louisa of prussia and her times-第110节

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〃But　will　this　note　really　be　forwarded　to　Napoleon？〃

〃It　has　already　been　forwarded。　But　I　had　sent　also　a　messenger　to
the　Emperor　of　Russia　with　a　copy　of　this　note；　and　the　emperor；　it
seems；　has　understood　my　mission；　forBut；　just　look；　my　prophecy
commences　being　fulfilled。　The　king　and　the　queen　rise　and　leave
their　box；　and　notice；　too；　the　migration　beginning　in　the　pit；　and
among　the　occupants　of　the　orchestra…stalls。　The　beautiful　ballet…
girls　will　soon　dance　before　empty　benches。〃

〃But　do　not　let　me　die　with　curiosity；　your　excellency。　Tell　me　at
length　what　has　occurred。〃

〃A　surprise；　prince。　The　Emperor　Alexander　will　reach　Berlin　within
an　hour！〃

〃Are　you　not　jesting？　Do　you　speak　in　earnest？〃

〃In　dead　earnest；　prince。　The　emperor　comprehends　that　the　favorable
hour　must　be　improved；　and　he　comes　in　order　to　conquer　the
friendship　of　Frederick　William；　and　to　overcome　his　indecision；　so
that　they　may　then　vanquish　the　French　invader　with　their　united
forces。　The　emperor　is　a　very　sagacious　man；　and　being　half　a
German；　he　knows　doubtless　the　German　proverb；　'Strike　while　the
iron　is　hot。'　Our　noble　queen；　with　both　of　us　and　our　excellent
people；　will　help　the　emperor　to　strike　the　iron。　Look；　the　people
commence　striking　already。　They　rush　from　the　theatre　in　order　to
receive　the　Emperor　Alexander　at　the　gate；　and　to　cheer　him　while　he
is　riding　to　the　palace。　Let　us　follow　the　example　of　the　people　of
Berlin。　Let　us　go　to　receive　the　Emperor　Alexanderif　it　please
God；　our　allyat　the　gate。〃　＇Footnote：　The　Emperor　Alexander
arrived　in　Berlin　quite　unexpectedly　on　October　23；　1805；　the
courier　who　had　announced　his　arrival　had　reached　the　Prussian
capital　only　a　few　hours　previously。＇

Hardenberg's　predictions　were　to　be　fulfilled　this　time。　Thanks　to
the　powerful　allies　who　were　fighting　for　his　policy　and　for
Prussia；　the　king　summoned　up　sufficient　courage　to　take　a　decisive
resolution。　Those　allies　of　Hardenberg　and　Prussia　were　now　not　only
the　queen；　Prince　Louis　Ferdinand；　and　public　opinion；　but　they　were
joined　by　the　Emperor　Alexander；　who　had　arrived　from　Poland；　and
the　Archduke　Anthony；　whom　the　Emperor　of　Austria　had　sent　to　Berlin
at　the　same　time　for　the　purpose　of　winning　the　friendship　of　the
king。　But　still　another　ally　suddenly　and　unexpectedly　entered　the
lists　for　Hardenberg's　policy　and　for　the　coalition；　and　this　ally
was　the　good　fortune　and　genius　of　Napoleon。

Dreadful　tidings　reached　Berlin　simultaneously　with　the　arrival　of
Archduke　Anthony。　Napoleon　had　gained　another　victory；　he　had
defeated　the　Austrians　at　Ulm；　＇Footnote：　October　20；　1805＇　twenty…
three　thousand　Austrians　had　laid　down　their　arms　at　the　feet　of　the
Emperor　of　the　French；　and　then　started　as　prisoners　of　war　for
France。　Surrounded　by　a　brilliant　staff；　Napoleon　made　the
humiliated；　vanquished　Austrians　file　off　before　him；　between　the
French　army；　which　was　drawn　up　in　two　lines。　When　they　laid　down
their　arms；　and　when　this　flashing　pile　rose　higher　and　higher；
Napoleon's　face；　which；　amidst　the　hail　of　bullets　and　the　dangers
of　the　battle；　had　preserved　its　marble；　antique　calmness；　became
radiant；　as　if　lighted　up　by　a　sunbeam；　and　he　turned　with　a
gracious　smile　toward　the　Austrian　generals　and　officers；　who
approached　him　humbly　and　with　lowered　heads；　in　order　to　thank　him
for　giving　them　permission　to　return　to　Austria；　and　for　not
compelling　them　to　accompany　their　soldiers　as　prisoners　of　war　to
France。

But　this　smile　disappeared　rapidly　from　the　emperor's　countenance；
which　now　became　threatening　and　angry。　In　a　voice　rolling　like
thunder　over　the　heads　of　the　humiliated　Austrians；　the　emperor
said：　〃It　is　a　misfortune　that　men　so　brave　as　you；　whose　names　are
honorably　mentioned　wherever　you　have　fought；　should　now　become　the
victims　of　the　stupidities　of　a　cabinet　which　only　dreams　of
senseless　schemes；　and　does　not　hesitate　to　endanger　the　dignity　of
the　state　and　of　the　nation。　It　was　an　unheard…of　proceeding　to
seize　me　by　the　throat　without　a　declaration　of　war；　but　it　is　a
crime　against　one's　own　people　to　bring　about　a　foreign　invasion；　it
is　betraying　Europe；　to　draw　Asiatic　hordes　into　our　combats。
Instead　of　attacking　me　without　any　good　reason　whatever；　the
Austrian　cabinet　ought　to　have　united　with　me　for　the　purpose　of
expelling　the　Russian　army　from　Germany。　This　alliance　of　your
cabinet　is　something　unheard　of　in　history；　it　cannot　be　the　work　of
the　statesmen　of　your　nation；　it　is；　in　short；　the　alliance　of　the
dogs　and　shepherds　with　the　wolf　against　the　sheep。　Had　France
succumbed　in　this　struggle；　you　would　have　speedily　perceived　the
mistake　you　have　committed。〃　＇Footnote：　〃Memoires　du　Duc　de　Rovigo；〃
vol。　11。；　p。　159。＇

Such　were　the　tidings　which　Archduke　Anthony　had　brought　with　him
from　Vienna；　such　was　the　new　ally　Hardenberg　had　won　for　his　policy
and　for　Prussia。

This　new　victory；　this　new　conquest　Napoleon　had　made　in　Germany；
loomed　up　before　the　king　as　a　danger　which　menaced　himself；　and
compelled　him　to　take　up　arms　for　his　own　defence。　The　threatening
and　defiant　language　of　the　French　emperor　sounded　truly　revolting
to　the　heart　of　the　German　king；　and　instead　of　being　intimidated　by
this　new　and　unparalleled　triumph；　by　this　threatening　language
Napoleon　had　made　use　of；　he　was　only　provoked　to　offer　him
resistance；　he　perceived　all　at　once　that　he　could　only　be　the
servant　and　slave　of　this　powerful　man；　or　his　enemy；　and　that
Napoleon　never　would　tolerate　any　one　as　an　equal　at　his　side。　What
were　those　three　German　princes　who　had　found　three　crowns　on　the
battle…field　of　Ulm？　Those　new　Kings　of　Wurtemberg　and　Bavaria；　that
Grand…duke　of　Baden；　were　only　vassals　and　servants　of　the　Emperor
of　France；　who　had　first　given；　and　then　PERMITTED　them　to　wear
these　crowns。

King　Frederick　William　needed　no　such　crown。　A　genius　stood　at　his
side　and　breathed　with　a　heavenly　smile　into　his　ear：　〃It　is　better
to　die　in　an　honorable　struggle　for　freedom　than　to　live　in　splendor
and　magnificence；　but　with　a　stain　on　your　honor。〃

And　the　king　listened　to　the　voice　of　his　genius：　he　listened　to　the
voice　of　his　minister；　who　implored　him　to　defend　the　integrity　of
his　state　for　the　sake　of　the　honor　and　welfare　of　Prussia　and
Germany；　he　listened　to　the　voice　of　his　people；　who　demanded　war
loudly　and　ardently；　he　listened　to　the　voice　of　the　Emperor
Alexander；　who　vowed　to　him　eternal　love　and　eternal　friendship；　he
listened；　finally；　to　the　voice　of　his　own　heart；　which　was　the
heart　of　a　true　German；　and　felt　deeply　the　insult　offered　to　him。

King　Frederick　William　listened　to　all　these　voices；　and　resolved　at
length　on　war　against　France。

On　the　3d　of　November　the　Emperor　Alexander　and　King　Frederick
William　signed　at　Potsdam　a　SECRET　treaty；　by　which　Prussia　agreed
to　intervene　between　Napoleon　and　the　allies。　By　virtue　of　this
treaty　Prussia　was　to　summon　the　Emperor　of　the　French　to
reestablish　the　former　treaties；　and　to　restore　the　former　state　of
affairs；　that　is　to　say；　to　give　up　almost　all　his　conquests；　to
indemnify　Sardinia；　to　recognize　the　independence　of　Naples；　of　the
German　empire；　of　Holland；　of　Switzerland；　and　to　separate　the　crown
of　Italy　from　that　of　France。　If　France　should　not　consent　to　these
conditions；　Prussia　agreed　to　ally　herself　openly　and　unreservedly
with　the　coalition；　and　take　the　field　with　an　army　of　180；000　men。
A　Prussian　negotiator　was　to　lay　these　conditions　before　the　Emperor
Napoleon；　and　the　term　at　which　Prussia　should　be　obliged　to　act
should　expire　four　weeks　after　the　date　of　the　treaty。　＇Footnote：
Hausser's　〃History　of　Germany；〃　vol。　ii。；　p。　652。＇

The　king；　who；　in　his　kindness；　was　anxious　to　indemnify　Minister
von　Haugwitz　for　the　coldness　with　which　he　had　been　latterly
treated；　and　for　his　broken　windows；　had　commissioned　him　to　deliver
a　copy　of　the　treaty　of　Potsdam　to　Napoleon；　and　to　negotiate　with
him。　Haugwitz；　therefore；　left　Berlin　in　order　to　repair　to　the
emperor's　headquarters。　It　is　true；　he　did　not　know　exactly　where　to
find　them；　but　he　was　satisfied　that　Napoleon　would　take　care　to
make　his　whereabouts　known　to　him　by　fresh　deeds　of　heroism　and
victories；　and　Count　Haugwitz；　therefore；　set　out。

According　to　the　wishes　of　the　King　of　Prussia；　the　treaty　of
Potsdam；　for　some　time　at　least；　was　to　be　kept　secret；　only　those
immediately　concerned　should　be　informed　of　its　contents；　but　not
the　public　generally；　and　no　one　was　to　suspect　that　Prussia　had　at
length　given　up　her　policy　of　neutrality。

This　secrecy；　however；　was　distasteful　to　the　Emperor　Alexander；
moreover；　it　made　Minister　von　Hardenberg　fear　lest　the　king；　at　the
decisive　moment；　might　be　once　more　gained　over　to　his　former
favorite　policy　of　neutrality　by　the　French　party　at　court。　It　would
be　wise；　therefore；　to　force　the　king　so　far　forward　as　to　render　it
impossible　for　him　to　recede；　and　to　betray　so　much　of　the　secret　of
the　concluded　alliance　as　was　required　to　fasten　the　king　to　it。

Hence；　the　emperor；　at　the　hour　of　his　departure　for　Austria；
requested　the　Queen　and　King　of