history of friedrich ii of prussia v 18-第33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！


series　by　ceasing　to　live。　The　state　I　am　in　is　worse　than　death。　I　see　the　greatest　man　of　his　age；　my　Brother；　my　friend；　reduced　to　the　frightfulest　extremity。　I　see　my　whole　Family　exposed　to　dangers　and　perhaps　destruction；　my　native　Country　torn　by　pitiless　enemies；　the　Country　where　I　am　＇Reichs　Army；　Anspach；　what　not＇　menaced　by　perhaps　similar　misfortune。　Would　to　Heaven　I　were　alone　loaded　with　all　the　miseries　I　have　described　to　you！　I　would　suffer　them；　and　with　firmness。

〃Pardon　these　details。　You　invite　me；　by　the　part　you　take　in　what　regards　me；　to　open　my　heart　to　you。　Alas；　hope　is　well…nigh　banished　from　it。　Fortune；　when　she　changes；　is　as　constant　in　her　persecutions　as　in　her　favors。　History　is　full　of　those　examples：　but　I　have　found　none　equal　to　the　one　we　now　see；　nor　any　War　as　inhuman　and　as　cruel　among　civilized　nations。　You　would　sigh　if　you　knew　the　sad　situation　of　Germany　and　Preussen。　The　cruelties　which　the　Russians　commit　in　that　latter　Country　make　nature　shudder。　＇Details；　horrible　but　authentic；　in　　Helden…Geschichte；　　already　cited。＇　How　happy　you　in　your　Hermitage；　where　you　repose　on　your　laurels；　and　can　philosophize　with　a　calm　mind　on　the　deliriums　of　men！　I　wish　you　all　the　happiness　imaginable。　If　Fortune　ever　favor　us　again；　count　on　all　my　gratitude。　I　will　never　forget　the　marks　of　attachment　which　you　have　given；　my　sensibility　is　your　warrant；　I　am　never　half…and…　half　a　friend；　and　I　shall　always　be　wholly　so　of　Brother　Voltaire。WILHELMINA。

〃Many　compliments　to　Madame　Denis。　Continue；　I　pray　you；　to　write　to　the　King。〃　＇In　　Voltaire；　　ii。　197…199；　lxxvii。　57。＇

VOLTAIRE　TO　WILHELMINA　（Day　uncertain：　THE　DELICES；　SEPTEMBER；　1757）。〃Madam；　my　heart　is　touched　more　than　ever　by　the　goodness　and　the　confidence　your　Royal　Highness　deigns　to　show　me。　How　can　I　be　but　melted　by　emotion！　I　see　that　it　is　solely　your　nobleness　of　soul　that　renders　you　unhappy。　I　feel　myself　born　to　be　attached　with　idolatry　to　superior　and　sympathetic　minds；　who　think　like　you。　〃You　know　how　much　I　have　always；　essentially　and　at　heart；　been　attached　to　the　King　your　Brother。　The　more　my　old　age　is　tranquil；　and　come　to　renounce　everything；　and　make　my　retreat　here　a　home　and　country；　the　more　am　I　devoted　to　that　Philosopher…King。　I　write　nothing　to　him　but　what　I　think　from　the　bottom　of　my　heart；　nothing　that　I　do　not　think　most　true；　and　if　my　Letter　＇dissuasive　of　seeking　Death；　wait；　reader＇　appears　to　your　Royal　Highness　to　be　suitable；　I　beg　you　to　protect　it　with　him；　as　you　have　done　the　foregoing。〃　＇In　　Voltaire；　　lxxvii。　37；　39。＇

4。　FRIEDRICH　TO　WILHELMINA；　AND；　BY　ANTICIPATION；　HER　ANSWER　（Third　of　the　Prose　Pieces）。〃KIRSCHLEBEN；　NEAR　ERFURT；　17th　SEPTEMBER；　1757。My　dearest　Sister；　I　find　no　other　consolation　but　in　your　precious　Letters。　May　Heaven　reward　so　much　virtue　and　such　heroic　sentiments！

〃Since　I　wrote　last　to　you；　my　misfortunes　have　but　gone　on　accumulating。　It　seems　as　though　Destiny　would　discharge　all　its　wrath　and　fury　upon　the　poor　Country　which　I　had　to　rule　over。　The　Swedes　have　entered　Pommern。　The　French；　after　having　concluded　a　Neutrality　humiliating　to　the　King　of　England　and　themselves　＇Kloster…Zeven；　which　we　know＇；　are　in　full　march　upon　Halberstadt　and　Magdeburg。　From　Preussen　I　am　in　daily　expectation　of　hearing　of　a　battle　having　been　fought：　the　proportion　of　combatants　being　25；000　against　80；000　＇was　fought；　Gross…Jagersdorf；　30th　August；　and　lost　accordingly＇。　The　Austrians　have　marched　into　Silesia；　whither　the　Prince　of　Bevern　follows　them。　I　have　advanced　this　way　to　fall　upon　the　corps　of　the　allied　Army；　which　has　run　off；　and　intrenched　itself；　behind　Eisenach；　amongst　hills；　whither　to　follow；　still　more　to　attack　them；　all　rules　of　war　forbid。　The　moment　I　retire　towards　Saxony；　this　whole　swarm　will　be　upon　my　heels。　Happen　what　may；　I　am　determined；　at　all　risks；　to　fall　upon　whatever　corps　of　the　enemy　approaches　me　nearest。　I　shall　even　bless　Heaven　for　its　mercy；　if　it　grant　me　the　favor　to　die　sword　in　hand。

〃Should　this　hope　fail　me；　you　will　allow　that　it　would　be　too　hard　to　crawl　at　the　feet　of　a　company　of　traitors；　to　whom　successful　crimes　have　given　the　advantage　to　prescribe　the　law　to　me。　How；　my　dear；　my　incomparable　Sister；　how　could　I　repress　feelings　of　vengeance　and　of　resentment　against　all　my　neighbors；　of　whom　there　is　not　one　who　did　not　accelerate　my　downfall；　and　will　not；　share　in　our　spoils？　How　can　a　Prince　survive　his　State；　the　glory　of　his　Country；　his　own　reputation？　A　Bavarian　Elector；　in　his　nonage　＇Son　of　the　late　poor　Kaiser；　and　left；　shipwrecked　in　his　seventeenth　year＇；　or　rather　in　a　sort　of　subjection　to　his　Ministers；　and　dull　to　the　biddings　of　honor；　may　give　himself　up　as　a　slave　to　the　imperious　domination　of　the　House　of　Austria；　and　kiss　the　hand　which　oppressed　his　Father：　I　pardon　it　to　his　youth　and　his　ineptitude。　But　is　that　the　example　for　me　to　follow？　No；　dear　Sister；　you　think　too　nobly　to　give　me　such　mean　（LACHE）　advice。　Is　Liberty；　that　precious　prerogative；　to　be　less　dear　to　a　Sovereign　in　the　eighteenth　century　than　it　was　to　Roman　Patricians　of　old？　And　where　is　it　said；　that　Brutus　and　Cato　should　carry　magnanimity　farther　than　Princes　and　Kings？　Firmness　consists　in　resisting　misfortune：　but　only　cowards　submit　to　the　yoke；　bear　patiently　their　chains；　and　support　oppression　tranquilly。　Never；　my　dear　Sister；　could　I　resolve　upon　such　ignominy。　。。。

〃If　I　had　followed　only　my　own　inclinations；　I　should　have　ended　it　（JE　ME　SERAIS　DEPECHE）　at　once；　after　that　unfortunate　Battle　which　I　lost。　But　I　felt　that　this　would　be　weakness；　and　that　it　behooved　me　to　repair　the　evil　which　had　happened。　My　attachment　to　the　State　awoke；　I　said　to　myself；　It　is　not　in　seasons　of　prosperity　that　it　is　rare　to　find　defenders；　but　in　adversity。　I　made　it　a　point　of　honor　with　myself　to　redress　all　that　had　got　out　of　square；　in　which　I　was　not　unsuccessful；　not　even　in　the　Lausitz　＇after　those　Zittau　disasters＇　last　of　all。　But　no　sooner　had　I　hastened　this　way　to　face　new　enemies；　than　Winterfeld　was　beaten　and　killed　near　Gorlitz；　than　the　French　entered　the　heart；　of　my　States；　than　the　Swedes　blockaded　Stettin。　Now　there　is　nothing　effective　left　for　me　to　do：　there　are　too　many　enemies。　Were　I　even　to　succeed　in　beating　two　armies；　the　third　would　crush　me。　The　enclosed　Note　＇in　cipher＇　will　show　you　what　I　am　still　about　to　try：　it　is　the　last　attempt。

〃The　gratitude；　the　tender　affection；　which　I　feel　towards　you；　that　friendship；　true　as　the　hills；　constrains　me　to　deal　openly　with　you。　No；　my　divine　Sister；　I　shall　conceal　nothing　from　you　that　I　intend　to　do；　all　my　thoughts；　all　my　resolutions　shall　be　open　and　known　to　you　in　time。　I　will　precipitate　nothing：　but　also　it　will　be　impossible　for　me　to　change　my　sentiments。　。。。

〃As　for　you；　my　incomparable　Sister；　I　have　not　the　heart　to　turn　you　from　your　resolves。　We　think　alike；　and　I　cannot　condemn　in　you　the　sentiments　which　I　daily　entertain　（EPROUVE）。　Life　has　been　given　to　us　as　a　benefit：　when　it　ceases　to　be　such〃！　〃I　have　nobody　left　in　this　world；　to　attach　me　to　it；　but　you。　My　friends；　the　relations　I　loved　most；　are　in　the　grave；　in　short；　I　have　lost；　everything。　If　you　take　the　resolution　which　I　have　taken；　we　end　together　our　misfortunes　and　our　unhappiness；　and　it　will　be　the　turn　of　them　who　remain　in　this　world；　to　provide　for　the　concerns　falling　to　their　charge；　and　to　bear　the　weight；　which　has　lain　on　us　so　long。　These；　my　adorable　Sister；　are　sad　reflections；　but　suitable　to　my　present　condition。

〃The　day　before　yesterday　I　was　at　Gotha　＇yes；　see　above；and　to…morrow；　if　I　knew　it；　Seidlitz　with　pictorial　effects　will　be　there＇。　。。。

〃But；　it　is　time　to　end　this　long；　dreary　Letter；　which　treats　almost　of　nothing　but　my　own　affairs。　I　have　had　some　leisure；　and　have　used　it　to　open　on　you　a　heart　filled　with　admiration　and　gratitude　towards　you。　Yes；　my　adorable　Sister；　if　Providence　troubled　itself　about　human　affairs；　you　ought　to　be　the　happiest　person　in　the　Universe。　Your　not　being　such；　confirms　me　in　the　sentiments　expressed　at　the　end　of　my　EPITRE。　In　conclusion；　believe　that　I　adore　you；　and　that　I　would　give　my　life　a　thousand　times　to　serve　you。　These　are　the　sentiments　which　will　animate　me　to　the　last　breath　of　my　life；　being；　my　beloved　Sister；　ever〃　YourF。　＇　OEuvres；　　xxvii。　i；　303…307。＇

WILHELMINA'S　ANSWER；by　anticipation；　as　we　said：　written　〃15th　September；〃　while　Friedrich　was　dining　at　Gotha；　in　quest　of　Soubise。

〃BAIREUTH；　15th　SEPTEMBER；　1757。　My　dearest　Brother；　your　Letter　and　the　one　you　wrote　to　Voltaire；　my　dear　Brother；　have　almost　killed　me。　What　fatal　resolutions；　great　God！　Ah；　my　dear　Brother；　you　say　you　love　me；　and　you　drive　a　dagger　into　my　heart。　Your　EPITRE；　which　I　did　receive；　made　me　shed　rivers　of　tears。　I　am　now　ashamed　of　such　weakness。　My　misfortune　would　be　so　great〃　in　the　issue　there　alluded　to；　〃that　I　should　find　worthier　resources　than　tears。　Your　lot　shall　be　mine：　I　will　not　survive　either　your　misfortunes　or　those　of　the　House　I　belong　to。　You　may　calculate　that　such　is　my　firm　resolution。

〃But；　after　this　avowal；　allow　me　to　entreat　you　to　look　back　at　what　was　the　pitiable　state　of　your　Enemy　when　you　lay　before　Prag！　　It　is　the　sudden　whirl　of　Fortune　for　both　parties。　The　like　can　occur　again；　when　one　is　least　expecting　it；　Caesar　was　the　slave　of　Pirates；　and　he　became　the　master　of　the　world。　A　great　genius　like　yours　finds　resources　even　when　all　is　lost；　and　it　is　impossible　this　frenzy　can　continue。　My　heart　bleeds　to　think　of　the　poor　souls　in　Preussen　＇Apraxin　and　his　Christian　Cossacks　there；who；　it　is　noted；　far　excel　the　Calmuck　worshippers　of　the　Dalai…Lama＇。　What　horrid　barbarity；　the　detail　of　cruelties　that　go　on　there！　I　feel　all　that　you　feel　on　it；　my　dear　Brother。　I　know　your　heart；　and　your　sensibility　for　your　subjects。

〃I　suffer　a　thousand　times　more　than　I　can　tell　you；　nevertheless　hope　does　not　abandon　me。　I　received　your　Letter　of　the　14th　by　W。　＇who　W。　is；　no　mortal　knows＇。　What　kindness　to　think　of　me；　who　have　nothing　t