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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
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