history of friedrich ii of prussia v 18-第31部分

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osterity　never　will　conceive　it；　and　description　is　useless。

Let　us　add　here；　that　Apraxin　did　not　advance　on　Konigsberg；　or　farther　into　Preussen　at　all；　but；　after　some　loitering；　turned；　to　everybody's　surprise；　and　wended　slowly　home。　〃Could　get　no　provision；〃　said　Apraxin　for　himself。　〃Thought　the　Czarina　was　dying；〃　said　the　world；　〃and　that　Peter　her　successor　would　take　it　well！〃　Plodded　slowly　home；　for　certain；　Lehwald　following　him；　not　too　close；　till　over　the　border。　Nothing　left　of　Apraxin；　and　his　huge　Expedition；　but　Memel　alone；　Memel；　and　a　great　many　graves　and　ruins。　So　that　Lehwald　could　be　recalled；　to　attend　on　the　Swedes；　before　Winter　came。　And　Friedrich's　worst　forebodings　did　not　take　effect　in　this　case；nor　in　some　others；　as　we　shall　see！


LAMENTATION…PSALMS　OF　FRIEDRICH。

Meanwhile；　is　it　not　remarkable　that　Friedrich　wrote　more　Verses；　this　Autumn；　than　almost　in　any　other　three　months　of　his　life？　Singular；　yes；　though　perhaps　not　inexplicable。　And　if　readers　could　fairly　understand　that　fact；　instead　of　running　away　with　the　shell　of　it；　and　leaving　the　essence；　it　would　throw　a　great　light　on　Friedrich。　He　is　not　a　brooding　inarticulate　man；　then；　but　a　bright…glancing；　articulate；　not　to　be　struck　dumb　by　the　face　of　Death　itself。　Flashes　clear…eyed　into　the　physiognomy　of　Death；　and　Ruin；　and　the　Abysmal　Horrors　opening；　and　has　a　sharp　word　to　say　to　them。　The　explanation　of　his　large　cargo　of　Verses　this　Autumn　is；　That　always；　alternating　with　such　fiery　velocity；　he　had　intolerable　periods　of　waiting　till　things　were　ready。　And　took　to　verses；　by　way　of　expectorating　himself；　and　keeping　down　his　devils。　Not　a　bad　plan；　in　the　circumstances；especially　if　you　have　so　wonderful　a　turn　for　expectoration　by　speech。　〃All　bad　as　Poetry；　those　Verses？〃　asks　the　reader。　Well；　some　of　them　are　not　of　first…rate　goodness。　Should　have　been　burnt；　or　the　time　marked　which　they　took　up；　and　whether　it　was　good　time　wasted　（which　I　suppose　it　almost　never　was）；　or　bad　time　skilfully　got　over。　Time；　that　is　the　great　point；　and　the　heart…truth　of　them；　or　mere　lip…truth；　another。　We　must　give　some　specimens；　at　any　rate。

Especially　that　notable　Specimen　from　the　Zittau　Countries：　the　〃Epistle　to　Wilhelmina　（EPITRE　A　MA　SOEUR　＇　OEuvres　de　Frederic；　　xii。　36…42。＇；〃　which　is　the　key…note；　as　it　were；　the　fountain…head　of　much　other　verse；　and　of　much　prose　withal；　and　Correspondencing　not　with　Wilhelmina　alone；　of　which　also　some　taste　must　be　given。　Primary　EPITRE；　written；　I　perceive；　in　that　interval　of　waiting　for　Keith　and　the　magazines；though　the　final　date　is　〃Bernstadt；　August　24th。〃　Concerning　which；　Smelfungus　takes；　over…hastily；　the　liberty　to　say：　〃Strange；　is　it　not；　to　be　on　the　point　of　fighting　for　one's　existence；　overwhelmed　with　so　many　businesses；　and　disposed　to　go　into　verse　in　addition！　CONCEIVE　that　form　of　mind；　it　would　illuminate　something　of　Friedrich's　character：　I　cannot　yet　rightly　understand　such　an　aspect　of　structure；　and　know　not　what　to　say　of　it；　except　'Strange！'〃

Understand　it　or　not；　we　do　gather　by　means　of　it　some　indisputable　glimpses；　nearly　all　the　direct　insight　allowed　us　out　of　any　source；　into　Friedrich's　inner　man；　what　his　thoughts　were；　what　his　humor　was　in　that　unique　crisis；　and　to　readers　in　quest　of　that；　these　Pieces；　fallen　obsolete　and　frosty　to　all　other　kinds　of　readers；　are　well　worth　perusing；　and　again　perusing。　Most　veracious　Documents；　we　can　observe；　nothing　could　be　truer；　Confessions　they　are；　in　the　most　emphatic　sense；　no　truer　ever　made　to　a　Priest　in　the　name　of　the　Most　High。　Like　a　soliloquy　of　Night…Thoughts；　accidentally　becoming　audible　to　us。　Mahomet；　I　find；　wrote　the　Koran　in　this　manner。　From　these　poor　Poems；　which　are　voices　DE　PROFUNDIS；　there　might；　by　proper　care　and　selection；　be　constructed　a　Friedrich's　Koran；　and；　with　commentary　and　elucidation；　it　would　be　pleasant　to　read。　The　Koran　of　Friedrich；　or　the　Lamentation…Psalms　of　Friedrich！　But　it　would　need　an　Editor；other　than　Dryasdust！　Mahomet's　Koran；　treated　by　the　Arab　Dryasdust　（merely　turning　up　the　bottom　of　that　Box　of　Shoulder…　blades；　and　printing　them）；　has　become　dreadfully　tough　reading；　on　this　side　of　the　Globe；　and　has　given　rise　to　the　impossiblest　notions　about　Mahomet！　Indisputable　it　is；　Heroes；　in　their　affliction；　Mahomet　and　David；　have　solaced　themselves　by　snatches　of　Psalms；　by　Suras；　bursts　of　Utterance　rising　into　Song；and　if　Friedrich；　on　far　other　conditions；　did　the　like；　what　has　History　to　say　of　blame　to　him？

Wilhelmina　comes　out　very　strong；　in　this　season　of　trouble；　almost　the　last　we　see　of　our　excellent　Wilhelmina。　Like　a　lioness；　like　a　shrill　mother　when　her　children　are　in　peril。　A　noble　sisterly　affection　is　in　Wilhelmina；　shrill　Pythian　vehemence　trying　the　impossible。　That　a　Brother；　and　such　a　Brother；　the　most　heroic　now　breathing；　brave　and　true；　and　the　soul　of　honor　in　all　things；　should　have　the　whole　world　rise　round　him；　like　a　delirious　Sorcerer's…Sabbath；　intent　to　hurl　the　mountains　on　him；　seems　such　a　horror　and　a　madness　to　Wilhelmina。　Like　the　brood…　hen　flying　in　the　face　of　wild　dogs；　and　packs　of　hounds　in　full　trail！　Most　Christian　Pompadour　Kings；　enraged　Czarinas；　implacable　Empress…Queens；　a　whole　world　in　armed　delirium　rushes　on；　regardless　of　Wilhelmina。　Never　mind；　my　noble　one；　your　Brother　will　perhaps　manage　to　come　up　with　this　leviathan　or　that　among　the　heap　of　them；　at　a　good　time；　and　smite　into　the　fifth　rib　of　him。　Your　Brother　does　not　the　least　shape　towards　giving　in；　thank　the　Heavens；　he　will　stand　to　himself　at　least；　his　own　poor　strength　will　all　be　on　his　own　side。

Wilhelmina's　hopes　of　a　Peace　with　France；　mission　of　her　Mirabeau；　missions　and　schemes　not　a　few；　we　have　heard　of　on　Wilhelmina's　part　with　this　view；　but　the　notablest　is　still　to　mention：　that　of　stirring　up；　by　Voltaire's　means；　an　important…looking　Cardinal　de　Tencin　to　labor　in　the　business。　Eminency　Tencin　lives　in　Lyon；　known　to　the　Princess　on　her　Italian　Tour；shy　of　asking　Voltaire　to　dinner　on　that　fine　occasion；but；　except　Officially；　is　not　otherwise　than　well…affected　to　Voltaire。　Was　once　Chief　Minister　of　France；　and　would　fain　again　be；　does　not　like　these　Bernis　novelties　and　Austrian　Alliances；　had　he　now　any　power　to　overset　them。　Let　him　correspond　with　Most　Christian　Majesty；　at　least；　plead　for　a　Peace　with　Prussia；　Prussia　being　so　ready　that　way。　Eminency　Tencin；　on　Voltaire's　suggestion；　did　so；　perhaps　is　even　now　doing　so；　till　ordered　to　hold　HIS　peace　on　such　subjects。　This　is　certain　and　well　known；　but　nothing　else　is　known；　or　to　us　knowable；　about　it；　Voltaire；　in　vague　form；　being　our　one　authority；　through　whom　it　is　vain　to　hunt；　and　again　hunt。　＇　OEuvres　（Memoires）；　　ii。　92；　93；　IB。　i。　143；　Preuss；　ii。　84。＇　The　Dates；　much　more　the　features　and　circumstances；　all　lie　buried　from　us；　andtill　perhaps　the　Lamentation…Psalms　are　well　editedmust　continue　lying。　As　a　fact　certain；　but　undeniably　vague。

Voltaire's　procedure；　one　can　gather；　is　polite；　but　two…faced；　not　sublime　on　this　occasion。　In　fact；　is　intended　to　serve　himself。　To　the　high　Princess　he　writes　devotionally；　ready　to　obey　in　all　things；　and　then　to　his　Eminency　Cardinal　Tencin；　it　rather　seems　as　if　the　tone　were：　〃Pooh！　yes；　your　Eminency；　such　are　the　poor　Lady's　notions。　But　does　your　Eminency　take　notice　how　high　my　connections　are；　what　service　a　poor　obscure　creature　might　perhaps　do　the　State　some　day？〃　Friedrich　himself　is；　in　these　ways；　brought　into　correspondence　with　Voltaire　again；　and　occasionally　writes　to　him　in　this　War；　and　ever　afterwards：　Voltaire　responds　with　fine　sympathy；　always　prettily；　in　the　enthusiasm　of　the　moment；and　at　other　times　he　writes　a　good　deal　about　Friedrich；　oftenest　in　rather　a　mischievous　dialect。　〃The　traitor！〃　exclaim　some　Prussian　writers；　not　many　or　important；　in　our　time。　In　fact；　there　is　a　considerable　touch　of　grinning　malice　（as　of　Monkey　VERSUS　Cat；　who　had　once　burnt　HIS　paw；　instead　of　getting　his　own　burnt）；　in　those　utterances　of　Voltaire；　some　of　which　the　reader　will　grin　over　too；　without　much　tragic　feeling；the　rather　as　they　did　our　Felis　Leo　no　manner　of　ill；　and　show　our　incomparable　SINGE　with　a　sparkle　of　the　TIGRE　in　him；　theoretic　sparkle　merely　and　for　moments；　which　makes　him　all　the　more　entertaining　and　interesting　at　the　domestic　hearth。

Of　Friedrich's　Lamentation…Psalms　we　propose　to　give　the　First　and　the　Last：　these；　with　certain　Prose　Pieces；　intermediate　and　connecting；　may　perhaps　be　made　intelligible　to　readers；　and　throw　some　light　on　these　tragic　weeks　of　the　King's　History：

1。　EPITRE　A　MA　SOEUR　（First　of　the　Lamentation…Psalms）。This　is　the　famed　〃Epistle　to　Wilhelmina；〃　already　spoken　of；　which　the　King　despatched　from　Bernstadt　〃August　24th；〃　just　while　quitting　those　parts；　on　the　Erfurt　Errand；though　written　before；　in　the　tedium　of　waiting　for　Keith。　The　Piece　is　long；　vehement；　altogether　sincere；　lyrically　sings　aloud；　or　declaims　in　rhyme；　what　one's　indignant　thought　really　is　on　the　surrounding　woes　and　atrocities。　We　faithfully　abridge；　and　condense　into　our　briefest　Prose；readers　can　add　water　and　the　jingle　of　French　rhymes　AD　LIBITUM。　It　starts　thus：

〃O　sweet　and　dear　hope　of　my　remaining　days；　O　Sister；　whose　friendship；　so　fertile　in　resources；　shares　all　my　sorrows；　and　with　a　helpful　arm　assists　me　in　the　gulf！　It　is　in　vain　that　the　Destinies　have　overwhelmed　me　with　disasters：　if　the　crowd　of　Kings　have　sworn　my　ruin；　if　the　Earth　have　opened　to　swallow　me；　you　still　love　me；　noble　and　affectionate　Sister：　loved　by　you；　what　is　there　of　misfortune？　＇Branches　off　into　some　survey　of　it；　nevertheless。＇

〃Huge　continents　of　thunder…cloud；　plots　thickening　against　me　＇in　those　Menzel　Documents＇；　I　watched　with　terror；　the　sky　getting　blacker；　no　covert　for　me　visible：　on　a　sudden；　from　the　deeps　of　Hell；　starts　forth　Discord　＇with　capital　letter＇；　and　the　tempest　broke。

　Ce　fut　dans　ton　Senat；　O　fouqueuse　Angleterre！　　　　　　　　　　Ou　ce　monstre　inhumain　fit　eclater　la　guerre：　　

It　was　from　thy　Senate；　stormful　England；　that　she　first