history of friedrich ii of prussia v 18-第52部分

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r　way；　to　that　address；not　without　momentary　hopes　of　perhaps　getting　good　from　it。　＇In　PREUSS；　ii。　130　（Friedrich's　Letter　mostly　given；bearer　a　Prince　van　Lobkowitz；　prisoner　at　Leuthen；　now　going　home　on　handsome　terms）　Stenzel；　v。　124　（for　the　PER…CONTRA　feeling）。＇　And　the　Kaiserinn　herself；　Austria's　high　Mother；　did；　they　say；　after　such　a　Leuthen　coming　on　the　back　of　such　a　Rossbach；　feel　discouraged；　but　the　Pompadour　（not　France's　Mother；　whatever　she　might　be　to　France）　was　of　far　other　mind：　〃Do　not　speak　of　it；　MA　REINE！　Double　or　quits；　that　is　our　game：　can　we　yield　for　a　little　ill…luck？　Never！〃

France　dismisses　its　D'Argenson；　〃What　Armies　are　these　of　his；　flying　home　on　us；　like　draggled　poultry；　across　the　Rhine！〃　summons　the　famed　Belleisle　to　be　War…Minister；　and　give　things　an　eagle…quality：　＇〃26th　February；　1758〃　（BARBIER；　iv。　258）。＇　France　engages　to　pay　its　subsidies　better　（France　now　the　general　paying　party；　Austria；　Sweden；　Russia　itself；　all　looking　to　France；would　she　were　as　punctual　as　England　used　to　be！）；in　a　word；　engages　to　be　magnanimous　extremely；　and　will　hear　of　nothing　but　persistence。　〃Shall　not　we　reap；　then；　where　there　is　such　a　harvest　standing　white　to　us？〃　Kaunitz　admits　that　there　never　will　again　be　such　a　chance。Peace；　it　is　clear　enough；　will　not　be　got　of　these　people　by　any　Letter；　or　human　device　whatever；　except　simply　by　uttermost；　more　or　less　miraculous　fighting　for　it。　Friedrich　is　profoundly　aware　of　this　fact；is　busy　completing　his　Army：　145；000　for　the　field；　this　Year；　53；000　the　Silesian　part；　〃a　good　many　of　them　Austrian　deserters；〃　＇Stenzel；　v。　155。＇　and　is　closing　an　important　Subsidy　Treaty　with　England；of　which　more　anon。

And　if　this　is　the　mood　in　France　and　Austria；　think　what　Russia's　will　be！　The　Czarina　is　not　dead　of　dropsy；　as　some　had　expected；　but；　on　the　contrary；　alive；　and　fiercer　than　ever；　furious　against　Apraxin；　and　determined　that　Fermor；　his　successor；　shall　defy　Winter；　and　begin　work　at　once。　She　has　indignantly　dismissed　Apraxin　（to　be　tried　by　Court…Martial；　he）；　dismisses　Bestuchef　the　Chancellor；　appoints　a　new　General；　Fermor　by　name；　orders　Fermor　to　go　and　lose　not　a　moment；　now　in　the　depth　of　Winter　since　it　was　not　done　in　the　crown　of　Summer；　and　take　possession　of　East　Preussen　in　her　name。

Which　Fermor　does；　16th　January；　crosses　the　border　again；　31；000　in　all；　without　opposition　except　from　the　frost；　plants　himself　up　and　down；only　two　poor　Prussian　battalions　there；　who　retire；　with　their　effects；　especially　〃with　seven　wagons　of　money。〃　January　22d；　Fermor　enters　Konigsberg；　publishes　no　end　of　proclamations；　manifestoes；　rescripts；　to　inform　the　poor　people；　trembling　at　the　Cossack　atrocities　of　last　Year；　〃That　his　august　Sovereign　Elizabeth　of　All　the　Russias　has　now　become　Proprietress　of　East　Preussen；　which　shall　be　perfectly　protected　and　exquisitely　well…governed　henceforth；　and　that　all　men　of　official　or　social　position　have；　accordingly；　to　come　and　take　the　oath　to　her；　with　the　due　alacrity　and　punctuality；　at　their　peril。〃

No　man　is　willing　for　the　operation；　most　men　shudder　at　it；　but　who　can　help　them？　Surely　it　was　an　unblessed　operation。　Poor　souls；　one　pities　them；　for　at　heart　they　were；　and　continued；　loyal　to　their　own　King；　thoroughly　abhorrent　of　becoming　Russian；　as　Czarish　Majesty　has　thoroughly　resolved　they　shall。　Some　few　absconded；　leaving　their　property　as　spoil；　the　rest　swore；　with　mental　reservation；　with　shifts；　such　as　they　could　devise：for　example；　some　were　observed　to　swear　with　gloves　on；　the　right　hand；　which　they　held　up；　was　a　mere　right　FIST　with　a　stuffed　glove　at　the　end　of　it；SO　help　me　Beelzebub　（or　whoever　is　the　recording　Angel　here）！　＇　Helden…Geschichte；　　v。　141…149：　Preuss；　ii。　145；　iii。　578；　iv。　477；　&c。＇　And　thus　does　Preussen；　with　astonishment；　as　by　the　spell　of　a　Czarina　Circe；　find　itself　changed　suddenly　to　Russian：　and　does　not　recover　the　old　human　form　till　four　years　hence；when；　again　suddenly；　as　we　shall　see；　the　Circe　and　her　wand　chance　to　get　broken。

Friedrich　could　not　mend　or　prevent　this　bad　Business；　but　was　so　disgusted　with　it；　he　never　set　foot　in　East　Preussen　again；never　could　bear　to　behold　it；　after　such　a　transformation　into　temporary　Russian　shape。　I　cannot　say　he　abhorred　this　constrained　Oath　as　I　should　have　done：　on　the　contrary；　in　the　first　spurt　of　indignation；　he　not　only　protested　aloud；　but　made　reprisals；　〃Swear　ME　those　Saxons；　then！〃　said　he；　and　some　poor　magistrates　of　towns；　and　official　people；　had　to　make　a　figure　of　swearing　（if　not　allegiance　altogether；　allegiance　for　the　time　being）；　in　the　same　sad　fashion；　till　one's　humor　cooled　again。　＇Preuss；　ii。　163：　Oath　given　in　　Helden…Geschichte；　　v。　631。＇　East　Preussen；　lost　in　this　way；　held　by　its　King　as　before；　or　more　passionately　now　than　ever；　still　loved　Friedrich；　say　the　Books；　but　it　is　Russia's　for　the　present；　and　the　mischief　is　done。　East　Preussen　itself；　Circe　Czarina　cherishing　it　as　her　own；　had　a　much　peaceabler　time：　in　secret　it　even　sent　moneys；　recruits；　numerous　young　volunteers　to　Friedrich；　much　more；　hopes　and　prayers。　But　his　disgust　with　the　late　transformation　by　enchantment　was　inexpiable。

It　was　May　or　June；　as　had　been　anticipated；　before　the　Russian　main　Army　made　its　practical　appearance　in　those　parts。　Fermor　had；　in　the　interim；　seized　Thorn；　seized　Elbing　（〃No　offence；　magnanimous　Polacks；　it　is　only　for　a　time！〃）；and　would　fain　have　had　Dantzig　too；　but　Dantzig　would　n't。　Not　till　June　16th　did　the　unwieldy　mass　（on　paper　104；000；　and　in　effect；　and　exclusive　of　Cossack　rabble；　about　75；000）　get　on　way；　and　begin　slowly　staggering　westward。　Very　slowly；　and　amid　incendiary　fire　and　horrid　cruelty；　as　heretofore；and　in　August　coming　we　shall　be　sure　to　hear　of　it。

Lehwald　was　just　finishing　with　the　Swedes；had　got　them　all　bottled　up　in　Stralsund　again；　about　New…Year's　time；　when　these　Russians　crossed　into　Preussen。　We　said　nothing　of　the　Swedish　so…called　Campaign　of　last　Year；and　indeed　are　bound　to　be　nearly　silent　of　that　and　of　all　the　others。　Five　Campaigns　of　them；　or　at　least　Four　and　a　half；　such　Campaigns　as　were　never　made　before　or　since。　Of　Campaign　1757；　the　memorable　feature　is；　that　of　the　whole　〃Swedish　Division；〃　as　the　laughing　Newspapers　called　it；　which　was　〃put　to　flight　by　five　Berlin　Postilions；〃substantially　a　truth；　as　follows：

〃Night　of　September　12th…13th；　1757；　the　Swedes；　22；000　strong；　did　at　last　begin　business；　crossed　Peene　River；　the　boundary　between　their　Pommern　and　ours；　and；　having　nothing　but　some　fractions　of　Militia　to　oppose　them；　soon　captured　the　Redoubts　there；　spread　over　Prussian　Pommern；　and　on　into　the　Uckermark；　diligently　raising　contributions；　to　a　heavy　amount。　No　less　than　90；000　pounds　in　all　for　this　poor　Province；　though；　by　a　strange　accident；　60；000　pounds　proved　to　be　the　actual　sum。

〃Towards　the　end　of　October　they　had　got　as　much　as　60；000　pounds　from　the　northern　parts　of　Uckermark；　Prentzlow　being　their　head…　quarter　during　that　operation；　and　they　now　sent　out　a　Detachment　of　200　grenadiers　and　100　dragoons　towards　Zehdenick；　another　little　Town；　some　forty　miles　farther　south；　there　to　wring　out　the　remaining　sum。　The　Detachment　marched　by　night；　not　courting　notice；　but　people　had　heard　of　its　coming；　and　five　Prussian　Postilions；shifty　fellows；　old　hussars　it　may　be；　at　any　rate　skilful　on　the　trumpet；　and　furnished　with　hussar　jackets　and　an　old　pistol　each；　determined　to　do　something　for　their　Country。　The　Swedish　Detachment　had　not　marched　many　miles；　when；after　or　before　some　flourishes　of　martial　trumpeting；there　verily　fell　on　the　Swedish　flank；　out　of　a　clump　of　dark　wood；　five　shots；　and　wounded　one　man。　To　the　astonishment　and　panic　of　the　other　two　hundred　and　ninety…nine；　who　made　instant　retreat；　under　new　shots　and　trumpet…tones；　as　if　it　were　from　five　whole　hussar　regiments；　retreat　double…quick；　to　Prentzlow；　alarm　waxing　by　the　speed；　alarm　spreading　at　Prentzlow　itself：　so　that　the　whole　Division　got　to　its　feet；　recrossed　the　Peene；　and　Uckermark　had　nothing　more　to　pay；　for　that　bout！　This　is　not　a　fable；　such　as　go　in　the　Newspapers；〃　adds　my　Authority；　〃but　an　accurate　fact：〃　＇　Helden…Geschichte；　　iv。　764；　807；　Archenholtz；　i。　160。＇probably；　in　our　day；　the　alone　memorable　one　of　that　〃Swedish　War。〃

〃The　French；〃　says　another　of　my　Notes；　〃who　did　the　subsidying　all　round　（who　paid　even　the　Russian　Subsidy；　though　in　Austria's　name）；　had　always　an　idea　that　the　Swedes22；000　stout　men；　this　year；　4；000　of　them　cavalrymight　be　made　to　co…operate　with　the　Russians；　with　them　or　with　somebody；　and　do　something　effective　in　the　way　of　destroying　Friedrich。　And　besides　their　subsidies　and　bribings；　the　French　took　incredible　pains　with　this　view；　incessantly　contriving；　correspondencing；　and　running　to　and　fro　between　the　parties：　＇For　example：　M。　le　Marquis　de　Montalembert；　CORRESPONDANCE　AVEC　&c。；　ETANT　EMPLOYE　PAR　LE　ROI　DE　FRANCE　A　L'ARMEE　SUEDOISE；　1757…1761　（〃with　the　Swedish　Army；〃　yes；　and　sometimes　with　the　Russian；and　sometimes　on　the　French　Coasts；　ardently　fortifying　against　Pitt　and　his　Descents　there：a　very　intelligent；　industrious；　observant　man；　still　amusing　to　read；　if　one　were　idler）；　A　LONDRES　（evidently　Paris）；　1777；　3　vols。　small　8vo。　Then；　likewise　very　intelligent；　there　is　a　Montazet；　a　Mortaigne；　a　Caulaiucourt；　a　CAMPAGNE　DES　RUSSES　EN　1757；　&c。　&c。；　in　short；　a　great　deal　of　fine　faculty　employed　there　in　spinning　ropes　from　sand。＇　but　had　not；　even　from　the　Russians　and　Czarish　Majesty；　much　of　a　result；　and　from　the　Swedes　had　absolutely　none　at　all。　By　French　industry　and　flagitation；　the　Swedish　Army　was　generally　kept　up　to　about　20；000：　the　soldiers　were　expert　with　their　fighting…tools；　knew　their　field…exercise　well；　had　fine　artillery；　and　were　stout　hardy　fellows：　but　the　guidance　of　them　was　wonderful。　'They　had　no　field…commissariat；'　says　one　Observer；　'no　field…bakery；　no　magazines；　no　pontoons；　no　light　troops；　and；'　among　the　Higher　Officers；　'no　subordination。'　＇Archenholtz；　i。　158。＇　Were；　in　short；　commanded　by　nobody　in　particul