history of friedrich ii of prussia v 17-第7部分

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and　Newspaper　Commentary　going　on；　of　a　distressful　nature。　〃Saturday；　15th　May；　1756；　Hessians　disembark　at　Southampton；　obliged　to　pitch　Camp　in　the　neighborhood：　Friday；　21st　May；　the　Hanoverians；　at　Chatham；　who　hut　themselves　Canterbury　way；〃and　have　（what　is　the　sum…total　of　their　achievements　in　this　Country）　a　case　of　shoplifting；　〃pocket…handkerchief；　across　the　counter；　in　open　day；〃　one　case　（or　what　seemed　to　be　one；　but　was　not）；　＇〃At　Maidstone；　13th　Septemher；　1756；〃　Hanoverian　soldier；　purchasing　a　handkerchief；　imagines　he　has　purchased　two　（not　yet　clipt　asunder）；　haberdasher　and　he　having　no　language　in　common：　　Gentleman's　Magazine；　　for　1756；　pp。　259；　448；　&c。；　Walpole；　SAEPIUS。＇　〃and　the　fellow　not　to　be　tried　by　us　for　it！〃　which　enrages　the　constitutional　heart。　Alas；　my　heavy…laden　constitutional　heart；　but　what　can　we　do？　These　drilled　louts　will　guard　us；　should　this　terrible　Invasion　land。　And　indeed；　about　three　weeks　BEFORE　these　louts　arrived；　the　terrible　Invasion　had　declared　itself　to　have　been　altogether　a　feint；　and　had　lifted　anchor；　quite　in　the　opposite　direction；　on　an　errand　we　shall　hear　of　soon！

About　the　same　date；　I　observe；　〃the　first　regiment　of　Footguards　practising　the　Prussian　drill…exercise　in　Hyde　Park；〃　and　hope　his　Grace　of　Newcastle　and　the　Hero　of　Culloden　（immortal　Hero；　and　aiming　high　in　Politics　at　this　time）　will；　at　least；　have　fallen　upon　some　method　of　getting　Colonels　nominated。　But　the　wide…　weltering　chaos　of　platitudes；　agitated　by　hysterical　imbecilities；　regulating　England　in　this　great　crisis；　fills　the　constitutional　mind　with　sorrow；　and　indeed　is　definable；　once　more；　as　amazing！　England　is　a　stubborn　Country；　but　it　was　not　by　procedures　of　the　Cumberland…Newcastle　kind　that　England；　and　her　Colonies；　and　Sea…　and…Land　Kingdoms；　was　built　together；　nor　by　these；　except　miracle　intervene；　that　she　can　stand　long　against　stress！　Looking　at　the　dismal　matter　from　this　distance；　there　is　visible　to　me　in　the　foggy　heart　of　it　one　lucent　element；　and　pretty　much　one　only；　the　individual　named　William　Pitt；　as　I　have　read　him：　if　by　miracle　that　royal　soul　could；　even　for　a　time；　get　to　something　of　Kingship　there？　Courage；　miracles　do　happen；　let　us　hope！This　is　whitherward　the　grand　Invasion　had　gone：

TOULON；　10th　APRIL；　1756。　La　Gallisonniere；　our　old　Canadian　friend；　a　crooked　little　man　of　great　faculty；　who　has　been　busy　in　the　dockyards　lately；　weighs　anchor　from　Toulon；　〃12　sail　of　the　line；　5　frigates　and　above　100　transport…ships；〃　with　the　grand　Invasion…of…England　Armament　on　board：　16；000　picked　troops；　complete　in　all　points；　Marechal　Duc　de　Richelieu　commanding。　＇Adelung；　viii。　70。＇　Weighs　anchor；　and；　singular　to　see；　steers；　not　for　England；　and　the　Hessian…Hanover　Defenders　（who　would　have　been　in　such　excellent　time）；　but　direct　for　Minorca；　as　the　surer　thing！　Will　seize　Minorca；　a　so…called　inexpugnable　Possession　of　the　English；Key　of　their　Mediterranean　Supremacies；really　inexpugnable　enough；　but　which　lies　in　the　usual　dilapidated　state；　though　by　chance　with　a　courageous　old　Governor　in　it；　who　will　not　surrender　quite　at　once。

APRIL　18th；　La　Gallisonniere　disembarks　his　Richelieu　with　a　Sixteen　Thousand；　unopposed　at　Port…Mahon；　or　Fort　St。　Philip；　in　Minorca；　who　instantly　commences　Siege　there。　To　the　astonishment　of　England　and　his　Grace　of　Newcastle　who；　except　old　Governor　Blakeney；　much　in　dilapidation　（〃wooden　platforms　rotten；〃　〃batteries　out　of　repair；〃　and　so　on）；　have　nothing　ready　for　Richelieu　in　that　quarter。　The　story　of　Minorca；　and　the　furious　humors　and　tragic　consummations　that　arose　on　it；　being　still　well　known；　we　will　give　the　dates　only。

FORT　ST。　PHILIP；　APRIL　18th…MAY　20th。　For　a　month；　Richelieu；　skilful　in　tickling　the　French　troops；　has　been　besieging；　in　a　high　and　grandiose　way；　La　Gallisonniere　vigilantly　cruising；　old　Blakeney；　in　spite　of　the　rotten　platforms；　vigorously　holding　out；　whenMay　19th；　La　Gallisonniere　descries　an　English　fleet　in　the　distance；　indisputably　an　English　fleet；　and　clears　his　decks　for　a　serious　Affair　just　coming。　THURSDAY；　20th　MAY；　Admiral　Byng　accordingly　（for　it　is　he；　son　of　that　old　seaworthy　Byng；　who　once　〃blew　out〃　a　minatory　Spanish　Fleet　and　〃an　absurd　Flame　of　War〃　in　the　Straits　of　Messina；　and　was　made　Lord　Torrington　in　consequence；happily　now　dead）Admiral　Byng　does　come　on；　and　gains　himself　a　name　badly　memorable　ever　since。　Attacks　La　Gallisonniere；　in　a　wide…lying；　languid；　hovering；　uncertain　manner：〃Far　too　weak〃　he　says；　〃much　disprovided；　destitute；　by　blame　of　Ministry　and　of　everybody〃　（though　about　the　strength　of　La　Gallisonniere；　after　all）；is　almost　rather　beaten　by　La　Gallisonniere；　does　not　in　the　least；　beat　him　to　the　right　degree：and　sheers　off：　in　the　night…time；　straight　for　Gibraltar　again。　To　La　Gallisonniere's　surprise；　it　is　said；　no　doubt　to　old　Blakeney　and　his　poor　Garrison's；　left　so；　to　their　rotten　platforms　and　their　own　shifts。

Blakeney　and　Garrison　stood　to　their　guns　in　a　manful　manner；　for　above　a　month　longer；　day　after　day；　week　after　week；　looking　over　the　horizon　for　some　Byng　or　some　relief　appearing；　to　no　purpose！　JUNE　14th；　there　are　three　available　breaches；　the　walls；　however；　are　very　sheer　（a　Fortress　hewn　in　the　rock）：　Richelieu　scanning　them　dubiously；　and　battering　his　best；　for　about　a　fortnight　more；　is　ineffectual　on　Blakeney。

JUNE　27th；　Richelieu；　taking　his　measures　well；　tickling　French　honor　well；　has　determined　on　storm。　Richelieu；　giving　order　of　the　day；　〃Whosoever　of　you　is　found　drunk　shall　NOT　be　of　the　storm…　party〃　（which　produced　such　a　teetotalism　as　nothing　else　had　done）；storms；　that　night；　with　extreme　audacity。　The　Place　has　to　capitulate：　glorious　victory；　honorable　defence：　and　Minorca　gone。

And　England　is　risen　to　a　mere　smoky　whirlwind；　of　rage；　sorrow　and　darkness；　against　Byng　and　others。　Smoky　darkness；　getting　streaked　with　dangerous　fire。　〃Tried？〃　said　his　Grace　of　Newcastle　to　the　City　Deputation：　〃Oh　indeed　he　shall　be　tried　immediately；　he　shall　be　hanged　directly！〃assure　yourselves　of　that。　＇Walpole；　ii。　231：　Details　of　the　Siege；　ib。　218…225；　in　　Gentleman's　Magazine；　xxvi。　256；　312…313；　358；　in　Adelung；　vii。；　&c。　&c。＇　And　Byng's　effigy　was　burnt　all　over　England。　And　mobs　attempt　to　burn　his　Seat　and　Park；　and　satires　and　caricatures　and　firebrands　are　coming　out：　and　the　poor　Constitutional　Country　is　bent　on　applying　surgery；　if　it　but　know　how。　Surgery　to　such　indisputable　abominations　was　certainly　desirable。　The　new　Relief　Squadron；　which　had　been　despatched　by　Majesty's　Ministry；　was　too　late　for　Blakeney；　but　did　bring　home　a　superseded　Byng。

SPITHEAD；　TUESDAY；　27th　JULY；　The　superseded　Byng　arrives；　is　punctually　arrested；　on　arriving：　〃Him　we　will　hang　directly：　is　there　anything　else　we　can　try　＇except；　perhaps；　it　were　hanging　of　ourselves；　and　our　fine　methods　of　procedure＇；　by　way　of　remedying　you？〃War　against　France；　now　a　pretty　plain　thing；　had　been　〃declared；〃　17th　May　（French　counter…declaring；　9th　June）：　and；　under　a　Duke　of　Newcastle　and　a　Hero　of　Culloden；　not　even　pulling　one　way；　but　two　ways；　and　a　Talking…Apparatus　full　of　discords　at　this　time；　and　pulling　who　shall　say　how　many　ways；　the　prospects　of　carrying　on　said　War　are　none　of　the　best。　Lord　Loudon；　a　General　without　skill；　and　commanding；　as　Pitt　declares；　〃a　scroll　of　Paper　hitherto〃　（a　good　few　thousands　marked　on　it；　and　perhaps　their　Colonels　even　named）；　is　about　going　for　America；　by　no　means　yet　gone；　a　long　way　from　gone：　and；　if　the　Laws　of　Nature　be　suspendedEnough　of　all　that！


KING　PRIEDRICH'S　ENIGMA　GETS　MORE　AND　MORE　STRINGENT。

Friedrich's　situation；　in　those　fatefully　questionable　months　and　for　many　past　（especially　from　January　16th　to　July）；readers　must　imagine　it；　for　there　is　no　description　possible。　In　many　intricacies　Friedrich　has　been；　but　never；　I　reckon；　in　any　equal　to　this。　Himself　certain　what　the　Two　Imperial　Women　have　vowed　against　him；　self　and　Winterfeld　certain　of　that　sad　truth；　and　all　other　mortals　ready　to　deny　it；　and　fly　delirious　on　hint　of　it；　should　he　venture　to　act　in　consequence！　Friedrich's　situation　is　not　unimaginable；　when　（as　can　now　be　done　by　candid　inquirers　who　will　take　trouble　enough）　the　one　or　two　internal　facts　of　it　are　disengaged　from　the　roaring　ocean　of　clamorous　delusions　which　then　enveloped　them　to　everybody；　and　are　held　steadily　in　view；　said　ocean　being　well　run　off　to　the　home　of　it　very　deep　underground。　Lies　do　fall　silent；　truth　waits　to　be　recognized；　not　always　in　vain。　No　reader　ever　will　conceive　the　strangling　perplexity　of　that　situation；　now　so　remote　and　extinct　to　us。　All　I　can　do　is；　to　set　down　what　features　of　it　have　become　indisputable；　and　leave　them　as　detached　traceries；　as　fractions　of　an　outline；　to　coalesce　into　something　of　image　where　they　can。

Winterfeld's　opinion　was；　for　some　time　past；　distinct：　〃Attack　them；　since　it　is　certain　they　only　wait　to　attack　us！〃　But　Friedrich　would　by　no　means　listen　to　that。　〃We　must　not　be　the　aggressor；　my　friend；　that　would　spoil　all。　Perhaps　the　English　will　pacify　the　Russian　CATIN　for　me；　tie　her；　with　packthreads；　bribes　and　intrigues；　from　stirring？　Wait；　watch！〃　Fiery　Winterfeld；　who　hates　the　French；　who　despises　the　Austrians；　and　thinks　the　Prussian　Army　a　considerable　Fact　in　Politics；　has　great　schemes：　far　too　great　for　a　practical　Friedrich。　〃Plunge　into　the　Austrians　with　a　will：　Prussian　Soldiery；can　Austrians　resist　it？　Ruin　them；　since　they　are　bent　on　ruining　us。　Stir　up　the　Hungarian　Protestants；　try　all　things。　Home　upon　our　implacable　enemies；　sword　drawn；　scabbard　flung　away！　And　the　French；what　are　the　French？　Our　King　should　be　Kaiser　of　Teutschland；　and　he　can；　and　he　may：the　French　would　then　be　quieter！〃　These　things　Winterfeld　carried　in　his　head；　and　comrades　have　heard　them　from　him　over　wine。　＇Retzow；　i。　43；　&c。＇　To　all　which　Friedrich；　if　any　whisper　of　them　ever　got　to　Friedrich；　would　answer　one　can　guess　how。

It　is　evident；　Friedrich　had　not　given　up　his　hope　（indeed；　for　above　a　year　more；　he　never　did）　that　England　might；　by　profuse　bribery；〃such　the　power　of　bribery　in　that