history of friedrich ii of prussia v 19-第47部分

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ite　of　all　your　efforts；　you　will　not　get　a　Peace　signed　by　my　hands；　except　on　conditions　honorable　to　my　Nation。　Your　people；　blown　up　with　self…conceit　and　folly；　may　depend　on　these　words。　Adieu；　live　happy；　and　while　you　make　all　your　efforts　to　destroy　Prussia；　think　that　nobody　has　less　deserved　it　than　I；　either　of　you　or　of　your　French。〃　＇Ib。　xxiii。　72　（〃Freyberg；　20th　March；　1760〃）。＇

STILL　IN　WINTER…QUARTERS　（on　〃Peace〃　still；　but　begins　with　〃Maupertuis；〃　which　is　all　we　will　give）。　〃What　rage　animates　you　against　Maupertuis？　You　accuse　HIM　of　having　published　that　Furtive　EDITION。　Know　that　his　Copy；　well　sealed　by　him；　arrived　here　after　his　death；　and　that　he　was　incapable　of　such　an　indiscretion。　＇Breaks　into　verse：＇　

　　　　　Leave　in　peace　the　cold　ashes　of　Maupertuis：　　　　　　Truth　can　defend　him；　and　will。　　　　　　His　soul　was　faithful　and　noble：　　　　　　He　pardoned　you　that　scandalous　Akakia　（CE　VIL　LIBELLE　　　　　　QUE　VOTRE　FUREUR　CRIMINELLE　　　　　　PRIT　SOIN　CHEZ　MOI　DE　GRIFFONER）；　he　did：　　　　　　And　you？　Shame　on　such　delirium　as　Voltaire's！　　　　　　What；　this　beautiful；　what；　this　grand　genius；　　　　　　Whom　I　admired　with　transport；　　　　　　Soils　himself　with　calumny；　and　is　ferocious　on　the　dead？　　　　　　Flocking　together；　in　the　air　uttering　cries　of　joy；　　　　　　Vile　ravens　pounce　down　upon　sepulchres；　　　　　　And　make　their　prey　of　corpses：〃

Blush；　repent；　alas！

These　Specimens　will　suffice。　〃The　King　of　Prussia？〃　Voltaire　would　sometimes　say：　〃He　is　as　potent　and　as　malignant　as　the　Devil；　but　he　is　also　as　unhappy；　not　knowing　friendship；〃having　such　a　chance；　too；　with　some　of　us！


FRIEDRICH　HAS　SENT　LORD　MARISCHAL　TO　SPAIN：　OTHER　FOND　HOPES　OF　FRIEDRICH'S。

In　the　beginning　of　this　Year；　1759；　Earl　Marischal　had　been　called　out　of　his　Neufchatel　stagnancy；　and　launched　into　the　Diplomatic　field　again；　sent　on　mission　into　Spain；　namely。　The　case　was　this：　Ferdinand　VI。　of　Spain　（he　who　would　not　pay　Friedrich　the　old　Spanish　debt；　but　sent　him　merino　rams；　and　a　jar　of　Queen…Dowager　snuff）　had　fallen　into　one　of　his　gloomy　fits；　and　was　thought　to　be　dying；did；　in　fact；　die；　in　a　state　nearly　mad；　on　the　10th　August　following。　By　Treaty　of　Aix…la…Chapelle；　and　by　all　manner　of　Treaties；　Carlos　of　Naples；　his　Half…Brother　（Termagant's　Baby　Carlos；　whom　we　all　knew）；　was　to　succeed　him　in　Spain；　Don　Philip；　the　next　Brother；　now　of　Parma　and　Piacenza；　was　to　follow　as　King　in　Naples；ceding　those　two　litigious　Duchies　to　Austria；　after　all。　Friedrich；　vividly　awake　to　every　chance；　foresaw；　in　case　of　such　disjunctures　in　Italy；　good　likelihood　of　quarrel　there。　And　has　despatched　the　experienced　old　Marischal　to　be　on　the　ground；　and　have　his　eyes　open。　Marischal　knows　Spain　very　well；　and　has　often　said；　〃He　left　a　dear　old　friend　there；　the　Sun。〃　Marischal　was　under　way；　about　New…year's　time；　but　lingered　by　the　road；　waiting　how　Ferdinand　would　turn；and　having　withal　an　important　business　of　his　own；　as　he　sauntered　on。　Did　not　arrive；　I　think；　till　Summer　was　at　hand；　and　his　dear　Old　Friend　coming　out　in　vigor。

August　10th；　1759；　Ferdinand　died；　and　the　same　day　Carlos　became　King　of　Spain。　But；　instead　of　giving　Naples　to　Don　Philip；　Carlos　gave　it　to　a　junior　Son　of　his　own；　and　left　poor　Philip　to　content　himself　with　Parma　and　Piacenza；　as　heretofore。　Clear　against　the　rights　of　Austria；　Treaty　of　Aix…la…Chapelle　is　perfectly　explicit　on　that　point！　Will　not　Austria　vindicate　its　claim？　Politicians　say；　Austria　might　have　recovered　not　only　Parma　and　Piacenza；　but　the　kingdom　of　Naples　itself；no　France　at　present　able　to　hinder　it；　no　Spain　ever　able。　But　Austria；　contrary　to　expectation；　would　not：　a　Country　tenacious　enough　of　its　rights；　real　and　imaginary；　greedy　enough　of　Italy；　but　of　Silesia　much　more！　The　matter　was　deliberated　in　Council　at　Vienna；　but　the　result　was　magnanimously；　No。　〃Finish　this　Friedrich　first；　finish　this　Silesia。　Nothing　else　till　that！〃

The　Marischal's　legationary　function；　therefore；　proved　a　sinecure；　no　Carlos　needing　Anti…Austrian　assistance　from　Friedrich　or　another；　Austria　magnanimously　having　let　him　alone。　Doubtless　a　considerable　disappointment　to　Friedrich。　Industrious　Friedrich　had　tried；　on　the　other　side　of　this　affair；　Whether　the　King　of　Sardinia；　once　an　adventurous　fighting　kind　of　man；　could　not　be　stirred　up；　having　interests　involved？　But　no；　he　too；　grown　old；　devotional；　apprehensive；　held　by　his　rosaries；　and　answered；　No。　Here　is　again　a　hope　reasonable　to　look　at；　but　which　proves　fallacious。

Marischal　continued　in　Spain；　corresponding；　sending　news　（the　Prussian　Archives　alone　know　what）；　for　nearly　a　couple　of　years。　＇Returned　〃April；　1762〃　（Friedrich's　Letter　to　him；　〃10th　April；　1762：〃　in　　OEuvres　de　Frederic；　　xx。　285）。＇　His　Embassy　had　one　effect；　which　is　of　interest　to　us　here。　On　his　way　out；　he　had　gone　by　London；　with　a　view　of　getting　legal　absolution　for　his　Jacobitism；so　far；　at　least；　as　to　be　able　to　inherit　the　Earldom　of　Kintore；　which　is　likely　to　fall　vacant　soon。　By　blood　it　is　his；　were　the　Jacobite　incapacities　withdrawn。　Kintore　is　a　cadet　branch　of　the　Keiths；　〃John；　younger　Son　of　William　Sixth　Lord　Marischal；〃　was　the　first　Kintore。　William　Sixth's　younger　Son；　yes；and　William's　Father；　a　man　always　venerable　to　me；　had　（A。D。　1593）　founded　Marischal　College；　Aberdeen；where；　for　a　few；　in　those　stern　granite　Countries；　the　Diviner　Pursuits　are　still　possible　（thank　God　and　this　Keith）　on　frugal　oatmeal。　MARISCHAL…COLLEGE　Keith；　or　FIFTH　Lord　Marischal；　was　grandfather's　grandfather　of　our　Potsdam　Friend；　who　is　tenth　and　last。　＇Douglas's　　Scotch　Peerage；　　pp。　448　et　seq。；　387　et　seq。＇　Honor　to　the　brave　and　noble；　now　fallen　silent　under　foot　NOT　of　the　nobler！　In　a　word；　the　fourth　Kintore　was　about　dying　childless；　and　Marischal　had　come　by　London　on　that　heritage　business。

He　carried；　naturally；　the　best　recommendations。　Britannic　Majesty；　Pitt　and　everybody　met　him　with　welcome　and　furtherance；　what　he　wished　was　done；　and　in　such　a　style　of　promptness　and　cordiality；　Pitt　pushing　it　through；　as　quite　gained　the　heart　of　old　Marischal。　And　it　is　not　doubted；　though　particulars　have　not　been　published；　That　he　sent　important　Spanish　notices　to　Pitt；　in　these　years；…and　especially　informed　him　that　King　Carlos　and　the　French　Bourbon　had　signed　a　FAMILY　COMPACT　（15th　August；　1761）；　or　solemn　covenant；　to　stand　by　one　another　as　brothers。　Which　was　thenceforth；　to　Pitt　privately；　an　important　fact；　as　perhaps　we　shall　see；　though　to　other　men　it　was　still　only　a　painful　rumor　and　dubiety。　Whether　the　old　Marischal　informed　him；　That　King　Carlos　hated　the　English；　that　he　never　had；　in　his　royal　mind；　forgiven　that　insult　of　Commodore　Martin's　（watch　laid　on　the　table；　in　the　Bay　of　Naples；　long　ago）；　I　do　not　know；　but　that　also　was　a　fact。　A　diligent；　indignant　kind　of　man；　this　Carlos；　I　am　told；　by　no　means　an　undeserving　King　of　Spain；　though　his　Portraits　declare　him　an　ugly：　we　will　leave　him　in　the　discreet　Marischal's　hands；　with　the　dear　Old　Friend　shining　equally　on　both。

Singular　to　see　how；　in　so　veracious　an　intellect　as　Friedrich's；　so　many　fallacies　of　hope　are　constantly　entertained。　War　in　Italy；　on　quarrel　with　King　Carlos；　Peace　with　France　and　the　Pompadour；　by　help　of　Edelsheim　and　the　Bailli　de　Froulay；　Peace　with　Russia　and　the　INFAME　CATIN；　by　help　of　English　briberies　（Friedrich　sent　an　agent　this　winter　with　plenty　of　English　guineas；　but　he　got　no　farther　than　the　Frontier；　not　allowed　even　to　try）：　sometimes；　as　again　this　winter；　it　is　hope　of　Denmark　joining　him　（in　alarm　against　the　Russian　views　on　Holstein；　but　that；　too；　comes　to　nothing）；　above　all；　there　is　perennially；　budding　out　yearly；　the　brighter　after　every　disappointment；　a　hope　in　the　Grand　Turk　and　his　adherencies。　Grand　Turk；　or　failing　him；　the　Cham　of　Tartary；　for　certain；　some　of　these　will　be　got　to　fasten　on　the　heels　of　Austria；　of　Russia；　and　create　a　favorable　diversion？　Friedrich　took　an　immense　deal　of　trouble　about　this　latter　hope。　It　is　almost　pathetic　to　see　with　what　a　fond　tenacity　he　clings　to　it；　and　hopes　it　over　again；　every　new　Spring　and　Summer。　＇Preuss；　ii。　121　et　seq。；　292　&c。；　Schoning；　ii。　iii。　PASSIM。＇

The　hope　that　an　INFAME　CATIN　might　die　some　day　（for　she　is　now　deep　in　chaotic　ailments；　deepish　even　in　brandy）　seems　never　to　have　struck　him；　at　least　there　is　nowhere　any　articulate　hint　of　it；the　eagle…flight　of　one's　imagination　soaring　far　above　such　a　pettiness！　Hope　is　very　beautiful；　and　even　fallacious　hope；　in　such　a　Friedrich。　The　one　hope　that　did　not　deceive　him；　was　hope　in　his　own　best　exertion　to　the　very　death；　and　no　fallacy　ever　for　a　moment　slackened　him　in　that。　Stand　to　thyself：　in　the　wide　domain　of　Imagination；　there　is　no　other　certainty　of　help。　No　other　certainty；and　yet　who　knows　through　what　pettinesses　Heaven　may　send　help！



Chapter　IX。

PRELIMINARIES　TO　A　FIFTH　CAMPAIGN。

It　was　April　25th　before　Friedrich　quitted　Freyberg；　and　took　Camp；　not　till　the　middle　of　June　that　anything　of　serious　Movement　came。　Much　discouragement　prevails　in　his　Army；　we　hear：　and　indeed；　it　must　be　owned；　the　horoscope　of　these　Campaigns　grows　yearly　darker。　Only　Friedrich　himself　must　not　be　discouraged！　Nor　is；　though　there　seldom　lay　ahead　of　any　man　a　more　dangerous…looking　Year　than　this　that　is　now　dimly　shaping　itself　to　Friedrich。　His　fortune　seems　to　have　quitted　him；　his　enemies　are　more　confident　than　ever。

This　Year；　it　seems；　they　have　bethought　them　of　a　new　device　against　him。　〃We　have　90　million　Population；〃　count　they；　〃he　has　hardly　5；　in　the　end；　he　must　run　out　of　men！　Let　us　cease　exchanging　prisoners　with　him。〃　At　Jagerndorf；　in　April；　1758　（just　before　our　march　to　Olmutz）；　there　had　been　exchange；　not　without　haggles；　but　this　was　the　last　on　Austria's　part。　Cartel　of　the　usual　kind；　values　punctually　settled：　a　Field…marshal　is　worth　3；000　common　men；　or　1；500　pounds；　Colonel　worth　130　men；　or　65　pounds；　common　man　is　worth　10s。　sterling；　not　a　high　figure。　＇Archenholtz；　ii。　53。＇　The　Russians　haggled　still　more；　no　keeping　of　them　to　their　word；　but　they　tried　it　a　second　time；　last　year　（October；　1759）；　and　by