the　fear　the　English　must　have　of　it！〃　Calculated　to　astonish　the　practical　forensic　mind。

〃It　is　inconceivable〃；　continues　he；　〃how　they　have　permitted　such　a　Piece　to　be　printed；　still　more　to　be　cried；　and　sold　price　one　halfpenny　（DEUX　LIARDS）。　This　Song　is　indecent；　in　the　circumstances　of　the　actual　news　from　our　Fleet　at　Brest　（20th　of　last　month）；in　regard　to　which　bad　adventure　M。　le　Marquis　de　Conflans　has　come　to　Versailles；　to　justify　himself；　and　throw　the　blame　on　M。　le　Marquis　de　Beauffremont　＇his　Rear…Admiral；　now　safe　in　the　Charente；　with　eight　of　our　poor　ships＇。　Such　things　are　the　more　out　of　place；　as　we　are　in　a　bad　enough　position；no　Flat…　bottoms　stirring　from　the　ports；　no　Troops　of　the　MAISON　DU　ROI　setting　out；　and　have　reason　to　believe　that　we　are　now　to　make　no　such　attempt。〃　＇Barbier；　iv。　336。＇

Silhouette；　the　Controller…General；　was　thought　to　have　a　creative　genius　in　finance：　but　in　the　eighth　month　of　his　gestation；　what　phenomena　are　these？　October　26th；　there　came　out　Four　Decrees　of　Council；　setting　forth；　That；　〃as　the　expenses　of　the　War　exceed　not　only　the　King's　ordinary　revenues；　but　the　extraordinaries　he　has　had　to　lay　on　his　people；　there　is　nothing　for　it　but；〃　in　fact；　Suspension　of　Payment；　actual　Temporary　Bankruptcy：〃Cannot　pay　you；　part　of　you　not　for　a　year；　others　of　you　not　till　the　War　end；　will　give　you　5　per　cent　interest　instead。〃　Coupled　with　which；　by　the　same　creative　genius；　is　a　Declaration　in　the　King's　name；　〃That　the　King　compels　nobody；　but　does　invite　all　and　sundry　of　loyal　mind　to　send　their　Plate　（on　loan；　of　course；　and　with　due　receipt　for　it）　to　the　Mint　to　be　coined；　lest　Majesty　come　to　have　otherwise　no　money；〃his　very　valets；　as　is　privately　known；　having　had　no　wages　from　him　for　ten　months　past。

Whereupon　the　rich　Princes　of　the　Blood；　Due　d'Orleans　foremost；　and　Official　persons；　Pompadour；　Belleisle；　Choiseul；　do　make　an　effort；　and　everybody　that　has　Plate　feels　uneasily　that　he　cannot　use　it；　and　that　he　ought　to　send　it。　And；　November　5th；　the　King's　own　Plate；　packed　ostentatiously　in　carts；　went　to　the　Mint；the　Dauphiness；　noble　Saxon　Lady；　had　already　volunteered　with　a　silver　toilet…table　of　hers；　brand…new　and　of　exquisite　costly　pattern；　but　the　King　forbade　her。　On　such　examples；　everybody　had　to　make　an　effort；　or　uneasily　try　to　make　one。　King　Friedrich；　eight　days　after　Maxen；　is　somewhat　amused　at　these　proceedings　in　the　distance：

〃The　kettles　and　spoons　of　the　French　seem　to　me　a　pleasant　resource；　for　carrying　on　War！〃　writes　he　to　D'Argens。　＇〃Wilsdruf；　28th　November；　1759；〃　　OEuvres　de　Frederic；　　xix。　108。＇　〃A　bit　of　mummery　to　act　on　the　public　feeling；　I　suppose。　The　result　of　it　will　be　small：　but　as　the　Belleisle　LETTERS　＇taken　in　Contades's　baggage；　after　Minden；　and　printed　by　Duke　Ferdinand　for　public　edification＇　make　always　such　an　outcry　about　poverty；　those　people　are　trying　to　impose　on　their　enemies；　and　persuade　them　that　the　carved　and　chiselled　silver　of　the　Kingdom　will　suffice　for　making　a　vigorous　Campaign。　I　see　nothing　else　that　can　have　set　them　on　imagining　the　farce　they　are　now　at。　There　is　Munster　taken　from　them　by　the　English…Hanoverian　people；　it　is　affirmed　that　the　French；　on　the　25th；　quitted　Giessen；　to　march　on　Friedberg　and　repass　the　Rhine　＇might　possibly　have　done　so；but　the　Hereditary　Prince　and　his　12；000　come　to　be　needed　elsewhere！＇Poor　we　are　opposite　our　enemies　here；　cantoned　in　the　Villages　about；　the　last　truss　of　straw；　the　last　loaf　of　bread　will　decide　which　of　us　is　to　remain　in　Saxony。　And　as　the　Austrians　are　extremely　squeezed　together；　and　can　get　nothing　out　of　Bohmen；〃one　hopes　it　will　not　be　they！

All　through　November；　this　sending　of　Plate；　I　never　knew　with　what　net…result　of　moneys　coinable；　goes　on　in　Paris；　till；　at　the　highest　tables；　there　is　nothing　of　silver　dishes　left；　and　a　new　crockery　kind　（rather　clumsy；　〃CULS　NOIRS；〃　as　we　derisively　call　them；　pigment　of　BOTTOM　part　being　BLACK）　has　had　to　be　contrived　instead。　Under　what　astonishments　abroad　and　at　home；　and　in　the　latter　region　under　what　execrations　on　Silhouette；　may　be　imagined。　〃TOUT　LE　MONDE　JURE　BEAUCOUP　CONTRE　M。　DE　SILHOUETTE；　All　the　world　swears　much　against　him；〃　says　Barbier；but　I　believe　probably　he　was　much　to　be　pitied：　〃A　creative　genius；　you；　and　this　is　what　you　come　to？〃

November　22d；　the　poor　man　got　dismissed；　France　swearing　at　him；　I　know　not　to　what　depth；　but　howling　and　hissing；　evidently；　with　all　its　might。　The　very　tailors　and　milliners　took　him　up；　trousers　without　pockets；　dresses　without　flounce　or　fold；　which　they　called　A　LA　SILHOUETTE：and；　to　this　day；　in　France　and　Continental　Countries；　the　old…fashioned　Shadow…Profile　（mere　outline；　and　vacant　black）　is　practically　called　a　SILHOUETTE。　So　that　the　very　Dictionaries　have　him；　and；　like　bad　Count　Reinhart；　or　REYNARD；　of　earlier　date；　he　has　become　a　Noun　Appellative；　and　is　immortalized　in　that　way。　The　first　of　that　considerable　Series　of　Creative　Financiers；　Abbe　Terray　and　the　rest；brought　in　successively　with　blessings；　and　dismissed　with　cursings　and　hissings；who　end　in　Calonne；　Lomenie　de　Brienne；　and　what　Mirabeau　Pere　called　〃the　General　Overturn　（CULBUTE　GENERALE）。〃　Thitherward；　privately；　straight　towards　the　General　Overturn；　is　France　bound；and　will　arrive　in　about　thirty　years。


FRIEDRICH；　STRANGE　TO　SAY；　PUBLISHES　（March…June；　1760）　AN　EDITION　OF　HIS　POEMS。　QUESTION；　〃WHO　WROTE　Matinees　du　Roi　de　Prusse？〃FOR　THE　SECOND；　AND　POSITIVELY　THE　LAST　TIME。

In　this　avalanche　of　impending　destructions；　what　can　be　more　surprising　than　to　hear　of　the　Editing　of　Poems　on　his　Majesty's　part！　Actual　publication　of　that　OEuvre　de　Poesie；　for　which　Voltaire；　poor　gentleman；　suffered　such　tribulation　seven　years　ago。　Now　coming　out　from　choice：　Reprint　of　it；　not　now　to　the　extent　of　twelve　copies　for　highly　special　friends；　but　in　copious　thousands；　for　behoof　of　mankind　at　large！　The　thing　cost　Friedrich　very　little　meditating；　and　had　become　necessary；and　to　be　done　with　speed。

Readers　recollect　the　OEUVRE　DE　POESIE；　and　satirical　hits　said　to　be　in　it。　At　Paris；　about　New…year's　time　1760；　some　helpful　Hand　had　contrived　to　bring　out；　under　the　pretended　date　〃Potsdam；〃　a　cheap　edition　of　that　interesting　Work。　＇　〃OEuvres　du　Philosophe　de　Sans…Souci：〃　　1　vol。　12　mo；　〃Potsdam　＇PARIS；　in　truth＇；　176