history of friedrich ii of prussia v 18-第28部分

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eady　despatch；　for　twelve　days；weather　often　very　wet。　＇Tempelhof；　i。　229；　Rodenbeck；　i。　317　（not　very　correct）：　in　Westphalen　（ii。　20　&c。）　a　personal　Diary　of　this　March；　and　of　what　followed　on　Duke　Ferdinand's　part。＇　Seidlitz；　with　cavalry；　had　gone　ahead；　in　search　of　one　Turpin；　a　mighty　hunter　and　Hussar　among　the　French；　who　was　threatening　Leipzig；　threatening　Halle：　but　Turpin　made　off　at　sound　of　him；　without　trying　fight；　so　that　Seidlitz　had　only　to　halt；　and　rejoin；　hoping　better　luck　another　time。

A　march　altogether　of　the　common　type；the　stages　of　it　not　worth　marking　except　for　special　readers；and　of　memorable　to　us　offers　only　this；　if　even　this：　at　Rotha；　in　Leipzig　Country；　the　eighth　stage　from　Dresden；　Friedrich　writes；　willing　to　try　for　Peace　if　it　be　possible；


TO　THE　MARECHAL　DUC　DE　RICHELIEU。

〃ROTHA；　7th　September；　1757。

〃I　feel；　M。　le　Duc；　that　you　have　not　been　put　in　the　post　where　you　are　for　the　purpose　of　Negotiating。　I　am　persuaded；　however；　that　the　Nephew　of　the　great　Cardinal　Richelieu　is　made　for　signing　treaties　no　less　than　for　gaining　battles。　I　address　myself　to　you　from　an　effect　of　the　esteem　with　which　you　inspire　even　those　who　do　not　intimately　know　you。

〃'T　is　a　small　matter；　Monsieur　（IL　S'AGIT　D'UNE　BAGATELLE）：　only　to　make　Peace；　if　people　are　pleased　to　wish　it！　I　know　not　what　your　Instructions　are：　but；　in　the　supposition　that　the　King　your　Master；　zow　assured　by　your　Successes；　will　have　put　it　in　your　power　to　labor　in　the　pacification　of　Germany；　I　address　to　you　the　Sieur　d'Elcheset〃　（Sieur　Balbi　is　the　real　name　of　him；　an　Italian　Engineer　of　mine；　who　once　served　with　you　in　the　Fontenoy　times；　and　some　say　he　has　privately　a　15；000　pounds　for　your　Grace's　acceptance；〃the　Sieur　d'Elcheset）；　in　whom　you　may　place　complete　confidence。

〃Though　the　events　of　this　Year　afford　no　hope　that　your　Court　still　entertains　a　favorable　disposition　for　my　interests；　I　cannot　persuade　myself　that　a　union　which　has　lasted　between　us　for　sixteen　years　may　not　have　left　some　trace　in　the　mind。　Perhaps　I　judge　others　by　myself。　But；　however　that　may　be；　I；　in　short；　prefer　putting　my　interests　into　the　King　your　Master's　hands　rather　thau　into　any　other's。　If　you　have　not；　Monsieur；　any　Instructions　as　to　the　Proposal　hereby　made；　I　beg　of　you　to　ask　such；　and　to　inform　me　what　the　tenor　of　them　is。

〃He　who　has　merited　statues　at　Genoa　＇ten　years　ago；　in　those　ANTI…　Austrian　times；　when　Genoa　burst　up　in　revolt；　and　the　French　and　Richelieu　beautifully　intervened　against　the　oppressors＇；　he　who　conquered　Minorca　in　spite　of　immense　obstacles；　he　who　is　on　the　point　of　subjugating　Lower　Saxony；can　do　nothing　more　glorious　than　to　restore　Peace　to　Europe。　Of　all　your　laurels；　that　will　be　the　fairest。　Work　in　this　Cause；　with　the　activity　which　has　secured　you　such　rapid　progress　otherwise；　and　be　persuaded　that　nobody　will　feel　more　grateful　to　you　than；　Monsieur　le　Duc；　Your　faithful　Friend；　　　　　　　　　　　FREDERIC。〃　＇Given　in　RODENBECK；　i。　313　（doubtless　from　　Memoires　de　Richelieu；　　Paris；　1793；　ix。　175；　the　one　fountain…head　in　regard　to　this　small　affair）：　for　〃the　15；000　pounds〃　and　other　rumored　particulars；　sea　Retzow；　i。　197；　Preuss；　ii。　84；　　OEuvres　de　Frederic；　　iv。　145。＇

Richelieu；　it　appears　by　any　evidence　there　is；　went　willingly　into　this　scheme；　and　applied　at　Versailles；　as　desired；　with　a　peremptory　negative　for　result。　Nothing　came　of　the　Richelieu　attempt　there；　nor　of　〃CE　M。　DE　MIRABEAU；〃　if　he　ever　went；　nor　of　any　other　on　that　errand。　Needless　to　apply　for　Peace　at　Versailles　（and　a　mere　waste　of　your　〃sum　of　15；000　pounds；〃　which　one　hopes　is　fabulous　in　the　present　scarcity　of　money）：or　should　we　perhaps　have　mentioned　the　thing　at　all；　except　for　the　sake　of　Wilhelmina；　whose　fond　scheme　it　is　in　this　extremity　of　fate；　scheme　which　she　tries　in　still　other　directions；　as　we　shall　see；　her　Brother　willing　too；　but　probably　with　much　less　hope。　If　a　civil　Letter　and　a　bribe　of　Money　will　do　it；　these　need　not　be　spared。

This　at　Rotha　is　the　day　while　Winterfeld；　on　Moys　Hill；　is　meeting　his　death。　To…day　at　Pegau；　in　this　neighborhood；　Seidlitz；　who　could　not　fall　in　with　Turpin；　has　given　the　Hussars　of　Loudon　a　beautiful　slap；　the　first　enemy　we　have　seen　on　this　march；　and　the　last；nothing　but　Loudon　and　Hussars　visibly　about；　the　rest　of　those　Soubise…Reichs　people　dormant；　as　would　seem。　〃D'Elcheset；〃　Balbi；　or　whoever　he　was；　would　not　find　Richelieu　at　Hanover；　but　at　a　place　called　Kloster…Zeven；　in　Bremen　Country；　fifty　or　sixty　miles　farther　on。　There；　this　day；　are　Richelieu　with　one　Sporcken　a　Hanoverian；　and　one　Lynar　a　Dane；　rapidly　finishing　a　thing　they　were　pleased　to　call　〃Convention　of　Kloster…Zeven；〃　which　Friedrich　regarded　as　another　huge　misfortune　fallen　on　him；　though　it　proved　to　have　been　far　the　reverse　a　while　after。　Concerning　which　take　this　brief　Note；　cannot　be　too　brief　on　such　a　topic：

〃Never　was　there　a　more　futile　Convention　than　that　of　Kloster…　Zeven；　which　filled　all　Europe　with　lamentable　noises；　indignations　and　anxieties；　during　the　remainder　of　that　Year；　and　is　now　reduced；　for　Europe　and　the　Universe；　to　a　silent　mathematical　point；　or　mere　mark　of　position；　requiring　still　to　be　attended　to　in　that　character；　though　itself　zero　in　any　other。　Here　are　the　main　particulars；　in　their　sequence。

〃August　3d；　towards　midnight；　'11　P。M。'　say　the　Books；　Marechal　de　Richelieu　arrives　in　the　D'Estrees　Camp　（'Camp　of　Oldendorf；'　still　only　one　march　west　of　Hastenbeck）；　to　whom　D'Estrees　on　the　instant　loftily　delivers　up　his　Army；　explains　with　loyalty；　for　a　few　days　more；　all　things　needful　to　the　new　Commander；　declines　to　be　himself　Second；　and　loftily　withdraws　to　the　Baths　of　Aachen　'for　his　health。'

〃Royal　Highness　of　Cumberland　is；　by　this　time；　well　on　Elbe…ward；　Ocean…ward。　Till　August　1st；　for　one　week；　Royal　Highness　of　Cumberland　lay　at　Minden；　some　thirty　odd　miles　from　Hastenbeck；　deploring　that　sad　mistake；　but　unpersuadable　to　stand；　and　try　amendment　of　it：　August　lst；　the　French　advancing　on　him　again；　he　moved　off　northward；　seaward。　By　Nienburg；　Verden；　Rothenburg；　Zeven；　Bremenvorde；　Stade；arrived　at　Stade；　on　the　tidal　Waters　of　the　Elbe；　August　5th；　and　by　necessity　did　halt　there。　From　Minden　onwards；　Richelieu；　not　D'Estrees；　has　had　the　chasing　of　Royal　Highness：　one　of　the　simplest　functions；　only　that　the　country　is　getting　muddy；　difficult　for　artillery…carriage　（thinks　Richelieu）；　with　an　Army　so　dilapidated；　hungry；　short　of　pay；　and　that　Royal　Highness；　a　very　furious　person　to　our　former　knowledge；　might　turn　on　us　like　a　boar　at　bay；　endangering　everything；　and　finally；　that　one's　desire　is　not　for　battle；　but　for　a　fair　chance　of　plunder　to　pay　one's　debts。

〃Britannic　Majesty；　in　this　awful　state　of　his　Hanover　Armaments；　has　been　applying　at　the　Danish　Court；　Richelieu　too　sends　off　an　application　thither：　'Mediate　between　us；　spare　useless　bloodshed！'　＇Valfons；　p。　291。＇Whereupon　Danish　Majesty　（Britannic's　son…in…　law）　cheerfully　undertakes　it；　bids　one　Lynar　bestir　himself　upon　it。　Count　Lynar；　an　esteemed　Official　of　his；　who　lives　in　those　neighborhoods；　Danish　Viceroy　in　Oldenburg；much　concerned　with　the　Scriptures；　the　Sacred　Languages　and　other　seraphic　studies；　and　a　changed　man　since　we　saw　him　last　in　the　Petersburg　regions；　making　love　to　Mrs。　Anton　Ulrich　long　ago！　Lynar；　feeling　the　axis　of　the　world　laid　on　his　shoulder　in　this　manner；　loses　not　a　moment；　invokes　the　Heavenly　Powers；　goes　on　it　with　an　alacrity　and　a　despatch　beyond　praise。　Runs　to　the　Duke　of　Cumberland　at　Stade；　thence　to　Richelieu　at　Zeven；　back　to　the　Duke；　back　to　Zeven：　'Won't　you；　and　won't　YOU？'　and　in　four　short　days　has　the　once　world…famed　'Convention　of　Kloster…Zeven'　standing　on　parchment；signed；　ready　for　ratifying：　'Royal　Highness's　Army　to　go　home　to　their　countries　again　＇routes；　methods；　times：　when；　how；　and　what　next；　all　left　unsettled＇；　and　noise　of　War　to　cease　in　those　parts。'　Signed　cheerfully　on　both　sides　9th　September；　1757；　and　Lynar　striking　the　stars　with　his　sublime　head。　＇Busching　（who　alone　is　exact　in　the　matter）；　　Beitrage；　　iv。　167；　168；　？　Lynar：　see　Scholl；　iii。　49；　Valfons；　pp。　202；　203；　　OEuvres　de　Frederic；　　iv。　143　（with　correction　of　Preuss's　Note　there）。＇

〃Unaccountable　how　Lynar　had　managed　such　a　difficulty。　He　says　seraphically；　in　a　Letter　to　a　friend；　which　the　Prussian　hussars　got　hold　of；　'The　idea　of　it　was　inspired　by　the　Holy　Ghost：'　at　which　the　whole　world　haha'd　again。　For　it　was　a　Convention　vague；　absurd；　not　capable　of　being　executed；　ratification　of　it　refused　by　both　Courts；　by　the　French　Court　first；　if　that　was　any　matter：and　the　only　thing　now　memorable　of　it　is；　that　IT　was　a　total　Futility；　but；　that　there　ensued　from　it　a　Fact　still　of　importance；　namely：

〃That　on　the　5th　of　October　following；　Royal　Highness　quitted　Stade；　and　his　wrecked　Army　hanging　sorrowful　there；　like　a　flight　of　plucked　cranes　in　mid…air；arrived　at　Kensington；　October　12th；　heard　the　paternal　Majesty　say；　that　evening；　'Here　is　my　son　who　has　ruined　me；　and　disgraced　himself！'and　thereupon　indignantly　laid　down　his　military　offices；　all　and　sundry；　and　ceased　altogether　to　command　Armies；　English　or　other；　in　this　world。　＇In　WALPOLE　（iii。　59…64）　the　amplest　minuteness　of　detail。＇　Whereby；　in　the　then　and　now　diagram　of　things；　Kloster…Zeven；　as　a　mathematical　point；　continues　memorable　in　History；　though　shrunk　otherwise　to　zero！

〃Pitt's　magnanimity　to　Royal　Highness　was　conspicuous。　Royal　Highness；　it　is　said；　had　been　very　badly　used　in　this　matter　by　his　poor　peddling　Father　and　the　Hanover　Ministers；　the　matter　being　one　puddle　of　imbecilities　from　beginning　to　end。　He　was　the　soul　of　honor；　brave　as　a　Welf　lion；　but；　of　dim　poor　head；　and　had　not　the　faintest　vestige　＇ALLERGERINGSTE　says　Mauvillon＇　of　military　skill：　awful　in　the　extreme　to　see　in　command　of　British　Armies！　Adieu　to　him；　forever　and　a　day。〃

Ever　since　July　29th；　three　days　after　Hastenbeck；　Pitt　had　been　in　Office　again；　such　the　bombardment　by　Corporation…Boxes　and　Events　impinging　on　Brit