history of friedrich ii of prussia v 18-第11部分

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lf　to　do　the　duel　with　Friedrich？　If　Prag　were　but　got；　and　the　46；000　well　locked　away；　it　would　be　very　salutary　for　Friedrich's　affairs！Week　after　week；　the　City　holds　out；　and　there　seems　no　hope　of　it；　except　by　hunger；　and　burning　their　Magazines　by　red…hot　balls。


COLONEL　MAYER　WITH　HIS　〃FREE…CORPS〃　PARTY　MAKES　A　VISIT；　OF　DIDACTIC　NATURE；　TO　THE　REICH。

Friedrich；　as　we　saw；　on　entering　Bohmen；　had　shot　off　a　Light　Detachment　under　Colonel　Mayer；　southward；　to　seize　any　Austrian　Magazines　there　were；　especially　one　big　Magazine　at　Pilsen：which　Mayer　has　handsomely　done；　May　2d　（Pilsen　〃a　bigger　Magazine　than　Jung…Bunzlau；　even〃）；　after　which　Mayer　is　now　off　westward；　into　the　Ober…Pfalz；　into　the　Nurnberg　Countries；　to　teach　the　Reich　a　small　lesson；　since　they　will　not　listen　to　Plotho。　Prag　Battle；　as　happens；　had　already　much　chilled　the　ardor　of　the　Reich！　Mayer　has　two　Free…Corps；　his　own　and　another；　about　1；300　of　foot；　to　which　are　added　a　200　of　hussars。　They　have　5　cannon；　carry　otherwise　a　minimum　of　baggage；　are　swift　wild　fellows；　sharp　of　stroke；　and　do；　for　the　time；　prove　didactic　to　the　Reich；　bringing　home　to　its　very　bosom　the　late　great　lesson　of　the　Ziscaberg；　in　an　applied　form。　Mayer　made　a　pretty　course　of　it；　into　the　Ober…Pfalz　Countries；　scattering　the　poor　Execution　Drill…Sergeants　and　incipiencies　of　preparation；　the　deliberative　County　Meetings；　KREIS…Convents：　ransoming　Cities；　Nurnberg　for　one　city；　whose　cries　went　to　Friedrich　on　the　Ziscaberg；　and　wide　over　the　world。　＇In　　Helden…Geschichte；　　iv。　360…367；　the　Nurnberg　Letter　and　Response　（3lst　May…5th　June；　1757）：　in　Pauli；　　Leben　grosser　Helden　　（iii。　159　et　seq。）；　Account　of　the　Mayer　Expedition；　also　in　　Militair…Lexikon；　　iii。　29　（quoting　from　Pauli）。＇　Nurnberg　would　have　been　but　too　happy　to　〃refuse　its　contingent　to　the　Reich's　Army；〃　as　many　others　would　have　been　（poor　Kur…Baiern　hurrying　off　a　kind　of　Embassy　to　Friedrich；　great　terror　reigning　among　the　wigs　of　Regensburg；　and　everybody　drawing　back　that　could）；had　not　Imperial　menaces；　and　an　Event　that　fell　out　by　and　by　in　Prag　Country；　forced　compliance。

Mayer's　Expedition　made　a　loud　noise　in　the　Newspapers；　and　was　truly　of　a　shining　nature　in　its　kind；　very　perfectly　managed　on　Mayer's　part；　and　has　traits　in　it　which　are　amusing　to　read；　had　one　time。　Take　one　small　glance　from　Pauli：

〃At　Furth　in　Anspach；　1st　June　＇after　six　days'　screwing　of　Nurnberg　from　without；　which　we　had　no　cannon　to　take＇；　a　Gratuity　for　the　Prussian　troops　＇amount　not　stated＇　was　demanded　and　given：　at　Schwabach；　farther　up　the　Regnitz　River；　they　took　quarters；　no　exemption　made；　clergy　and　laity　alike　getting　soldiers　billeted。　Meat　and　drink　had　to　be　given　them：　as　also　100　carolines　＇guineas　and　better＇；　and　twenty　new　uniforms。　Upon　which；　next　day；　they　marched　to　Zirndorf；　and　the　Reichsgraf　Puckler's　Mansion；　the　Schloss　of　Farrenbach　there。　Mayer　took　quarter　in　the　Schloss　itself。　Here　the　noble　owners　got　up　a　ball　for　Mayer's　entertainment；　and　did　all　they　could　contrive　to　induce　a　light　treatment　from　him。〃　Figure　it；　the　neighboring　nobility　and　gentry　in　gala；　Mayer　too　in　his　best　uniform；　and　smiling　politely；　with　those　〃bright　little　black　eyes〃　of　his！　For　he　was　a　brilliant　airy　kind　of　fellow；　and　had　much　of　the　chevalier；　as　well　as　of　the　partisan；　when　requisite！

〃Out　of　Farrenbach；　the　Mayer　people　circulated　upon　all　the　neighboring　Lordships；　at　Wilhelmsdorf；　the　Reichs…Furst　von　Hohenlohe　＇a　too　busy　Anti…Prussian＇　had　the　worst　brunt　to　bear。　The　adjacent　Baireuth　lands　＇dear　Wilhelmina；　fancy　her　too　in　such　neighborhood！＇　were　to　the　utmost　spared　all　billeting；　and　even　all　transit；〃though　wandering　sergeants　of　the　Reich's　Force；　〃one　sergeant　with　the　Wurzburg　Herr　Commissarius　and　eight　common　men；　did　get　picked　up　on　Baireuth　ground：　and　this　or　the　other　Anspach　Official　（Anspach　being　disaffected）；　too　busy　on　the　wrong　side；　found　himself　suddenly　Prisoner　of　War；　but　was　given　up；　at　Wilhelmina？s　gracious　request。　On　Bamberg　he　was　sharp　as　flint；　and　had　to　be；　the　Bambergers；　reinforced　at　last　by　'Circle…　Militias　（KREIS…TRUPPEN）'　in　quantity；　being　called　out　in　mass　against　him；　and　at　Vach　an　actual　Passage　of　Fight　had　occurred。〃

Of　the　〃Affair　at　Vach；〃　pretty　little　Drawn…Battle　（mostly　an　affair　of　art）；　Mayer　VERSUS　〃Kreis…troops　to　the　amount　of　6；000；　with　twelve　cannon；　or　some　say　twenty…four〃　（which　they　couldn't　handle）；　and　how　Mayer　cunningly　took　a　position　unassailable；　〃burnt　Bridges　of　the　Regnitz　River；〃　and；　plying　his　five　cannon　against　these　ardent　awkward　people；　stood　cheerful　on　the　other　side；　and　then　at　last；　in　good　time；　whisked　himself　off　to　the　Hill　of　Culmbach；　with　all　his　baggage；　inexpugnable　there　for　three　days：of　all　this；　though　it　is　set　down　at　full　length；　we　can　say　nothing。　＇Pauli；　iii。　159；　&c。　（who　gives　Mayer's　own　LETTER；　and　others；　upon　Vach）。＇　And　will　add　only；　that；　having　girt　himself　and　made　his　packages；　Mayer　left　the　Hill　of　Culmbach；　and　deliberately　wended　home；　by　Coburg　and　other　Countries　where　he　had　business；　eating　his　way；　and　early　in　July　was　safe　in　the　Metal　Mountains　again；　having　fluttered　the　Volscians　in　their　Frankenland　Corioli　to　an　unexpected　extent。　It　is　one　of　five　or　six　such　sallies　Friedrich　made　upon　the　Reich；　sometimes　upon　the　Austrians　and　Reich　together；　to　tumble　up　their　magazines　and　preparations。　Rapid　unexpected　inroads；　year　after　year；　done　chiefly　by　the　Free…Corps；　and　famous　enough　to　the　then　Gazetteers。　Of　which；　or　of　their　doers；　as　we　can　in　time　coming　afford　little　or　no　notice；　let　us　add　this　small　Note　on　the　Free…Corps　topic；　which　is　a　large　one　in　the　Books；　but　must　not　interrupt　us　again：

〃Before　this　War　was　done；〃　say　my　Authorities；　〃there　came　gradually　to　be　twenty…one　Prussian　Free…Corps；〃foot　almost　all；　there　being　already　Hussars　in　quantity；　ever　since　the　first　Silesian　experiences。　〃Notable　Aggregates　they　were　of　loose　wandering　fellows；　broken　Saxons；　Prussians；　French；　'Hungarian…　Protestant'　some　of　them；　'Deserters　from　all　the　Armies'　not　a　few；　attracted　by　the　fame　of　Friedrich；as　the　Colonels　enlisting　them　had　been；　Mayer　himself；　for　instance；　was　by　birth　a　Vienna　man；　and　had　been　in　many　services　and　wars；　from　his　fifteenth　year　and　onwards。　Most　miscellaneous；　these　Prussian　Free…Corps；　a　swift　faculty　the　indispensable　thing；　by　no　means　a　particular　character：　but　well…disciplined；　well…captained；　who　generally　managed　their　work　well。

〃They　were；　by　origin；　of　Anti…Tolpatch　nature；　got　up　on　the　diamond…cut…diamond　principle；　they　stole　a　good　deal；　with　order　sometimes；　and　oftener　without；　but　there　was　nothing　of　the　old　Mentzel…Trenck　atrocity　permitted　them；　or　ever　imputed　to　them；　and　they　did；　usually　with　good　military　talent；　sometimes　conspicuously　good；　what　was　required　of　them。　Regular　Generals；　of　a　high　merit；　one　or　two　of　their　Captains　came　to　be：　Wunsch；　for　example；　Werner；　in　some　sort；　and；　but　for　his　sudden　death；　this　Mayer　himself。　Others　of　them；　as　Von　Hordt　（Hard　is　his　Swedish　name）；　and　'Quintus　Icilius'　（by　nature　GUICHARD；　of　whom　we　shall　hear　a　great　deal　in　the　Friedrich　circle　by　and　by）；　are　distinguished　as　honorably　intellectual　and　cultivated　persons。　＇Count　de　Hordt's　　Memoirs　　（autobiographical；　or　in　the　first　person：　English　Translation；　London；　1806；　TWO　French　Originals；　a　worse　in　1789；　and　a　better　now　at　last）；　Preface；　i…xii。　In　　Helden…Geschichte；　　v。　102…104；　93；　a　detailed　〃List　of　the　Free…Corps　in　1758〃　（twelve　of　foot；　two　of　horse；　at　that　time）：　see　Preuss；　ii。　372　n。；　Pauli　（ubi　supra）；　　Life　of　Mayer。　＇

〃Poor　Mayer　died　within　two　years　hence　（5th　January；　1759）；　of　fever；　caught　by　unheard…of　exertions　and　over　fatigues；　after　many　exploits；　and　with　the　highest　prospect；　opening　on　him。　A　man　of　many　adventures；　of　many　qualities；　a　wild　dash　of　chivalry　in　him　all　along；　and　much　military　and　other　talent　crossed　in　the　growing。　In　the　dull　old　Books　I　read　one　other　fact　which　is　vivid　to　me；　That　Wilhelmina；　as　sequel　of　those　first　Franconian　exploits　and　procedures；　'had　given　him　her　Order　of　Knighthood；　ORDER　OF　SINCERITY　AND　FIDELITY；'〃poor　dear　Princess；　what　an　interest　to　Wilhelmina；　this　flash　of　her　Brother's　thunder　thrown　into　those　Franconian　parts；　and　across　her　own　pungent　anxieties　and　sorrowfully　affectionate　thoughts；　in　these　weeks！

Shortly　after　Mayer；　about　the　time　when　Mayer　was　wending　homeward；　General　von　Oldenburg；　a　very　valiant　punctual　old　General；　was　pushed　out　westward　upon　Erfurt；　a　City　of　Kur…　Mainz's；　to　give　Kur…Mainz　a　similar　monition。　And　did　it　handsomely；　impressively　upon　the　Gazetteer　world　at　least　and　the　Erfurt　populations；though　we　can　afford　it　no　room　in　this　place。　Oldenburg's　force　was　but　some　2；000；　Pirna　Saxons　most　of　them：　such　a　winter　Oldenburg　has　had　with　these　Saxons；　bursting　out　into　actual　musketry　upon　him　once；　Oldenburg；　volcanically　steady；　summoning　the　Prussian　part；　〃To　me；　true　Prussian　Bursche！〃and　hanging　nine　of　the　mutinous　Saxons。　And　has　coerced　and　compesced　them　（all　that　did　not　contrive　to　desert）　into　soldierly　obedience；　and；　20th　June；　appears　at　the　Gate　of　Erfurt　with　them；　to　do　his　delicate　errand　there。　Sharply　conclusive；　though　polite　and　punctual。　〃Send　to　Kur…Mainz　say　you？　Well；　as　to　your　Citadel；　and　those　1；400　soldiers　all　moving　peaceably　off　thither；Yes。　As　to　your　City：　within　one　hour；　Gate　open　to　us；　or　we　open　it！〃　＇In　　Helden…Geschichte　　（v。　371…384）　copious　Account；　with　the　Missives　to　and　from；　the　Reichs…Pleadings　that　followed；　the　&c。　&c。　　Militair…Lexikon；　　？　Oldenburg。＇　And　Oldenburg　marches　in；　as　vice…sovereign　for　the　time：but；　indeed；　has　soon　to　leave　again；　owing　to　what　Event　in　the　distance　will　be　seen！

If　Prag　Siege　go　well；　these　Mayer…Oldenburg　expeditions　will　have　an　effect　on　the　Reich：　but　if　it　go　ill；　what　are　they；　against　Austria　with　its　force　of　steady　pressure？　All　turns　on　the　issue　of　Prag　Siege：a　fact　extremel