history of friedrich ii of prussia v 18-第36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！


g；　stept　in　himself；　through　a　side…　door；　in　his　dressing…gown；　and　with　the　words；　'Speak　now　what　you　have　to　say。'

〃I　thereupon　slipt　into　his　hand　CITATIO　FISCALIS；　and　said〃said　at　first　nothing；　Plotho　avers；　merely　mumbled；　looked　like　some　poor　caitiff；　come　with　Law…papers　on　a　trifling　Suit　we　happen　to　have　in　the　Courts　here；and　only　by　degrees　said　（let　us　abridge；　SCENE；　Aprill　and　Plotho；　Anteroom　in　Regensburg；　first…floor　and　rather　higher）：

APTILL。　〃'I　have　to　give　your　Excellenz　this　Writing；＇which　privately；　could　your　Excellenz　guess　it；　is＇　CITATIO　FISCALIS　from　the　Reichstag；　summoning　his　Majesty　to　show　cause　why　Ban　of　the　Reich　should　not　pass　upon　him！'　His　Excellenz　at　first　took　the　CITATIO　and　adjuncts　from　me；　and　looking　into　them　to　see　what　they　were；　his　Excellenz's　face　began　to　color；　and　soon　after　to　color　a　little　more；　and　on　his　looking　attentively　at　CITATIO　FISCALIS；　he　broke　into　violent　anger　and　rage；　so　that　he　could　not　stand　still　any　longer；　but　with　burning　face；　and　both　arms　held　aloft；　rushed　close　to　me；　CITATIO　and　adjuncts　in　his　right　hand；　and　broke　out　in　this　form：

PLOTHO。　〃'What；　insinuate　（INSINUIEREN）；　you　scoundrel！'

APRILL。　〃'It　is　my　Notarial　Office；　I　must　do　it。'　In　spite　of　which　the　Freiherr　von　Plotho　fell　on　me　with　all　rage；　grasped　me　by　the　front　of　the　cloak；　and　said：

PLOTHO。　〃'Take　it　back；　wilt　thou！'　And　as　I　resisted　doing　so；　he　stuck　it　in　upon　me；　and　shoved　it　down　with　all　violence　between　my　coat　and　waistcoat；　and；　still　holding　me　by　the　cloak；　called　to　the　two　servants　who　had　been　there；　'Fling　him　down　stairs！'　which　they；　being　discreet　fellows；　and　in　no　flurry；　did　not　quite；　nor　needed　quite　to　do　（'Must；　sir；　you　see；　unless！'）；　and　so　forced　me　out　of　the　house；　Excellenz　Plotho　retiring　through　his　Anteroom；　and　his　Body…servant；　who　at　first　had　been　on　the　stairs；　likewise　disappearing　as　I　got　under　way；〃and　have　to　report；　in　such　manner；　to　the　Universe　and　Reichs　Diet；　with　tears　in　my　eyes。　＇Preuss；　ii。　397…401；　in　　Helden…Geschichte；　　iv。　745…749；　Plotho's　Account。＇

What　became　of　Reichs　Ban　after　this；　ask　not。　It　fell　dead　by　Friedrich's　victories　now　at　hand；　rose　again　into　life　on　Friedrich's　misfortunes　（August；　1758）；　threatening　to　include　George　Second　in　it；　upon　which　the　CORPUS　EVANGELICORUM　made　some　counter…mumblement；and；　I　have　heard；　the　French　privately　advised：　〃Better　drop　it；　these　two　Kings　are　capable　of　walking　out　of　you；　and　dangerously　kicking　the　table　over　as　they　go！〃　Whereby　it　again　fell　dead；　positively　for　the　last　time；　and；　in　short；　is　worth　no　mention　or　remembrance　more。

CORPUS　EVANGELICORUM　had　always　been　against　Reichs　Ban：　a　few　Dissentients；　or　Half…Dissentients　excepted；as　Mecklenburg　wholly　and　with　a　will；　foolish　Anspach　wholly；　and　the　Anhalts　haggling　some　dissent；　and　retracting　it　（why；　I　never　knew）；for　which　Mecklenburg　and　the　Anhalts；　lying　within　clutch　of　one；　had　to　repent　bitterly　in　the　years　coming！　Enough　of　all　that。

The　Haddick　invasion；；which　had　got　its　gloves；　left…hand　or　not；　and　part　of　its　road…expenses；　brought　another　consequence　much　more　important　on　the　PER…CONTRA　side。　The　triumphing；　TE…DEUM…ing　and　jubilation　over　it；〃His　Metropolis　captured；　Royal　Family　in　flight！〃raised　the　Dauphiness　Army；　and　especially　Versailles；　into　such　enthusiasm；　that　Dauphiness　came　bodily　out　（on　order　from　Versailles）；　spread　over　the　Country；　plundering　and　insulting　beyond　example；　got　herself　reinforced　by　a　15；000　from　the　Richelieu　Army；　crossed　the　Saale；　determined　on　taking　Leipzig；　beating　Friedrich；　and　I　know　not　what。　Keith；　in　Leipzig　with　a　small　Party；　had　summons　from　Soubise's　vanguard　（October　24th）：　Keith　answered；　He　would　burn　the　suburbs；upon　which；　said　vanguard；　hearing　of　Friedrich's　advent　withal；　took　itself　rapidly　away。　And　Soubise　and　it　would　fain　have　recrossed　Saale；　I　have　understood；　had　not　Versailles　been　peremptory。

In　a　word；　Friedrioh　arrived　at　Leipzig　October　26th；　Ferdinand；　Moritz　and　all　the　others　coming　or　already　come：　and　there　is　something　great　just　at　hand。　Friedrich's　stay　in　Leipzig　was　only　four　days。　Cheering　prospect　of　work　now　ahead　here；add　to　this；　assurance　from　Preussen　that　Apraxin　is　fairly　going　home；　and　Lehwald　coming　to　look　after　the　Swedes。　Were　it　not　that　there　is　bad　news　from　Silesia；　things　generally　are　beginning　to　look　up。　Of　the　hour　spent　on　Gottsched；　in　these　four　days；　we　expressly　take　no　notice　farther；　but　there　was　another　visit　much　less　conspicuous；　and　infinitely　more　important：　that　of　a　certain　Hanoverian　Graf　von　Schulenburg；　not　in　red　or　with　plumes；　like　a　Major…General　as　he　was；　but　〃in　the　black　suit　of　a　Country　Parson；〃coming；　in　that　unnoticeable　guise；　to　inform　Friedrich　officially；　〃That　the　Hanoverians　and　Majesty　of　England　have　resolved　to　renounce　the　Convention　of　Kloster…Zeven；　to　bring　their　poor　Stade　Army　into　the　field　again；　and　do　now　request　him；　King　Friedrich；　to　grant　them　Duke　Ferdinand　of　Brunswick　to　he　General　of　the　same。〃　＇Mauvillon；　i。　256；　Westphalen；　i。　315：　indistinct　both；　and　with　slight　variations。　Mitchell　Papers　（in　British　Museum）；　likewise　indistinct：　Additional　MSS。　6815；　pp。　96　and　108　（〃Lord　Holderness　to　Mitchell；〃　doubtless　on　Pitt's　instigation；　〃10th　October；　1757；〃　is　the　beginning　of　it；two　days　before　Royal　Highness　got　home　from　Stade）；　see　ib。　6806；　pp。　241…252。＇

Here　is　an　unnoticeable　message；　of　very　high　moment　indeed。　To　which　Friedrich；　already　prepared；　gives　his　cheerful　consent；　nominations　and　practicalities　to　follow；　the　instant　these　present　hurries　are　over。　Who　it　was　that　had　prepared　all　this；　whose　suggestion　it　first　was；　Friedrich's；　Mitchell's；　George's；　Pitt's；　I　do　not　know；I　cannot　help　suspecting　Pitt；　Pitt　and　Friedrich　together。　And　certainly　of　all　living　men；　Ferdinandrelated　to　the　English　and　Prussian　royalties；　a　soldier　of　approved　excellence；　and　likewise　a　noble…minded；　prudent；　patient　and　invincibly　valiant　and　steadfast　manwas；　beyond　comparison；　the　fittest　for　this　office。　Pitt　is　now　fairly　in　power；　and　perceives；such　Pitt's　originality　of　view；that　an　Army　with　a　Captain　to　it　may　differ　beautifully　from　one　without。　And　in　fact　we　may　take　this　as　the　first　twitch　at　the　reins；　on　Pitt's　part；　whose　delicate　strong　hand；　all　England　running　to　it　with　one　heart；　will　be　felt　at　the　ends　of　the　earth　before　many　months　go。　To　the　great　and　unexpected　joy　of　Friedrich；　for　one。　〃England　has　taken　long　to　produce　a　great　man；〃　he　said　to　Mitchell；　〃but　here　is　one　at　last！〃



BOOK　XVIII　（CONTINUED）


SEVEN…YEARS　WAR　RISES　TO　A　HEIGHT。

1757…1759。



Chapter　VIII。

BATTLE　OF　ROSSBACH。

Friedrich　left　Leipzig　Sunday；　October　30th；　encamped；　that　night；　on　the　famous　Field　of　Lutzen；　with　the　vanguard；　he　（as　usual；　and　Mayer　with　him；　who　did　some　brisk　smiting　home　of　what　French　there　were）；　Keith　and　Duke　Ferdinand　following；　with　main　body　and　rear。

Movements　on　the　Soubise…Hildburghausen　part　are　all　retrograde　again；can　Dauphiness　Bellona　do　nothing；　then；　except　shuttle　forwards　and　then　backwards　according　to　Friedrich's　absence　or　presence？　The　Soubise…Hildburghausen　Army　does　immediately　withdraw　on　this　occasion；　as　on　the　former；　and　makes　for　the　safe　side　of　the　Saale　again；　rapidly　retreating　before　Friedrich；　who　is　not　above　one　to　two　of　them；more　like　one　to　three；　now　that　Broglio's　Detachment　is　come　to　hand。　Broglio　got　to　Merseburg　October　26th；guess　15；000　strong；considerably　out　of　repair；　and　glad　to　have　done　with　such　a　march；　and　be　within　reach　of　Soubise。　This　is　the　Second　Son　of　our　old　Blusterous　Friend；　a　man　who　came　to　some　mark；　and　to　a　great　deal　of　trouble；　in　this　War；　and　ended；　readers　know　how；　at　the　Siege　of　the　Bastille　thirty…　two　years　afterwards！

So　soon　as　rested；　Broglio；　by　order；　moves　leftwards　to　Halle；　to　guard　Saale　Bridge　there；　Soubise　himself　edging　after　him　to　Merseburg；　on　a　similar　errand；　and　leaving　Hildburghausen　to　take　charge　of　Weissenfels　and　the　Third　Saale　Bridge。　That　is　Dauphiness's　posture　while　Friedrich　encamps　at　Lutzen：let　impatient　human　nature　fix　these　three　places　for　itself；　and　hasten　to　the　catastrophe　of　wretched　Dauphiness。　Soubise；　it　ought　to　be　remembered；　is　not　in　the　highest　spirits；　but　his　Officers　in　over…high；　〃Doing　this　PETIT　MARQUIS　DE　BRANDEBOURG　the　honor　to　have　a　kind　of　War　with　him　（DE　LUI　FAIRE　UNE　ESPECE　DE　GUERRE）；〃　as　they　term　it。　Being　puffed　up　with　general　vanity；　and　the　newspaper　rumor　about　Haddick's　feat；which；　like　the　gloves　it　got；　is　going　all　to　left…hand　in　this　way。　Hildburghausen　and　the　others　overrule　Soubise；　and　indeed　there　is　no　remedy；　〃Provision　almost　out；how　retreat　to　our　magazines　and　our　fastnesses；　with　Friedrich　once　across　Saale；　and　sticking　to　the　skirts　of　us？〃　Here；　from　eye…witnesses　where　possible；　are　the　successive　steps　of　Dauphiness　towards　her　doom；　which　is　famous　in　the　world　ever　since。

〃Monday；　31st　October；　1757；〃　as　the　Town…Syndic　of　Weissenfels　records；　〃about　eight　in　the　morning；　＇Muller；　SCHLACHT　BEI　ROSSBACH　（〃a　Centenary　Piece；〃　Berlin；　1857；containing　several　curious　Extracts）；　p。　44；　　Helden…Geschichte；　　iv。　643；　651…668。＇　the　King　of　Prussia；　with　his　whole　Army〃　（or　what　seemed　to　us　the　whole；　though　it　was　but　a　half；　Keith　with　the　other　half　being　within　reach　to　northward；　marching　Merseburg　way）；　〃came　before　this　Town。〃　Has　been　here　before；　as　Keith　has；　as　Soubise　and　others　have：　a　town　much　agitated　lately　by　transit　of　troops。　It　was　from　the　eastern；　or　high　landward　side；　where　the　so…called　Castle　is；　that　Friedrich　came：　Castle　built　originally　on　some　〃White　Crag　（WEISSE　FELS〃　not　now　conspicuous）；　from　which　the　town　and　whilom　Duchy　take　their　name。

〃We　have　often　heard　of　Weissenfels；　while　the　poor　old　drunken　Duke　lived；　who　used　to　be　a　Suitor　of　Wilhelmina's；　liable　to　hard　usage；　and　have　marched　through　it；　with　the　Salzburgers；　in　peaceable　times。　A　solid　pleasant…enough　little　place　（6；000　souls　or　so）；　lies　leant　against　high　ground　（White　Crags；　or　whatever　it　once　was）　on　the　eastern　or