history of friedrich ii of prussia v 18-第34部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


ter　of　the　14th　by　W。　＇who　W。　is；　no　mortal　knows＇。　What　kindness　to　think　of　me；　who　have　nothing　to　give　you　but　a　useless　affection；　which　is　so　richly　repaid　by　yours！　I　am　obliged　to　finish；　but　I　shall　never　cease　to　be；　with　the　most　profound　respect　（TRES…PROFOND　RESPECT；〃　that；　and　something　still　better；　if　my　poor　pen　were　not　embarrassed）；　〃your〃　　　　　　　　　　WILHELMINA。

5。　FRIEDRICH'S　RESPONSE　TO　THE　DISSUASIVES　OF　VOLTAIRE　（Last　of　the　Lamentation…Psalms：　〃Buttstadt；　October　9th〃）。Voltaire's　Dissuasive　Letter　is　a　poor　Piece；　＇　OEuvres　de　Voltaire；　　lxxvii。　80…85　（LES　DELICES；　early　in　September；　1757：　no　date　given）。＇　not　worth　giving　here。　Remarkable　only　by　Friedrich's　quiet　reception　of　it；　which　readers　shall　now　see；　as　Finis　to　those　Lamentation…Psalms。　There　is　another　of　them；　widely　known；　which　we　will　omit：　the　EPITRE　TO　D'ARGENS；　＇In　　OEuvres　de　Frederic；　　xii。　50…56　（〃Erfurt；　23d　September；　1757　〃）。＇　passionate　enough；　wandering　wildly　over　human　life；　and　sincere　almost　to　shrillness；　in　parts；　which　Voltaire　has　also　got　hold　of。　Omissible　here；　the　fixity　of　purpose　being　plain　otherwise　to　Voltaire　and　us。　Voltaire's　counter…arguments　are　weak；　or　worse：　〃That　Roman　death　is　not　now　expected　of　the　Philosopher；　that　your　Majesty　will；　in　the　worst　event；　still　have　considerable　Dominions　left；　all　that　your　Great…Grandfather　had；　still　plenty　of　resources；　that；　in　Paris　Society；　an　estimable　minority　even　now　thinks　highly　of　you；　that　in　Paris　itself　your　Majesty　＇does　not　say　expressly；　as　dethroned　and　going　on　your　travels＇　would　have　resources！〃　To　which　beautiful　considerations　Friedrich　answers；　not　with　fire　and　brimstone；　as　one　might　have　dreaded；　but　in　this　quiet　manner　（REPONSE　AU　SIEUR　VOLTAIRE）：

　〃Je　suis　homme；　il　suffit；　et　ne　pour　la　souffrance；　　　　　　　　　　　Aux　rigueurs　du　destin　j'oppose　ma　constance。　　＇〃I　am　a　man；　and　therefore　born　to　suffer；　to　destiny's　rigors　my　steadfastness　must　correspond。〃Quotation　from　I　know　not　whom。＇

But　with　these　sentiments；　I　am　far　from　condemning　Cato　and　Otho。　The　latter　had　no　fine　moment　in　his　life；　except　that　of　his　death。　＇Breaks　off　into　Verse：＇

　〃Croyez　que　si　j'etais　Voltaire；　　　　　　　　　　　Et　particulier　comme　lui；　　　　　　　　　　　Me　contentant　du　necessaire；　　　　　　　　　　　Je　verrais　voltiger　la　fortune　legere；〃　Or；

to　wring　the　water　and　the　jingle　out　of　it；　and　give　the　substance　in　Prose：

〃Yes；　if　I　were　Voltaire　and　a　private　man；　I　could　with　much　composure　leave　Fortune　to　her　whirlings　and　her　plungings；　to　me；　contented　with　the　needful；　her　mad　caprices　and　sudden　topsy…　turvyings　would　be　amusing　rather　than　tremendous。

〃I　know　the　ennui　attending　on　honors；　the　burdensome　duties；　the　jargon　of　grinning　flatterers；　those　pitiabilities　of　every　kind；　those　details　of　littleness；　with　which　you　have　to　occupy　yourself　if　set　on　high　on　the　stage　of　things。　Foolish　glory　has　no　charm　for　me；　though　a　Poet　and　King：　when　once　Atropos　has　ended　me　forever；　what　will　the　uncertain　honor　of　living　in　the　Temple　of　Memory　avail？　One　moment　of　practical　happiness　is　worth　a　thousand　years　of　imaginary　in　such　Temple。Is　the　lot　of　high　people　so　very　sweet；　then？　Pleasure；　gentle　ease；　true　and　hearty　mirth；　have　always　fled　from　the　great　and　their　peculiar　pomps　and　labors。

〃No；　it　is　not　fickle　Fortune　that　has　ever　caused　my　sorrows；　let　her　smile　her　blandest；　let　her　frown　her　fiercest　on　me；　I　should　sleep　every　night；　refusing　her　the　least　worship。　But　our　respective　conditions　are　our　law；　we　are　bound　and　commanded　to　shape　our　temper　to　the　employment　we　have　undertaken。　Voltaire　in　his　hermitage；　in　a　Country　where　is　honesty　and　safety；　can　devote　himself　in　peace　to　the　life　of　the　Philosopher；　as　Plato　has　described　it。　But　as　to　me；　threatened　with　shipwreck；　I　must　consider　how；　looking　the　tempest　in　the　face；　I　can　think；　can　live　and　can　die　as　a　King：

　Pour　moi；　menace　du　naufrage；　　　　　　　　　　Je　dois；　en　affrontant　l'orage；　　　　　　　　　　Penser；　vivre　et　mourir　en　roi。〃　　＇　OEuvres；　　xxiii。　14。＇

This　is　of　October　9th；　this　ends；　worthily；　the　Lamentation…　Psalms；　work　having　now　turned　up；　which　is　a　favorable　change。　Friedrich's　notion　of　suicide；　we　perceive；　is　by　no　means　that　of　puking　up　one's　existence；　in　the　weak　sick　way　of　FELO　DE　SE；　but；　far　different；　that　of　dying；　if　he　needs　must；　as　seems　too　likely；　in　uttermost　spasm　of　battle　for　self　and　rights　to　the　last。　From　which　latter　notion　nobody　can　turn　him。　A　valiantly　definite；　lucid　and　shiningly　practical　soul；with　such　a　power　of　always　expectorating　himself　into　clearness　again。　If　he　do　frankly　wager　his　life　in　that　manner；　beware；　ye　Soubises；　Karls　and　flaccid　trivial　persons；　of　the　stroke　that　may　chance　to　lie　in　him！


III。　RUMOR　OF　AN　INROAD　ON　BERLIN　SUDDENLY　SETS　FRIEDRICH　ON　MARCH　THITHER：　INROAD　TAKES　EFECT；WITH　IMPORTANT　RESULTS；　CHIEFLY　IN　A　LEFT…HAND　FORM。

October　llth；　express　arrived；　important　express　from　General　Finck　（who　is　in　Dresden；　convalescent　from　Kolin；　and　is　even　Commandant　there；　of　anything　there　is　to　command）；　〃That　the　considerable　Austrian　Brigade　or　Outpost；　which　was　left　at　Stolpen　when　the　others　went　for　Silesia；　is　all　on　march　for　Berlin。〃　Here　is　news！　〃The　whole　15；000　of　them；〃　report　adds；though　it　proved　to　be　only　a　Detachment；　picked　Tolpatches　mostly；　and　of　nothing　like　that　strength；　shot　off；　under　a　swift　General　Haddick；　on　this　errand。　Between　them　and　Berlin　is　not　a　vestige　of　force；　and　Berlin　itself　has　nothing　but　palisades；　and　perhaps　a　poor　4；000　of　garrison。　〃March　instantly；　you　Moritz；　who　lie　nearest；　cross　Elbe　at　Torgau；　I　follow　instantly！〃　orders　Friedrich；　＇His　Message　to　Moritz；　ORLICH；　p。　73；　Rodenbeck；　p。　322　（dubious；　or　wrong）。＇and　that　same　night　is　on　march；　or　has　cavalry　pushed　ahead　for　reinforcement　of　Moritz。

Friedrich；　not　doubting　but　there　would　be　captaincy　and　scheme　among　his　Enemies；　considered　that　the　Swedes；　and　perhaps　the　Richelieu　French；　were　in　concert　with　this　Austrian　movement；　from　east；　from　north；　from　west；　three　Invasions　coming　on　the　core　of　his　Dominions；and　that　here　at　last　was　work　ahead；　and　plenty　of　it！　That　was　Friedrich's　opinion；　and　most　other　people's；　when　the　Austrian　inroad　was　first　heard　of：　〃mere　triple　ruin　coming　to　this　King；〃　as　the　Gazetteers　judged；great　alarm　prevailing　among　the　King's　friends；　in　Berlin；　very　great。　Friedrich；　glad；　at　any　rate；　to　have　done　with　that　dismal　lingering　at　Buttelstadt；　hastens　to　arrange　himself　for　the　new　contingencies；　to　post　his　Keiths；　his　Ferdinands；　with　their　handfuls　of　force；　to　best　advantage；　and　push　ahead　after　Moritz；　by　Leipzig；　Torgau；　Berlin…wards；　with　all　his　might。　At　Leipzig；　in　such　press　of　business　and　interest；judge　by　the　following　phenomenon；　what　a　clear…going　soul　this　is；　and　how　completely　on　a　level　with　whatever　it　may　be　that　he　is　marching　towards：

〃LEIPZIG；　15th　OCTOBER；　1757　（Interview　with　Gottsched）。At　11　this　morning；　Majesty　came　marching　into　Leipzig；　multitudes　of　things　to　settle　there；　things　ready；　things　not　yet　ready；　in　view　of　the　great　events　ahead。　Seeing　that　he　would　have　time　after　dinner；　he　at　once　sent　for　Professor　Gottsched；　a　gigantic　gentleman；　Reigning　King　of　German　Literature　for　the　time　being；　to　come　to　him　at　3　P。M。　Reigning　King　at　that　time；　since　gone　wholly　to　the　Dustbins；'Popular　Delusion；'　as　old　Samuel　defines　it；　having　since　awakened　to　itself；　with　scornful　hahas　upon　its　poor　Gottsched；　and　rushed　into　other　roads　worse　and　better；　its　poor　Gottsched　become　a　name　now　signifying　Pedantry；　Stupidity；　learned　Inanity　and　the　Worship　of　Colored　Water；　to　every　German　mind。

〃At　3　precise；　the　portly　old　gentleman　（towards　sixty　now；　huge　of　stature；　with　a　shrieky　voice；　and　speaks　uncommonly　fast）　bowed　himself　in；　and　a　Colloquy　ensued；　on　Literature　and　so　forth；　of　the　kind　we　may　conceive。　Colloquy　which　had　great　fame　in　the　world；　Gottsched　himself　havingsuch　the　inaccuracy　of　rumor　and　Dutch　Newspapers；　on　the　matterpublished　authentic　Report　of　it；　＇Next　Year；　in　a　principal　Leipzig　Magazine；　with　name　signed：　given　in　　Helden…Geschichte；　　iv。　728…739　（with　multifarious　commentaries　and　flourishings；　denoting　an　attentive　world）。　Nicolai；　　Anekdoten；　　iii。　286…290。＇　now　one　of　the　dullest　bits　of　reading；　and　worth　no　man's　bit　of　time。　Colloquy　which　lasted　three　hours；　with　the　greatest　vivacity　on　both　sides；　King　impugning；　for　one　principal　thing；　the　roughness　of　German　speech；　Gottsched；　in　swift　torrents　（far　too　copious　in　such　company）；　ready　to　defend。　'Those　consonants　of　ours；'　said　the　King；　'they　afflict　one's　ear：　what　Names　we　have；　all　in　mere　K's　and　P's：　KNAP…；　KNIP…；　KLOP…；　KROTZ…；　KROK；　your　own　Name；　for　example！'〃Yes；　his　own　Name；　unmusical　GottSCHED；　and　signifying　God's…Damage　（God's…SKAITH）　withal。　〃Husht；　don't　take　a　Holy　Name　in　vain；　call　the　man　SCHED　（'Damage'　by　itself）；　can't　we！〃　said　a　wit　once。　＇Nicolai；　　Anekdoten；　　iii。　287。＇〃'Five　consonants　together；　TTSCH；　TTSCH；　what　a　tone！'　continued　the　King。　'Hear；　in　contrast；　the　music　of　this　Stanza　of　Rousseau's　＇Repeats　a　stanza＇。　Who　could　express　that　in　German　with　such　melody？'　And　so　on；　branching　through　a　great　many　provinces；　King's　knowledge　of　all　Literature；　new　and　ancient；　'perfectly　astonishing　to　me；'　and　I　myself；　the　swift…speaking　Gottsched；　rather　copious　than　otherwise。　Catastrophe；　and　summary　of　the　whole；　was：　Gottsched　undertook　to　translate　the　Rousseau　Stanza　into　German　of　moderate　softness；　and　by　the　aid　of　water　did　so；　that　very　night；　＇Copied　duly　in　　Helden…Geschichte；　　iv。　726。＇　sent　it　next　day；　and　had　'within　an　hour'　a　gracious　Royal　Answer　in　verse；　calling　one；　incidentally；　'Saxon　Swan；　CYGNE　SAXON；'　though　one　is　such　a　Goose！　'Majesty　to　march　at　7　to…morrow　morning；'　said　a　Postscript；no　Interviewing　more；　at　present。

〃About　ten　days　after　＇not　to　let　this　thing　interrupt　us　again＇；　Friedrich；　on　his　return　to　Leipzig；　had　another　Interview　with　Gott