history of friedrich ii of prussia v 17-第4部分

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rious　kinds　bring　us　acquainted！

Friedrich　was　blamably　imprudent　in　regard　to　Pompadour；　thinks　Valori：　〃A　little　complaisance　might　have〃what　might　it　not　have　done！〃But　his　Prussian　Majesty　would　not。　And　while　the　Ministers　of　all　the　other　Powers〃　allied　with　France　〃went　assiduously　to　pay　their　court　to　Madame；　the　Baron　von　Knyphausen　alone；　by　his　Master's　order；　never　once　went　＇〃Don't！　JE　NE　LA　CONNAIS　PAS〃＇；　while　the　Empress…Queen　was　writing　her　the　most　flattering　letters。　The　Prince　of　Prussia；　King's　eldest　Brother；　wished　ardently　to　obtain　her　Portrait；　and　had　applied　to　me　for　it；　as　had　Prince　Henri　to　my　Predecessor。　The　King；　who　has　such　gallant　and　seductive　ways　when　he　likes；　could　certainly　have　reconciled　this　celebrated　Lady〃；a　highly　important　Improper　Female　to　him　and　others。　＇Valori；　i。　320。＇

Yes；　but　he　quite　declined；　not　counting　the　costs。　Costs　may　be　immediate；　profits　are　remote；remote；　but　sure。　Costs　did　indeed　prove　considerable；　perhaps　far　beyond　his　expectation；　though；　I　flatter　myself；　they　never　awoke　much　remorse　in　him；　on　that　score！

Friedrich's　Enigma；　towards　the　end　of　1755　and　onwards；　is　becoming　frightfully　stringent；　and　the　solution；　〃What　practically　will　be　the　wise　course　for　me？〃　does　not　lessen　in　abstruse　intricacy；　but　the　reverse；　as　it　grows　more　pressing。　A　very　stormy　and　dubious　Future；　truly！　Two　circumstances　in　it　will　be　highly　determinative：　one　of　them　evident　to　Friedrich；　the　other　unknown　to　him；　and　to　all　mortals；　except　two　or　three。　FIRST；

That　there　will　be　an　English…French　War　straightway；　and　that；　as　usual；　the　French；　weaker　at　sea；　will　probably　attack　Hanover；　that　is　to　say；　bring　the　War　home　to　one's　own　door；　and　ripen　into　fulfilment　those　Austrian…Russian　Plots。　This　is　the　evident　circumstance；　fast　coming　on；　visible　to　Friedrich　and　to　everybody。　But　that；　in　such　event；　Austria　will　join；　not　with　England；　but　with　France：　this　is　a　SECOND　circumstance；　guessable　by　nobody；　known　only　to　Kaunitz　and　a　select　one　or　two；　but　which　also　will　greatly　complicate　Friedrich's　position；　and　render　his　Enigma　indeed　astonishingly　intricate；　as　well　as　stringent　for　solution！



Chapter　II。

ENGLISH　DIPLOMACIES　ABROAD；　IN　PROSPECT　OF　A　FRENCH　WAR。

Britannic　Majesty；　I　know　not　at　what　date；　but　before　the　launching　of　that　poor　Braddock　thunder…bolt；　much　more　after　the　tragic　explosion　it　made；　had　felt　that　French　War　was　nearly　inevitable；　and　also　that　the　French　method　would　be；　as　heretofore；　to　attack　Hanover；　and　wound　him　in　that　tender　part。　There　goes　on；　accordingly；　a　lively　Foreign　Diplomatizing；　on　his　Majesty's　part；　at　present；in　defect；　almost　total；　of　Domestic　Preparation；　military　and　other；Majesty　and　Ministers　expecting　salvation　from　abroad；　as　usual。　Military　preparation　does　lag　at　a　shameful　rate：　but；　on　the　other　hand；　there　is　a　great　deal　of　pondering；　really　industrious　considering　and　contriving；　about　Foreign　Allies；　and　their　subsidies　and　engagements。　That　step；　for　example；　the　questionable　Seizure　of　the　French　Ships　WITHOUT　Declaration　of　War；　was　a　contrivance　by　diplomatic　Heads　（of　bad　quality）：　〃Seize　their　ships；〃　said　some　bad　Head；　after　meditating；　〃put　their　ships　in　SEQUESTRATION；　till　they　do　us　justice。　If　they　won't；　and　go　to　War；then　THEY　are　the　Aggressors；　not　we；　and　our　Allies　have　to　send　their　auxiliary　quotas；　as　per　contract！〃　So　the　Ships　were　seized；　held　in　sequestration；　〃till　many　of　the　cargoes　（being　perishable　goods；　some　even　fish）　rotted。〃　＇Smollett's　　History　of　England；　　&c。　&c。＇　And　in　return；　as　will　be　seen；　not　one　auxiliary　came　to　hand：　so　that　the　diplomatic　Head　had　his　rotted　cargoes；　and　much　public　obloquy；　for　his　pains。　Not　a　fortunate　stroke　of　business；　that！

Britannic　Majesty；　on　applying　at　Vienna　（through　Keith；　Sir　or　Mr。　Robert　Keith；　the　FIRST　Excellency　of　that　name；　for　there　are　two；　a　father　and　a　son；　both　Vienna　Excellencies）；　was　astonished　to　learn　That；　in　such　event　of　an　Aggression；　even　on　Hanover；　there　was　no　co…operation　to　be　looked　for　here。　Altogether　cold　on　that　subject；　her　Imperial　Majesty　seems；　regardless　of　Excellency　Keith's　remonstrances　and　urgencies；　and；　in　the　end；　is　flatly　negatory：　〃Cannot　do　it；　your　Excellency；　times　so　perilous；　bad　King　of　Prussia　so　minatory；〃not　to　mention；　SOTTO　VOCE　that　we　have　turned　on　our　axis；　and　the　wind　（thanks　to　Kaunitz）　no　longer　hits　us　on　the　same　cheek　as　formerly！

〃Cannot？　Will　not？〃　Britannic　Majesty　may　well　stare；　wide…eyed；　remembering　such　gigantic　Subsidizings　and　Alcides　Labors；　Dettingens；　Fontenoys；　on　the　per…contra　side。　But　so　stands　the　fact：　〃No　help　from　an　ungrateful　Vienna；quick；　then；　seek　elsewhere！〃　And　Hanbury　and　the　Continental　British　Excellencies　have　to　bestir　themselves　as　they　never　did。　Especially　Hanbury；　who　is　directed　upon　Russia；whom　alone　of　these　Excellencies　it　is　worth　while　to　follow　for　a　moment。　Russia；　on　fair　subsidy；　yielded　us　a　35；000　last　War　（willingly　granted；　most　useful；　though　we　had　no　fighting　out　of　them；　mere　terror　of　them　being　enough）：　beyond　all　things；　let　Hanbury　do　his　best　in　Russia！

Hanbury；　cheerfully　confident；　provides　himself　with　the　requisites；　store　of　bribe…money　as　the　chief；at　Warsaw　withal；　he　picks　up　one　Poniatowski　（airy　sentimental　coxcomb；　rather　of　dissolute　habits；　handsomest　and　windiest　of　young　Polacks）：　〃Good　for　a　Lover　to　the　Grand…Duchess；　this　one！〃　thinks　Hanbury。　Which　proved　true；　and　had　its　uses　for　Hanbury；Grand…Duchess　and　Grand…Duke　（Catherine　and　Peter；　whom　we　saw　wedded　twelve　years　ago；　Heirs…Apparent　of　this　Russian　Chaos）　being　an　abstrusely　situated　pair　of　Spouses；　well　capable　of　something　political；　in　private　ways；　in　such　a　scene　of　affairs；　and　Catherine；　who　is　an　extremely　clever　creature；　being　out　of　a　lover　just　now。　A　fine　scene　for　the　Diplomatist；　this　Russia　at　present。　Nowhere　in　the　world　can　you　do　so　much　with　bribery；　quite　a　standing　item；　and　financial　necessary…of…life　to　Officials　of　the　highest　rank　there；　as　Hanbury　well　knows。　＇His　Letters　（in　Raumer）；　PASSIM。＇　That　of　Poniatowski　proved；　otherwise　too；　a　notable　stroke　of　Hanbury's；　and　shot　the　poor　Polish　Coxcomb　aloft　into　tragic　altitudes；　on　the　sudden；　as　we　all　know！

Hanbury's　immense　dexterities；　and　incessant　labors　at　Petersburg；　shall　lie　hidden　in　the　slop…pails：　it　is　enough　to　say；　his　guineas；　his　dexterities　and　auxiliary　Poniatowskis　did　prevail；　and　he　triumphantly　signed　his　Treaty　（Petersburg；　30th　September）　〃Subsidy…Treaty　for　55；000　men；　15；000　of　them　cavalry；〃　not　to　speak　of　〃40　to　50　galleys〃　and　the　like；　〃to　attack　whomsoever　Britannic　Majesty　bids：　annual　cost　a　mere　500；OOO　pounds　while　on　service；　100；000　pounds　while　waiting。〃　＇In　　Adelung；　　vii。　609。＇　And；　what　is　more；　and　what　our　readers　are　to　mark；　the　55；000　begin　on　the　instant　to　assemble；along　the　Livonian　Frontier　or　Lithuanian；　looking　direct　into　Preussen。　Diligently　rendezvousing　there；　55；000　of　them；　nay　gradually　70；000；　no　stinginess　in　the　Czarina　to　her　Ally　of　England。　A　most　triumphant　thing；　thinks　Hanbury：　Could　another　of　you　have　done　it？　Signed；　ready　for　ratifying；　30th　September；　1755　（bad　Braddock　news　not　hindering）；and　before　it　is　ratified　（this　also　let　readers　mark）；　the　actual　Troops　getting　on　march。

Hanbury's　masterpiece；　surely；　a　glorious　triumph　in　the　circumstances；　and　a　difficult；　thinks　Hanbury。　Had　Hanbury　seen　the　inside　of　the　cards；　as　readers　have；　he　would　not　have　thought　it　so　triumphant。　For　years　past；especially　since　that　〃Fundamental　maxim；　May　14th…15th；　1753；〃　which　we　heard　of；the　Czarina's　longings　had　been　fixed。　And　here　nowscattering　money　from　both　hands　of　it；　and　wooing　us　with　diplomatic　finessingsis　the　Fulfilment　come！　〃Opportunity〃　upon　Preussen；　behold　it　here。

The　Russian　Senate　again　holds　deliberation；　declares　（on　the　heel　of　this　Hanbury　Treaty）；　〃in　October；　1755；〃　what　we　read　above；　That　its　Anti…Prussian　intentions　aretruculent　indeed。　And　it　is　the　common　talk　in　Petersburg　society；　through　Winter；　what　a　dose　the　ambitious　King　of　Prussia　has　got　brewed　for　him；　＇MEMOIRE　RAISONNE　（in　　Gesammelte　Nachrichten　）；　i。　429；　&c。＇　out　of　Russian　indignation　and　resources；　miraculously　set　afloat　by　English　guineas。　A　triumphant　Hanbury；　for　the　time　being；though　a　tragical　enough　by　and　by！

THE　TRIUMPHANT　HANBURY　TREATY　BECOMES；　ITSELF；　NOTHING　OR　LESS；BUT　PRODUCES　A　FRIEDRICH　TREATY；　FOLLOWED　BY　RESULTS　WHICH　SURPRISE　EVERYBODY。

King　Friedrich's　outlooks；　on　this　consummation；　may　well　seem　to　him　critical。　The　sore　longing　of　an　infuriated　Czarina　is　now　let　loose；　and　in　a　condition　to　fulfil　itself！　To　Friedrich　these　Petersburg　news　are　no　secret；　nor　to　him　are　the　Petersburg　private　intentions　a　thing　that　can　be　doubted。　Apart　from　the　Menzel…Weingarten　revelations；　as　we　noticed　once；　it　appears　the　Grand…Duke　Peter　（a　great　admirer　of　Friedrich；　poor　confused　soul）　had　himself　thrice…secretly　warned　Friedrich；　That　the　mysterious　Combination；　Russia　in　the　van；　would　attack　him　next　Spring；〃not　Weingarten　that　betrayed　our　GRAND　MYSTERE；　from　first　hand；　that　was　done！〃　said　Excellency　Peubla；　on　quitting　Berlin　not　long　after。　＇Cogniazzo；　　Gestandnisse　eines　OEsterreichischen　Veterans　　（as　cited　above）；　i。　225。　〃September　16th；　1756；〃　Peubla　left　Berlin　（Rodenbeck；　i。　298）；three　months　after　Weingarten's　disappearance。＇　The　Grand　Mystery　is　not　uncertain　to　Friedrich；　and　it　may　well　be　very　formidable；coupled　with　those　Braddock　explosions；　Seizures　of　French　ships；　and　English…French　War　imminent；　and　likely　to　become　a　general　European　one；　which　are　the　closing　prospects　of　1755。　The　French　King　he　reckons　not　to　be　well　disposed　to　him；　their　old　Treaty　of　〃twelve　years〃　（since　1744）　is　just　about　running　out。　Not　friendly；　the　French　King；　owing　to　little　rubs　that　have　been；　still　less　the　Pompadour；though　who　could　guess　how　implacable　she　was　at　〃not　being　known　（NE　LA　CONNAIS　PAS）〃！　At　Vienna；　he　is　well　aware；　the　humor　towards　him　is　mere　cannibalism　in　refined　forms。　But　most　perilous　of　all；　most　i