louisa of prussia and her times-第6部分

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discover　the　sneaking　demagogues　and　ringleaders　of　the　mob；　and　to
take　down　their　names　for　the　purpose　of　punishing　them　by　and　by；
as　we　Europeans　unfortunately　cannot　imitate　the　example　of　that
blessed　Queen　of　Egypt；　who　took　a　thousand　conspirators　by　the
tails；　and；　holding　them　in　her　left　hand；　cut　off　their　thousand
seditious　heads　with　one　stroke　of　the　sword　in　her　right　hand。
Unfortunately；　we　have　to　act　by　far　more　cautiously。〃

〃But　why　did　you　dismiss　all　the　rioters　this　time　without　giving
them　into　custody？〃　asked　the　count；　moodily。

〃Why；　we　have　them　all　by　the　tails；　anyhow；〃　laughed　Thugut；　〃for
have　not　we　got　the　list　of　the　names　here？　Ah；　my　dear　little
count；　perhaps　you　thought　I　would　have　gone　in　my　generosity　so　far
as　to　tear　this　list；　throw　the　pieces　away；　and　avert　my　head；　like
the　pious　bishop　who　found　a　murderer　under　his　bed；　permitted　him
to　escape；　and　averted　his　head　in　order　not　to　see　the　fugitive's
face　and　may　be　recognize　him　on　some　future　occasion？　I　like　to
know　the　faces　of　my　enemies；　and　to　find　out　their　names；　and；
depend　upon　it；　I　shall　never；　never　forget　the　names　I　read　on　this
list。〃

〃But　for　the　time　being；　these　scoundrels；　having　escaped　with
impunity；　will　go　home　in　triumph；　and　repeat　the　same　game　as　soon
as　another　occasion　offers。〃

〃Ah；　I　see　you　do　not　know　the　people　at　all！　Believe　me；　we　could
not　have　frightened　them　worse　than　by　letting　them　go。　They　are
perfectly　conscious　of　their　guilt。　The　very　idea　of　not　having
received　any　punishment　at　our　hands　fills　them　with　misgivings；　and
they　tremble　every　moment　in　the　expectation　that　they　will　have　to
suffer　yet　for　their　crime。　Remorse　and　fear　are　tormenting　them；
and　THEY　are　the　best　instruments　to　rule　a　people　with。　My　God；
what　should　be　done　with　a　nation　consisting　of　none　but　pure　and
virtuous　men？　It　would　be　perfectly　unassailable；　while　its　vices
and　foibles　are　the　very　things　by　which　we　control　it。　Therefore；
do　not　blame　the　people　on　account　of　its　vices。　I　love　it　for　the
sake　of　them；　for　it　is　through　them　that　I　succeed　in　subjecting　it
to　my　will。　The　idea　of　acting　upon　men　by　appealing　to　their
virtues；　is　simply　preposterous。　You　must　rely　on　their　faults　and
crimes；　and；　owing　to　the　latter；　all　these　fellows　whom　we
dismissed　to…day　without　punishment　have　become　our　property。　The
discharged　and　unpunished　criminal　is　a　sbirrothe　police　has　only
to　hand　him　a　dagger；　and　tell　him；　'Strike　there！'　and　he　will
strike。〃

〃Your　excellency　believes；　then；　that　even　the　ringleaders　should
not　be　punished？〃

〃By　no　means。　Of　course　some　of　them　should　be　chastised；　in　order
to　increase　the　terror　of　the　others。　But　for　God's　sake；　no　public
trialsno　public　penalties！　Wenzel　should　be　secretly　arrested　and
disposed　of。　Let　him　disappearhe　and　the　other　ringleaders　who
were　bold　enough　to　come　up　here。　Let　us　immure　them　in　some　strong；
thick…walled　prison；　and　while　the　other　rioters　are　vainly
tormenting　their　heavy　skulls　by　trying　to　guess　what　has　become　of
their　leaders；　we　shall　render　the　latter　so　pliable　and　tame　by　all
kinds　of　tortures　and　threats　of　capital　punishment；　that　when　we
finally　set　them　free　again；　they　will　actually　believe　they　are　in
our　debt；　and　in　their　gratitude　become　willing　tools　in　our　hands
to　be　used　as　we　may　deem　best。〃

〃By　the　eternal；　you　are　a　great　statesman；　a　sagacious　ruler！〃
exclaimed　Count　Saurau；　with　the　gushing　enthusiasm　of　sincere
admiration。　〃Men　grow　wise　by　listening　to　you；　and　happy　and
powerful　by　obeying　you！　I　am　entirely　devoted　to　youfull　of
affection　and　venerationand　do　not　want　to　be　any　thing　but　your
attentive　and　grateful　pupil。〃

〃Be　my　friend；〃　said　Thugut。　〃Let　us　pursue　our　career　hand　in　hand…
…let　us　always　keep　our　common　goal　in　view；　and　shrink　back　from　no
step　in　order　to　reach　it。〃

〃Tell　me　what　I　am　to　do。　I　shall　follow　you　as　readily　as　the　blind
man　follows　his　guide。〃

〃Well；　if　you　desire　it；　my　friend；　we　will　consider　a　little　how　we
have　to　steer　the　ship　of　state　during　the　next　months　in　order　to
get　her　safely　through　the　breakers　that　are　threatening　her　on　all
sides。　During　the　few　days　of　your　absence　from　the　capital；　various
events　have　occurred；　materially　altering　the　general　state　of
affairs。　When　you　departed；　I　advised　the　emperor　not　to　make　peace
with　France　under　any　circumstances。　We　counted　at　that　time　on　the
regiments　of　grenadiers　whom　we　had　sent　to　the　seat　of　war；　and
who；　under　the　command　of　Archduke　Charles；　were　to　defend　the
defiles　of　Neumarkt　against　the　advancing　columns　of　the　French
army。　We　knew；　besides；　that　the　French　troops　were　worn　out；
exhausted；　and　anxious　for　peace；　or　that　General　Bonaparte　would
not　have　addressed　that　letter　to　the　Archduke　Charles；　in　which　he
requested　the　latter　to　induce　the　Emperor　of　Austria　to　conclude
peace　with　France。　In　accordance　with　our　advice；　the　archduke　had
to　give　Bonaparte　an　evasive　answer；　informing　him　that；　in　case　of
further　negotiations；　he　would　have　to　send　to　Vienna　for　fresh
instructions。〃

〃But；　your　excellency；　you　were　firmly　determined　not　to　make　peace
with　France！〃

〃So　I　was；　and　even　now　I　have　not　changed　my　mind；　but　we　are
frequently　compelled　to　disguise　our　real　intentions；　and　events
have　occurred；　which；　for　the　present；　render　peace　desirable。　You
need　not　be　frightened；　my　dear　countI　merely　say；　for　the
present。　In　my　heart　I　shall　never　make　peace　with　France；　and　my
purpose　remains　as　fixed　as　everto　revenge　Austria　one　day　for　the
humiliations　we　have　suffered　at　her　hands。　Never　forget　that；　my
friend；　and　now　listen　to　me。　Late　dispatches　have　arrived。　Massena；
after　a　bloody　struggle　with　our　troops；　has　taken　Friesach；　and
advanced　on　the　next　day　to　attack　the　fresh　regiments　of　our
grenadiers　in　the　gorges　of　Neumarkt。　Archduke　Charles　had　placed
himself　at　the　head　of　these　regiments；　firing　the　courage　of　the
soldiers　by　his　own　heroic　example。　But　he　was　confronted　by　the
united　French　forces　from　Italy　and　Germany；　and　in　the　evening　of
that　disastrous　day　the　archduke　and　his　grenadiers　were　compelled
to　evacuate　Neumarkt；　which　was　occupied　by　the　victorious　French。
The　archduke　now　asked　the　French　general　for　a　cessation　of
hostilities　during　twenty…four　hours　in　order　to　gain　time；　for　he
was　in　hopes　that　this　respite　would　enable　him　to　bring　up　the
corps　of　General　von　Kerpen；　and　then；　with　his　united　forces；　drive
the　enemy　back　again。　But　this　little　General　Bonaparte　seems　to
possess　a　great　deal　of　sagacity；　for　he　rejected　the　request；　and
sent　a　detached　column　against　Von　Kerpen's　corps；　which　separated
the　latter　still　farther　from　our　main　army。　Bonaparte　himself
advanced　with　his　forces　as　far　as　Fudenberg　and　Leoben。　In　order　to
save　Vienna；　there　was　but　one　course　left　to　the　archduke：　he　had
to　make　proposals　of　peace。〃

〃Did　he　really　do　so？〃　asked　Count　Saurau；　breathlessly。

〃He　did。　He　sent　two　of　our　friendsCount　Meerveldt；　and　the
Marquis　de　Galloto　Bonaparte's　headquarters　at　Leoben；　for　the
purpose　of　opening　negotiations　with　him。〃

〃Did　your　excellency　authorize　the　archduke　to　do　so？〃　asked　the
count。

〃No；　I　did　not；　and　I　might　disavow　it　now　if　it　suited　me；　but　it
does　notit　would　not　promote　our　interestsand　I　know　but　one
policy；　the　policy　of　interest。　We　should　always　adopt　those
measures　which　afford　us　a　reasonable　prospect　of　gain；　and　discard
those　which　may　involve　us　in　loss。　Power　alone　is　infallible；
eternal；　and　divine；　and　power　has　now　decided　in　favor　of　France。
Wherefore　we　must　yield；　and　don　the　garb　of　peace　until　we　secure
once　more　sufficient　power　to　renew　hostilities。　We　must　make　peace！
Our　aim；　however；　should　be　to　render　this　peace　as　advantageous　to
Austria　as　possible〃

〃You　mean　at　the　expense　of　France？〃

〃Bah！at　the　expense　of　Germany；　my　dear　little　count。　Germany　is
to　compensate　us　for　the　losses　which　peace　may　inflict。　If　we　lose
any　territory　in　Italy；　why；　we　shall　make　it　up　in　Germany；　that　is
all。〃

〃But　in　that　case；　there　will　be　another　terrible　hue　and　cry　about
the　infringement　of　the　rights　of　the　holy　German　empire；〃　said
Count　Saurau；　smiling；　〃Prussia　will　have　a　new　opportunity　of
playing　the　defender　of　the　German　fatherland。〃

〃My　dear　count；　never　mind　the　bombastic　nonsense　in　which　Prussia
is　going　to　indulgewe　shall　take　good　care　that　nothing　comes　of
it。　Prussia　has　no　longer　a　Frederick　the　Great　at　her　head；　but　the
fat　Frederick　William　the　Second〃

〃But　his　life；〃　said　the　count；　interrupting　him；　〃I　know　for
certain；　will　last　but　a　few　days；　at　best　for　a　few　weeks；　for　his
disease；　dropsy　of　the　chest；　you　know；　does　not　even　respect
kings。〃

〃And　when　Prussia　has　lost　her　present　fat　king；　she　will　have
another；　Frederick　Williama　young　man　twenty…seven　years　of　age；
volia　tout！　He　is　just　as　old　as　General　Bonaparte；　and　was　born　in
the　same　year　as　this　general　whose　glory　already　fills　the　whole
world；　but　of　the　young　heir　of　the　Prussian　throne　the　world　has
heard　nothing　as　yet；　except　that　he　has　a　most　beautiful　wife。　He
is　not　dangerous；　therefore；　and　I　hope　and　believe　that　Austria
never　will　lack　the　power　to　humiliate　and　check　this　Prussian
kingdomthis　revolutionary　element　in　the　heart　of　the　German
empire。　The　danger；　however；　that　threatens　us　now；　does　not　come
from　Prussia；　but　from　France；　and　especially　from　this　General
Bonaparte；　who；　by　his　glory　and　his　wonderful　battles；　excites　the
wildest　enthusiasm　for　the　cause　of　the　revolution；　and　delights　the
stupid　masses　so　much　that　they　hail　him　as　a　new　messiah　of
liberty。　Liberty；　detestable　word！　that；　like　the　fatal　bite　of　the
tarantula；　renders　men　furious；　and　causes　them　to　rave　about　in
frantic　dances　until　death　strikes　them　down。〃

〃This　word　is　the　talismanic　charm　with　which　Bonaparte　has
conquered　all　Italy；　and　transformed　the　Italians　into　insurgents
and　rebels　against　their　legitimate　sovereigns；〃　said　Count　Saurau；
mournfully。

〃All　Italy？　Not　yet；　my　friend。　A　portion　of　it　still　stands　firm。