history of friedrich ii of prussia v 18-第12部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


inst　Austria　with　its　force　of　steady　pressure？　All　turns　on　the　issue　of　Prag　Siege：a　fact　extremely　evident　to　Friedrich　too！　But　these　are　what　in　the　interim　can　be　done。　One　neglects　no　opportunity；　tries　by　every　method。　　

OF　THE　SINGULAR　QUASI…BEWITCHED　CONDITION　OF　ENGLAND；　AND　WHAT　IS　TO　BE　HOPED　FROM　IT　FOR　THE　COMMON　CAUSE；　IF　PRAG　GO　AMISS。

On　the　Britannic　side；　too；　the　outlooks　are　not　good；much　need　Friedrich　were　through　his　Prag　affair；　and　〃hastening　with　forty　thousand　to　help　his　Allies；〃that　is；　Royal　Highness　of　Cumberland　and　Britannic　Purse；　his　only　allies　at　this　moment。　Royal　Highness　and　Army　of　Observation　（should　have　been　67；000；　are　50　to　60；000；　hired　Germans；　troops　good　enough；　were　they　tolerably　led）　finds　the　Hanover　Program　as　bad　as　Schmettau　and　Friedrich　ever　represented　it；　and；　already；unless　Prag　go　well；　wears；　to　the　understanding　eye；　a　very　contingent　aspect。　D'Estrees　outnumbers　him；　D'Estrees；　too；　is　something　of　a　soldier；a　very　considerable　advantage　in　affairs　of　war。

D'Estrees；　since　April；　is　in　Wesel；　gathering　in　the　revenues；　changing　the　Officialities：　much　out　of　discipline；　they　say；〃hanging〃　gradually　〃1；000　marauders；〃　in　round　numbers　1；000　this　Year。　＇Stenzel；　v。　65；　Retzow；　i。　173。＇　D'Estrees　does　not　yet　push　forward；　owing　to　Prag。　If　he　do　It　is　well　known　how　Royal　Highness　fared　when　he　did；　and　what　a　Campaign　Royal　Highness　made　of　it　this　Year　1757！　How　the　Weser　did　prove　wadable；　as　Schmettau　had　said　to　no　purpose；　wadable；　bridgable；　and　Royal　Highness　had　to　wriggle　back；　ever　back；　no　stand　to　be　made；　or　far　worse　than　none：　back；　ever　back；　till　he　got　into　the　Sea；　for　that　matter；　and　to　the　END　of　more　than　one　thing！　Poor　man；　friends　say　he　has　an　incurable　Hanover　Ministry；　a　Program　that　is　inexecutable。　As　yet　he　has　not　lost　head；　any　head　he　ever　had：　but　he　is　wonderful；　he；and　his　England　is！　We　shall　have　to　look　at　him　once　again；　and　happily　once　only。　Here；　from　my　Constitutional　Historian；　are　some　Passages　which　we　may　as　well　read　in　the　present　interim　of　expectation。　I　label；　and　try　to　arrange：

1。　ENGLAND　IN　CRISIS。　〃England　is　indignant　with　its　Hero　of　Culloden　and　his　Campaign　1757；　but　really　has　no　business　to　complain。　Royal　Highness　of　Cumberland；　wriggling　helplessly　in　that　manner；　is　a　fair　representative　of　the　England　that　now　is。　For　years　back；　there　has　been；　in　regard　to　all　things　Foreign　or　Domestic；　in　that　Country；　by　way　of　National　action；　the　miserablest　haggling　as　to　which　of　various　little…competent　persons　shall　act　for　the　Nation。　A　melancholy　condition　indeed！

〃But　the　fact　is；　his　Grace　of　Newcastle；　ever　since　his　poor　Brother　Pelham　died　（who　was　always　a　solid；　loyal　kind　of　man；　though　a　dull；　and　had　always；　with　patient　affection；　furnished　his　Grace；　much　UNsupplied　otherwise；　with　Common　sense　hitherto）；　is　quite　insecure　in　Parliament；　and　knows　not　what　hand　to　turn　to。　Fox　is　contemptuous　of　him；　Pitt　entirely　impatient　of　him；　Duke　of　Cumberland　（great　in　the　glory　of　Culloden）　is　aiming　to　oust　him；　and　bear　rule　with　his　Young　Nephew；　the　new　Rising　Sun；　as　the　poor　Papa　and　Grandfather　gets　old。　Even　Carteret　（Earl　Granville　as　they　now　call　him；　a　Carteret　much　changed　since　those　high…soaring　Worms…Hanau　times！）　was　applied　to。　But　the　answer　waswhat　could　the　answer　be？　High…soaring　Carteret；　scandalously　overset　and　hurled　out　in　that　Hanau　time；　had　already　tried　once　（long　ago；　and　with　such　result！）　to　spring　in　again；　and　'deliver　his　Majesty　from　factions；'　and　actually　had　made　a　'Granville　Ministry；'　Ministry　which　fell　again　in　one　day。　＇〃11th　February；　1746〃　（Thackeray；　　Life　of　Chatham；　　i。　146）。＇　To　the　complete　disgust　of　Carteret…Granville；who；　ever　since；　sits　ponderously　dormant　（kind　of　Fixture　in　the　Privy　Council；　this　long　while　back）；　and　is　resigned；　in　a　big　contemptuous　way；　to　have　had　his　really　considerable　career　closed　upon　him　by　the　smallest　of　mankind；　and；　except　occasional　blurts　of　strong　rugged　speech　which　come　from　him；　and　a　good　deal　of　wine　taken　into　him；　disdains　making　farther　debate　with　the　world　and　its　elect　Newcastles。　Carteret；　at　this　crisis；　was　again　applied　to；　'Cannot　you？　In　behalf　of　an　afflicted　old　King？'　But　Carteret　answered；　No。　＇Ib。　i。　464。＇

〃In　short；　it　is　admitted　and　bewailed　by　everybody；　seldom　was　there　seen　such　a　Government　of　England　（and　England　has　seen　some　strange　Governments）；　as　in　these　last　Three　Years。　Chaotic　Imbecility　reigning　pretty　supreme。　Ruler's　Work；policy；　administration；　governance；　guidance；　performance　in　any　kind；　where　is　it　to　be　found？　For　if　even　a　Walpole；　when　his　Talking…　Apparatus　gets　out　of　gear　upon　him；　is　reduced　to　extremities；　though　the　stoutest　of　men；fancy　what　it　will　be；　in　like　case；　and　how　the　Acting…Apparatuses　and　Affairs　generally　will　go；　with　a　poor　hysterical　Newcastle；　now　when　his　Common　Sense　is　fatally　withdrawn！　The　poor　man　has　no　resource　but　to　shuffle　about　in　aimless　perpetual　fidget；　endeavoring　vainly　to　say　Yes　and　No　to　all　questions；　Foreign　and　Domestic；　that　may　rise。　Whereby；　in　the　Affairs　of　England；　there　has；　as　it　were；　universal　St。…Vitus's　dance　supervened；　at　an　important　crisis：　and　the　Preparations　for　America；　and　for　a　downright　Life…and…Death　Wrestle　with　France　on　the　JENKINS'S…EAR　QUESTION；　are　quite　in　a　bad　way。　In　an　ominously　bad。　Why　cannot　we　draw　a　veil　over　these　things！〃

2。　PITT；　AND　THE　HOUR　OF　TIDE。　〃The　fidgetings　and　shufflings；　the　subtleties；　inane　trickeries；　and　futile　hitherings　and　thitherings　of　Newcastle　may　be　imagined：　a　man　not　incapable　of　trick；　but　anxious　to　be　well　with　everybody；　and　to　answer　Yes　and　No　to　almost　everything；and　not　a　little　puzzled；　poor　soul；　to　get　through；　in　that　impossible　way！　Such　a　paralysis　of　wriggling　imbecility　fallen　over　England；　in　this　great　crisis　of　its　fortunes；　as　is　still　painful　to　contemplate：　and　indeed　it　has　been　mostly　shaken　out　of　mind　by　the　modern　Englishman；　who　tries　to　laugh　at　it；　instead　of　weeping　and　considering；　which　would　better　beseem。　Pitt　speaks　with　a　tragical　vivacity；　in　all　ingenious　dialects；　lively　though　serious；　and　with　a　depth　of　sad　conviction；　which　is　apt　to　be　slurred　over　and　missed　altogether　by　a　modern　reader。　Speaks　as　if　this　brave　English　Nation　were　about　ended；　little　or　no　hope　left　for　it；　here　a　gleam　of　possibility；　and　there　a　gleam；　which　soon　vanishes　again　in　the　fatal　murk　of　impotencies；　do…nothingisms。　Very　sad　to　the　heart　of　Pitt。　A　once　brave　Nation　arrived　at　its　critical　point；　and　doomed　to　higgle　and　puddle　there　till　it　drown　in　the　gutters：　considerably　tragical　to　Pitt；　who　is　lively；　ingenious；　and；　though　not　quitting　the　Parliamentary　tone　for　the　Hebrew…　Prophetic；　far　more　serious　than　the　modern　reader　thinks。

〃In　Walpole's　Book　＇　Memoirs　of　the　Last　Ten　Years　of　George　II。　＇　there　is　the　liveliest　Picture　of　this　dismal　Parliamentary　Hellbroth；such　a　Mother　of　Dead　Dogs　as　one　has　seldom　looked　into！　For　the　Hour　is　great；　and　the　Honorable　Gentlemen；　I　must　say；　are　small。　The　hour；　little　as　you　dream　of　it；　my　Honorable　Friends；　is　pregnant　with　questions　that　are　immense。　Wide　Continents；　long　Epochs　and　AEons　hang　on　this　poor　jargoning　of　yours；　the　Eternal　Destinies　are　asking　their　much…　favored　Nation；　'Will　you；　can　you？'much…favored　Nation　is　answering　in　that　manner。　Astonished　at　its　own　stupidity；　and　taking　refuge　in　laughter。　The　Eternal　Destinies　are　very　patient　with　some　Nations；　and　can　disregard　their　follies；　for　a　long　while；　and　have　their　Cromwell；　have　their　Pitt；　or　what　else　is　essential；　ready　for　the　poor　Nation；　in　a　grandly　silent　way！

〃Certain　it　is；though　how　could　poor　Newcastle　know　it　at　all！　here　is　again　the　hour　of　tide　for　England。　Tide　is　full　again；　has　been　flowing　long　hundreds　of　years；　and　is　full：　certain；　too；　that　time　and　tide　wait　on　no　man　or　nation。　In　a　dialect　different　from　Cromwell's　or　Pitt's；　but　with　a　sense　true　to　theirs；　I　call　it　the　Eternal　Destinies　knocking　at　England's　door　again：　'Are　you　ready　for　the　crisis；　birth…point　of　long　Ages　to　you；　which　is　now　come？'　Greater　question　had　not　been；　for　centuries　past。　None　to　be　named　with　it　since　that　high　Spiritual　Question　（truly　a　much　higher；　and　which　was　in　fact　the　PARENT　of　this　and　of　all　of　high　and　great　that　lay　ahead）；　which　England　and　Oliver　Cromwell　were　there　to　answer：　'Will　you　hold　by　Consecrated　Formulas；　then；　you　English；　and　expect　salvation　from　traditions　of　the　elders；　or　are　you　for　Divine　Realities；　as　the　one　sacred　and　indispensable　thing？'　Which　they　did　answer；　in　what　way　we　know。　Truly　the　Highest　Question；　which　if　a　Nation　can　answer　WELL；　it　will　grow　in　this　world；　and　may　come　to　be　considerable；　and　to　have　many　high　Questions　to　answer；this　of　Pitt's；　for　example。　And　the　Answers　given　do　always　extend　through　coming　ages；　and　do　always　bear　harvests；　accursed　or　else　blessed；　according　as　the　Answers　were。　A　thing　awfully　true；　if　you　have　eye　for　it；a　thing　to　make　Honorable　Gentlemen　serious；　even　in　the　age　of　percussion…　caps！　No；　my　friend；　Newcastleisms；　impious　Poltrooneries；　in　a　Nation；　do　not　die：neither　（thank　God）　do　Cromwellisms　and　pious　Heroisms；　but　are　alive　for　the　poor　Nation；　even　in　its　somnambulancies；　in　its　stupidest　dreams。　For　Nations　have　their　somnambulancies；　and；　at　any　rate；　the　questions　put　to　Nations；　in　different　ages；　vary　much。　Not　in　any　age；　or　turning…point　in　History；　had　England　answered　the　Destinies　in　such　a　dialect　as　now　under　its　Newcastle　and　National　Palaver。〃

3。　OF　WALPOLE；　AS　RECORDING　ANGEL。　〃Walpole's　　George　the　Second　　is　a　Book　of　far　more　worth　than　is　commonly　ascribed　to　it；　almost　the　one　original　English　Book　yet　written　on　those　times；which；　by　the　accident　of　Pitt；　are　still　memorable　to　us。　But　for　Walpole；burning　like　a　small　steady　light　there；　shining　faithfully；　if　stingily；　on　the　evil　and　the　good；that　sordid　muddle　of　the　Pelham　Parliaments；　which　chanced　to　be　the　element　of　things　now　recognizable　enough　as　great；　would　be　forever　unintelligible。　He　is　unusually　accurate；　punct