louisa of prussia and her times-第7节

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have　to　steer　the　ship　of　state　during　the　next　months　in　order　to
get　her　safely　through　the　breakers　that　are　threatening　her　on　all
sides。　During　the　few　days　of　your　absence　from　the　capital；　various
events　have　occurred；　materially　altering　the　general　state　of
affairs。　When　you　departed；　I　advised　the　emperor　not　to　make　peace
with　France　under　any　circumstances。　We　counted　at　that　time　on　the
regiments　of　grenadiers　whom　we　had　sent　to　the　seat　of　war；　and
who；　under　the　command　of　Archduke　Charles；　were　to　defend　the
defiles　of　Neumarkt　against　the　advancing　columns　of　the　French
army。　We　knew；　besides；　that　the　French　troops　were　worn　out；
exhausted；　and　anxious　for　peace；　or　that　General　Bonaparte　would
not　have　addressed　that　letter　to　the　Archduke　Charles；　in　which　he
requested　the　latter　to　induce　the　Emperor　of　Austria　to　conclude
peace　with　France。　In　accordance　with　our　advice；　the　archduke　had
to　give　Bonaparte　an　evasive　answer；　informing　him　that；　in　case　of
further　negotiations；　he　would　have　to　send　to　Vienna　for　fresh
instructions。〃

〃But；　your　excellency；　you　were　firmly　determined　not　to　make　peace
with　France！〃

〃So　I　was；　and　even　now　I　have　not　changed　my　mind；　but　we　are
frequently　compelled　to　disguise　our　real　intentions；　and　events
have　occurred；　which；　for　the　present；　render　peace　desirable。　You
need　not　be　frightened；　my　dear　countI　merely　say；　for　the
present。　In　my　heart　I　shall　never　make　peace　with　France；　and　my
purpose　remains　as　fixed　as　everto　revenge　Austria　one　day　for　the
humiliations　we　have　suffered　at　her　hands。　Never　forget　that；　my
friend；　and　now　listen　to　me。　Late　dispatches　have　arrived。　Massena；
after　a　bloody　struggle　with　our　troops；　has　taken　Friesach；　and
advanced　on　the　next　day　to　attack　the　fresh　regiments　of　our
grenadiers　in　the　gorges　of　Neumarkt。　Archduke　Charles　had　placed
himself　at　the　head　of　these　regiments；　firing　the　courage　of　the
soldiers　by　his　own　heroic　example。　But　he　was　confronted　by　the
united　French　forces　from　Italy　and　Germany；　and　in　the　evening　of
that　disastrous　day　the　archduke　and　his　grenadiers　were　compelled
to　evacuate　Neumarkt；　which　was　occupied　by　the　victorious　French。
The　archduke　now　asked　the　French　general　for　a　cessation　of
hostilities　during　twenty…four　hours　in　order　to　gain　time；　for　he
was　in　hopes　that　this　respite　would　enable　him　to　bring　up　the
corps　of　General　von　Kerpen；　and　then；　with　his　united　forces；　drive
the　enemy　back　again。　But　this　little　General　Bonaparte　seems　to
possess　a　great　deal　of　sagacity；　for　he　rejected　the　request；　and
sent　a　detached　column　against　Von　Kerpen's　corps；　which　separated
the　latter　still　farther　from　our　main　army。　Bonaparte　himself
advanced　with　his　forces　as　far　as　Fudenberg　and　Leoben。　In　order　to
save　Vienna；　there　was　but　one　course　left　to　the　archduke：　he　had
to　make　proposals　of　peace。〃

〃Did　he　really　do　so？〃　asked　Count　Saurau；　breathlessly。

〃He　did。　He　sent　two　of　our　friendsCount　Meerveldt；　and　the
Marquis　de　Galloto　Bonaparte's　headquarters　at　Leoben；　for　the
purpose　of　opening　negotiations　with　him。〃

〃Did　your　excellency　authorize　the　archduke　to　do　so？〃　asked　the
count。

〃No；　I　did　not；　and　I　might　disavow　it　now　if　it　suited　me；　but　it
does　notit　would　not　promote　our　interestsand　I　know　but　one
policy；　the　policy　of　interest。　We　should　always　adopt　those
measures　which　afford　us　a　reasonable　prospect　of　gain；　and　discard
those　which　may　involve　us　in　loss。　Power　alone　is　infallible；
eternal；　and　divine；　and　power　has　now　decided　in　favor　of　France。
Wherefore　we　must　yield；　and　don　the　garb　of　peace　until　we　secure
once　more　sufficient　power　to　renew　hostilities。　We　must　make　peace！
Our　aim；　however；　should　be　to　render　this　peace　as　advantageous　to
Austria　as　possible〃

〃You　mean　at　the　expense　of　France？〃

〃Bah！at　the　expense　of　Germany；　my　dear　little　count。　Germany　is
to　compensate　us　for　the　losses　which　peace　may　inflict。　If　we　lose
any　territory　in　Italy；　why；　we　shall　make　it　up　in　Germany；　that　is
all。〃

〃But　in　that　case；　there　will　be　another　terrible　hue　and　cry　about
the　infringement　of　the　rights　of　the　holy　German　empire；〃　said
Count　Saurau；　smiling；　〃Prussia　will　have　a　new　opportunity　of
playing　the　defender　of　the　German　fatherland。〃

〃My　dear　count；　never　mind　the　bombastic　nonsense　in　which　Prussia
is　going　to　indulgewe　shall　take　good　care　that　nothing　comes　of
it。　Prussia　has　no　longer　a　Frederick　the　Great　at　her　head；　but　the
fat　Frederick　William　the　Second〃

〃But　his　life；〃　said　the　count；　interrupting　him；　〃I　know　for
certain；　will　last　but　a　few　days；　at　best　for　a　few　weeks；　for　his
disease；　dropsy　of　the　chest；　you　know；　does　not　even　respect
kings。〃

〃And　when　Prussia　has　lost　her　present　fat　king；　she　will　have
another；　Frederick　Williama　young　man　twenty…seven　years　of　age；
volia　tout！　He　is　just　as　old　as　General　Bonaparte；　and　was　born　in
the　same　year　as　this　general　whose　glory　already　fills　the　whole
world；　but　of　the　young　heir　of　the　Prussian　throne　the　world　has
heard　nothing　as　yet；　except　that　he　has　a　most　beautiful　wife。　He
is　not　dangerous；　therefore；　and　I　hope　and　believe　that　Austria
never　will　lack　the　power　to　humiliate　and　check　this　Prussian
kingdomthis　revolutionary　element　in　the　heart　of　the　German
empire。　The　danger；　however；　that　threatens　us　now；　does　not　come
from　Prussia；　but　from　France；　and　especially　from　this　General
Bonaparte；　who；　by　his　glory　and　his　wonderful　battles；　excites　the
wildest　enthusiasm　for　the　cause　of　the　revolution；　and　delights　the
stupid　masses　so　much　that　they　hail　him　as　a　new　messiah　of
liberty。　Liberty；　detestable　word！　that；　like　the　fatal　bite　of　the
tarantula；　renders　men　furious；　and　causes　them　to　rave　about　in
frantic　dances　until　death　strikes　them　down。〃

〃This　word　is　the　talismanic　charm　with　which　Bonaparte　has
conquered　all　Italy；　and　transformed　the　Italians　into　insurgents
and　rebels　against　their　legitimate　sovereigns；〃　said　Count　Saurau；
mournfully。

〃All　Italy？　Not　yet；　my　friend。　A　portion　of　it　still　stands　firm。
The　lion　of　St。　Mark　has　not　yet　fallen。〃

〃But　he　will　fall。　His　feet　are　tottering　already。〃

〃Well；　then；　we　must　try　to　make　him　fall　in　a　manner　which　will
entitle　us　to　a　portion　of　the　spoils。　And　now；　my　dear　little
count；　we　have　reached　the　point　which　claims　our　immediate
attention。　The　preliminaries　of　the　peace　have　been　concluded　at
Leoben；　and　until　peace　itself　is　established；　we　should　pursue　such
a　policy　that　the　peace；　instead　of　involving　Austria　in　serious
losses；　will　give　her　a　chance　to　increase　her　strength　and　enlarge
her　territory。　We　must　keep　our　eyes　on　Bavariafor　Bavaria　will
and　must　be　ours　as　soon　as　a　favorable　opportunity　offers。　If
France　should　object　and　refuse　to　let　us　seize　our　prey；　why；　we
will　be　sure　to　revive　the　old　quarrel　about　Belgium；　which　will
render　her　willing　and　tame　enough。〃

〃But　what　shall　we　do　if　Prussia　should　support　the　objections　of
France？　Shall　we　satisfy　her；　too；　by　giving　her　a　piece　of
Germany？〃

〃On　the　contrary；　we　shall　try　to　take　as　much　as　possible　from　her；
we　shall　try　to　humiliate　and　isolate　her；　in　order　to　deprive　her
of　the　power　of　injuring　us。　We　shall　endeavor　so　to　arrange　the
peace　we　are　going　to　conclude　with　France　as　to　benefit　Austria；
and　injure　Prussia　as　much　as　we　can。　In　the　north；　we　shall
increase　our　territory　by　the　acquisition　of　Bavaria；　in　the　south；
by　the　annexation　of　Venice。〃

〃By　the　annexation　of　Venice！〃　ejaculated　Count　Saurau；　greatly
astonished　at　what　he　had　heard。　〃But　did　you　not　just　tell　me　that
Venice　still　stood　firm？〃

〃We　must　bring　about　her　fall；　my　dear　count；　that　is　our　great　task
just　now；　for；　I　repeat；　Venice　is　to　compensate　us　on　our　southern
frontier　for　our　losses　elsewhere。　Of　course；　we　ought　to　receive
some　substantial　equivalent　for　ceding　Belgium　to　France；　and　if　it
cannot　be　Bavaria；　then　let　it　be　Venice。〃

〃Nevertheless；　I　do　not　comprehend〃

〃My　dear　count；　if　my　schemes　were　so　easily　fathomed；　they　could
not　be　very　profound。　Everybody　may　guess　the　game　I　am　playing　now；
but　the　cards　I　have　got　in　my　hand　must　remain　a　secret　until　I
have　played　them　out；　or　I　would　run　the　risk　of　losing　every　thing。
But　this　time　I　will　let　you　peep　into　my　cards；　and　you　shall　help
me　win　the　game。　Venice　is　the　stake　we　are　playing　for；　my　dear
count；　and　we　want　to　annex　her　to　Austria。　How　is　that　to　be
brought　about？〃

〃I　confess；　your　excellency；　that　my　limited　understanding　is　unable
to　answer　that　question；　and　that　I　cannot　conceive　how　a　sovereign
and　independent　state　is　to　become　an　Austrian　province　in　the
absence　of　any　claims　to　its　territory；　except　by　an　act　of　open
violence。〃

〃Not　exactly；　my　dear　count。　Suppose　we　set　a　mouse…trap　for　Venice；
and　catch　her；　like　a　mouse；　in　it？　Listen　to　me！　We　must　encourage
Venice　to　determine　upon　open　resistance　against　the　victor　of　Lodi；
and　make　war　upon　France。〃

〃Ah；　your　excellency；　I　am　afraid　the　timid　signoria　will　not　be
bold　enough　for　that；　after　hearing　of　our　late　defeats；　and　of