history of friedrich ii of prussia v 18-第37节

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y；　if　it　grant　me　the　favor　to　die　sword　in　hand。

〃Should　this　hope　fail　me；　you　will　allow　that　it　would　be　too　hard　to　crawl　at　the　feet　of　a　company　of　traitors；　to　whom　successful　crimes　have　given　the　advantage　to　prescribe　the　law　to　me。　How；　my　dear；　my　incomparable　Sister；　how　could　I　repress　feelings　of　vengeance　and　of　resentment　against　all　my　neighbors；　of　whom　there　is　not　one　who　did　not　accelerate　my　downfall；　and　will　not；　share　in　our　spoils？　How　can　a　Prince　survive　his　State；　the　glory　of　his　Country；　his　own　reputation？　A　Bavarian　Elector；　in　his　nonage　＇Son　of　the　late　poor　Kaiser；　and　left；　shipwrecked　in　his　seventeenth　year＇；　or　rather　in　a　sort　of　subjection　to　his　Ministers；　and　dull　to　the　biddings　of　honor；　may　give　himself　up　as　a　slave　to　the　imperious　domination　of　the　House　of　Austria；　and　kiss　the　hand　which　oppressed　his　Father：　I　pardon　it　to　his　youth　and　his　ineptitude。　But　is　that　the　example　for　me　to　follow？　No；　dear　Sister；　you　think　too　nobly　to　give　me　such　mean　（LACHE）　advice。　Is　Liberty；　that　precious　prerogative；　to　be　less　dear　to　a　Sovereign　in　the　eighteenth　century　than　it　was　to　Roman　Patricians　of　old？　And　where　is　it　said；　that　Brutus　and　Cato　should　carry　magnanimity　farther　than　Princes　and　Kings？　Firmness　consists　in　resisting　misfortune：　but　only　cowards　submit　to　the　yoke；　bear　patiently　their　chains；　and　support　oppression　tranquilly。　Never；　my　dear　Sister；　could　I　resolve　upon　such　ignominy。　。。。

〃If　I　had　followed　only　my　own　inclinations；　I　should　have　ended　it　（JE　ME　SERAIS　DEPECHE）　at　once；　after　that　unfortunate　Battle　which　I　lost。　But　I　felt　that　this　would　be　weakness；　and　that　it　behooved　me　to　repair　the　evil　which　had　happened。　My　attachment　to　the　State　awoke；　I　said　to　myself；　It　is　not　in　seasons　of　prosperity　that　it　is　rare　to　find　defenders；　but　in　adversity。　I　made　it　a　point　of　honor　with　myself　to　redress　all　that　had　got　out　of　square；　in　which　I　was　not　unsuccessful；　not　even　in　the　Lausitz　＇after　those　Zittau　disasters＇　last　of　all。　But　no　sooner　had　I　hastened　this　way　to　face　new　enemies；　than　Winterfeld　was　beaten　and　killed　near　Gorlitz；　than　the　French　entered　the　heart；　of　my　States；　than　the　Swedes　blockaded　Stettin。　Now　there　is　nothing　effective　left　for　me　to　do：　there　are　too　many　enemies。　Were　I　even　to　succeed　in　beating　two　armies；　the　third　would　crush　me。　The　enclosed　Note　＇in　cipher＇　will　show　you　what　I　am　still　about　to　try：　it　is　the　last　attempt。

〃The　gratitude；　the　tender　affection；　which　I　feel　towards　you；　that　friendship；　true　as　the　hills；　constrains　me　to　deal　openly　with　you。　No；　my　divine　Sister；　I　shall　conceal　nothing　from　you　that　I　intend　to　do；　all　my　thoughts；　all　my　resolutions　shall　be　open　and　known　to　you　in　time。　I　will　precipitate　nothing：　but　also　it　will　be　impossible　for　me　to　change　my　sentiments。　。。。

〃As　for　you；　my　incomparable　Sister；　I　have　not　the　heart　to　turn　you　from　your　resolves。　We　think　alike；　and　I　cannot　condemn　in　you　the　sentiments　which　I　daily　entertain　（EPROUVE）。　Life　has　been　given　to　us　as　a　benefit：　when　it　ceases　to　be　such〃！　〃I　have　nobody　left　in　this　world；　to　attach　me　to　it；　but　you。　My　friends；　the　relations　I　loved　most；　are　in　the　grave；　in　short；　I　have　lost；　everything。　If　you　take　the　resolution　which　I　have　taken；　we　end　together　our　misfortunes　and　our　unhappiness；　and　it　will　be　the　turn　of　them　who　remain　in　this　world；　to　provide　for　the　concerns　falling　to　their　charge；　and　to　bear　the　weight；　which　has　lain　on　us　so　long。　These；　my　adorable　Sister；　are　sad　reflections；　but　suitable　to　my　present　condition。

〃The　day　before　yesterday　I　was　at　Gotha　＇yes；　see　above；and　to…morrow；　if　I　knew　it；　Seidlitz　with　pictorial　effects　will　be　there＇。　。。。

〃But；　it　is　time　to　end　this　long；　dreary　Letter；　which　treats　almost　of　nothing　but　my　own　affairs。　I　have　had　some　leisure；　and　have　used　it　to　open　on　you　a　heart　filled　with　admiration　and　gratitude　towards　you。　Yes；　my　adorable　Sister；　if　Providence　troubled　itself　about　human　affairs；　you　ought　to　be　the　happiest　person　in　the　Universe。　Your　not　being　such；　confirms　me　in　the　sentiments　expressed　at　the　end　of　my　EPITRE。　In　conclusion；　believe　that　I　adore　you；　and　that　I　would　give　my　life　a　thousand　times　to　serve　you。　These　are　the　sentiments　which　will　animate　me　to　the　last　breath　of　my　life；　being；　my　beloved　Sister；　ever〃　YourF。　＇　OEuvres；　　xxvii。　i；　303…307。＇

WILHELMINA'S　ANSWER；by　anticipation；　as　we　said：　written　〃15th　September；〃　while　Friedrich　was　dining　at　Gotha；　in　quest　of　Soubise。

〃BAIREUTH；　15th　SEPTEMBER；　1757。　My　dearest　Brother；　your　Letter　and　the　one　you　wrote　to　Voltaire；　my　dear　Brother；　have　almost　killed　me。　What　fatal　resolutions；　great　God！　Ah；　my　dear　Brother；　you　say　you　love　me；　and　you　drive　a　dagger　into　my　heart。　Your　EPITRE；　which　I　did　receive；　made　me　shed　rivers　of　tears。　I　am　now　ashamed　of　such　weakness。　My　misfortune　would　be　so　great〃　in　the　issue　there　alluded　to；　〃that　I　should　find　worthier　resources　than　tears。　Your　lot　shall　be　mine：　I　will　not　survive　either　your　misfortunes　or　those　of　the　House　I　belong　to。　You　may　calculate　that　such　is　my　firm　resolution。

〃But；　after　this　avowal；　allow　me　to　entreat　you　to　look　back　at　what　was　the　pitiable　state　of　your　Enemy　when　you　lay　before　Prag！　　It　is　the　sudden　whirl　of　Fortune　for　both　parties。　The　like　can　occur　again；　when　one　is　least　expecting　it；　Caesar　was　the　slave　of　Pirates；　and　he　became　the　master　of　the　world。　A　great　genius　like　yours　finds　resources　even　when　all　is　lost；　and　it　is　impossible　this　frenzy　can　continue。　My　heart　bleeds　to　think　of　the　poor　souls　in　Preussen　＇Apraxin　and　his　Christian　Cossacks　there；who；　it　is　noted；　far　excel　the　Calmuck　worshippers　of　the　Dalai…Lama＇。　What　horrid　barbarity；　the　detail　of　cruelties　that　go　on　there！　I　feel　all　that　you　feel　on　it；　my　dear　Brother。　I　know　your　heart；　and　your　sensibility　for　your　subjects。

〃I　suffer　a　thousand　times　more　than　I　can　tell　you；　nevertheless　hope　does　not　abandon　me。　I　received　your　Letter　of　the　14th　by　W。　＇who　W。　is；　no　mortal　knows＇。　What　kindness　to　think　of　me；　who　have　nothing　to　give　you　but　a　useless　affection；　which　is　so　richly　repaid　by　yours！　I　am　obliged　to　finish；　but　I　shall　never　cease　to　be；　with　the　most　profound　respect　（TRES…PROFOND　RESPECT；〃　that；　and　something　still　better；　if　my　poor　pen　were　not　embarrassed）；　〃your〃　　　　　　　　　　WILHELMINA。

5。　FRIEDRICH'S　RESPONSE　TO　THE　DISSUASIVES　OF　VOLTAIRE　（Last　of　the　Lamentation…Psalms：　〃Buttstadt；　October　9th〃）。Voltaire's　Dissuasive　Letter　is　a　poor　Piece；　＇　OEuvres　de　Voltaire；　　lxxvii。　80…85　（LES　DELICES；　early　in　September；　1757：　no　date　given）。＇　not　worth　giving　here。　Remarkable　only　by　Friedrich's　quiet　reception　of　it；　which　readers　shall　now　see；　as　Finis　to　those　Lamentation…Psalms。　There　is　another　of　them；　widely　known；　which　we　will　omit：　the　EPITRE　TO　D'ARGENS；　＇In　　OEuvres　de　Frederic；　　xii。　50…56　（〃Erfurt；　23d　September；　1757　〃）。＇　passionate　enough；　wandering　wildly　over　human　life；　and　sincere　almost　to　shrillness；　in　parts；　which　Voltaire　has　also　got　hold　of。　Omissible　here；　the　fixity　of　purpose　being　plain　otherwise　to　Voltaire　and　us。　Voltaire's　counter…arguments　are　weak；　or　worse：　〃That　Roman　death　is　not　now　expected　of　the　Philosopher；　that　your　Majesty　will；　in　the　worst　event；　still　have　considerable　Dominions　left；　all　that　your　Great…Grandfather　had；　still　plenty　of　resources；　that；　in　Paris　Society；　an　estimable　minority　even　now　thinks　highly　of　you；　that　in　Paris　itself　your　Majesty　＇does　not　say　expressly；　as　dethroned　and　going　on　your　travels＇　would　have　resources！〃　To　which　beautiful　considerations　Friedrich　answers；　not　with　fire　and　brimstone；　as　one　might　have　dreaded；　but　in　this　quiet　manner　（REPONSE　AU　SIEUR　VOLTAIRE）：

　〃Je　suis　homme；　il　suffit；　et　ne　pour　la　souffrance；　　　　　　　　　　　Aux　rigueurs　du　destin　j'oppose　ma　constance。　　＇〃I　am　a　man；　and　therefore　born　to　suffer；　to　destiny's　rigors　my　steadfastness　must　correspond。〃Quotation　from　I　know　not　whom。＇

But　with　these　sentiments；　I　am　far　from　condemning　Cato　and　Otho。　The　latter　had　no　fine　moment　in　his　life；　except　that　of　his　death。　＇Breaks　off　into　Verse：＇

　〃Croyez　que　si　j'etais　Voltaire；　　　　　　　　　　　Et　particulier　comme　lui；　　　　　　　　　　　Me　contentant　du　necessaire；　　　　　　　　　　　Je　verrais　voltiger　la　fortune　legere；〃　Or；

to　wring　the　water　and　the　jingle　out　of　it；　and　give　the　substance　in　Prose：

〃Yes；　if　I　were　Voltaire　and　a　private　man；　I　could　with　much　composure　leave　Fortune　to　her　whirlings　and　her　plungings；　to　me；　contented　with　the　needful；　her　mad　caprices　and　sudden　topsy…　turvyings　would　be　amusing　rather　than　tremendous。

〃I　know　the　ennui　attending　on　honors；　the　burdensome　duties；　the　jargon　of　grinning　flatterers；　those　pitiabilities　of　every　kind；　those　details　of　littleness；　with　which　you　have　to　occupy　yourself　if　set　on　high　on　the　stage　of　things。　Foolish　glory　has　no　charm　for　me；　though　a　Poet　and　King：　when　once　Atropos　has　ended　me　forever；　what　will　the　uncertain　honor　of　living　in　the　Temple　of　Memory　avail？　One　mo