第103章
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  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。

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