history of friedrich ii of prussia v 18-第35节

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of　asking　Voltaire　to　dinner　on　that　fine　occasion；but；　except　Officially；　is　not　otherwise　than　well…affected　to　Voltaire。　Was　once　Chief　Minister　of　France；　and　would　fain　again　be；　does　not　like　these　Bernis　novelties　and　Austrian　Alliances；　had　he　now　any　power　to　overset　them。　Let　him　correspond　with　Most　Christian　Majesty；　at　least；　plead　for　a　Peace　with　Prussia；　Prussia　being　so　ready　that　way。　Eminency　Tencin；　on　Voltaire's　suggestion；　did　so；　perhaps　is　even　now　doing　so；　till　ordered　to　hold　HIS　peace　on　such　subjects。　This　is　certain　and　well　known；　but　nothing　else　is　known；　or　to　us　knowable；　about　it；　Voltaire；　in　vague　form；　being　our　one　authority；　through　whom　it　is　vain　to　hunt；　and　again　hunt。　＇　OEuvres　（Memoires）；　　ii。　92；　93；　IB。　i。　143；　Preuss；　ii。　84。＇　The　Dates；　much　more　the　features　and　circumstances；　all　lie　buried　from　us；　andtill　perhaps　the　Lamentation…Psalms　are　well　editedmust　continue　lying。　As　a　fact　certain；　but　undeniably　vague。

Voltaire's　procedure；　one　can　gather；　is　polite；　but　two…faced；　not　sublime　on　this　occasion。　In　fact；　is　intended　to　serve　himself。　To　the　high　Princess　he　writes　devotionally；　ready　to　obey　in　all　things；　and　then　to　his　Eminency　Cardinal　Tencin；　it　rather　seems　as　if　the　tone　were：　〃Pooh！　yes；　your　Eminency；　such　are　the　poor　Lady's　notions。　But　does　your　Eminency　take　notice　how　high　my　connections　are；　what　service　a　poor　obscure　creature　might　perhaps　do　the　State　some　day？〃　Friedrich　himself　is；　in　these　ways；　brought　into　correspondence　with　Voltaire　again；　and　occasionally　writes　to　him　in　this　War；　and　ever　afterwards：　Voltaire　responds　with　fine　sympathy；　always　prettily；　in　the　enthusiasm　of　the　moment；and　at　other　times　he　writes　a　good　deal　about　Friedrich；　oftenest　in　rather　a　mischievous　dialect。　〃The　traitor！〃　exclaim　some　Prussian　writers；　not　many　or　important；　in　our　time。　In　fact；　there　is　a　considerable　touch　of　grinning　malice　（as　of　Monkey　VERSUS　Cat；　who　had　once　burnt　HIS　paw；　instead　of　getting　his　own　burnt）；　in　those　utterances　of　Voltaire；　some　of　which　the　reader　will　grin　over　too；　without　much　tragic　feeling；the　rather　as　they　did　our　Felis　Leo　no　manner　of　ill；　and　show　our　incomparable　SINGE　with　a　sparkle　of　the　TIGRE　in　him；　theoretic　sparkle　merely　and　for　moments；　which　makes　him　all　the　more　entertaining　and　interesting　at　the　domestic　hearth。

Of　Friedrich's　Lamentation…Psalms　we　propose　to　give　the　First　and　the　Last：　these；　with　certain　Prose　Pieces；　intermediate　and　connecting；　may　perhaps　be　made　intelligible　to　readers；　and　throw　some　light　on　these　tragic　weeks　of　the　King's　History：

1。　EPITRE　A　MA　SOEUR　（First　of　the　Lamentation…Psalms）。This　is　the　famed　〃Epistle　to　Wilhelmina；〃　already　spoken　of；　which　the　King　despatched　from　Bernstadt　〃August　24th；〃　just　while　quitting　those　parts；　on　the　Erfurt　Errand；though　written　before；　in　the　tedium　of　waiting　for　Keith。　The　Piece　is　long；　vehement；　altogether　sincere；　lyrically　sings　aloud；　or　declaims　in　rhyme；　what　one's　indignant　thought　really　is　on　the　surrounding　woes　and　atrocities。　We　faithfully　abridge；　and　condense　into　our　briefest　Prose；readers　can　add　water　and　the　jingle　of　French　rhymes　AD　LIBITUM。　It　starts　thus：

〃O　sweet　and　dear　hope　of　my　remaining　days；　O　Sister；　whose　friendship；　so　fertile　in　resources；　shares　all　my　sorrows；　and　with　a　helpful　arm　assists　me　in　the　gulf！　It　is　in　vain　that　the　Destinies　have　overwhelmed　me　with　disasters：　if　the　crowd　of　Kings　have　sworn　my　ruin；　if　the　Earth　have　opened　to　swallow　me；　you　still　love　me；　noble　and　affectionate　Sister：　loved　by　you；　what　is　there　of　misfortune？　＇Branches　off　into　some　survey　of　it；　nevertheless。＇

〃Huge　continents　of　thunder…cloud；　plots　thickening　against　me　＇in　those　Menzel　Documents＇；　I　watched　with　terror；　the　sky　getting　blacker；　no　covert　for　me　visible：　on　a　sudden；　from　the　deeps　of　Hell；　starts　forth　Discord　＇with　capital　letter＇；　and　the　tempest　broke。

　Ce　fut　dans　ton　Senat；　O　fouqueuse　Angleterre！　　　　　　　　　　Ou　ce　monstre　inhumain　fit　eclater　la　guerre：　　

It　was　from　thy　Senate；　stormful　England；　that　she　first　launched　out　War。　In　remote　climates　first；　in　America；　far　away；between　France　and　thee。　Old　Ocean　shook　with　it；　Neptune；　in　the　depths　of　his　caves　（SES　GROTTES　PROFONDES）；　saw　the　English　subjecting　his　waves　（SES　ONDES）：　the　wild　Iroquois；　prize　of　these　crimes　（FORFAITS）；　bursts　out；　detesting　the　tyrants　who　disturb　his　Forests；〃and　scalping　Braddock's　people；　and　the　like。

〃Discord；　charmed　to　see　such　an　America；　and　feeble　mortals　crossing　the　Ocean　to　exterminate　one　another；　addresses　the　European　Kings：　'How　long　will　you　be　slaves　to　what　are　called　laws？　Is　it　for　you　to　bend　under　worn…out　notions　of　justice；　right？　Mars　is　the　one　God：　Might　is　Right。　A　King's　business　is　to　do　something　famous　in　this　world。'

〃O　daughter　of　the　Caesars；〃　Maria　Theresa；　〃how；　at　these　words；　ambition；　burning　in　thy　soul；　breaks　out　uncontrollable！　Probity；　honor；　treaties；　duty：　feeble　considerations　these；　to　a　heart　letting　loose　its　flamy　passions；　determining　to　rob　the　generous　Germans　of　their　liberties；　to　degrade　thy　equals；　to　extinguish　'Schism'　（so　called）；　and　set　up　despotism　on　the　wrecks　of　all。〃

〃Huge　project〃〃FIER　TRIUMVIRAT；〃what　not：　〃From　Roussillon　and　the　sunny　Pyrenees　to　frozen　Russia；　all　arm　for　Austria；　and　march　at　her　bidding。　They　concert　my　downfall；　trample　on　my　rights。

〃The　Daughter　of　the　Caesars；　proudly　certain　of　victory；'t　is　the　way　of　the　Great；　whose　commonplace　virtue；　pusillanimous　in　reverses；　overbearing　in　success；　cannot　bridle　their　cupidity；　designates　to　the　Triumvirate　what　Kings　are　to　be　proscribed　＇Britannic　George　and　me；　Reich　busy　on　us　both　even　now＇；　and　those　ungrateful　tyrants；　by　united　crime；　immolate　to　each　other；　without　remorse；　their　dearest　allies。〃　For　instance：

　〃O　jour　digne　d'oubli！　Quelle　atroce　imprudence！　　　　　　　　　　　Therese；　c'est　l'Anglais　que　tu　vends　a　la　France：　　

Theresa！　it　is　England　thou　art　selling　to　France；〃Yes；　a　thing　worth　noting。　〃Thy　generous　support　in　thy　first　adversities；　thy　one　friend　then；　when　a　world　had　risen　to　devour　thee。　Thou　reignest　now：but　it　was　England　alone　that　saved　thee　anything　to　reign　over！

　Tu　regnes；　mats　lui　seul　a　sauve　tes　etats：　　　　　　　　　　Les　bienfaits　chez　les　rois　ne　font　que　des　ingrats。　　

〃And　thou；　lazy　Monarch；〃stupid　Louis；　let　us　omit　him：　〃Pompadour；　selling　her　lover　to　the　highest　bidder；　makes　France；　in　our　day；　Austria's　slave！〃　We　omit　Kolin　Battle；　too；　spoken　of　with　a　proud　modesty　（Prag　is　not　spoken　of　at　all）；　and　how　the　neighboring　ravenous　Powers；　on…lookers　hitherto；　have　opened　their　throats　with　one　accord　to　swallow　Prussia；　thinking　its　downfall　certain：　〃Poor　mercenary　Sweden；　once　so　famous　under　its　soldier　Kings；　now　debased　by　a　venal　Senate；〃Sweden；　〃what　say　I？　my　own　kindred　＇foolish　Anspach　and　others＇；　driven　by　perverse　motives；　join　in　the　plot　of　horrors；　and　become　satellites　of　the　prospering　Triumvirs。

〃And　thou；　loved　People　＇my　own　Prussians＇；　whose　happiness　is　my　charge　＇notable　how　often　he　repeats　this＇　it　is　thy　lamentable　destiny；　it　is　the　danger　which　hangs　over　thee；　that　pierces　my　soul。　The　pomps　of　my　rank　I　could　resign　without　regret。　But　to　rescue　thee；　in　this　black　crisis；　I　will　spend　my　heart's　blood。　Whose　IS　that　blood　but　thine？　With　joy　will　I　rally　my　warriors　to　avenge　thy　affront；　defy　death　at　the　foot　of　the　ramparts　＇of　Daun　and　his　Eckartsberg；　ahead　yonder＇；　and　either　conquer；　or　be　buried　under　thy　ruins。〃　Very　well；　but　ah；

〃Preparing　with　such　purpose；　ye　Heavens；　what　mournful　cries　are　those　that　reach　us：　'Death　haa　laid　low　thy　Mother！'Hah；　that　was　the　last　stroke；　then；　which　angry　Fate　had　reserved　for　me。　O　Mother；　Death　flies　my　misfortunes；　and　spreads　his　livid　horrors　over　thee！　＇Very　tender；　very　sad；　what　he　says　of　his　Mother；　but　must　be　omitted　and　imagined。　General　finale　is：＇

〃Thus　Destiny　with　a　deluge　of　torments　fills　the　poisoned　remnant　of　my　days。　The　present　is　hideous　to　me；　the　future　unknown：　what；　you　say　I　am　the　creature　of　a　BENEficent　Being？

　Quoi　serais…fe　forme　par　un　Dieu　bienfaisati？　　　　　　　　　　Ah！　s'il　etait　si　bon；　tendre　pour　son　ouvrage〃　　

Husht；　my　little　Titan！

〃And　now；　ye　promoters　of　sacred　lies；　go　on　leading　cowards　by　the　nose；　in　the　dark　windings　of　your　labyrinth：to　me　the　enchantment　is　ended；　the　charm　disappears。　I　see　that　all　men　are　but　the　sport　of　Destiny。　And　that；　if　there　do　exist　some　Gloomy　and　Inexorable　Being；　who　allows　a　despised　herd　of　creatures　to　go　on　multiplying　here；　he　values　them　as　nothing；　looks　down　on　a　Phalaris　crowned；　on　a　Socrates　in　chains；　on　our　virtues；　our　misdeeds；　on　the　horrors　of　war；　and　all　the　cruel　plagues　which　ravage　Earth；　as　a　thing　indifferent　to　him。　Wherefore；　my　sole　refuge　and　only　haven；　loved　Sister；　is　in　the　arms　of　Death：

　Ainsi　mon　seul　asile　et　mon　unique　port　　　　　　　　　　Se　trouve；　chere　soeur；　dans　les　bras　de　la　mort。〃　　　＇　OEuvres；　　xii。　36…42；　is　sent　off　to　Wilhelmin