MAPFACINGPAGE527,BOOKXX————————
About9atnight,alltheAustriansarerollingoff,eastward,eastward。Prussiansgoadingthemforwardwhattheycould(firingnotquitedonetill10);andthatall—importantpommelofthesaddleisindisputablywon。TheAustrianssettledthemselves,inakindofhalf—moonshape,closeonthesuburbsofTorgau;
thePrussiansinaparallelhalf—moonposture,somefurlongsbehindthem。TheAustrianssatbutashorttime;notamomentlongerthanwasindispensable。Daunperceivesthatthekeyofhisgroundisgonefromhim;thathewillhavetosendasecondCouriertoVienna。And,aboveallthings,thathemustforthwithgetacrosstheElbeandaway。LuckyforhimthathehasThreeBridges(orFour,includingtheTownBridge),andthathisBaggageisalreadyallacrossandstandingonwheels。WithexcellentdespatchandorderDaunwindshimselfacross,——allofhimthatisstillcoherent;andindeed,inthedistantpartsoftheBattle—field,wanderingAustrianpartieswereadmonishedhitherwardbytheRiver’svoiceinthegreatdarkness,——andDaun’slossinprisoners,thoughgreat,waslessthancouldhavebeenexpected:8,000inall。
Tilltowardsoneinthemorning,thePrussians,intheirhalf—moon,hadnotlearnedwhathewasdoing。AboutonetheypushedintoTorgau,andacrosstheTownBridge;found26pontoons,——alltherestpackedoffexceptthese26;——anddidnotfollowfarther。
LacyretreatedbytheotherorleftbankoftheRiver,toguardagainstattemptsfromthatside。NextdaytherewaspursuitofLacy;someprisonersandfurnituresgotfromhim,butnothingofmoment:DaunandLacyjoinedatDresden;tookpost,asusual,behindtheirinaccessiblePlauenChasms。Satthere,inviewofthechasingPrussians,withoutfartherlossthanthisofTorgau,andofaCampaigngonetowateragain。Whatanissue,forthethirdtime!
[Tempelhof,iv。291—318,;Archenholtz,ii。159—174;Retzow,ii。299
etseq。;UMSTANDLICHEBESCHREIBUNGDES&C,(inSeyfarth,
Beylagen,ii。823—848):inHelden—Geschichte,orinAnonymousofHamburg(iv。
245—300),theDaunDESPATCHES,theLists,&c。]——
OnTorgau—field,behindthatfinalPrussianhalf—moon,therereigned,allnight,aconfusionwhichnotonguecanexpress。
Poorwoundedmenbythehundredandthethousand,welteringintheirblood,onthecoldwetground;notsurgeonsornurses,butmercilesspredatorysutlers,equaltomurderifnecessary,waitingonthemandonthehappierthatweredead。"Unutterable!"saysArchenholtz;who,thoughwounded,hadcrawledorgotcarriedtosomevillagenear。Thelivingwanderedaboutingloomanduncertainty;luckyhewhosehaversackwasstillhis,andacrustofbreadinit:waterwasapricelessluxury,almostnowherediscoverable。PrussianGeneralsrovedaboutwiththeirStaff—
Officers,seekingtore—formtheirBattalions;tolittlepurpose。
Theyhadgrownindignant,insomeinstances,andwerevociferouslyimperativeandminatory;butintbedarkwhoneededmindthem?——
theywentravingelsewhere,and,forthefirsttime,Prussianword—
of—commandsawitselffutile。Pitchdarkness,bittercold,groundtrampledintomire。OnSiptitzHillthereisnothingthatwillburn:fartherback,intheDomitschWoods,arenumerousfinefires,towhichAustriansandPrussiansalikegather:"Peaceandtrucebetweenus;to—morrowmorningwewillseewhichareprisoners,whicharecaptors。"Sopassthewildhours,allheartslongingforthedawn,andwhatdecisionitwillbring。
Friedrich,atElsnig,foundeveryhutfullofwounded,andtheirsurgeries,andmiseriessilentorloud。HehimselftookshelterinthelittleChurch;passedthenightthere。Busyaboutmanythings;
——"usingthealtar,"itseems,"bywayofwriting—table[selforsecretarieskneeling,shallwefancy,onthosenewterms?],andthestairsofitasseat。"OfthefinalZiethen—Lestwitzefforthewouldscarcelyhearthemusketryorcannonade,beingsofarawayfromit。Atwhathour,orfromwhomfirst,helearnedthattheBattleofTorgauhadbecomeVictoryinthenight—time,Iknownot:
theAnecdote—Bookssendhimoutinhiscloak,wanderingupanddownbeforedaybreak;standingbythesoldiers’fires;andatlength,amongtheWoods,inthefaintincipiencyofdawn,meetingaShadowwhichprovestobeZiethenhimselfinthebody,withembracesandcongratulations:——evidentlymythical,thoughdramatic。Reachhimthenewssoondid;andsurelynonecouldbewelcomer。
Head—quarterschangefromthealtar—stepsinElsnigChurchtosecularroomsinTorgau。ZiethenhasalreadyspedforthontheskirtsofLacy;wholeArmyfollowsnextday;and,ontheWar—
theatreitis,onthesudden,atotalchangeofscene。
Conceivabletoreaderswithoutthedetails。
HopestherewereofgettingbackDresdenitself;butthat,oncloserview,provedunattemptable。DaunkepthisPlauenChasm,hisfewsquaremilesofgroundbeyond;therestofSaxonywasFriedrich’s,asheretofore。LoudonhadtriedhardonKoselforaweek;stormingonce,andasecondtime,veryfiercely,Goltzbeingnownear;butcouldmakenothingofit;and,onwindofGoltz,wenthisway。[HOFBERICHTVONDERBELAGERUNGVONKOSEL,IMOCTOBER1760
(Seyfarth,Beylagen,ii。798—804):began"October21st;"ended"atdaybreak,October27th。"]TheRussians,onsoundofTorgau,shoulderedarms,andmadeforPoland。Daun,forhisownshare,wenttoViennathisWinter;inneedofsurgery,andotherthings。ThepopulationthereisratherdisposedtobegrumblyonitsonceheroicFabius;wishestheFabiuswerealittlelesscunctatory。ButImperialMajestyherself,oneisproudtorelate,droveout,inOldRomanspirit,somemiles,tomeethim,herdefeatedever—honoredDaun,andtoinquiregraciouslyabouthishealth,whichissoimportanttotheState。[Archenholtz,ii。179。]
TorgauwasDaun’slastBattle:Daun’slastbattle;and,whatismoretothejoyofreadersandtheirEditorhere,wasFriedrich’slast,——sothattheremainingTwoCampaignsmayfairlybecondensedtoanextremedegree;andafewChaptersmorewilldeliverusaltogetherfromthispainfulelement!——
DaunlostatTorgau,byhisownaccount,"about11,000men,"——
shouldhavesaid,accordingtoTempelhof,andeventoneutralpersons,"above12,000killedandwounded,PLUS8,000prisoners,45cannon,29flags,1standard(orhorse—flag),"[Tempelhof,iv。
213;Kausler,p。726。]whichbringshimtoatleast20,000minus;——
thePrussianloss,heavyenoughtoo,being,byTempelhof’sadmission,"between13and14,000,ofwhom4,000prisoners。"
Thesoreloss,notsocomputableinarithmetic,——butlesssoretoDaun,perhaps,thantomostpeople,——isthatofbeingbeaten,andhavingone’sCampaignreducedtowateragain。NoConquestofSaxony,anymorethanofSilesia,possibletoDaun,thisYear。
InSilesia,thankstoLoudon,smallthankstoLoudon’sChief,theyhavegotGlatz:Koseltheycouldnotget;fieryLoudonhimselfstormedandblazedtonopurposethere,andhadtohurryhomeonsightofGoltzandrelief。Glatzisthenetsum—total。Daunknowsallthis;butinastoicalarithmeticalmanner,andrefusestobeflurriedbyit。
Friedrich,aswesaid,hadhopedsomethingmightbedoneinSaxonyonthedefeatedDaun;——perhapsDresdenitselfbegotbackfromhim,andhisArmyaltogethersenttowinterinBohemiaagain?Butitprovedotherwise。DaunshowednottheleastdispositiontoquithisPlauenChasm,orfallintodiscouragement:andaftersomeweeksofdiligenttrial,onFriedrich’spart,andmuchrunningaboutinthosecentralandHill—wardparts,FriedrichfoundhewouldhavetobecontentwithhisformerallotmentofSaxonterritory,andtoleavetheAustriansquietintheirs。Tookwinter—quartersaccordingly,andlettheEnemytake。Cantonedhimself,inthatMeissen—FreybergCountry,infrontoftheAustriansandtheirimpassablePlauensandChasms:——prettymuchasinthepastYear,onlythattheTwoArmieslayatagreaterdistance,andweremorepeaceable,asifbymutualconsent。
Head—quarteroftheKingisLeipzig;wheretheKingdidnotarrivetillDecember8th,——suchadjustingandarranginghashehad,andincessantrunningtoandfro。Helivedinthe"ApelHouse,NEW
Neumarkt,No。16;"[Rodenbeck,ii。65。]thesamehehadoccupiedin1757,intheRossbachtime。"ACH!howleanyourMajestyhasgrown!"
saidtheMistressofit,atsightofhimagain(mythically,I
shouldfancy,thoughitisintheAnecdote—Books)。"Lean,JAWOHL,"
answeredhe:"andwhatwonder,withThreeWomen[Theresa,Czarina,Pompadour]hangingonthethroatofmeallthiswhile!"Butweproposetolookinuponhimourselves,inthisApelHouse,onmoreauthenticterms,byandby。Read,meanwhile,theseTwobitsofAutograph,thrownoffincidentally,atdifferentplaces,inthepreviousbusyjourneyingsoverMeissen—Freybergcountry:——
1。FRIEDRICHTOMARQUISD’ARGENS(atBerlin)。
"MEISSEN,10thNovember,1760……"IdrovetheenemytotheGatesofDresden;theyoccupytheirCampoflastYear;allmyskillisnotenoughtodislodgethem,"——
[ChasmofPlauen,"aplaceimpregnable,wereitgarrisonedbychimney—sweeps,"saystheKingonce]。"WehavesavedourreputationbytheDayofTorgau:butdon’timagineourenemiesaresodisheartenedastodesirePeace。DukeFerdinand’saffairsarenotinagoodway[missedWesel,ofwhichpresently;——and,alasalso,GeorgeII。died,thisdaygoneafortnight,whichisfarworseforus,ifweknewit!]——IfeartheFrenchwillpreservethroughWintertheadvantagestheygainedduringtheCampaign。
"Inaword,Iseeallblack,asifIwereatthebottomofatomb。
HavesomecompassiononthesituationIamin;conceivethatI
disguisenothingfromyou,andyetthatIdonotdetailtoyouallmyembarrassments,myapprehensionsandtroubles。Adieu,dearMarquis;writetomesometimes,——don’tforgetapoordevil,whocursestentimesadayhisfatalexistence,andcouldwishhealreadywereinthoseSilentCountriesfromwhichnobodyreturnswithnews。"[OEuvresdeFrederic,xix。
204,205。]
2。TheSecond,ofdifferentcomplexion,isastillmoreinterestinglittleAutograph,dateelsewhere,fartheron,inthosewanderings。
MadamCamas,WidowoftheColonelCamaswhomweknewtwentyyearsago,is"Queen’sOBER—HOFMEISTERINN(LadyinChief),"——towhomtheKing’sLettersarealwayspretty:——
FREIDRICHTOMADAMCAMAS(atMagdeburg,withtheQueen’sMajesty。
"NEUSTADT,18thNovember,1760。
"Iamexactinanswering,andeagertosatisfyyou[inthatmatteroftheporcelain:youshallhaveabreakfast—set,mygoodMamma;
sixcoffee—cups,verypretty,welldiapered,andtrickedoutwithallthelittleembellishmentswhichincreasetheirvalue。
Onaccountofsomepieceswhichtheyareaddingtotheset,youwillhavetowaitafewdays;butIflattermyselfthisdelaywillcontributetoyoursatisfaction,andproduceforyouatoythatwillgiveyoupleasure,andmakeyourememberyouroldAdorer。
Itiscurioushowoldpeople’shabitsagree。ForfouryearspastI
havegivenupsuppers,asincompatiblewiththeTradeIamobligedtofollow;andinmarchingdays,mydinnerconsistsofacupofchocolate。
"Wehurriedoff,likefools,quiteinflatedwithourVictory,totryifwecouldnotchasetheAustriansoutofDresden:theymadeamockeryofusfromthetopsoftheirmountains。SoIhavewithdrawn,likeabadlittleboy,toconcealmyself,outofspite,inoneofthewretchedestvillagesinSaxony。AndherethefirstthingwillbetodrivetheCirclegentlemen,[ReichsArmy]outofFreybergintoChemnitz,andgetourselvesroomtoquarterandsomethingtoliveupon。Itis,Isweartoyou,adogofalife[orevenashe—dog,CHIENNEDEVIE],thelikeofwhichnobodybutDonQuixoteeverledbeforeme。Allthistumblingandtoiling,andbotherandconfusionthatneverceases,hasmademesoold,thatyouwouldscarcelyknowmeagain。Ontherightsideofmyheadthehairisallgray;myteethbreakandfallout;Ihavegotmyfacewrinkledlikethefalbalasofapetticoat;mybackbentlikeafiddle—bow;andspiritsadanddowncastlikeamonkofLaTrappe。
Iforewarnyouofallthis,lest,incaseweshouldmeetagaininfleshandbone,youmightfeelyourselftooviolentlyshockedbymyappearance。Thereremainstomenothingbuttheheart,——whichhasundergonenochange,andwhichwillpreserve,solongasIbreathe,itsfeelingsofesteemandoftenderfriendshipformygoodMamma。
Adieu。"[OEuvresdeFrederic,XVIII。144。]——
TowhichaddonlythisonDukeFerdinand,"whoseaffairs,"wejustheard,"arenotinagoodway:"——
FIGHTOFKLOSTERKAMPEN(NightofOctober15th—16th);
WESELNOTTOBEHADBYDUKEFERDINAND。
AfterWARBURG(July31st,whileFriedrichwasontheeveofcrossingElbeonnewadventures,DresdenSiegehavingfailedhim),DukeFerdinandmadenofiguretotheGazetteers;foughtnoBattlefarther;andhashadaCampaign,whichishonorableonlytojudgesofahigherthantheGazetteersort。
ByWarburgFerdinandhadgottheDiemel;onthenorthbankofwhichhespreadhimselfout,impassabletoBroglio,wholaytryingontheoppositebank:——"NoHanoverbythisroad。"Brogliothereupondrewbackalittle;pushedoutcircuitouslyfromhisrightwing,whichreachesfareastwardofFerdinand,aconsiderableBrigade,——
circuitously,roundbytheWeser—FuldaCountry,andbeyondtheembouchureofDiemel,——totryitbythatmethod。GotactuallyafewmilesintoHanoverianterritory,bythatmethod;laidholdofGottingen,alsoofMunden,whichsecuresaroadthither:andatGottingenthere,"eversinceAugust4th,"Brogliohasbeenthrowingupworks,andshootingouthussar—partiestoagooddistance;
intending,itwouldseem,tomaintainhimself,andtobemischievous,inthatpost。Would,infact,fainenticeFerdinandacrosstheWeser,tohelpGottingen。"AcrossWeser,yes;——andsoleaveBrogliofreetotakeLippstadtfromme,ashemightafterashortsiege,"thinksFerdinandalways;"whichwouldbeautifullyshortenBroglio’scommunication[quitedirectthen,andwithoutinterruption,allthewaytoWesel],andmakeHanoveritself,HanoverandBrunswick,thecentralSeatofWar!"WhichFerdinand,grievedasheisforGottingen,willbynomeansconsentto。
Ferdinand,strongonlyasonetotwo,cannothinderBroglio,thoughhetriesvariously;andismuchataloss,seeingBroglioirrepressiblybusythisway,allthroughAugustandonintoSeptember;——hasheard,however,fromWesel,throughsecretpartisansthere,thatWesel,consideredaltogetheroutofrisk,isleftinaveryweakcondition;weakingarrison,weakeveningunners。Reflectinguponwhich,inhisdifficulties,Ferdinandaskshimself,"AsuddenstrokeatWesel,200milesaway,mightitnotastonishBroglio,whoissobusyonusjusthere?"——and,September22d,despatchestheHereditaryPrinceonthaterrand。Amanlikelyforit,iftherebeoneintheworld:——unabletodoit,however,astheissuetold。HereiswhatIfindnoted。
"SEPTEMBER22d,theErbprinz,withachosenCorpsof15,000,mostlyEnglish,lefttheseDiemelregionstowardsWesel,athisspeediest。
September29th,Erbprinzandvanguard,Corpsrapidlyfollowing,aregottoDorsten,within20milesofWesel。AmostswiftErbprinz;
likelyforsuchwork。Anditisthoughtbyjudges,Hadhehadeithersiege—artilleryorscalingapparatus,hemightreallyhaveattackedWeselwithgoodchanceuponit。Buthehasnotevenaladderready,muchlessasiege—gun。Siege—gunsareatBielefeld[comefromBremen,Isuppose,byEnglishboating,uptheWesersofar];butthatissixscoremilesofwheel—carriage;roadsbad,andthreateningtobeworse,asitisequinoctialweather。Thereisnothingforitbuttowaitforthoseguns。
"TheErbprinz,hopefullywaiting,doeshisendeavorintheinterim;
throwsabridgeovertheRhine,pouncesuponClevegarrison(prisoners,withtheirfurnitures),pouncesuponthisandthat;
’spreadsterror’ontheFrenchthereabouts’uptoDusseldorfandKoln,——andonBrogliohimself,sofaroff,thedueastonishment。
’Weseltobesnatched,——yeHeavens!OurNetherlandsroadcutoff:
Dusseldorf,Koln,ourRhineMagazines,allandsundry,fallentothehawks,——who,thelighter—wingedofthem,mightpayvisitsinFranceitself!’BrogliohastosuspendhisGottingenoperations,anddetachMarquisdeCastrieswith(sayultimately,forCastriesistogrowandgatherbytheroad)35,000,torelieveWesel。
Castriesmarchesdouble—quick;weatherveryrainy;——arrivesinthosepartsOCTOBER13th;——hardlyagunfromBielefeldcometohandyet,Erbprinzmerelyfillingmenwithterror。Andso,"OCTOBER14th,aftertwoweeksandaday,theHereditaryPrincesees,notgunsfromBielefeld,butCastriespushingintoWesela7,000ofadditionalgarrison,——andtheEnterpriseonWeselgrownimpossible。Impossible,andprobablyfarmore;Castriesinaconditiontodevourus,ifheprovesharp。ItbehoovestheHereditaryPrincetobehimselfsharp;——whichheundoubtedlywas,inthissharpcrisis。Nextday,ourErbprinz,takingsurveyofCastriesinhisstronggroundofKlosterKampen,decides,likeagallantfellow,toattackHIM;——andstraightwaydoesit。
Breaks,thatsamenight(October15th—16th,1760),stealthily,throughwoodsandwithprecautions,intoCastries’sPost;——
intendingsurprisal,andmereruintoCastries。Andthereensued,nottheSURPRISALasitturnedout,buttheBATTLEOFKLOSTER
KAMPEN;whichagainprovedunsuccessful,oronlyhalf—successful,totheHereditaryPrince。Amany—winged,intricateNight—Battle;
tobereadofinBooks。ThisiswheretheChevalierd’Assas,heorSomebody,gavethealarmtotheCastriespeopleattheexpenseofhislife。’AMOI,AUVERGNE,Ho,Auvergne!’shoutedD’Assas(ifitwasD’Assasatall),whenthestealthyEnglishcameuponhim;
whowasatoncecutdown。[Preuss(ii。270n。)assertsittobeproved,in"MiscellenausdenneuestenauslandischenLitteratur(1824,No。3,p。409),"aBookwhichnoneofuseversaw,"Thattherealhero[equaltoaRomanDeciusormore]wasnotCaptaind’Assas,oftheRegimentAuvergne,butapoorPrivateSoldierofit,calledDubois"!——Isnotthisastrangeturn,aftersuchbe—PENSIONING,be—painting,singingandcelebrating,asroseuponpoorD’Assas,ortheFamilyofD’Assas,twentyyearsafterwards(1777—1790)!——BothDuboisandD’Assas,Iconclude,layamongtheslainatKlosterKampen,silenttheyforever:——andapainfuldoubtdoesrise,AstothemiraculousoperationofPosthumousRumorandWonder;andWhethertherewasany"miracleofheroism,"orothermiracleatall,andnotratherapoornocturnalaccident,——poorsentryintheedgeofthewood,shriekingout,onapparitionofthestealthyEnglish,"Ho,Auvergne,help!"probablyfiringwithal;andgettingkilledinconsequence?NONNOSTRUMEST。]
Itiscertain,Auvergnegavefire;awokeCastriesbodily;andsavedhimfromwhatwasotherwiseinevitable。Surprisenowtherewasnonefarther;butacomplexFight,managedinthedarknesswithuncommonobstinacy;endinginwithdrawaloftheErbprinz,asfromathingthatcouldnotbedone。Hislossinkilled,woundedandprisoners,was1,638;thatofCastries,byhisowncounting,2,036:
butKlosterKampen,inthewide—awakestate,couldnotbewon。
"DuringtheFight,theErbprinz’sRhine—Bridgehadburstintwo:
hisammunitionwasrunningshort;——and,itwouldseem,thereisnoretreat,either!TheErbprinzputaboldfaceonthematter,stoodtoCastriesinathreateningattitude;mamoeuvredskilfullyfortwodayslonger,facestilltoCastries,tilltheBridgewasgotmended;then,nightofOctober18th—19th,crossedtohisownside;
gathereduphisgoods;andatadeliberatepacemarchedhome,onthoseterms;——doingsomeusefulfightingbytheroad。"
[Mauvillon,ii。120—129:Tempelhof,ii。325—332。]
Hadlostnothing,sayhisadmirers,"butonecannon,whichburst。"
OneburstcannonleftonthefieldofKlosterKampen;——butalso,aswesee,hiserrandalongwithit;and1,600goodfighterslostaudburst:whichwasmoreimportant!CriticismstherewereonitinEngland,perhapsoftheunwisesortgenerally;sorrowinthehighestquarter。"Anunaccountableexpedition,"Walpolecallsit,"onwhichPrinceFerdinandsuddenlydespatchedhisNephew,attheheadofaconsiderableforce,towardsthefrontiersofHolland,"——
merelytoseethecountrythere?——"whichoccasionedmuchsolicitudeinEngland,astheMainArmy,alreadyunequaltothatofFrance,wasthusrenderedmuchweaker。KingGeorgefeltitwithmuchanxiety。"[Walpole’sGeorgeSecond,iii。
299。]AnunaccountableEnterprise,mypoorGazetteerfriends,——
veryevidentlyanunsuccessfulone,sofarasWeselwent。
ManyEnglishfalleninit,too:"theEnglishshowedhereagainaGANZAUSNEHMENDETAPFERKEIT,"saysMauvillon;andprobablytheirshareofthelosswasproportionate。
ClearlyenoughthereisnoWeseltobehad。NeithercouldBroglio,thoughdisturbedinhisGottingenfortifyingsandoperations,beejectedoutofGottingen。Ferdinand,onfailureofWesel,himselfmarchedtoGottingen,andtriedforsomedays;butfoundhecouldnot,insuchweather,tearoutthatfirmlyrootedFrenchPost,butmustbecontentto"maskit,"forthepresent;and,thisdone,withdrew(December13th)tohiswinter—quartersnearby,asdidBrogliotohis,——aboutthetimeFriedrichandDaunhadfinallysettledintheirs。
Ferdinand’sCampaignshenceforth,whichturnallonthedefenceofHanover,arehighlyrecommendedtoprofessionalreaders;buttothelaicsortdonotproveinterestinginproportiontothetrouble。
Infact,thehugeWarhenceforthbeginseverywhere,oreverywhereexceptinPitt’sdepartmentofit,toburnlower,likealampwiththeoilgettingdone;andhaslessofbrilliancythanformerly。
"LetustryforHanover,"theBelleisles,ChoiseulsandwiseFrenchheadshadsaidtothemselves:"Canada,India,everythingislost;
butweredearHanoverwellinourclutch,Hanoverwouldbearemedyformanythings!"ThroughtheremainingCampaigns,asinthisnowdone,thatistheirfixedplan。Ferdinand,byunweariedeffort,succeededindefendingHanover,——nothingofitbutthatinconsiderablesliceorskirtroundGottingen,whichtheykeptlong,couldeverbegotbytheFrench。FerdinanddefendedHanover;
andworeoutannuallythebigFrenchArmieswhichweremissionedthither,asinthespasmofanexpiringlasteffortbythispoorhag—riddenFrance,——atanexpensetoher,say,of50,000menperyear。WhichwasgoodserviceonFerdinand’spart;butdonelessandlessintheshiningoruniversallynotableway。
Sothatwithhimtoowearehenceforth,thankHeaven,permittedandevenboundtobebrief。HardlyabovetwoBattlesmorefromhim,ifeventwo:——andmostlytheweariedReader’simaginationlefttoconceiveforitselfthoseintricatestrategies,andendlessmanoeuvringsontheDiemelandtheDill,ontheOhmRiverandtheSchwalmandtheLippe,orwherevertheymaybe,withsmallhelpfromaweariedEditor!——
ChapterVI。
WINTER—QUARTERS1760—1761。
Amelancholylittleevent,whichafterwardsprovedunexpectedlyunfortunateforFriedrich,hadhappenedinEnglandtendaysbeforetheBattleofTorgau。Saturday,25thOctober,1760,GeorgeII。,pooroldgentleman,suddenlydied。Hewasinhis77thyear;
feeble,butnotfeeblerthanusual,——unless,perhaps,theunaccountablenewsfromKlosterKampenmayhavebeentooagitatingtothedimoldmind?OntheMondayofthisweekhehad,"fromatentinHydePark,"presidedataReviewofDragoons;andonThursday,ashisColdstreamGuardswereonmarchforPortsmouthandforeignservice,"wasinhisPorticoatKensingtontoseethempass;"——fullofzealalwaysinregardtomilitarymatters,andtothisWarinparticular。Saturday,bysunrisehewasonfoot;
tookhiscupofchocolate;inquiredaboutthewind,andthechancesofmailsarriving;openedhiswindow,saidhewouldhaveaturnintheGardens,themorningbeingsofine。Itwasnowbetween7and8。
Thevaletthenwithdrewwiththechocolateapparatus;buthadhardlyshutthedoor,whenheheardadeepsigh,andfallofsomething,——"billetofwoodfromthefire?"thoughthe;——uponwhich,hurryingback,hefounditwastheKing,whohaddroptfromhisseat,"asifinattemptingtoringthebell。"Kingsaidfaintly,"CallAmelia,"andinstantlydied。PoordeafAmelia(Friedrich’soldlove,nowgrownoldanddeaf)listenedwildlyforsomefaintsoundfromthoselipsnowmuteforever。GeorgeSecondwasnomore;hisgrandsonGeorgeThirdwasnowKing。
[OldNewspapers(inGentleman’sMagazine,
xxx。486—488)。]
Intrinsicallytaken,thisseemednoverygreateventforFriedrich,forPitt,forEnglandormankind:butitprovedotherwise。
ThemeritofthispoorKingdeceased,whohadledhisNationstumblingamongthechimney—potsatsucharateinthesemadGermanWarsforTwentyYearspast,was,ThathedidnowstandloyaltotheEnterprise,nowwhenithadbecomesaneindeed;nowwhentheNationwasbroadawake,andaCaptainhadrisentoguideitoutofthatperilousposture,intonever—expectedvictoryandtriumph!PooroldGeorgehadstoodbyhisPitt,byhisFerdinand,withaperfectloyaltyatallturns;andbeendevoted,heartandsoulandbreeches—pocket,tocompletelybeatingBourbon’soppressiveideasoutofBourbon’shead。Alittlefact,buthowimportant,thenandthere!UndertheSuccessor,allthismaybedifferent:——ghastlybeings,OldTutors,Favorites,Mother’s—Favorites,flit,asyetinvisible,onthenewbackstairs:——shouldButeandCompanygetintotheforeground,peoplewillthenknowhowimportantitwas。
Walpolesays:——
"TheYorkes[Ex—ChancellorHardwickepeople]hadlongdistastedthisWar:"yes,andbeenpainfullyobligedtoholdtheirtongues:
"butnow,"withinamonthorsooftheoldKing’sdeath,"therewaspublished,underLordHardwicke’scountenance,aTractsettingforththeburdenandillpolicyofourGermanmeasures。ItwascalledCONSIDERATIONSONTHEGERMANWAR;wasablywritten,andchangedmanymen’sminds。"Thisisthefamous"MauduitPamphlet:"
firstofthosesmallstones,fromtheslingofOppositionnotobligedtobedormant,whicharenowbeginningtorattleonPitt’sOlympianDwelling—place,——highreallyasOlympus,incomparisonwithothersofthekind,butwhichunluckilyismadeofGLASSliketherestofthem!Theslingerofthisfirstresoundinglittlemissile,Walpoleinformsus,was"oneMauduit,formerlyaDissentingTeacher,"——sonofaDissentingMinisterinBermondsey,I
hear,andperhapshimselfonceaPreacher,butatpresentconcernedwithFactorageofWoolonthegreatscale;gotsoonafterwardspromotedtobeHeadoftheCustom—houseinSouthampton,solovelydidheseemtoButeandCompany。"HowagreeablehispoliticsweretotheinterioroftheCourt,soonappearedbyaplace[SouthamptonCustom—house]beingbestowedonhimbyLordBute。"AfortunateMauduit,yetastupidlytragical;hadsuchadestinyinEnglishHistory!HearWalpolealittlefarther,onMauduit,andonotherthingsthenresonanttoArlingtonStreetinawayoftheirown。
"TOSIRHORACEMANN[atFlorence]:——
"NOVEMBER14th,1760[tenthnightafterTorgau]……WeareallingunsandbonfiresforanunexpectedvictoryoftheKingofPrussiaoverDaun;butasnoparticularsareyetarrived,therearedoubters。"
"DECEMBER5th,1760。Ihavereceivedthesamplesofbrocadella……
IshallsendyouacuriousPamphlet,theonlyworkIalmosteverknewthatchangedtheopinionsofmany。ItiscalledCONSIDERATIONS
ONTHEPRESENTGERMANWAR,["London:PrintedforJohnWilkie,attheBible,inSt。Paul’sChurchyard,1761,"addsmypoorCopy(afrugal12mo,ofpp。144),notaddingofwhatedition。]andiswrittenbyawholesaleWoollen—Draper[connectedwithWool,insomeway;"FactoratBlackwellHall,"ifthatmeanDraper:——andagrowingmaneverafter;cametobe"AgentforMassachusetts,"ontheBoston—TEAoccasion,andagaindidTracts;was"Presidentofthe"——inshort,wasaconspicuousVice—President,soletusdefinehim,ofThegeneralAnti—PenaltyorLife—made—SoftAssociation,withCauseofcivilandreligiousLibertyallovertheWorld,andsuchlike;andaMauduitcomfortablyresonantinthatwaytillhedied[Chalmers,BIOG。DICTIONARY;Nichols,LITERARYANECDOTES;
&c。&c。];butthematerialsaresupposedtobefurnishedbythefactionoftheYorkes。TheconfirmationoftheKingofPrussia’svictorynearTorgaudoesnotpreventthedisciplesofthePamphletfromthinkingthatthebestthingwhichcouldhappenforuswouldbetohavethatMonarch’sheadshotoff。[Hear,hear!]——
"ThereareLettersfromtheHague[whatfoolishLettersdoflyabout,myfriend!],thatsayDaunisdeadofhiswounds。Ifheis,IshallbegintobelievethattheKingofPrussiawillendsuccessfullyatlast。[Oh!]IthasbeenthefashiontocrydownDaun;but,asmuchastheKingofPrussiamayadmirehimself[doesimmensely,accordingtoourSelwyninformations],IdaresayhewouldhavebeengladtobematchedwithonemuchmorelikehimselfthanonesooppositeastheMarshal。"
"JANUARY2d,i761。TheGermanWarisnotsopopularasyouimagine,eitherintheClosetorintheNation。"[Walpole,LetterstoSirHoraceMann(Lond。1843),i。6,7。]
(Enough,enough。)
TheMauduitPamphlet,whichthenproducedsuchaneffect,isstilltobemetinoldCollectionsandonBookstalls;butproduceslittlesavewearinesstoamodernreader。"Hanovernotinrealdanger,"
argueshe;"iftheFrenchhadit,wouldnotthey,allEuropeorderingthem,havetogiveitupagain?"Giveitup,——GRATIS,orinreturnforCanadaandPondicherry,Mauduit’sdoesnotsay。
Whichisanimportantomission!ButMauduit’sgrandargumentisthatofexpense;frightfuloutlayofmoney,aggravatedbydittomismanagementofsame。
AWarhighlyexpensive,hesays——(andthetruthis,Pittwasneverstingyofmoney:"Nearlytheonethingwehaveinanyplenty;
befrankinuseofthat,inanEnterprisesoill—providedotherwise,andinvolvinglifeanddeath!"thinksPitt);——
"dreadfullyexpensive,"urgesMauduit,andgivessomeinstancesofCommissariatmoneyssignallywasted,——notbyPitt,butbythestupidityofPitt’sWarOffices,CommissariatOffices,Officesofallkinds;nottobecuredatoncebyanyPitt:——Howmagazinesofhaywereshippedandreshipped,carriedhither,thither,upthisriver,downthat(nobodyknowingwherethewar—horseswouldbethatweretoeatit);tillatlength,whenithadreachedalmostthevalueofboheatea,therightplaceofitwasfoundtobeEmbden(nearesttoBritainfromthefirst,hadonebutknown),andnotahorsewouldnowtasteit,sospoiledwasthearticle;allhorsessnortedatit,astheywouldhavedoneatbohea,neversoexpensive。[Mauduit(towardstheend)hasastoryofthattenor,——particularsnotworthverifying。]ThesethingsareincidenttoBritishwarfare;alsotoSwedish,andtoallwarfaresthathavetheirWarOfficesinanimaginarystate,——statemuchtobeabhorredbyeverysanecreature;butnottobemendedallatoncebythenoblestofmen,intowhosehandstheyaresuddenlythrustforsavinghisNation。Conflagrationtobequenched;andyourbucketsallinhideousleakage,likebucketsoftheDanaides:——youronecourseis,plythem,pourwiththem,suchastheyare。
MauduitpointsoutfarthertheenormousfortunesrealizedbyaswindlingsetofArmy—Furnishers,Hebrewsmainly,andunbeautifultolookon。Alas,yes;thistooisathingincidenttothecase;
andinadegreetoallsuchcases,andsituationsofsuddencrisis;
——havenotweseenJewEphraimgrowingrichbythecoppermoneyevenofaFriedrich?ChristianProtestantsthereare,withal,playingthesamegameonalargerscale。HerrSchimmelmann("MOULDY—man")theDane,forinstance,——DaneorHolsteiner,——iscoiningfalsemoneyforaDukeofHolstein—Plon,whohasnotaSeven—YearsWaronhishands。Diligentlycoining,thisMouldyIndividual;stillmoresuccessfully,istradinginFriedrich’sMeissenChina(boughtinthecheapestmarket,soldinthedearest);
hasatHamburghis"AuctionofMeissenPorcelain,"steadilygoingon,asanewcommercialinstitutionofthatCity;——and,inshort,byassiduouslylaboringinsuchharvest—fields,gathersacolossalfortune,100,000pounds,300,000pounds,orIwillnotrememberwhat。Gets"ennobled,"furthermore,byaDanishGovernmentprompttorecognizehumanmerit:ElephantOrder,DannebrogOrder;noOrdergoodenoughforthisMouldy—manofmerit;[Preuss,ii。391,282,&c。]——andis,sofarasIknow,begetting"Nobles,"thatistosay,Vice—KingsandmonitoryExemplars,fortheDanishPeople,tothisday。Letusshutdowntheironlidonallthat。
Mauduit’sPamphlet,ifitraisedintheabhorrentunthinkingEnglishmindsomevaguenotion,asprobablyitdid,thatPittwasresponsibleforthesethings,orwasinasortthecauseorauthorofthem,mightproducesomeeffectagainsthim。"Whatasplashisthisyouaremaking,youGreatCommoner;wettingeverybody’sfeet,——asourMauduitproves;——whiletheConflagrationseemstobegoingout,ifyouletitalone!"Fortheheadsofmenresemble——
Myfriend,Iwillnottellyouwhatthey,inmultitudinousinstances,resemble。
ButthushaswoollenMauduit,fromhisprivatecamp("Clement’sLane,LombardStreet,"saytheDictionaries),shot,ataveryhighobject,whatpigeon’s—eggorsmallpebblehehad;thefirstofmanysuchthattookthataim;withweakthoughloud—soundingimpact,butwithresults——resultsonKingFriedrichinparticular,whichwerestrongerthantheCannonadeofTorgau!Aswillbeseen。Forwithinyearandday,——MauduitandCompanymakingtheirnoisesfromwithout,andtheButesandHardwickesworkingincessantlywithsuchrarepowerofleverageandscrewageintheinteriorparts,——acertainQuasi—OlympianHouse,madeofglass,willlieinsherds,andtheablestandnoblestmaninEnglandseehimselfforbiddentodoEnglandanyservicefarther:"Notneededmore,Sir!Goyou,——andlookatUSfortheremainderofyourlife!"
KINGFRIEDRICHINTHEAPELHOUSEATLEIPZIG
(8thDecember,1760—17thMarch,1761)。
Friedrich’sWinterintheApelHouseatLeipzigisofcheerfulercharacterthanwemightimagine。Endlesssorebusinesshedoubtlesshas,ofrecruiting,financiering,watchingandproviding,whichgrowsmoredifficultyearbyyear;buthehassubordinatesthatworktohissignal,andanorganizedmachineryforbusinesssuchasnootherman。Andsolacementstherearewithal:hisBookshehasabouthim;welcomerthaneverinsuchseasons:Friendstoo,——heisnotsolitary;norneglectfulofresources。FaithfulD’Argenscameatonce(stayedtillthemiddleofMarch):[OEuvresdeFrederic,xix。212,213。SendsaCouriertoconductD’Argens"FORDecember8th;""21stMarch,"D’ArgensisbackatBerlin。]D’Argens,QuintusIcilius,EnglishMitchell;thesethreealmostdailyborehimcompany。TillthemiddleofJanuary,also,hehadhistwoNephewswithhim(SonsofhispoordeceasedBrother,thelatetragicPrinceofPrussia),——theelderofwhom,FriedrichWilhelm,becameKingafterwards;thesecond,Henribyname,diedsuddenlyofsmall—poxwithinaboutsevenyearshence,totheKing’sdeepandsoregrief,wholikedhimthebetterofthetwo。
Theiragesrespectivelyarenowabout16and14。[Henri,born30thDecember,1747,died26thMay,1767;——FriedrichWilhelm,afterwardsFriedrichWilhelmII。(sometimescalledDERDICKE,TheBig),born25thDecember,1744;King,17thAugust,1786;died16thNovember,1797。]Theirappetitefordancing,andtheirgayyoungways,arepleasantnowandafterwardstotheoldUncleinhisgrimelement。
[Letters,&c。inSCHONING。]
Music,too,hehad;dailyeveningConcert,thoughfromhimselfthereisnoflutingnow。OneofhisBerlinConcertpeoplewhohadbeensentforwasFasch,avirtuosoonIknownotwhatinstrument,——butamangiventotakenoteofthingsabouthim。FaschwaspainfullysurprisedtoseehisKingsoalteredintheinterimpast:
"bentnow,sunkintohimself,grownold;towhomthesefiveyearsofwar—tumultandanxiety,ofsorrowandhardtoil,hadgivenadashofgloomyseriousnessandmelancholy,whichwasinstrongcontrastwithhisformervividlybrightexpression,andwasnotnaturaltohisyears。"[Zelter’sLifeofFasch(citedinPREUSS,ii。278)。]
FromD’ArgensthereisoneauthenticAnecdote,worthgiving。
OneeveningD’Argenscametohim;enteringhisApartment,foundhiminasituationveryunexpected;whichhasbeenmemorableeversince。"Oneevening[thereisnodatetoit,exceptvaguely,asabove,December,1760—March,1761],D’Argens,enteringtheKing’sApartment,foundhimsittingonthegroundwithabigplatteroffriedmeat,fromwhichhewasfeedinghisdogs。Hehadalittlerod,withwhichhekeptorderamongthem,andshovedthebestbitstohisfavorites。TheMarquis,inastonishment,recoiledastep,struckhishandstogether,andexclaimed:’TheFiveGreatPowersofEurope,whohaveswornalliance,andconspiredtoundotheMarquisdeBrandebourg,howmighttheypuzzletheirheadstoguesswhatheisnowdoing!SchemingsomedangerousplanforthenextCampaign,thinkthey;collectingfundstohavemoneyforit;studyingaboutmagazinesformanandhorse;orheisdeepinnegotiationstodividehisenemies,andgetnewalliesforhimself?Notabitofallthat。Heissittingpeaceablyinhisroom,andfeedinghisdogs!’"[Preuss,ii。282。]
INTERVIEWWITHHERRPROFESSORGELLERT
(Thursday,18thDecember,1760)。
StillmorecelebratedistheInterviewwithGellert;thoughI
cannotsayitisnowmoreentertainingtotheingenuousmind。
OneofFriedrich’smanyInterviews,thisWinter,withtheLearnedofLeipzigUniversity;forheisabornfriendoftheMusessocalled,andneverneglectsanopportunity。Wonderfultoseehow,insuchanenvironment,inthedepthsofmeretoilandtribulation,withawholebreakingworldlyingonhisshoulders,asitwere,——healwaysshowssuchappetiteforasnatchoftalkwithanybodypresumablyofsense,andknowledgeonsomething!
ThisWinter,saytheBooks,"hehad,invacantintervals,agreatdealofcommuningwiththefamedofLeipzigUniversity;"thisortheotherfamedProfessor,——Winkler,Ernesti,Gottschedagain,andothers,comingtogiveaccount,eachforhimself,ofwhatheprofessedtobeteachingintheworld:"ontheNaturalSciences,moreespeciallytheMoral;onLibraries,onRareBooks。
GottschedwasabletosatisfytheKingononepoint;namely,ThatthecelebratedpassageofSt。John’sGospel——"THEREARETHREETHAT
BEARRECORD——wasNOTinthefamousManuscriptoftheViennaLibrary;GottschedhavinghimselfexaminedthatimportantCODEX,andfoundinthetextnothingofsaidPassage,butmerely,writtenonthemargin,alegibleintercalationofit,inMelanchthon’shand。Luther,inhisVersion,neverhaditatall。"
[Helden—Geschichte,vi。596。]AGottschedinclinedtotheSocinianview?NottheleastconsequencetoFriedrichorus!OurbusinessisexclusivelywithGellerthere。
ReadershaveheardofGellert;thereare,ortherewere,EnglishWritingsabouthim,LIVES,orIforgetwhat:andinhisnativeProtestantSaxony,amongallclasses,especiallythehigher,hehad,inthoseyearsandonwardstohisdeath,suchapopularityandrealsplendorofauthorityasnomanbeforeorsince。Hadrisen,againsthiswillinsomesort,tobearealPope,apracticalOracleinthoseparts。Inhismodestbachelorlodging(ageofhimfive—and—fortygone)hehassheavesofLettersdaily,——aboutaffairsoftheconscience,ofthehousehold,oftheheart:
fromsomeevangelicalyounglady,forexample,ShallImarryHIM,thinkyou,OmyFather?"andperhapsfromherPapa,"ShallSHE,thinkyou,Omyditto?"——SheavesofLetters:andoforalconsulterssuchcrowds,thatthepoorOraclewasobligedtoappointspecialhoursforthatbranchofhisbusiness。Hisclass—room(helecturesonMORALS,someTHEORYOFMORALSENTIMENT,orsuchlike)iscrowdedwith"blueuniforms"(ingenuousPrussianOfficerseagertohearaGellert)intheseWinters。RuggedHulsen,thisveryseason,whocommandsinFreybergCountry,alleviatesthepoorvillageofHainichenfromcertainofficialinflictions,andbidsthepoorpeoplesay"ItisbecauseGellertwasbornamongyou!"PlainlytheTrismegistusofmankindatthatdate:——whoisnow,asusual,becomeasurprisingTrismegistustothenewgenerations!
HehadwrittencertainthinBooks,allofathinlanguidnature;
butrational,clear;especiallyaBookofFABLESINVERSE,whicharewatery,butnotwhollywater,andhavestillalanguidflavorinthemforreaders。HisBookonLETTER—WRITINGwasofusetotherisinggeneration,initstime。Clearlyanamiable,ingenious,correct,altogethergoodman;ofpiousmind,——and,whatwasmore,ofstrictlyorthodox,accordingtothethenSaxonstandardinthebestcircles。ThiswasthefigureofhisLifeforthelastfifteenyearsofit;andhewasnowaboutthemiddleofthatculminatingperiod。Amodest,despondentkindofman,giventoindigestions,dietetics,hypochondria:"ofneatfigureanddress;nosehooked,butnottoomuch;eyesmournfullyblueandbeautiful,fineopenbrow;"——afinecountenance,andfinesoulofitssort,poorGellert:"punctuallikethechurch—clockatdivineservice,inallweathers。"[Jordens,LexikonDeutscherDichterundProsaisten(Leipzig,1807),ii。54—68(?Gellert)。]
Amanofsomerealintellectandmelody;some,bynomeansmuch;
whowasofamiablemeekdemeanor;studioustooffendnobody,andtodowhatevergoodhecouldbytheestablishedmethods;——andwho,whatwasthegreatsecretofhissuccess,wasoforthodoxyperfectandeminent。Whom,accordingly,thewholeworld,politeSaxonorthodoxworld,hailedasitsEvangelistandTrismegistus。
Essentiallyacommonplaceman;butwhoemployedhimselfinbeautifyingandilluminatingthecommonplaceofhisclayandgeneration:——infinitelytothesatisfactionofsaidgeneration。
"Howcharmingthatyoushouldmakethinkabletous,makevocal,musicalandcomfortablycertain,whatwewereallinclinedtothink;youcreatureplainlydivine!"AndthehomagestoGellertwereunlimitedandcontinual,notpleasantallofthemtoanidlishmaninweakhealth。
MitchellandQuintusIcilius,whoareoftenurgingontheKingthatanewGermanLiteratureisspringingup,offarmoreimportancethantheKingthinks,havespokenmuchtohimofGellerttheTrismegistus;——andatlength,inthecourseofatendaysfromFriedrich’sarrivalhere,actualInterviewensues。TheDIALOGUE,thoughitisbutdullandwaterytoamodernpalate,shallbegivenentire,forthesakeofoneoftheInterlocutors。TheReportofit,gleanedgraduallyfromGellerthimself,andprinted,notlongafterwards,fromhismanuscriptsorthoseofothers,istobetakenasperfectlyfaithful。Gellert,writingtohisinquiringFriendRabener(athencelebratedBerlinWit),describes,fromLeipzig,"29thJanuary,1760,"oraboutsixweeksaftertheevent:"How,onedayaboutthemiddleofDecember,QuintusIciliussuddenlycametomypoorlodginghere,tocarrymetotheKing。"Amtooilltogo。
Quintuswillexcusemeto—day;butwillreturnto—morrow,whennoexcuseshallavail。Didgoaccordinglynextday,Thursday,18thDecember,4o’clockoftheafternoon;andcontinuedtillaquarterto6。"HadnothingoffearinspeakingtotheKing。RecitedmyMALERZUATHEN。"Kingsaid,atparting,hewouldsendformeagain。
"TheEnglishAmbassador[Mitchell],anexcellentman,wasprobablythecauseoftheKing’swishtoseeme……TheKingspokesometimesGerman,sometimesFrench;ImostlyGerman。"
[Gellert’sBriefwechselmitDemoiselleLucius,herausgegebenvonF。A。Ebert(Leipzig,1823),pp。629,631。]Asfollows:——
RING。"Areyou(ER)theProfessorGellert?"
GELLERT。"Yea,IHROMAJESTAT。"
KING。"TheEnglishAmbassadorhasspokenhighlyofyoutome。
Wheredoyoucomefrom?"
GELLERT。"FromHainichen,nearFreyberg。"
KING。"HavenotyouabrotheratFreyberg?"
GELLERT。"Yea,IHROMAJESTAT。"
KING。"TellmewhywehavenogoodGermanAuthors。"
MAJORQUINTUSICILIUS(putsinaword)。"YourMajesty,youseehereonebeforeyou;——onewhomtheFrenchthemselveshavetranslated,callinghimtheGermanLaFontaine!"
KING。"Thatismuch。HaveyoureadLaFontaine?"
GELLERT。"Yes,yourMajesty;buthavenotimitated:Iamoriginal(ICHBINEINORIGINAL)。"
KING。"Well,thisisonegoodAuthoramongtheGermans;butwhyhavenotwemore?"
GELLERT。"YourMajestyhasaprejudiceagainsttheGermans。"
KING。"No;Ican’tsaythat(Nein;daskannichnichtsagen)。"
GELLERT。"Atleast,againstGermanwriters。"
KING。"Well,perhaps。WhyhavewenogoodHistorians?WhydoesnooneundertakeaTranslationofTacitus?"
GELLERT。"Tacitusisdifficulttotranslate;andtheFrenohthemselveshavebutbadtranslationsofhim。"
KING。"Thatistrue(DAHATERRECHT)。"
GELLERT。"And,onthewhole,variousreasonsmaybegivenwhytheGermanshavenotyetdistinguishedthemselvesineverykindofwriting。WhileArtsandScienceswereintheirfloweramongtheGreeks,theRomanswerestillbusyinWar。PerhapsthisistheWarlikeEraoftheGermans:——perhapsalsotheyhaveyetwantedAugustusesandLouis—Fourteenths!"
KING。"How,wouldyouwishoneAugustus,then,forallGermany?"
GELLERT。"Notaltogetherthat;IcouldwishonlythateverySovereignencouragedmenofgeniusinhisowncountry。"
KING(startinganewsubject)。"HaveyouneverbeenoutofSaxony?"
GELLERT。"IhavebeeninBerlin。"
KING。"Youshouldtravel。"
GELLERT。"IHROMAJESTAT,forthatIneedtwothings,——healthandmeans。"
KING。"Whatisyourcomplaint?IsitDIEGELEHRTEKRANKHEIT
(DiseaseoftheLearned,"Dyspepsiasocalled)?"Ihavemyselfsufferedfromthat。Iwillprescribeforyou。Youmustridedaily,andtakeadoseofrhubarbeveryweek。"
GELLERT。"ACH,IHROMAJESTAT:ifthehorsewereasweakasIam,hewouldbeofnousetome;ifhewerestronger,Ishouldbetooweaktomanagehim。"(MarkthisoftheHorse,however;atalehangsbyit。)
KING。"Thenyoumustdriveout。"
GELLERT。"ForthatIamdeficientinthemeans。"
KING。"Yes,thatistrue;thatiswhatAuthors(GELEHRTE)inDeutschlandarealwaysdeficientin。Isupposethesearebadtimes,arenotthey?"
GELLERT。"JAWOHL;andifyourMajestywouldgrantusPeace(DEN
FRIEDENGEBENWOLLTEN)——"
KING。"HowcanI?Havenotyouheard,then?Therearethreeofthemagainstme(ESSINDJADREIWIDERMICH)!"
GELLERT。"IhavemoretodowiththeAncientsandtheirHistorythanwiththeModerns。"
KING(changingthetopic)。"Whatdoyouthink,isHomerorVirgilthefinerasanEpicPoet?"
GELLERT。"Homer,asthemoreoriginal。"
KING。"ButVirgilismuchmorepolished(VIELPOLIRTER)。"
GELLERT。"WearetoofarremovedfromHomer’stimestojudgeofhislanguage。ItrusttoQuintilianinthatrespect,whoprefersHomer。"
KING。"ButoneshouldnotbeaslavetotheopinionoftheAncients。"
GELLERT。"NoramIthat。Ifollowthemonlyincaseswhere,owingtothedistance,Icannotjudgeformyself。"
MAJORICILIUS(againgivingaslightfilliporsuggestion)。"He,"
theHerrProfessorhere,"hasalsotreatedofGERMANLETTER—
WRITING,andhaspublishedspecimens。"
KING。"So?ButhaveyouwrittenagainsttheCHANCERYSTYLE,then"
(thepainfullysolemnstyle,ofceremonialandcircumlocution;
Letterswrittensoastobemainlywigandbuckram)?
GELLERT。"ACHJA,thathaveI,IHROMAJESTAT!"
KING。"Butwhydoesn’titchange?TheDevilmustbeinit(ESIST
ETWASVERTEUFELTES)。Theybringmewholesheetsofthatstuff,andIcanmakenothingofit!"
GELLERT。"IfyourMajestycannotalterit,stilllesscanI。Icanonlyrecommend,whereyoucommand。"
KING。"CanyourepeatanyofyourFables?"
GELLERT。"Idoubtit;mymemoryisverytreacherous。"
KING。"Bethinkyoualittle;Iwillwalkabout[Gellertbethinkshim,browpuckered。King,seeingthebrowunpuckeritself]。
Well,haveyouone?"
GELLERT。"Yes,yourMajesty:THEPAINTER。"Gellertrecites(voiceplaintiveandhollow;somewhatPREACHY,Ishoulddoubt,butnotcrackedorshrieky);——wecondensehimintoproseabridgmentforEnglishreaders;Germancanlookatthebottomofthepage:
[(Gellert’sWERKE:Leipzig,1840;i。135。)]——
"’AprudentPainterinAthens,moreintentonexcellencethanonmoney,haddoneaGodofWar;andsentforarealCritictogivehimhisopinionofit。Onsurvey,theCriticshookhishead:"ToomuchArtvisible;won’tdo,myfriend!"ThePainterstrovetothinkotherwise;andwasstillarguing,whenayoungCoxcomb[GECK,Gawk]
steptin:"Gods,whatamasterpiece!"criedheatthefirstglance:
"Ah,thatfoot,thoseexquisitelywroughttoenails;helm,shield,mail,whatopulenceofArt!"ThesorrowfulPainterlookedpenitentiallyattherealCritic,lookedathisbrush;andtheinstantthisGECKwasgone,struckouthisGodofWar。’"
KING。"AndtheMoral?"
GELLERT(stillreciting):
"’WhentheCriticdoesnotlikethyBitofWriting,itisabadsignforthee;butwhentheFooladmires,itistimethouatoncestrikeitout。’"
"EinklugerMalerinAthen,Derminder,weilmanihnbezhalte,AlsweilerEhresuchte,malte,LiesseinenKennereinstdenMarsimBildesehn,UndbatsichseineMeinungaus。
DerKennersagtihmfieiheraus,DassihmdasBildnichtganzgefallenwollte,Unddasses,umrechtschonzusein,WeitminderKunstverrathensollte。
DerMalerwandtevielesein;
DerKennerstrittmitihmausGrunden,Undkonntihndochnichtuberwinden。
GleichtrateinjungerGeckherein,UndnahmdasBildinAugenschein。
’O,’riefer,’beidemerstenBlicke,IhrGotter,welcheinMeisterstucke!
Ach,welcherFuss!O,wiegeschicktSindnichtdieNagelausgedruckt!
MarslebtdurchausindiesemBilde。
WievieleKunst,wievielePrachtIstindemHelmundindemSchilde,UndinderRustungangebracht!’
DerMalerwardbeschamtgeruhret,UndsahdenKennerklaglichan。
’Nun,’spracher,’binichuberfuhret!
Ihrhabtmirnichtzuvielgethan。’
DerjungeGeckwarkaumhinaus,SostricherseinenKriegsgottaus。"
MORAL。
"WenndeineSchriftdemKennernichtgefallt,SoistesschoneinbosesZeichen;
Doch,wennsiegardesNarrenLoberhalt,SoistesZeit,sieauszustreichen。"
KING。"Thatisexcellent;veryfineindeed。Youhaveasomethingofsoftandflowinginyourverses;themIunderstandaltogether。
ButtherewasGottsched,oneday,readingmehisTranslationofIPHIGENIE;IhadtheFrenchCopyinmyhand,andcouldnotunderstandawordofhim[aSwanofSaxony,laboringinvainthatday]!TheyrecommendedmeanotherPoet,onePeitsch[HerrPeitschofKonigsberg,Hofrath,DoctorandProfessorthere,Gottsched’sMasterinArt;editedbyGottschedthirtyyearsago;nowbecomeadumbidol,thoughatonetimeagodconfessed];himIflungaway。"
GELLERT。"IHROMAJESTAT,himIalsoflingaway。"
KING。"Well,ifIcontinuehere,youmustcomeagainoften;
bringyourFABLESwithyou,andreadmesomething。"
GELLERT。"IknownotifIcanreadwell;Ihavethesingingkindoftone,nativetotheHillCountry。"
KING。"JA,liketheSilesians。No,youmustreadmetheFABLES
yourself;theyloseagreatdealotherwise。Comebacksoon。"
[Gellert’sBriefwechselmitDemoiselleLucius
(alreadycited),pp。632etseq。](EXITGELLERT。)
KING(toIcilius,aswelearnfromadifferentRecord)。"ThatisquiteanothermanthanGottsched!"(EXUENTOMNES。)
ThemodestGellertsayshe"rememberedJesusSirach’sadvice,PRESS
NOTTHYSELFONKINGS,——andnevercameback;"norwasspeciallysentfor,inthehurriessucceeding;thoughtheKingneverquiteforgothim。Nextday,atdinner,theKingsaid,"HeisthereasonablestmanofalltheGermanLiteraryPeople,C’ESTLEPLUSRAISONNABLEDE
TOUSLESSAVANSALLEMANDS。"AndtoGarve,atBreslau,yearsafterwards:"GellertistheonlyGermanthatwillreachposterity;
hisdepartmentissmall,buthehasworkedinitwithrealfelicity。"AndindeedtheKinghad,beforethat,aspracticalresultoftheGellertDialogue,managedtosetsomeBerlinBookselleruponprintingoftheseeligibleFABLES,"fortheuseofourPrussianSchools;"inwhichandothercapacitiestheFABLES
stillservewithacceptancethereandelsewhere。[Preuss,ii。274。]
InregardtoGellert’sHorse—exercise,IhadstilltorememberthatGellert,notlongafter,didgetaHorse;twosuccessiveHorses;
bothhighlyremarkable。Thefirstespecially;whichwasPrinceHenri’sgift:"TheHorsePrinceHenrihadriddenattheBattleofFreyberg"(Battletobementionedhereafter);——quadrupedthatmusthavebeenastonishedatitself!ButaprettyenoughgiftfromthewarlikeadmiringPrincetohisdyspepticGreatMan。ThisHorsehavingyieldedtoTime,theveryKurfurst(grandsonofPolishMajestythatnowis)sentGellertanother,housingandfurniturecomplete;mountedonwhich,GellertanditwereamongthesightsofLeipzig;——wellenoughknownheretoyoungGoethe,inhisCollegedays,whousedtomeetthegreatmanandprincelyhorse,anddosalutation,withperhapssometwinkleofscepticisminthecornerofhiseye。[DICHTUNGUNDWAHRHEIT,Theilii。Buch6(inGoethe’sWERKE,xxv。51etseq)。]PoorGellertfellseriouslyillinDecember,1769;tothefearandgriefofalltheworld:"estafettesfromtheKurfursthimselfgallopeddaily,oroftener,fromDresdenforthesickbulletin;"butpoorGellertdied,allthesame(13thofthatmonth);andwehave(reallywithpatheticthoughts,evenwe)tobidhisamiableexistenceinthisworld,hisbitsofgloriesandhim,adieuforever。
DIALOGUEWITHGENERALSALDERN(intheApelHouse,Leipzig,21stJanuary,1761)。
FourorfiveweeksafterthisofGellert,FriedrichhadanotherDialogue,whichalsoispartlyonrecord,andisofmoreimportancetoushere:DialoguewithMajor—GeneralSaldern;onacertainbusiness,delicate,yetprofitabletothedoer,——nobodysofitforitasSaldern,thinkstheKing。SaldernishewhodidthatextraordinaryfeatofpackingthewrecksofbattleontheFieldofLiegnitz;afine,clear—flowing,silentkindofman,rapidandsteady;withagreatdealofmethodicandothergoodfacultyinhim,——more,perhaps,thanhehimselfyetknowsof。HimtheKinghassentfor,thismorning;anditisonthebusinessofPolishMajesty’sRoyalHunting—SchlossatHubertsburg,——whichisathingotherwiseworthsomenoticefromus。
ForthreemonthslongtheKinghadbeenrepresenting,intheproperquarters,whatplunderings,andriotousandevendisgustingsavageries,theSaxonshadperpetratedatCharlottenburg,Schonhausen,Friedrichsfeld,inOctoberlast,whilemastersthereforafewdays:butneitherinReichsDiet,wherePlothowaseloquent,norelsewherebytheDiplomaticmethod,couldhegettheleastredress,oronecivilwordofregret。FromPolishMajestyhimself,towhomFriedrichremonstratedthematter,throughtheEnglishResidentatWarsaw,Friedrichhadexpectedregret;buthegotnone。SomethinkhehadhopedthatPolishMajesty,touchedbythesehorrorsofwar,andbythereciprocitiesevidentlyliabletofollow,mightbeinducedtotrysomethingtowardsmediatingaGeneralPeace:butPolishMajestydidnot;PolishMajestyansweredsimplynothingatall,norwouldgetintoanycorrespondence:
uponwhichFriedrich,possiblyalittlepiquedwithal,hadatlengthdeterminedonretaliation。
Withinourcantonments,reflectsFriedrich,hereisHubertsburgSchloss,withsuchahuntingapparatusinandaroundit;
PolishMajesty’sHERTZBLATT("lidoftheHEART,"astheycallit;
breastbone,atleast,andpitofhisSTOMACH,whichinclinestonothingbuthunting):lethisHubertsburgbecomeasourCharlottenburgis;perhapsthatwilltouchhisfeelings!
Friedrichhadformedthisresolution;and,Wednesday,January21st,sendsforSaldern,oneofthemostexact,deft—goingandpunctiliouslyhonorableofallhisGenerals,toexecuteit。
EnterSaldernaccordingly,——royalAudience—room"intheAPEL’SCHE
HAUS,NewNeumarkt,No。16,"asabove;——towhom(oneKuster,areliablecreature,reportingforusonSaldern’sbehalf)theKingsays,inthedistinctslowishtoneofaKinggivingorders:——
KING。"Saldern,to—morrowmorningyougo[ER,Hegoes)withadetachmentofInfantryandCavalry,inallsilence,toHubertsburg;
besettheSchloss,getallthefurniturescarefullypackedupandinvoiced。Iwantnothingwiththem;themoneytheybringImeantobestowonourFieldHospitals,andwillnotforgetYOUindisposingofit。"
Saldern,usuallysopromptwithhis"JA"onanyOrderfromtheKing,looksembarrassed,standssilent,——totheKing’sgreatsurprise;——andafteramomentortwosays:——
SALDERN。"Forgiveme,yourMajesty:butthisiscontrarytomyhonorandmyoath。"
KING(stillinacalmtone)。"YouwouldberighttothinksoifI
didnotintendthisdesperatemethodforagoodobject。Listentome:greatLordsdon’tfeelitintheirscalp,whentheirsubjectsaretornbythehair;onehastogriptheirownlocks,astheonlywaytogivethempain。"(TheselastwordstheKingsaidinasharpertone;heagainmadehisapologyfortheresolutionhehadformed;andrenewedhisOrder。Withthemodestyusualtohim,butalsowithmanliness,Saldernreplied:)——
SALDERN。"Orderme,yourMajesty,toattacktheenemyandhisbatteries,Iwillontheinstantcheerfullyobey:butagainsthonor,oathandduty,Icannot,Idarenot!"
TheKing,withvoicegraduallyrising,Isuppose,repeatedhisdemonstrationthatthethingwasproper,necessaryinthecircumstances;butSaldern,truetotheinwardvoice,answeredsteadily:——
SALDERN。"ForthiscommissionyourMajestywilleasilyfindanotherpersoninmystead。"
KING(whirlinghastilyround,withanangrycountenance,but,I
shouldsay,anadmirablepreservationofhisdignityinsuchextremecase)。"SALDERN,ERWILLNICHTREICHWERDEN,——Saldern,yourefusetobecomerich。"AndEXIT,leavingSalderntohisownstiffcourses。[Kuster,CharakterzugedesGeneral—Lieutenantv。
Saldern(Berlin,1793),pp。39—44。]
NothingremainedforSaldernbuttofallill,andretirefromtheService;whichhedid:amanhonorablyruined,thoughteverybody;——
whichdidnotprovetobethecase,byandby。