history of friedrich ii of prussia v 17-第3部分

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2。　Sieur　Prasse；　same　Funck's　Secretary　of　Legation；　at　Petersburg；　writes　to　Count　Bruhl；　12th　April；　1756：　　　〃I　am　bidden　signify　to　your　Excellency　that　it　is　greatly　wished；　in　order　to　favor　certain　views；　you　would　have　the　goodness　to　cause　arrive　in　Petersburg；　by　different　channels；　the　following　intelligence：　'That　the　King　of　Prussia；　on　pretext　of　Commerce；　is　sending　officers　and　engineers　into　the　Ukraine；　to　reconnoitre　the　Country　and　excite　a　rebellion　there。'　And　this　advice；　be　pleased　to　observe；　is　not　to　come　direct　from　the　Saxon　Court；　nor　by　the　Envoy　Gross；　but　by　some　third　party；to　the　end　there　may　be　no　concert　noticed；as　they　＇L'ON；　the　〃service…　pipes；〃　and　managing　Excellencies；　Russian　and　Austrian＇　have　given　the　same　commission　to　other　Ministers；　so　that　the　news　shall　come　from　more　places　than　one。

〃They　＇the　said　managing　Excellencies＇　have　also　required　me　to　write　to　the　Baron　de　Sack；〃　our　Saxon　Minister　in　Sweden；　〃upon　it；　which　I　will　not　fail　to　do；　and　they　assured　me　that　our　Court's　advantage　was　not　less　concerned　in　it　than　that　of　their　own；　adding　these　words　＇comfortable　to　one's　soul＇；　'The　King　of　Prussia　＇in　1745＇　gave　Saxony　a　blow　which　it　will　feel　for　fifty　years；　but　we　will　give　him　one　which　he　will　feel　for　a　hundred。'〃

To　which　beautiful　suggestion　Excellency　Bruhl　answers；　2d　June；　1756：　〃As　to　the　Secret　Commission　of　conveying　to　Petersburg；　by　concealed　channels；　Intelligence　of　Prussian　machinations　in　the　Ukraine；　we　are　still　busy　finding　out　a　right　channel；　and　they　＇L'ON；　the　managing　Excellencies＇　shall　very　soon；　one　way　or　the　other；　see　the　effect　of　my　personal　inclination　to　second　what　is　so　good　an　intention；　though　a　little　artful　（UN　PEU　ARTIFICIEUSE；〃　UN　PEU；　nothing　to　speak　of）！　＇MEMOIRE　RAISONNE　（in　　Gesammelte　Nachrichten　）；　i。　424…425；　and　ib。　472。＇

Fancy　a　poor　fat　Czarina；　of　many　appetites；　of　little　judgment；　continually　beaten　upon　in　this　manner　by　these　Saxon…Austrian　artists　and　their　Russian　service…pipes。　Bombarded　with　cunningly　devised　fabrications；　every　wind　freighted　for　her　with　phantasmal　rumors；　no　ray　of　direct　daylight　visiting　the　poor　Sovereign　Woman；　who　is　lazy；　not　malignant　if　she　could　avoid　it：　mainly　a　mass　of　esurient　oil；　with　alkali　on　the　back　of　alkali　poured　in；　at　this　rate；　for　ten　years　past；　till；　by　pouring　and　by　stirring；　they　get　her　to　the　state　of　SOAP　and　froth！　Is　it　so　wonderful　that　she　does；　by　degrees；　rise　into　eminent　suspicion；　anger；　fear；　violence　and　vehemence　against　her　bad　neighbor？　One　at　last　begins　to　conceive　those　insane　whirls；　continual　mad　suspicions；　mad　procedures；　which　have　given　Friedrich　such　vexation；　surprise　and　provocation　in　the　years　past。

Friedrich　is　always　specially　eager　to　avoid　ill…will　from　Russia；　but　it　has　come；　in　spite　of　all　he　could　do　and　try。　And　these　procedures　of　the　Czarish　Majesty　have　been　so　capricious；　unintelligible；　perverse；　and　his　feeling　is　often　enough　irritation；　temporary　indignation；which　we　know　makes　Verses　withal！　I　can　nowhere　learn　from　those　Prussian　imbroglios　of　Books；　what　the　Friedrich　Sayings　or　Satirical　Verses　properly　were：　Retzow　speaks　of　a　PRODUKT；　one　at　least；　known　in　interior　Circles。　＇Retzow；　i。　34。＇　PRODUKT　which　decidedly　requires　publication；　beyond　anything　Friedrich　ever　wrote；though　one　can　do　without　it　too；　and　invoke　Fancy　in　defect　of　Print。　The　sharpness　of　Friedrich's　tongue　we　know；　and　the　diligence　of　birds　of　the　air。　To　all　her　other　griefs　against　the　bad　man；　this　has　given　the　finish　in　the　tender　Czarish　bosom；and　like　an　envenomed　drop　has　set　the　saponaceous　oils　（already　dosed　with　alkali；　and　well　in　solution）　foaming　deliriously　over　the　brim；　in　never…imagined　deluges　of　a　hatred　that　is　unappeasable；very　costly　to　Friedrich　and　mankind。　Rising　ever　higher；　year　by　year；　and　now　risen；　to　what　height　judge　by　the　following：

AT　PETERSBURG；　14th…15th　MAY；　1753；　〃There　was　Meeting　of　the　Russian　Senate；　with　deliberation　held　for　these　two　days；　and　for　issue　this　conclusion　come　to：

〃That　it　should　be；　and　hereby　is；　settled　as　a　fundamental　maxim　of　the　Russia　Empire；　Not　only　to　oppose　any　farther　aggrandizement　of　the　King　of　Prussia；　but　to　seize　the　first　convenient　opportunity　for　overwhelming　（ECRASER）；　by　superior　force；　the　House　of　Brandenburg　＇Hear；　hear！＇；　and　reducing　it　to　its　former　state　of　mediocrity。〃　＇MEMOIRE　RAISONNE　（in　　Gesammelte　Nachrichten　）；　i。　421。＇　Leg　of　mutton　to　be　actually　gone　into。　With　what　an　enthusiasm　of　〃Hear；　hear！〃　from　Bruhl　and　kindred　parties；　especially　from　Bruhl；who；　however；　dare　not　yet　bite；　except　hypothetically；　such　his　terrors　and　tremors。　Or；　look　again　（same　Senate；

AT　PETERSBURG；　OCTOBER；　1755）：　〃To　which　Fundamental　Maxim；　articulately　fixed　ever　since　those　Maydays　of　1753；　the　august　Russian　Sanhedrim；　deliberating　farther　in　October；　1755；　adds　this　remarkable　extension；

〃That　it　is　our　resolution　to　attack　the　King　of　Prussia　without　farther　discussion；　whensoever　the　said　King　shall　attack　any　Ally　of　Russia's；　or　shall　himself　be　attacked　by　any　of　them。〃　Hailed　by　Bruhl；　as　natural；　with　his　liveliest　approval。　〃A　glorious　Deliberation；　that；　indeed！〃　writes　he：　〃It　clears　the　way　of　action　for　Russia's　Allies　in　this　matter；　and　for　us　too；　though　nobody　can　blame　us；　if　we　proceed　with　the　extremest　caution；〃and　rather　wait　till　the　Bear　is　nearly　killed。　＇MEMOIRE　RAISONNE　（in　　Gesammelte　Nachrichten　）；　i。　422。＇

Many　marvels　Friedrich　had　deciphered　out　of　this　Weingarten…Menzel　Apocalypse　of　Satan's　Invisible　World；　and　one　often　fancies　Friedrich's　tone　of　mind；　in　his　intense　inspecting　of　that　fateful　continent　of　darkness；　and　his　labyrinthic　stepping　by　degrees　to　the　oracular　points；　which　have　a　light　in　them　when　flung　open。　But　in　respect　of　practical　interest；　this　of　October；　1755　（which　would　get　to　Potsdam　probably　in　few　weeks　after）　must　have　surpassed　all　the　others。　Marvels　many；　one　after　the　other：　＇For　example；　or　in　recapitulation：　a　Treaty　of　Warsaw　or　Leipzig；　to　partition　him　（18th　May；　1745）；　Treaty　of　Petersburg　（22d　May；　1746；　new　form　of　Warsaw　Treaty；　with　Czarina　superadded）；　tremulous　Quasi…Accession　thereto　of　his　Polish　Majesty　（most　tremulous；　hypothetic　Quasi…Accession；　〃Yes…AND…No；〃　15th　August；　1747；　and　often　afterwards）；　first　Deliberation　of　the　Russian　Senate；　15th　May；　1753；　&c。　&c。　For　example；　or　in　recapitulation：　a　Treaty　of　Warsaw　or　Leipzig；　to　partition　him　（18th　May；　1745）；　Treaty　of　Petersburg　（22d　May；　1746；　new　form　of　Warsaw　Treaty；　with　Czarina　superadded）；　tremulous　Quasi…Accession　thereto　of　his　Polish　Majesty　（most　tremulous；　hypothetic　Quasi…Accession；　〃Yes…AND…No；〃　15th　August；　1747；　and　often　afterwards）；　first　Deliberation　of　the　Russian　Senate；　15th　May；　1753；　&c。　&c。＇　no　doubt　left；　long　since；　of　the　constant　disposition；　preparation　and　fixed　intention　to　partition　him。　But　here；　in　this　last　indication　by　the　Russian　Senate；which　kindles　into　dismal　evidence　so　many　other　enigmatic　tokens；there　has　an　ulterior　oracular　point　disclosed　itself　to　Friedrich；　in　vaguer　condition；　but　not　less　indubitable；　and　much　more　perilous：　namely；　That　now；　at　last　（end　of　1755）；　the　Two　Imperial　Majesties；　very　eager　both；　consider　that　the　time　is　come。　And　areas　Friedrich　looks　abroad　on　the　Austrian…Russian　marchings　of　troops；　campings；　and　unusual　military　symptoms　and　combinationsvisibly　preparing　to　that　end。

〃They　have　agreed　to　attack　me　next　Year　（1756）；　if　they　can；　and　next　again　（1757）；　without　IF：〃　so　Friedrich；　putting　written　word　and　public　occurrence　together；　gradually　reads；　and　so；　all　readers　will　see；　the　fact　was；though　Imperial　Majesty　at　Schonbrunn；　as　we　shall　find；　strove　to　deny　it　when　applied　to；　and　scouted；　as　mere　fiction　and　imagination；　the　notion　of　such　an　〃Agreement。〃　Which　I　infer；　therefore；　NOT　to　have　existed　in　parchment；　not　in　parchment；　but　only　in　reality；　and　as　a　mutual　Bond　registered　inshall　we　say　〃in　Heaven〃；　as　some　are　wont？　registered；　perhaps；　in　TWO　Places；　very　separate　indeed！　No　truer　〃Agreement〃　ever　did　exist；though　a　devout　Imperial　Majesty　denies　it；　who　would　shudder　at　the　lie　direct。

Poor　Imperial　Majesty：　who　can　tell　her　troubles　and　straits　in　this　abstruse　time！　Heaven　itself　ordering　her　to　get　back　the　Silesia　of　her　Fathers；　if　she　could；yet　Heaven　always　looking　dubious；　surely；　upon　this　method　of　doing　it。　By　solemn　Public　Treaties　signed　in　sight　of　all　mankind；　and　contrariwise；　in　the　very　same　moments；　by　Secret　Treaties；　of　a　fell　nature；　concocted　underground；　to　destroy　the　life　of　these！　Imperial　Majesty　flatters　herself　it　may　be　fair：　〃Treaty　of　Dresden；　Treaty　of　Aix…la…Chapelle；　Treaties　wrung　from　me　by　force；　the　tyrannic　Sea…Powers　screwing　us；　Kaunitz　can　tell！　A　consummate　Kaunitz；　who　has　provided　remedies。　Treaties　do　get　broken。　Besides；　I　will　not　go　to　War；　unless　HE　the　Bad　One　of　Prussia　do！〃Alas；　your　noble　Majesty；　plain　it　at　least　is；　your　love　of　Silesia　is　very　strong。　And　consummate　Kaunitz　and　it　have　led　you　into　strange　predicaments。　The　Pompadour；　for　instance：　who　was　it　that　answered；　〃JE　NE　LA　CONNAIS　PAS；　I　don't　know　her；　I〃？　How　gladly　would　the　Imperial　Maria　Theresa；　soul　of　Propriety；　have　made　that　answer！　But　she　did　not；　she　had　to　answer　differently。　For　Kaunitz　was　imperative：　〃A　kind　little　Note　to　the　Pompadour；　one；　and　then　another　and　another；　it　is　indispensable；　your　Imperial　Majesty！〃　And　Imperial　Majesty　always　had　to　do　it。　And　there　exist　in　writing；　at　this　hour；　various　flattering　little　Notes　from　Imperial　Majesty　to　that　Address；　which　begin；　〃MA　COUSINE；〃　〃PRINCESSE　ET　COUSINE；〃　say　many　witnesses；　nay　〃MADAME　MA　TRES　CHERE　SOEUR；〃　says　one　good　witness：　＇Hormayr　（cited　in　Preuss；　i。　433　n。；as　are　Duclos；　Montgaillard；　MEMOIRES　DE　RICHELIEU；　&c。＇Notes　which　ought　to　have　been　printed；　before　this；　or　given　at　least　to　the　Museums。　〃My　Cousin；〃　〃Princess　and　Cousin；〃　〃Madame　my　dearest　Sister：〃　Oh；　high　Imperial　Soul；　with　what　strange　bed…fellows　does　Misery　of　various　kinds　bring　us　acquainted！

Friedrich　was　blamably　imprudent　in　regard