history of friedrich ii of prussia v 18-第73部分

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　were　a　comfortable　sight；　especially　to　the　simpler　sort：　but　on　the　other　hand；　at　Morlaix；　on　the　part　of　poor　old　General　Bligh　and　Company；　there　had　been　a　Platitude　equal　or　superior　to　that　of　Abercrombie；　though　not　so　tragical　in　loss　of　men。　'What　of　that？'　said　an　enthusiastic　Public；　striking　their　balance；　and　joyfully　illuminating。　Here　is　a　Clipping　from　Ohio　Country；　'LETTER　of　an　Officer　＇distilled　essence　of　Two　Letters＇；　dated；　FORT…DUQUESNE；　28th　NOVEMBER；　1758：

〃'Our　small　Corps　under　General　Forbes；　after　much　sore　scrambling　through　the　Wildernesses；　and　contending　with　enemies　wild　and　tame；　is；　since　the　last　four　days；　in　possession　of　Fort　Duquesne　＇PITTSBURG　henceforth＇：　Friday；　24th；　the　French　garrison；　on　our　appearance；　made　off　without　fighting；　took　to　boats　down　the　Ohio；　and　vanished　out　of　those　Countries；'forever　and　a　day；　we　will　hope。　'Their　Louisiana…Canada　communication　is　lost；　and　all　that　prodigious　tract　of　rich　country；'which　Mr。　Washington　fixed　upon　long　ago；　is　ours　again；　if　we　can　turn　it　to　use。　'This　day　a　detachment　of　us　goes　to　Braddock's　field　of　battle　＇poor　Braddock！＇；　to　bury　the　bones　of　our　slaughtered　countrymen；　many　of　whom　the　French　butchered　in　cold　blood；　and；　to　their　own　eternal　shame　and　infamy；　have　left　lying　above　ground　ever　since。　As　indeed　they　have　done　with　all　those　slain　round　the　Fort　in　late　weeks；'calling　themselves　a　civilized　Nation　too！〃　＇Old　Newspapers　（in　　Gentleman's　Magazine　　for　1759；　pp。　41；　39）。＇

LOWER　RHINE；　JULY…NOVEMBER；　1758。　〃Ferdinand's　manoeuvres；　after　Crefeld；　on　the　France…ward　side　of　Rhine；　were　very　pretty：　but；　without　Wesel；　and　versus　a　Belleisle　as　War…Minister；　and　a　Contades　who　was　something　of　a　General；　it　would　not　do。　Belleisle　made　uncommon　exertions；　diligent　to　get　his　broken　people　drilled　again；　Contades　was　wary；　and　counter…manoeuvred　rather　well。　Finally；　Soubise〃　（readers　recollect　him　and　his　24　or　30；000；　who　stood　in　Frankfurt　Country；　on　the　hither　or　north　side　of　Rhine）；　famed　Rossbach　Soubise；〃pushing　out；　at　Belleisle's　bidding；　towards　Hanover；　in　a　region　vacant　otherwise　of　troops；　became　dangerous　to　Ferdinand。　'Making　for　Hanover？'　thought　Ferdinand：　'Or　perhaps　meaning　to　attack　my　12；000　English　that　are　just　landed？　Nay；　perhaps　my　Rhine…Bridge　itself；　and　the　small　Party　left　there？'　Ferdinand　found　he　would　have　to　return；　and　look　after　Soubise。　Crossed；　accordingly　（August　8th）；　by　his　old　Bridge　at　Rees；which　he　found　safe；　in　spite　of　attempts　there　had　been；　＇〃Fight　of　Meer〃　（Chevert；　with　10；000；　beaten　off；　and　the　Bridge　saved；　by　Imhof；　with　3；000；both　clever　soldiers；　Imhof　in　better　luck；　and　favored　by　the　ground：　〃5th　August；　1758〃）：　MAUVILLON；　i。　315。＇and　never　recrossed　during　this　War。　Judges　even　say　his　first　crossing　had　never　much　solidity　of　outlook　in　it；　and　though　so　delightful　to　the　public；　was　his　questionablest　step。

〃On　the　12；000　English；　Soubise　had　attempted　nothing。　Ferdinand　joined　his　English　at　Soest　（August　20th）；　to　their　great　joy　and　his；　＇Duke　of　Marlborough's　heavy…laden　LETTER　to　Pitt；　〃Koesfeld；　August　15th：〃　〃Nothing　but　rains　and　uncertainties；〃　〃marching；　latterly；　up　to　our　middles　in　water；〃　have　come　from　Embden；　straight　south　towards　Wesel　Country；　almost　150　miles　（Soest　still　a　good　sixty　miles　to　southeast　of　us）。　CHATHAM　CORRESPONDENCE　（London；　1838）；　i。　334；　337。　The　poor　Duke　died　in　two　months　hence；　and　the　command　devolved　on　Lord　George　Sackville；　as　is　too　well　known。＇　10　to　12；000　as　a　first　instalment：Grand…looking　fellows；　said　the　Germans。　And　did　you　ever　see　such　horses；　such　splendor　of　equipment；　regardless　of　expense？　Not　to　mention　those　BERGSCHOTTEN　（Scotch　Highlanders）；　with　their　bagpipes；　sporrans；　kilts；　and　exotic　costumes　and　ways；　astonishing　to　the　German　mind。　＇Romantic　view　of　the　BERGSCHOTTEN　（2；000　of　them；　led　by　the　Junior　of　the　Robert　Keiths　above　mentioned；　who　is　a　soldier　as　yet）；　in　ARCHENHOLTZ；　i。　351…353：　IB。　and　in　PREUSS；　ii。　136；　of　the　〃uniforms　with　gold　and　silver　lace；〃　of　the　superb　horses；　〃one　regiment　all　roan　horses；　another　all　black；　another　all〃　&c。＇　Out　of　all　whom　（BERGSCHOTTEN　included）；　Ferdinand；　by　management；and　management　was　needed；　got　a　great　deal　of　first…rate　fighting；　in　the　next　Four　Years。

〃Nor；　in　regard　to　Hanover；　could　Soubise　make　anything　of　it；　though　he　did　（owing　to　a　couple　of　stupid　fellows；　General　Prince　von　Ysenburg　and　General　Oberg；　detached　by　Ferdinand　on　that　service）　escape　the　lively　treatment　Ferdinand　had　prepared　for　him；　and　even　gave　a　kind　of　Beating　to　each　of　those　stupid　fellows；　＇1。　〃Fight　of　Sandershausen〃　（Broglio；　as　Soubise's　vanguard；　12；000；　VERSUS　Ysenburg；　7；000；　who　stupidly　would　not　withdraw　TILL　beaten：　〃23d　July；　1758；〃　BEFORE　Ferdinand　had　come　across　again）。　2。　Fight　of　Lutternberg　（Soubise；　30；000；　VERSUS　Oberg；　about　18；000；　who　stupidly　hung　back　till　Soubise　was　all　gathered；　and　THEN　&c。；　still　more　stupidly：　〃10th　October；　1758〃）。　See　MAUVILLON；　i。　312　（or　better；　ARCHENHOLTZ；　i。　345）；　and　MAUVILLON；　i。　327。　Both　Lutternberg　and　Sandershausen　are　in　the　neighborhood　of　Cassel；as　many　of　those　Ferdinand　fights　were。＇one　of　which；　Oberg's　one；　might　have　ruined　Oberg　and　his　Detachment　altogether；　had　Soubise　been　alert；　which　he　by　no　means　was！　'Paris　made　such　jeering　about　Rossbach　and　the　Prince　de　Soubise；'　says　Voltaire；　＇　Histoire　de　Louis　XV。　＇　'and　nobody　said　a　word　about　these　two　Victories　of　his；　next　Year！'　For　which　there　might　be　two　reasons：　one；　according　to　Tempelhof；　that　'the　Victories　were　of　the　so…so　kind　（SIC　WAREN　AUCH　DARNACH）；'　and　another；　that　they　were　ascribed　to　Broglio；　on　both　occasions；how　justly；　nobody　will　now　argue！

〃Contades　had　not　failed；　in　the　mean　while；　to　follow　with　the　main　Army；　and　was　now　elaborately　manoeuvring　about；　intent　to　have　Lippstadt；　or　some　Fortress　in　those　Rhine…Weser　Countries。　On　the　tail　of　that　second　so…so　Victory　by　Soubise；　Contades　thought；　Now　would　be　the　chance。　And　did　try　hard；　but　without　effect。　Ferdinand　was　himself　attending　Contades；　and　mistakes　were　not　likely。　Ferdinand；　in　the　thick　of　the　game　（October　21st…　30th）；　'made　a　masterly　movement'that　is　to　say；　cut　Contades　and　his　Soubise　irretrievably　asunder：　no　junction　now　possible　to　them；　the　weaker　of　them　liable　to　ruin；unless　Contades；　the　stronger；　would　give　battle；　which；　though　greatly　outnumbering　Ferdinand；　he　was　cautious　not　to　do。　A　melancholic　cautious　man；　apt　to　be　over…cautious；nicknamed　'L'APOTHECAIRE'　by　the　Parisians；　from　his　down　looks；but　had　good　soldier　qualities　withal。　Soubise　and　he　haggled　about；　a　short　while；not　a　long；　in　these　dangerous　circumstances；　and　then　had　to　go　home　again；　without　result；　each　the　way　he　came；　Contades　himself　repassing　through　Wesel；　and　wintering　on　his　own　side　of　the　Rhine。〃

How　Pitt　is　succeeding；　and　aiming　to　succeed；　on　the　French　Foreign　Settlements：　on　the　Guinea　Coast；　on　the　High　Seas　everywhere；　in　the　West　Indies；　still　more　in　the　East；where　General　Lally　（that　fiery　O'MulLALLY；　famous　since　Fontenoy）；　missioned　with　〃full…powers；〃　as　they　call　them；　is　raging　up　and　down；　about　Madras　and　neighborhood；　in　a　violent；　impetuous；　more　and　more　bankrupt　manner：Of　all　this　we　can　say　nothing　for　the　present；　little　at　any　time。　Here　are　two　facts　of　the　financial　sort；　sufficiently　illuminative。　The　much…expending；　much…　subsidying　Government　of　France　cannot　now　borrow　except　at　7　per　cent　Interest；　and　the　rate　of　Marine　Insurance　has　risen　to　70　per　cent。　＇Retzow；　ii。　5。＇　One　way　and　other；　here　is　a　Pitt　clearly　progressive；　and　a　long…pending　JENKINS'S…EAR　QUESTION　in　a　fair　way　to　be　settled！

Friedrich　stays　in　Saxony　about　a　month；　inspecting　and　adjusting；　thence　to　Breslau；　for　Winter…quarters。　His　Winter　is　like　to　be　a　sad　and　silent　one；　this　time；　with　none　of　the　gayeties　of　last　Year；　the　royal　heart　heavy　enough　with　many　private　sorrows；　were　there　none　of　public　at　all！　This　is　a　word　from　him；　two　days　after　finishing　Daun　for　the　season：


FRIEDRICH　TO　MYLORD　MARISCHAL　（at　Colombier　in　Neufchatel）。　

〃DRESDEN；　23d　November；　1758。

〃There　is　nothing　left　for　us；　MON　CHER　MYLORD；　but　to　mingle　and　blend　our　weeping　for　the　losses　we　have　had。　If　my　head　were　a　fountain　of　tears；　it　would　not　suffice　for　the　grief　I　feel。

〃Our　Campaign　is　over；　and　there　has　nothing　come　of　it；　on　one　side　or　the　other；　but　the　loss　of　a　great　many　worthy　people；　the　misery　of　a　great　many　poor　soldiers　crippled　forever；　the　ruin　of　some　Provinces；　the　ravage；　pillage　and　conflagration　of　some　flourishing　Towns。　Exploits　these　which　make　humanity　shudder：　sad　fruits　of　the　wickedness　and　ambition　of　certain　People　in　Power；　who　sacrifice　everything　to　their　unbridled　passions！　I　wish　you；　MON　CHER　MYLORD；　nothing　that　has　the　least　resemblance　to　mv　destiny；　and　everything　that　is　wanting　to　it。　Your　old　friend；　till　death。〃F。　＇　OEuvres　de　Frederic；　　xx。　273。＇





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