history of friedrich ii of prussia v 18-第41部分

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ger；　but　an　〃Allied　Army〃　（such　now　our　title）；　intending　to　strike　for　ourselves；　and　get　out　of　pound　straightway！

〃THURSDAY；　24th　NOVEMBER…TUESDAY；　29th。　Duke　Ferdinand　did　accordingly　pick　up　the　reins　of　this　distracted　Affair；　and；　in　a　way　wonderful　to　see；　shot　sanity　into　every　fibre　of　it；　and　kept　it　sane　and　road…worthy　for　the　Five　Years　coming。　With　a　silent　velocity；　an　energy；　an　imperturbable　steadfastness　and　clear　insight　into　cause　and　effect；　which　were　creditable　to　the　school　he　came　from；　and　were　a　very　joyful　sight　to　Pitt　and　others　concerned。　So　that　from　next　Tuesday；　'November　29th；　before　daylight；'　when　Ferdinand's　batteries　began　playing　upon　Harburg　（French　Fortress　nearest　to　Stade）；　the　reign　of　the　French　ceased　in　those　Countries；　and　an　astonished　Richelieu　and　his　French；　lying　scattered　over　all　the　West　of　Germany；　in　readiness　for　nothing　but　plunder；　had　to　fall　more　or　less　distracted　in　their　turn；　and　do　a　number　of　astonishing　things。　To　try　this　and　that；　of　futile；　more　or　less　frantic　nature；　be　driven　from　post　after　post；　be　driven　across　the　Aller　first　of　all；Richelieu　to　go　home　thereupon；　and　be　succeeded　by　one　still　more　incompetent。

〃DECEMBER　13th；　a　fortnight　after　Ferdinand's　appearance；　Richelieu　had　got　to　the　safe　side　of　the　Aller　（burning　of　Zelle　Bridge　and　Zelle　Town　there；　his　last　act　in　Germany）；　Ferdinand's　quarters　now　wide　enough；　and　vigorous　speed　of　preparation　going　on　for　farther　chase；　were　the　weather　mended。　FEBRUARY　17th；　1758；　Ferdinand　was　on　foot　again；　Prince　de　Clermont；　the　still　more　incompetent　successor　of　Richelieu；　gazing　wide…eyed　upon　him；　but　doing　nothing　else：　and　for　the　next　six　weeks　there　was　seen　a　once　triumphant　Richelieu…D'Estrees　French　Army；　much　in　rags；　much　in　disorder；　in　terror；　and　here　and　there　almost　in　despair；　winging　their　way；　like　clouds　of　draggled　poultry　caught　by　a　mastiff　in　the　corn。　Across　Weser；　across　Ems；　finally　across　the　Rhine　itself；　every　feather　of　them；their　long…drawn　cackle；　of　a　shrieky　type；　filling　all　Nature　in　those　months；　the　mastiff　steadily　following。　＇Mauvillon；　i。　252…284　（〃9th　November；　1757…1st　April；　1758〃）；　Westphalen；　i。　316…503　（abundantly　explicit；　authentic　and　even　entertaining；with　the　ample　Correspondences；　ib。　ii。　147…350）；　Schaper；　　Vie　militaire　du　Marechal　Prince　Ferdinand　　（2　tomes；　8vo；　Magdebourg；　1796；　1799）；　i。　7…100　（a　careful　Book；　of　an　official　exactitude；　like　Westphalen's；and　appears　to　be　left　incomplete　like　his）。＇　To　the　astonishment　of　Pitt　and　mankind。　Can　this　be　the　same　Army　that　Royal　Highness　led　to　the　Sea　and　the　Parish　Pound？　The　same　identically；　wasted　to　about　two…thirds　by　Royal　Highness；　not　a　drum　in　it　changed　otherwise；　only　One　Man　different；and　he　is　the　important　one！

〃Pitt；　when　the　news　of　Rossbach　came；　awakening　the　bonfires　and　steeple…bells　of　England　to　such　a　pitch；　had　resolved　on　an　emphatic　measure：　that　of　sending　English　Troops　to　reinforce　our　Allied　Army；　and　its　new　General；such　an　Ally　as　that　Rossbach　one　being　rare　in　the　eyes　of　Pitt。　'Postpone　the　meeting　of　Parliament；　yet　a　few　days；　your　Majesty；'　said　Pitt；　'till　I　get　the　estimates　ready！'　＇Thackeray；　i。　310。＇　To　which　Majesty　assented；　and　all　England　with　him：　'England's　own　Cause；'　thinks　Pitt；　with　confidence：　'our　way　of　Conquering　America；and；　in　the　circumstances；　our　one　way！'　English　did　land；　accordingly；　first　instalment　of　them；　a　12；000　（in　August　next）；　increased　gradually　to　20；000；　with　no　end　of　furnishings　to　them　and　everybody；　with　results　again　satisfactory　to　Pitt；　and　very　famous　in　the　England　that　then　was；　dim　as　they　are　now　grown。〃

The　effect　of　all　which　was；　that　Pitt；　with　his　Ferdinands　and　reinforcements；　found　work　for　the　French　ever　onwards　from　Rossbach；　French　also　turning　as　if　exclusively　upon　perfidious　Albion：　and　the　thing　became；　in　Teutschland；　as　elsewhere；　a　duel　of　life　and　death　between　these　natural　enemies；Teutschland　the　centre　of　it；Teutschland　and　the　accessible　French　Sea…Towns；　but　the　circumference　of　it　going　round　from　Manilla　and　Madras　to　Havana　and　Quebec　again。　Wide…spread　furious　duel；　prize；　America　and　life。　By　land　and　sea；　handsomely　done　by　Pitt　on　both　elements。　Land　part；　we　say；　was　always　mainly　in　Germany；　under　Ferdinand；in　Hessen　and　the　Westphalian　Countries；　as　far　west　as　Minden；　as　far　east　as　Frankfurt…on…Mayn；　generally　well　north　of　Rhine；　well　south　of　Elbe：　that　was；　for　five　years　coming；　the　cockpit　or　place　of　deadly　fence　between　France　and　England。　Friedrich's　arena　lies　eastward　of　that；　occasionally　playing　into　it　a　little；　and　played　into　by　it；　and　always　in　lively　sympathy　and　consultation　with　it：　but；　except　the　French　subsidizings；　diplomatizings。　and　great　diligenae　against　him　in　foreign　Courts；　Friedrich　is；　in　practical　respects；　free　of　the　French；　and　ever　after　Rossbach；　Ferdinand　and　the　English　keep　them　in　full　work；　growing　yearly　too　full。　A　heavy　Business　for　England　and　Ferdinand；　which　is　happily　kept　extraneous　to　Friedrich　thenceforth；　to　him　and　us；　which　is　not　on　the　stage　of　his　affairs　and　ours；　but　is　to　be　conceived　always　as　vigorously　proceeding　alongside　of　it；　close　beyond　the　scenes；　and　liable　at　any　time　to　make　tragic　entry　on　him　again：of　which　we　shall　have　to　notice　the　louder　occurrences　and　cardinal　phases；　but；　for　the　future；　nothing　more。

Soubise；　who　had　crept　into　the　skirts　of　the　Richelieu　Army　in　Hanover　or　Hessen　Country；　had　of　course　to　take　wing　in　that　general　fright　before　the　mastiff。　Soubise　did　not　cross　the　Rhine　with　it；　Soubise　made　off　eastward；　＇Westphalen；　i。　501　（〃end　of　March；　1758〃＇。＇found　new　roost　in　Hanau…Frankfurt　Country；　and　had　thoughts　of　joining　the　Austrians　in　Bohemia　next　Campaign；　but　got　new　order；such　the　pinches　of　a　winged　Clermont　with　a　mastiff　Ferdinand　at　his　poor　draggled　tail；and　came　back　to　the　Ferdinand　scene；　to　help　there；　and　never　saw　Friedrich　again。　Both　Broglio　and　he　had　a　good　deal　of　fighting　（mostly　beating）　from　Ferdinand；　and　a　great　deal　of　trouble　and　sorrow　in　the　course　of　this　War；　but　after　Rossbach　it　is　not　Friedrich　or　we；　it　is　Ferdinand　and　the　Destinies　that　have　to　do　with　them。　Poor　Soubise；　except　that　he　was　the　creature　of　Generalissima　Pompadour；　which　had　something　radically　absurd　in　it；　did　not　deserve　all　the　laughter　he　got：　a　man　of　some　chivalry；　some　qualities。　As　for　Broglio；　I　remember　always；　not　without　human　emotion；　the　two　extreme　points　of　his　career　as　a　soldier：　Rossbach　and　the　Fall　of　the　Bastille。　He　was　towards　forty；　when　Friedrich　bestrode　the　Janus　Hill　in　that　fiery　manner；　he　was　turned　of　seventy　when；　from　the　pavements　of　Paris；　the　Chimera　of　Democracy　rose　on　him；　in　fire　of　a　still　more　horrible　description。

Dauphiness…Bellona；　in　her　special　and　in　her　widest　sense；　has　made　exit；　then。　Gone；　like　clouds　of　draggled　poultry　home　across　the　Rhine。　She　was　the　most　marauding　Army　lately　seen；　also　the　most　gasconading；　and　had　the　least　capacity　for　fighting：　three　worse　qualities　no　army　could　have。　How　she　fought；　we　have　seen　sufficiently。　Before　taking　leave　of　her　forever；　readers；　as　she　is　a　paragon　in　her　kind；　would　perhaps　take　a　glance　or　two　at　her　marauding　qualities；by　a　good　opportunity　that　offers。　Plotho　at　Regensburg；　that　a　supreme　Reichs　Diet　may　know　what　a　〃deliverance　of　Saxony〃　this　has　been；　submits　one　day　the　following　irrefragable　Documents；　〃which　have　happened；〃　not　without　good　industry　of　my　own；　〃to　fall　into　my　＇Plotho's＇　hands。〃　They　are　Documents　partly　of　epistolary；　partly　of　a　Petitionary　form；　presented　to　Polish　Majesty；　out　of　that　Saxon　Country；　and　have　an　AFFIDAVIT　quality　about　them；　one　and　all。

1。　BIG　DAUPHINESS　（that　is；　D'Estrees）　IN　THE　WESEL　COUNTRIES；　AT　AN　EARLY　STAGE；WHILE　STILL　ENDEAVORING　WHAT　SHE　COULD　TO　BEHAVE　WELL；　HANGING　1；000　MARAUDERS　AND　THE　LIKE　（A　private　Letter）：

〃COUNTY　MARK；　20th　JUNE；　1757。　The　French　troops　are　going　on　here　in　a　way　to　utterly　ruin　us。　Schmidt；　their　President　of　Justice；　whom　they　set　up　in　Cleve；　has　got　orders　to　change　all　the　Magistracies　of　the　Country　＇Protestant　by　nature＇；　so　as　that　half　the　members　shall　be　Catholic。　Bielefeld　was　openly　plundered　by　the　French　for　three　hours　long。　You　cannot　by　possibility　represent　to　yourself　what　the　actual　state　of　misery　in　these　Countries　is。　A　SCHEFFEL　of　rye　costs　three　thalers　sixteen　groschen　＇who　knows　how　many　times　its　natural　price！＇。　And　now　we　are　to　be　forced　to　eat　the　spoiled　meal　those　French　troops　brought　with　them；　which　is　gone　to　such　a　state　no　animal　would　have　it。　This　poisoned　meal　we　are　to　buy　from　them；　ready　money；　at　the　price　they　fix；　and　that　famine　may　induce　us；　they　are　about　to　stop　the　mills；　and　forcibly　take　away　what　little　bread…　corn　we　have　left。　God　have　pity　on　us；　and　deliver　us　soon！　　Next　week　we　are　to　have　a　transit　of　6；000　Pfalzers　＇Kur…Pfalz；　foolish　idle　fellow；　and　Kur…Baiern　too；　are　both　in　subsidy　of　France；　as　usual；　6；000　Pfalzers　just　due　here＇；　these；　I　suppose；　will　sweep　us　clean　bare。〃　＇　Helden…Geschichte；　　iv。　399。＇：

Wesel　Fortress；　Gate　of　the　Rhine；　could　not　be　defended　by　Friedrich：　and　the　Hanover　Incapables；　and　England　still　all　in　St。　Vitus；　would　not　hear　of　undertaking　it；　left　it　wide　open　for　the　French；　never　could　recover　it；　or　get　the　Rhine…Gate　barred　again；　during　the　whole　War。　One　hopes　they　repented；but　perhaps　it　was　only　Pitt　and　Duke　Ferdinand　that　did　so；　instead！　The　Wesel　Countries　were　at　once　occupied　by　the　French；　〃a　conquest　of　her　Imperial　Majesty's；〃　continued　to　be　administered　in　Imperial　Majesty's　name；and　are　thriving　as　above。

2。　DAUPHINESS　PROPER　（that　is；　Soubise）　IN　THURINGEN；　AT　A　LATE　STAGE：

〃LETTER　FROM　FREIBURG；　SHORTLY　AFTER　ROSSBACH。It　was　on　the　23d　October；　a　Sunday；　that　we　of　Freiburg　had　our　first　billeting　of　French；　a　body　of　Cavalry　from　different　regiments　＇going　to　take　Leipzig；　take　Torgau；　what　not＇：　and　from　that　day　Freiburg　never　emptied　of　French；　who　kept　marching　through　it　in　extraordinary　quantities。　The　marching　lasted　fourteen　days；　namely；　till　the　6th　November　＇day　AFTER　Ro