history of friedrich ii of prussia v 17-第6部分

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aiser　Franz　that　good　would　come　of　it；though；　finding　Sovereign　Lady　and　everybody　against　him；　he　held　his　peace　again。　And　returned　to　his　private　banking　operations；　which　were　more　extensive　than　ever；　from　the　new　troubles　rising。　〃Lent　the　Empress…Queen；　always　on　solid　securities；〃　says　Friedrich；　〃large　sums；　from　time　to　time；　in　those　Wars；　dealt　in　Commissariat　stores　to　right　and　left；　we　ourselves　had　most　of　our　meal　from　him　this　year。〃　＇　OEuvres　de　Frederic；　　iv。　8。＇　Kaiser　Franz　was；　and　continued；　of　the　old　way　of　thinking；　but　consummate　Kaunitz；　and　the　High　Lady's　fixed　passion　for　her　Schlesien；　had　changed　everybody　else。　The　ulterior　facts　are　as　follows；　abbreviated　to　the　utmost。

September　22d；　1755；　a　few　days　before　Hanbury's　Subsidy…feat　at　Petersburg；　which　took　such　a　whirl　for　Hanbury；　there　had　met　for　the　first　time　at　Versailles；　more　especially　at　Babiole；　Pleasure…　House　of　the　Pompadour；　a　most　Select　Committee　of　Three　Persons：　Graf　von　Stahremberg；　Austrian　Ambassador；　Pompadour　herself；　and　a　certain　infinitely　elegant　Count　and　Reverence　de　Bernis　（beautiful　Clerico…Mundane　Gentleman；　without　right　Benefice　hitherto；　but　much　in　esteem　with　the　Pompadour）；for　deepest　practical　consideration　in　regard　to　closure　of　a　French…Austrian　Alliance。　Reverend　Count　（subsequently　Cardinal）　de　Bernis　has　sense　in　Diplomacy；　has　his　experiences　in　Secular　Diplomatic　matters；　a　soft…going　cautious　man；　not　yet　official；　but　tending　that　way：　whom　the　Pompadour　has　brought　with　her　as　henchman；　or　unghostly　counsellor；　in　this　intricate　Adventure。

Stahremberg；　instructed　from　home；　has　no　hesitation；　nor　has　Pompadour　herself；　remembering　that　insolent　〃JE　NE　LA　CONNAIS　PAS；〃　and　the　per…contra　〃MA　COUSINE；〃　〃PRINCESSE　ET　SOEUR：〃but　Bernis；　I　suppose；　looks　into　the　practical　difficulties；　which　are　probably　very　considerable；　to　the　Official　French　eye；　in　the　present　state　of　Europe　and　of　the　public　mind。　From　September　22d；　or　autumnal　equinox；　1755；　onward　to　this　Britannic…Prussian　phenomenon　of　January；　1756；　the　Pompadour　Conclave　has　been　sitting；difficulties；　no　doubt；　considerable。　I　will　give　only　the　dates；　having　myself　no　interest　in　such　a　Committee　at　Babiole；　but　the　dates　sufficiently　betoken　that　there　were　intricacies；　conflicts　between　the　new　and　the　old。　Hitherto　the　axiom　always　was；　〃Prussia　the　Adjunct　and　Satellite　of　France：〃　now　to　be　entirely　reversed；　you　say？

JULY；　1755；　that　is　two　months　before　this　Babiole　Committee　met；　a　Duc　de　Nivernois；　respectable　intelligent　dilettante　French　Nobleman；　had　been　named　as　Ambassador　to　Friedrich；　〃Go；　you　respectable　wise　Nivernois；　Nobleman　of　Letters　so　called；　try　and　retain　Friedrich　for　us；　as　usual！〃　And　now；　on　meeting　of　the　Babiole　Committee；　Nivernois　does　not　go；　lingers；　saddled　and　bridled；　till　the　very　end　of　the　Year；　arrives　in　Berlin　January　12th；　1756。　Has　his　First　Audience　January　14th；　a　man　highly　amiable　to　Friedrich；　but　with　proposals；wonderful　indeed。

The　French；　this　good　while　back；　are　in　no　doubt　about　War　with　England；　a　right　hearty　War；　and　have　always　expected　to　retain　Prussia　as　formerly；though　rather　on　singular　terms。　Some　time　ago；　for　instance；　M。　de　Rouille；　War…Minister；　requested　Knyphausen；　Prussian　Envoy　at　Paris：　〃Suggest　to　your　King's　Majesty　what　plunder　there　is　at　Hanover。　Perfectly　at　liberty　to　keep　it　all；　if　he　will　plunder　Hanover　for　us！〃　＇　OEuvres　de　Frederic；　　iv。　29。＇　Pleasant　message　to　the　proud　King；　who　answered　with　the　due　brevity；　to　the　purport；　〃Silence；　Sir！〃with　didactic　effects　on　the　surprised　Rouille。　Who　now　mends　his　proposal；　though　again　in　a　remarkable　way。　Instructs　Nivernois；　namely；　〃To　offer　King　Friedrich　the　Island　of　Tobago；　if　he　will　renew　Treaty；　and　take　arms　for　us。　Island　of　Tobago　（a　deserted；　litigated；　but　pretty　Island；　were　it　ever　ours）；　will　not　that　entice　this　King；　intent　on　Commerce？〃　Friedrich；　who　likes　Nivernois　and　his　polite　ways；　answers　quizzingly：　〃Island　of　Tobago？　Island　of　Barataria　your　Lordship　must　be　meaning；　Island　of　which　I　cannot　be　the　Sancho　Panza！〃　＇Ib。　31。＇　And　Nivernois　found　he　must　not　mention　Tobago　again。

For　the　rest；　Friedrich　made　no　secret　of　his　English　Treaty；　showed　it　with　all　frankness　to　Nivernois；　in　all　points：　〃Is　there；　can　the　most　captious　allege　that　there　is；　anything　against　France　in　it。　My　one　wish　and　aim；　that　of　Peace　for　myself：　judge！〃　Nivernois　stayed　till　March；　but　seems　to　have　had；　of　definite；　only　Tobago　and　good　words；　so　that　nothing　farther　came　of　him；　and　there　was　no　Renewal　of　Treaty　then　or　after。　Thus；　in　his　third　month　（March；　1756）；　practical　Nivernois　was　recalled；　without　result；instead　of　whom　fat　Valori　was　sent；　privately　intending　〃to　do　nothing　but　observe；　in　Berlin。〃　From　all　which；　we　infer　that　the　Babiole　Committee　now　saw　land；　and　that　Bernis　himself　had　decided　in　the　affirmative：　〃Austria；　not　Prussia；　yes；　Madame！〃　To　the　joy　of　Madame　and　everybody。　For；　it　is　incredible；　say　all　witnesses；　what　indignation　broke　out　in　Paris　when　Friedrich　made　this　new　〃defection；〃　so　they　termed　it；　revolt　from　his　Liege　Lord　（who　had　been　so　exemplary　to　him　on　former　occasions！）；　and　would　not　bite　at　Tobago　when　offered。　So　that　the　Babiole　Committee　went　on；　henceforth；　with　flowing　sea；　and　by　Mayday　（1st　MAY；　1756）　brought　out　its　French…　Austrian　Treaty　in　a　completed　state。　〃To　stand　by　one　another；〃　like　Castor　and　Pollux；　in　a　manner；　〃24；000；　reciprocally；　to　be　ready　on　demand；〃　nay　I　think　something　of　〃subsidies〃　withal；TO　Austria；　of　course。　But　the　particulars　are　not　worth　giving；　the　Performance；　thanks　to　a　zealous　Pompadour；　having　quite　outrun　the　Stipulation；　and　left　it　practically　out　of　sight；　when　the　push　came。　Our　Constitutional　Historian　may　shadow　the　rest：

〃France　and　England　going　to　War　in　these　sad　circumstances；　and　France　and　Austria　being　privately　prepared　＇by　Kaunitz　and　others＇　to　swear　everlasting　friendship　on　the　occasion；　instead　of　everlasting　enmity　as　heretofore；　unexpected　changes；　miraculous　to　the　Gazetteers；　became　inevitable；nothing　less；　in　short；　than　explosion　or　topsy…turvying　of　the　old　Diplomatic…Political　Scheme　of　Europe。　Old　dance　of　the　Constellations　flung　heels…over…head　on　the　sudden；　and　much　pirouetting；　jigging；　setting；　before　they　could　change　partners；　and　continue　their　august　dance　again；　whether　in　War　or　Peace。　No　end　to　the　industrious　wonder　of　the　Gazetteer　mind；　to　the　dark　difficulties　of　the　Diplomatic。　What　bafflings；　agonistic　shufflings；　impotent　gazings　into　the　dark；　what　seductive　fiddling；　and　being　fiddled　to！　A　most　sad　function　of　Humanity；　if　sometimes　an　inevitable　one；　which　ought　surely　at　all　times　to　be　got　over　as　briefly　as　possible。　To　be　written　of；　especially；　with　a　maximum　of　brevity；　human　nature　being　justly　impatient　of　talk　about　it；　beyond　the　strictly　needful。〃

Most　true　it　is；　and　was　most　miraculous；　though　now　quite　forgotten　again；　Political　Europe　had　to　make　a　complete　whirl…　round　on　that　occasion。　And　not　in　a　day；　and　merely　saying　to　itself；　〃Let　me　do　summerset！〃　as　idle　readers　suppose；but　with　long　months　of　agonistic　shuffle　and　struggle　in　all　places；　and　such　Diplomatic　fiddling　and　being　fiddled　to；　as　seldom　was　before。　Of　which；　these　two　instances；　the　Bernis　and　the　Hanbury；　are　to　serve　as　specimen；　two　and　no　more：　a　universe　of　extinct　fiddling　compressed　into　two　nutshells；　if　readers　have　an　ear。



Chapter　III。

FRENCH…ENGLISH　WAR　BREAKS　OUT。

The　French；　in　reality　a　good　deal　astonished　at　the　Prussian…　Britannic　Treaty；　affected　to　take　it　easy：　〃Treaty　for　Neutrality　of　Germany？〃　said　they：　〃Very　good　indeed。　Perhaps　there　are　places　nearer　us；　where　our　troops　can　be　employed　to　more　advantage！〃　＇Their　〃Declaration〃　on　it　（Adelung；　vii。　613。＇hinting　vocally；　as　henceforth　their　silent　procedures；　their　diligence　in　the　dockyards；　moving　of　troops　coastward　and　the　like；　still　more　clearly　did；　That　an　Invasion　of　England　itself　was　the　thing　next　to　be　expected。

England　and　France　are；　by　this　time；　alike　fiercely　determined　on　War；　but　their　states　of　preparation　are　very　different。　The　French　have　War…ships　again；　not　to　mention　Armies　which　they　always　have；　some　skilful　Admirals　withal；La　Gallisonniere；　our　old　Canada　friend；　is　one；　very　busy　at　present；and　mean　to　try　seriously　the　Question　of　Sea…Supremacy　once　more。　If　an　Invasion　did　chance　to　land；　the　state　of　England　would　be　found　handy　beyond　hope！　How　many　fighting　regiments　England　has；　I　need　not　inquire；　nor　with　what　strategic　virtue　they　would　go　to　work；enough　to　mention　the　singular　fact　（recently　true；　and　still；　I　perceive；　too　like　the　truth）；　That　of　all　their　regiments；　〃only　Three　are　in　this　Country〃；　or　have　Colonels　even　nominated。　Incredible；　but　certain。　And　the　interesting　point　is；　his　Grace　of　Newcastle　dare　not　have　Colonels；　still　less　higher　Officers　nominated；　because　Royal　Highness　of　Cumberland　would　have　the　naming　of　them；　and　they　would　be　enemies　to　his　Grace。　＇Walpole；　　George　the　Second；　　ii。　19　（date；　〃March　25th；　1755；〃　and　how　long　after；　is　not　said：　but　see　Pitt's　Speeches；　ib。；　all　through　1756；　and　farther）。＇　In　such　posture　stands　the　Envy　of　surrounding　Nations　at　this　moment。

〃Hire　Hessians；〃　cry　they；　〃hire　Hanoverians；　if　France　land　on　us；　we　are　undone！〃and　continue　their　Parliamentary　Eloquences　in　a　most　distressful　manner。　〃Apply　to　the　Dutch；　at　any　rate；　for　their　6；000　as　per　Treaty〃；　cries　everybody。　Which　is　done。　But　the　Dutch　piteously　wring　their　hands：　〃Dare　not；　your　Majesty；　how　dare　we；　for　France　and　our　neglected　Barrier！　Oh；　generous　Majesty；　excuse　us！〃and　the　generous　Majesty　has　to　do　it；　and　leave　the　Dutch　in　peace；　this　time。　Hessians；　Hanoverians；　after　eloquence　enough；　are　at　last　got　sent　for；　to　guard　us　against　this　terrible　Invasion：　about　10；000　of　each　kind；　and　do　land；　the　native　populations　very　sulky　on　them　（〃We　won't　billet　you；　not　we；　build　huts；　and　be！〃）；　with　much　Parliamentary　and　Newspaper　Commentary　going　on；　of　a　distressful　nature。　〃Saturday；　15th　May；　1756；　Hessians　dise