history of friedrich ii of prussia v 18-第53部分

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Officers；　'no　subordination。'　＇Archenholtz；　i。　158。＇　Were；　in　short；　commanded　by　nobody　in　particular。　Commanded　by　Senator　Committee…men　in　Stockholm；　and；　on　the　field；　by　Generals　anxious　to　avoid　responsibility；　who；　instead　of　acting；　held　continual　Councils　of　War。　The　history　of　their　Campaigns；　year　after　year；　is；　in　summary；　this：

〃Late　in　the　season　（always　late；　War…Offices　at　home；　and　Captaincies　here；　being　in　such　a　state）；　they　emerged　from　Stralsund；　an　impregnable　place　of　their　own；where　the　men；　I　observe；　have　had　to　live　on　dried　fishy　substances；　instead　of　natural　boiled　oatmeal；　＇Montalembert；　i。　32…37；　335。　394；　&c。　（that　of　the　demand　for　Neise　PORRIDGE；　which　interested　me；　I　cannot　find　again）。＇　and　have　died　extensively　in　consequence：　they　march　from　Stralsund；　a　forty　or　thirty　miles；　till　they　reach　the　Swedish…Pommern　boundary；　Peene　River；　a　muddy　sullen　stream；　flowing　through　quagmire　meadows；　which　are　miles　broad；　on　each　shore。　River　unfordable　everywhere；　only　to　be　crossed　in　four　or　five　places；　where　paved　causeways　are。　The　Swedes；　with　deliberation；　cross　Peene；　after　some　time；　capture　the　bits　of　Redoubts；　and　the　one　or　two　poor　Prussian　Towns　upon　it；　Anklam　Redoubt；　PEENE…MUNDE　（Peene…mouth）　Redoubt；　and　rove　forward　into　Prussian　Pommern；　or　over　into　the　Uckermark；　for　fifty；　for　a　hundred　miles；　exacting　contributions；　foraging　what　they　can；　making　the　poor　country…people　very　miserable；　and　themselves　not　happy；their　soldiers　'growing　yearly　more　plunderous；'　says　Archenholtz；　'till　at　length　they　got；　though　much　shyer　of　murder；　to　resemble　Cossacks；'　in　regard　to　other　pleas　of　the　crown。

〃There　is　generally　some　fractional　regiment　or　two　of　Prussian　force；　left　under　some　select　General　Manteuffel；　Colonel　Belling；　who　hangs　diligently　on　the　skirts　of　them；　exploding　by　all　opportunities。　There　have　been　Country　Militias　voluntarily　got　on　foot；　for　the　occasion；　five　or　six　small　regiments　of　them；　officered　by　Prussian　Veterans　of　the　Squirearchy　in　those　parts；　who　do　excellent　service。　The　Governor　of　Stettin；　Bevern；　our　old　Silesian　friend；　strikes　out　now　and　then；　always　vigilant；　prompt　and　effective；　on　a　chance　offering。　This；　through　Summer；　is　what　opposition　can　be　made：　and　the　Swedes；　without　magazines；　scout…　service；　or　the　like　military　appliances；　but　willing　enough　to　fight　＇when　they　can　see＇；　and　living　on　their　shifts；　will　rove　inward；　perhaps　100　miles；　say　southwestward；　say　southeastward　＇towards　Ruppin；　which　we　used　to　know＇；they　love　to　keep　Mecklenburg　usually　on　their　flank；　which　is　a　friendly　Country。　Small　fights　befall　them；　usually　beatings；　never　anything　considerable。　That　is　their　success　through　Summer。

〃Then；　in　Autumn；　some　remnant　more　of　Prussian　regulars　arrive；　disposable　now　for　that　service；　upon　which　the　Swedes　are　driven　over　Peene　again　（quite　sure　to　be　driven；　when　the　River　with　its　quagmires　freezes）；　lose　Anklam　Redoubt；　Peene…munde　Redoubt；　lose　Demmin；　Wollin；　are　followed　into　Swedish　Pommern；　oftenest　to　the　gates　of　Stralsund；　and　are　locked　up　there；　there　and　in　Rugen　adjoining；　till　a　new　season　arrive。〃This　year　（1757…1758）；　Lehwald；　on　turning　the　key　of　Stralsund；　might　have　done　a　fine　feat；　frost　having　come　suddenly；　and　welded　Rugen　to　mainland。　〃What　is　to　hinder　you　from　starving　them　into　surrender？〃　signifies　Friedrich；　hastily：　〃Besiege　me　Stralsund！〃　Which　Lehwald　did；　but　should　have　been　quicker　about　it；　or　the　thaw　came　too　soon；　and　admitted　ships　with　provision　again。　Upon　which　Lehwald　resigned；　to　a　General　Graf　von　Dohna；　and　went　home；　as　grown　too　old：　and　Dohna　kept　them　bottled　there　till　the　usual　Russian　Advent　（deep　in　June）；　by　which　time；　what　with　limited　stockfish　diet；　what　with　sore　labor　（breaking　of　the　ice；　whenever　frost　reappeared）　and　other　hardship；　more　than　half　of　them　had　died。　〃Every　new　season　there　was　a　new　General　tried；　but　without　the　least　improvement。　There　was　mockery　enough；　complaint　enough；　indignant　laughter　in　Stockholm　itself；　and　the　Dalecarlians　thought　of　revolting：　but　the　Senator　Committee…men　held　firm；　ballasted　by　French　gold；　for　four　years。

〃The　Prussian　Militias　are　a　fine　trait　of　the　matter；　about　fifteen　regiments　in　different　parts；about　five　in　Pommern；　which　set　the　example；　which　were　suddenly　raised　last　Autumn　by　the　STANDE　themselves；　drilled　in　Stettin　continually；　while　the　Swedes　were　under　way；　and　which　stood　ready　for　some　action；　under　veterans　of　the　squirearchy；　when　the　Swedes　arrived。　They　were　kept　up　through　the　War。　The　STANDE　even　raised　a　little　fleet；　＇Archenholtz；　i。　110。＇　river　fleet　and　coast　fleet；　twelve　gunboats；　with　a　powerful　carronade　in　each；　and　effective　men　and　captain；　a　great　check　on　plundering　and　coast　mischief；　till　the　Swedes；　who　are　naval；　at　last　made　an　effort　and　destroyed　them　all。〃

Friedrich　was　very　sensible　of　these　procedures　on　the　part　of　his　STANDE；　and　perhaps　readers　are　not　prepared　for　such；　or　for　others　of　the　like；　which　we　could　produce　elsewhere；　in　a　Country　without　Constitution　to　speak　of。　Friedrich　raises　no　new　taxes；　except　upon　himself　exclusively；　and　these　to　the　very　blood：　Friedrich　gets　no　Life…and…Fortune　Addresses　of　the　vocal　or　printed　sort；　but　only　of　the　acted。　Very　much　the　preferable　kind；　where　possible；　to　all　parties　concerned。　These　poor　militias　and　flotillas　one　cheerfully　puts　on　record；　cheerfully　nothing　else；　in　regard　to　such　a　Swedish　War；nor　shall　we　henceforth　insult　the　human　memory　by　another　word　upon　it　that　is　not　indispensable。　


OF　THE　ENGLISH　SUBSIDY。

One　of　Friedrich's　most　important　affairs；　at　present；vitally　connected　with　his　Army　and　its　furnishings；　which　is　the　all…　important；was　his　Subsidy　Treaty　with　England。　It　is　the　third　treaty　he　has　signed　with　England　in　regard　to　this　War；　the　second　in　regard　to　subsidy　for　it；　and　it　is　the　first　that　takes　real　practical　effect。　It　had　cost　difficulty　in　adjusting；　not　a　little　correspondence　and　management　from　Mitchell；　for　the　King　is　very　shy　about　subsidy；　though　grim　necessity　prescribes　it　as　inevitable；　and　his　pride；　and　his　reflections　on　the　last　Subsidy　Treaty；　〃One　Million　sterling；　Army　of　Observation；　and　Fleet　in　the　Baltic；〃　instead　of　which　came　Zero　and　Kloster…Zeven；　have　made　him　very　sensitive。　However；　all　difficulties　are　got　over；　Plenipotentiary　Knyphausen；　Pitt；　Britannic　Majesty　and　everybody　striving　to　be　rational　and　practical；　and　at　London；　11th　April；　1758；　Subsidy　Treaty；　admirably　brief　and　to　the　point；　is　finished：　＇In　four　short　Articles；　given　in　　Helden…Geschichte；　　v。　16；　17。＇　〃That　Friedrich　shall　have　Four　Million　Thalers；　that　is；　670；000　pounds；　payable　in　London　to　his　order；　in　October；　this　Year；　which　sum　Friedrich　engages　to　spend　wholly　in　maintenance　and　increase　of　his　Army　for　behoof　of　the　common　object；neither　party　to　dream　of　making　the　least　shadow　of　peace　or　truce　without　the　other。〃　Of　Baltic　Fleet；　there　is　nothing　said；　nor；　in　regard　to　that；　was　anything　done；　this　year　or　afterwards；　highly　important　as　it　would　have　been　to　Friedrich；　with　the　Navies　so　called　of　both　Sweden　and　Russia　doing　their　worst　upon　him。　〃Why　not　spare　me　a　small　English　squadron；　and　blow　these　away？〃　Nor　was　the　why　ever　made　clear　to　him；　the　private　why　being；　that　Czarish　Majesty　had；　last　year；　intimated　to　Britannic；　〃Any　such　step　on　your　part　will　annihilate　the　now　old　friendship　of　Russia　and　England；　and　be　taken　as　a　direct　declaration　of　War！〃which　Britannic　Majesty；　for　commercial　and　miscellaneous　reasons；　hoped　always　might　be　avoided。　Be　silent；　therefore；　on　that　of　Baltic　Fleet。

In　all　the　spoken　or　covenanted　points　the　Treaty　was　accurately　kept：　670；000　pounds；　two…thirds　of　a　million　very　nearly；　will；　in　punctual　promptitude；　come　to　Friedrich's　hand；　were　October　here。　And　in　regard　to　Ferdinand　（a　point　left　silent；　this　too）；　Friedrich's　expectations　were　exceeded；　not　the　contrary；　so　long　as　Pitt　endured。　This　is　the　Third　English…Prussian　Treaty　of　the　Seven…Years　War；　as　we　said　above；　and　it　is　the　First　that　took　practical　effect：　this　was　followed　by　three　others；　year　after　year；　of　precisely　the　same　tenor；　which　were　likewise　practical　and　punctually　kept；the　last　of　them；　〃12th　December；　1760；〃　had　reference　to　Subsidy　for　1761：and　before　another　came；　Pitt　was　out。　So　that；　in　all；　Friedrich　had　Four　Subsidies；　670；000　pounds　x4=2；680；000　pounds　of　English　money　altogether：and　it　is　computed　by　some；　there　was　never　as　much　good　fighting　otherwise　had　out　of　all　the　800；000；000　pounds　we　have　funded　in　that　peculiar　line　of　enterprise。　＇First　Treaty；　16th　January；　1756　（is　in　　Helden…Geschichte；　　iii。　681）；　〃We　will　oppose　by　arms　any　foreign　Armament　entering　Germany；〃　Second　Treaty；　11th　January；　1757　（never　published　till　1802）；　is　in　Scholl；　iii。　30…32：　〃one　million　subsidy；　a　Fleet　&c。〃　（not　KEPT　at　all）；　after　which；　Third　Treaty　（the　FIRST　really　issuing　in　subsidy　and　performance）　is　11th　April；　1758　（given　in　　Helden…Geschichte；　　v。　17）；　Fourth　（really　SECOND）；　7th　December；　1758　（Ib。　v。　752）；　Fifth　（THIRD）；　9th　November；　1759；　Sixth　（FOURTH）；　12th　December；　1760。　See　PREUSS；　ii。　124　n。＇

Pitt　had　no　difficulty　with　his　Parliament；　or　with　his　Public；　in　regard　to　this　Subsidy；　the　contrary　rather。　Seldom；　if　ever；　was　England　in　such　a　heat　of　enthusiasm　about　any　Foreign　Man　as　about　Friedrich　in　these　months　since　Rossbach　and　what　had　followed。　Celebrating　this　〃Protestant　Hero；〃　authentic　new　Champion　of　Christendom；　toasting　him；　with　all　the　honors；　out　of　its　Worcester　and　other　Mugs；　very　high　indeed。　Take　these　Three　Clippings　from　the　old　Newspapers；　omitting　all　else；　and　rekindle　these；　by　good　inspection　and　consideration；　into　feeble　symbolic　lamps　of　an　old　illumination；　now　fallen　so　extinct。

No。　1。　REVEREND　MR。　WHITFIELD　AND　THE　PROTESTANT　HERO。　〃Monday；　January　2d；〃　1758；　〃was　observed　as　a　Day　of　Thanksgiving；　at　the　Chapel　in　Tottenham…Court　Road　＇brand…new　Chapel；　still　standing　and　acting；　though　now　in　a　dingier　manner＇；　by　Mr。　Whitfield's　people；　for　the　signal　Victories　g