andreas hofer-第71节

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the　princes；　the　generals；　and　ministers　express　themselves？〃

〃Prince　William；　the　king's　brother；　said　to　me　with　a　shrug：　‘You
will　not　find　the　spirit　reigning　here　much　to　your　taste。　The
king's　irresolution　will　ruin　him　again。'　The　princess；　his　wife；
apologized　for　not　inviting　me　to　dinner；　the　king　having　positively
forbidden　her　to　do　so。　The　king's　generals　and　ministers
unreservedly　gave　vent　to　their　impatience　and　indignation。　Grand…
chancellor　von　Beyme　said　to　me：　'The　king　would　like　to　unite　with
you；　but　he　cannot　make　up　his　mind　to　do　so。　However；　as　everybody
about　him　is　earnestly　in　favor　of　an　alliance　with　Austria；　I　hope
that　the　king　will　be　carried　away。'＇Footnote：　〃Lebensbilder；〃　vol。
iii。；　p。262＇　General　Blucher　wrote　to　the　king　in　his　impetuous；
frank　manner；　that　'he　would　not　witness　the　downfall　of　the　throne；
and　would　prefer　serving　in　a　foreign　army　provided　it　were　at　war
with　the　French。'　Scharnhorst；　the　minister　of　war；　spoke　as
violently；　and　with　as　undisguised　hostility　against　France。　He
presented　to　the　king　a　memoir；　in　which　he　said：　'I　will　not　go
dishonored　into　my　grave；　I　should　be　dishonored　did　I　not　advise
the　king　to　profit　by　the　present　moment；　and　declare　war　against
France。　Can　your　majesty　wish　that　Austria　should　return　your　states
to　you　as　alms；　if　she　were　still　generous　enough　to　do　so；　or　that
Napoleon；　if　victorious；　should　disarm　your　soldiers　like　the
militia　of　a　free　city？'　But　all　these　remonstrances；　these
supplications；　nay；　even　the　tears　of　the　queen；　were　in　vain。　The
king　repeated　that　he　would　unite　with　Austria　one　day；　but　it　was
not　yet　time。　Austria　ought　first　to　deal　France　another　blow；　and
gain　a　decisive　victory；　then　would　have　come　for　Prussia　the　moment
to　declare　openly　against　France。　This；　your　majesty；　is　the　only
reply　which　I　bring　with　me　from　my　mission　to　Prussia。〃

〃Well；　I　must　confess　that　this　reply　is　decidedly　cautious　and
wise！〃　exclaimed　the　emperor；　laughing。　〃After　we　have　drawn　the
chestnuts　out　of　the　fire；　Prussia　will　be　kind　enough　to　sit　down
with　Austria　and　help　her　to　eat　them。　Well；　what　do　you　think　of
it；　brother　John？〃

〃I　think　that　this　hesitating　policy　of　Prussia　is　a　misfortune　not
only　for　Austria　and　Prussia；　but　for　Germany。　For　if　France　and
Russia　join　hands　now　against　our　disunited　country；　Germany　will　be
lost。　The　welfare　of　Europe　is　now　inseparably　bound　up　with　an
alliance　between　Austria　and　Prussia；　which　can　alone　prevent　the
outbreak　of　a　European　war。　But　this　alliance　must　be　concluded
openly；　unreservedly；　and　with　mutual　confidence。　No　private
interest；　no　secondary　interests　calculated　to　frustrate　the
enterprise；　but　the　great　ends　of　saving　the　states；　and　restoring
peace　and　prosperity　to　humanity；　should　be　kept　constantly　in　view；
then；　and　then　only；　success　will　crown　the　great　undertaking。〃
＇Footnote：　The　archduke's　own　words。See　his　〃Letters　to　Johannes
von　Willer；〃＇

〃And　Prussia　seems　little　inclined　to　keep　such　ends　in　view；〃　said
the　emperor。　〃Well；　minister；　you　do　not　say　a　word。　You　were　so
eloquent　in　trying　to　gain　me　over　to　this　alliance　with　Prussia；
you　assured　me　so　often　that　Prussia　was　waiting　only　for　me　to　call
upon　her；　when　she　would　ally　herself　with　me；　and　now〃

〃Now；　your　majesty；〃　said　Count　Stadion；　mournfully；　〃I　see；　to　my
profound　sorrow；　that　Prussia　prefers　her　separate　interests　to　the
interests　of　Germany；　and　I　confess　that　I　was　mistaken　in　Prussia。〃

〃And　you　tried　to　convince　me　that　I　was　wrong　in　entertaining　a
different　opinion；　and　my　esteemed　brother　yonder　spoke　so　wisely
and　loftily　of　our　Prussian　brethren；　and　the　united　Germany　which
we　would　form　together！　Well；　you　shall　see　at　least　that；　although
I　yielded；　and；　to　get　rid　of　all　you　wise　men；　applied　to　Prussia；
I　did　not　believe　in　the　success　of　the　mission。　Minister；　be　kind
enough　now　to　take　the　letter　which　you　have　kept　for　me　so　long。
There！　Now　break　the　nice　seal；　open　the　letter；　and　read　to　us　what
I　wrote　on　the　day　when　I　dispatched　Colonel　Steigentesch　to　the
King　of　Prussia。　Read！〃

Stadion　unfolded　the　letter　and　read：

〃Colonel　Steigentesch　will　return　from　his　mission　without
accomplishing　anything。　Prussia　and　Austria　are　rivals　in　Germany；
and　will　never　join　hands　in　a　common　undertaking。　Austria　can　never
forgive　Prussia　for　taking　Silesia　from　her；　and　Prussia　will　always
secretly　suspect　that　Austria　is　intent　upon　weakening　her　rising
power　and　humbling　her　ambition。　Hence；　Prussia　will　hesitate　and
temporize　even　at　this　juncture；　although　it　is　all…important　now
for　Germany　to　take　a　bold　stand　against　her　common　enemy；　rapacious
and　insatiable　France；　she　will　hesitate　because　she　secretly　wishes
that　Austria　should　be　humiliated；　and　she　will　not　bear　in　mind
that　the　weakening　of　Austria　is　fraught　with　danger　for　Prussia；
nay；　the　whole　of　Germany。〃

〃Now。　gentlemen；〃　said　the　emperor；　when　Count　Stadion　was　through；
〃you　see　that　my　opinion　was　right；　and　that　I　well　knew　what　I　had
to　expect　from　Prussia。　We　must　now　carry　on　the　struggle　against
France　single…handed；　but；　after　dealing　her　another　blow；　for　which
the　King　of　Prussia　longs；　we　shall　take　good　care　not　to　invite
Prussia　to　our　victorious　repast。　It　would　be　just　in　us　even　to
compel　her　to　give　us　the　sweet　morsel　of　Silesia　for　our　dessert。
Well；　we　shall　see　what　time　will　bring　about。　Our　first　blow
against　France　was　successful。Archduke；　go　and　help　us　to　succeed
in　dealing　her　another；　and；　after　defeating　France　single…handed；
we　shall　also　be　masters　of　Germany。〃




CHAPTER　XXVII。

THE　BATTLE　OF　WAGRAM。


〃At　length！〃　exclaimed　the　Archduke　John；　joyously；　holding　up　the
letter　which　a　courier　of　the　generalissimo　had　just　brought　him
from　the　headquarters　of　Wagram。　〃At　length　a　decisive　blow　is　to　be
struck。Count　Nugent；　General　Frimont；　come　in　here！　A　courier　from
the　generalissimo！〃

So　saying；　the　archduke　had　opened　the　door　of　his　cabinet；　and
called　the　gentlemen　who　were　in　the　anteroom。

〃A　courier　from　the　generalissimo；〃　he　repeated　once　more；　when　the
two　generals　came　in。

〃Your　highness's　wish　is　fulfilled　now；　is　it　not？〃　asked　Nugent。
〃The　generalissimo　accepts　the　assistance　which　you　offered　to　him。
He　permits　you　to　leave　this　position　with　your　troops　and　those　of
the　Archduke　Palatine　and　re…enforce　his　own　army？〃

〃No；　he　does　not　reply　to　my　offer。　It　seems　the　generalissimo
thinks　that　he　does　not　need　us　to　beat　the　French。　But　he　writes　to
me　that　he　is　about　to　advance　with　his　whole　army；　and　that　a
decisive　battle　may　be　looked　for。　He　says　the　enemy　is　still　on　the
island　of　Lobau；　busily　engaged　in　erecting　a　TETE…DE…PONT；　and
building　a　bridge　across　the　Danube。〃

〃And　our　troops　do　not　try　to　prevent　this　by　all　means！〃　cried
General　Frimont；　vehemently。　〃They　allow　the　enemy　to　build　bridges？
They　look　on　quietly　while　the　enemy　is　preparing　to　leave　the
island；　and　do　not　prevent　him　from　so　doing？〃

〃My　friend；〃　said　the　archduke；　gently；　〃let　us　never　forget　that　it
does　not　behoove　us　to　criticise　the　actions　of　the　generalissimo；
and　that　our　sole　duty　is　to　obey。　Do　as　I　do；　let　us　be　silent　and
submit。　But　let　us　rejoice　that　something　will　be　done　at　length。
Just　bear　in　mind　how　long　this　inactivity　and　suspense　have　lasted
already。　The　battle　of　Aspern　was　fought　on　the　22d　of　May；　to…day
is　the　3d　of　July；　and　in　the　mean　time　nothing　has　been　done。　The
enemy　remained　quietly　on　the　island　of　Lobau；　nursing　his　wounded；
reorganizing　his　troops；　erecting　TETES…DE…PONT；　and　building
bridges；　and　the　generalissimo　stood　with　his　whole　army　on　the　bank
of　the　Danube；　and　took　great　pains　to　watch　in　idleness　the　busy
enemy。　Let　us　thank　God；　therefore；　that　at　last　the　enemy　is　tired
of　this　situation；　that　he　at　length　takes　the　initiative　again；　and
brings　about　a　decision。　The　generalissimo　informs　me　that　the
enemy's　artillery　dislodged　our　outposts　yesterday；　and　that　some
French　infantry　crossed　over　to　the　Muhlau。　The　generalissimo；　as　I
told　you　before；　advanced　with　his　troops；　and　hopes　for　a　decisive
battle　within　a　few　days。〃

〃And　yet　the　generalissimo　does　not　accept　the　assistance　which　your
imperial　highness　offered　to　him？〃　asked　Count　Nugent；　shaking　his
head。

〃No；　he　does　not。　The　generalissimo　orders　me；　on　the　contrary；　to
stay　here　at　Presburg　and　operate　in　such　a　manner　against　the　corps
stationed　here；　that　it　may　not　be　able　to　join　Napoleon's　main
army。　Well；　then；　gentlemen；　let　us　comply　with　this　order；　and
perform　at　least　our　humble　part　of　the　generalissimo's　grand　plan。
Let　us　help　him　to　gain　a　victory；　for　the　victory　will　be　useful　to
the　fatherland。　We　will；　therefore；　form　a　pontoon…bridge　to…day；
and　make　a　sortie　from　the　TETE…DE…PONT。　You；　General　Frimont；　will
order　up　the　batteries　from　Comorn。　You；　General　Nugent；　will　inform
the　Archduke　Palatine　of　the　generalissimo's　orders。　Write　him　also
that　it　is　positive　that　the　enemy　is　moving　all　his　troops　to
Vienna；　and　that　all　his　columns　are　already　on　the　march　thit