history of friedrich ii of prussia v 19-第42部分

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c》　〃OEuvres　du　Philosophe　de　Sans…Souci：〃　　1　vol。　12　mo；　〃Potsdam　＇PARIS；　in　truth＇；　1760。〃＇　Merely　in　the　way　of　theft；　as　appeared　to　cursory　readers；　to　D'Argens；　for　example：　＇His　Letter　to　the　King；　　OEuvres　de　Frederic；　　xix。　138。＇　but；　in　deeper　fact；　for　the　purpose　of　apprising　certain　Crowned　Heads；　friendly　and　hostile；Czarish　Majesty　and　George　II。　of　England　the　main　two；what　this　poetizing　King　was　pleased　to　think　of　them　in　his　private　moments。　D'Argens　declares　himself　glad　of　this　theft；　so　exquisitely　clever　is　the　Book。　But　Friedrich　knows　better：　〃March　17th；　when　a　Copy　of　it　came　to　him；〃　Friedrich　sees　well　what　is　meant；and　what　he　himself　has　to　do　in　it。　He　instantly　sets　about　making　a　few　suppressions；　changes　of　phrase；　sends　the　thing　to　D'Argens：　〃Publish　at　once；　with　a　little　prefatory　word。〃　And；　at　the　top　of　his　speed；　D'Argens　has；　in　three　weeks'　time；　the　suitable　AVANT…PROPOS；　or　AVIS　AU　LIBRAIRE；　〃circulating　in　great　quantities；　especially　in　London　and　Petersburg〃　（〃Thief　Editor　has　omitted；　and；　what　is　far　more；　has　malignantly　interpolated：　here　is　the　poor　idle　Work　itself；　not　a　Counterfeit　of　it；　if　anybody　care　to　read　it〃）；　and　an　Orthodox　Edition　ready。　＇Came　out　April　9th　＇see　MITCHELL；　ii。　153＇；　and　a　second　finer　Edition　in　June：〃　in　　OEuvres　de　Frederic；　　x。　p。　x；　xix。　137　n。；　138；　especially　in　PREUSS；　i。　467；　468　（if　you　will　compare　him　with　HIMSELF　on　these　different　occasions；　and　patiently　wind　out　his　bit　of　meaning）；　all　manner　of　minutest　details。＇　The　diligent　Pirate　Booksellers；　at　Amsterdam；　at　London；　copiously　reproduced　this　authorized　Berlin　Edition　too；or　added　excerpts　from　it　to　their　reprints　of　the　Paris　one；　by　way　of　various…readings。　And　everybody　read　and　compared；　what　nobody　will　now　do；　theme；　and　treatment　of　theme；　being　both　now　so　heartily　indifferent　to　us。

Who　the　Perpetrator　of　this　Parisian　maleficence　was；　remained　dark；and　would　not　be　worth　inquiring　into　at　all；　except　for　two　reasons　intrinsically　trifling；　but　not　quite　without　interest　to　readers　of　our　time。　First；　that　Voltaire；　whom　some　suspected　（some；　never　much　Friedrich；　that　I　hear　of）；　appears　to　have　been　perfectly　innocent；and　indeed　had　been　incapacitated　for　guilt；　by　Schmidt　and　Freytag；　and　their　dreadful　Frankfurt　procedures！　This　is　reason　FIRST；　poor　Voltaire　mutely　asking　us；　Not　to　load　him　with　more　sins　than　his　own。　Reason　SECOND　is；　that；　by　a　singular　opportunity；　there　has；　in　these　very　months；　＇Spring；　1863。＇　a　glimmering　of　light　risen　on　it　to　this　Editor；　illustrating　two　other　points　as　well；　which　readers　here　are　acquainted　with；　some　time　ago；　as　riddles　of　the　insignificant　sort。　The　DEMON　NEWSWRITER；　with　his　〃IDEA〃　of　Friedrich；　and　the　〃MATINEES　DU　ROI　DE　PRUSSE：〃　readers　recollect　both　those　Productions；　both　enigmatic　as　to　authorship；but　both　now　become　riddles　which　can　more　or　less　be　read。

For　the　surprising　circumstance　（though　in　certain　periods；　when　the　realm　of　very　Chaos　re…emerges；　fitfully；　into　upper　sunshine　now　and　then；　nothing　ought　to　surprise　one　as　happening　there）　is；　That；　only　a　few　months　ago；　the　incomparable　MATINEES　（known　to　my　readers　five　years　since）　has　found　a　new　Editor　and　reviver。　Editor　illuminated　〃by　the　Secretary　of　the　Great　Napoleon；〃　〃by　discovery　of　manuscripts；〃　〃by　the　Duc　de　Rovigo；〃　and　I　know　not　what；　animated　also；　it　is　said；　by　religious　views。　And；　in　short；　the　MATINEES　is　again　abroad　upon　the　world；〃your　London　Edition　twice　reprinted　in　Germany；　by　the　Jesuit　party　since〃　（much　good　may　it　do　the　Jesuit　party！）a　MATINEES　again　in　comfortable　circumstances；　as　would　seem。　Probably　the　longest…eared　Platitude　now　walking　the　Earth；　though　there　are　a　good　many　with　ears　long。　Unconscious；　seemingly；　that　it　has　been　killed　thrice　and　four　times　already；　and　that　indeed；　except　in　the　realm　of　Nightmare；　it　never　was　alive；　or　needed　any　killing；　belief　in　it；　doubt　upon　it　（I　must　grieve　to　inform　the　Duc　de　Rovigo　and　honorable　persons　concerned）；　being　evidence　conclusive　that　you　have　not　yet　the　faintest　preliminary　shadow　of　correct　knowledge　about　Friedrich　or　his　habits　or　affairs；　and　that　you　ought　first　to　try　and　acquire　some。

To　me　argument　on　this　subject　would　have　been　too　unendurable。　But　argument　there　was　on　it；　by　persons　capable　and　willing；　more　than　one：　and　in　result　this　surprising　brand…new　London　moon…calf　of　a　MATINEES　was　smitten　through；　and　slit　in　pieces；　for　the　fifth　time；as　if　that　could　have　hurt　it　much！　〃MIT　DER　DUMMHEIT；〃　sings　Schiller；　〃Human　Stupidity　is　stronger　than　the　very　Gods。〃　However；　in　the　course　of　these　new　inspections　into　matters　long　since　obsolete；　there　didwhat　may　truly　be　considered　as　a　kind　of　profit　by　this　Resuscitating　of　the　moon…　calf　MATINEES　upon　afflicted　mankind；　and　is　a　net　outcome　from　it；　real；　though　very　smallsome　light　rise　as　to　the　origin　and　genesis　of　MATINEES；　some　twinkles　of　light；　and；　in　the　utterly　dark　element；　did　disclose　other　monstrous　extinct　shapes　looming　to　right　and　left　of　said　monster：　and；　in　a　word；　the　Authorship　of　MATINEES；　and　not　of　MATINEES　only；　becomes　now　at　last　faintly　visible　or　guessable。　To　one　of　those　industrious　Matadors；　as　we　may　call　them；　Slayers　of　this　moon…calf　for　the　fourth　or　fifth　time；　I　owe　the　following　Note；　which；　on　verifying；　I　can　declare　to　be　trustworthy：

〃The　Author　of　MATINEES；　it　is　nearly　certain〃；　says　my　Correspondent；　〃is　actually　a　'M。　de　Bonneville；'contrary　to　what　you　wrote　five　years　ago。　＇A。D。　1858　（SUPRA；　v。　165；　166）。＇　Not　indeed　the　Bonneville　who　is　found　in　Dictionaries；　who　is　visibly　impossible；　but　a　Bonneville　of　the　preceding　generation；　who　was　Marechal　de　Saxe's　Adjutant　or　Secretary；　old　enough　to　have　been　the　Uncle　or　the　Father　of　that　revolutionary　Bonneville。　Marechal　de　Saxe　died　November　30th；　1750；　this　senior　Bonneville；　still　a　young　man；　had　been　with　him　to　Potsdam　on　visit　there。　Bonneville；　conscious　of　genius；　and　now　out　of　employment；　naturally　went　thither　again；　lived　a　good　deal　there；　or　went　between　France　and　there：　and　authentic　History　knows　of　him；　by　direct　evidence；　and　by　reflex；　the　following　Three　Facts　（the　SECOND　of　them　itself　threefold）；　of　which　I　will　distinguish　the　indubitable　from　the　inferentially　credible　or　as　good　as　certain：

〃1。　Indubitable；　That　Bonneville　sold　to　Friedrich　certain　Papers；　military　Plans；　or　the　like；　of　the　late　Marechal　and　was　paid　for　them；　but　by　no　means　met　the　recognition　his　genius　saw　itself　to　merit。　These　things　are　certain；　though　not　dated；　or　datable　except　as　of　the　year　1750　or　1751。　After　which；　for　above　twenty　years；　Bonneville　entered　upon　a　series　of　adventures；　caliginous；　underground；　for　most　part；　'soldiering　in　America；'　'writing　anonymous　Pamphlets　or　Books；'　roaming　wide　over　the　world；　and　led　a　busy　but　obscure　and　uncertain　life；　hanging　by　Berlin　as　a　kind　of　centre；　or　by　Paris　and　Berlin　as　his　two　centres；　and　had　a　miscellaneous　series　of　adventures；　subterranean　many　of　them；　unluminous　all　of　them；　not　courting　the　light；　which　lie　now　in　naturally　a　very　dark　condition。　Dimly　discernible；　however；　in　the　general　dusk　of　Bonneville；　dim　and　vague　of　outline；　but　definitely　steady　beyond　what　could　have　been　expected；　it　does　appear　farther；what　alone　entitles　Bonneville　to　the　least　memory　here；　or　anywhere　in　Nature　now　or　henceforth；

〃2。　Inferentially　credible；　That；　shortly　after　that　first　rebuff　in　Potsdam；　he；　not　another；　in　1752；　was　your　'DEMON　NEWSWRITER；'　whom　we　gazed　at；　some　time　since；　devoutly　crossing　ourselves；　for　a　little　while！

〃Likewise　that；　in　1759…1760；　after　or　before　his　American　wanderings；　he；　the　same　Bonneville；　as　was　suspected　at　the　time；　＇〃Nicolai；　　Ueber　Zimmermanns　Fragmente；　　i。　181；　182；　ii。　253；　254。　Sketch　of　what　is　authentically　known　about　Bonneville：　'suspected　both　of　MATINEES　and　of　the　Stolen　EDITION。'〃＇　stole　and　edited　this　surreptitious　mischief…making　　OEuvres　du　Philosophe　de　Sans…Souci　　（Paris　or　Lyon；　pretending　to　be　'Potsdam；'　January；　1760）；〃　which　we　are　now　considering！　〃Encouraged；　probably　enough；　by　Choiseul　himself；　who；　in　any　case；　is　now　known　to　have　been　the　promoter　of　this　fine　bit　of　mischief；　＇Choiseul's　own　Note；　〃To　M。　de　Malesherbes；　DIRECTEUR　DE　LA　LIBRAIRE；　10th　December；　1759：　'By　every　method　screen　the　King's　Government　from　being　suspected；and　get　the　Edition　out　at　once。'〃　（Published　in　the　　Constitutionnel；　　2d　December；　1850；　by　M。　Sainte…Beuve；　copied　in　Preuss；　　OEuvres　de　Frederic；　　xix。　168　n。）＇　and　who　may　thereupon　＇or　may　as　probably；　NOT　〃thereupon；〃　if　it　were　of　the　least　consequence　to　gods　or　men＇　have　opened　to　Bonneville　a　new　military　career　in　America？　Career　which　led　to　as　good　as　nothing；　French　soldiering　in　America　being　done　for；　in　the　course　of　1760。　Upon　which　Bonneville　would　return　to　his　old　haunts；　to　his　old　subterranean　industries　in　Paris　and　Berlin。

〃And　that；　finally；　in　1765；　he；　as　was　again　suspected　at　the　time；　＇〃Nicolai；　Ueber　Zimmermanns　Fragmente；　i。　181；　182；　ii。　253；　254。　Sketch　of　what　is　authentically　known　about　Bonneville：　'suspected　both　of　MATINEES　and　of　the　Stolen　EDITION。'〃＇　he　and　no　other；　did　write　those　MATINEES；　which　appeared　next　year　in　print　（1766）；　and　many　times　since；　and　have　just　been　reprinted；　as　a　surprising　new　discovery；　at　London；　in　Spring；　1863。

〃3。　Again　indubitable；　That　either　after　or　before　those　Editorial　exploits；　Bonneville　had　sold　the　Marechal　de　Saxe's　Plans　and　Papers；　which　were　already　the　King's；　to　some　second　person；　and　been　a　second　time　paid　for　them。　And　was；　in　regard　to　this　Swindling　exploit；　found　out；　and　by　reason　of　that　sale；　or　for　what　reason　is　not　known；　was　put　into　Spandau；　and；　one　hopes；　ended　his　life　there。〃　＇〃Nicolai；　UBI　SUPRA；and　besides　him；　only　the　two　following　references；　out　of　half　a　cart…load：　1。　Bachaumont；　MEMOIRES　SECRETES；　'7th　February；　1765'　（see　Barbier；　　Dictionnaire　des　Anonymes；　　？　Matinees）；　who　calls　MATINEES　'a　development　of　the　IDEE　DE　LA