history of friedrich ii of prussia v 17-第11节

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SAME　TO　SAME　（Confidential；　this　one）。

〃POTSDAH；　24th　August。

。。。　〃Make　as　if　you　were　meaning　to　go　into　Camp　at　Halle。　The　reason　why　I　stop　you　is；　that　the　Courier　from　Vienna　has　not　yet　come。　We　must　therefore　reassure　the　Saxon　neighborhood。　。。。　I　have　been　expecting　answer　from　hour　to　hour；　cannot　suitably　begin　a　War…Expedition　till　it　come；　do　therefore　apprise　Your　Dilection；　though　under　the　deepest　secrecy。

〃And　it　is　necessary；　and　my　Will　is；　That；　till　farther　order；　you　keep　all　the　regiments　and　corps　belonging　to　your　Column　in　the　places　where　they　are　when　this　arrives。　And　shall；　meanwhile；　with　your　best　skill　mask　all　this；　both　from　the　Town　of　Halle；　and　from　the　regiments　themselves；　making；　in　conformity　with　what　I　said　yesterday；　as　if　you　were　a　Corps　of　Observation　come　to　encamp　here；　and　were　waiting　the　last　orders　to　go　into　camp。

FRIEDRICH。〃　＇Ib。　ii。　7；　8。＇


And　in　regard　to　the　Vienna　Courier；　and　Friedrich's　attitude　towards　that　Phenomenon；　read　only　these　Two　Notes：

　1。　FRIEDRICH　TO　THE　PRINCE　OF　PRUSSIA　AND　THE　PRINCESS　AMELIA　（at　Berlin）

POTSDAM；　〃25th　August；〃　1756。

〃MY　DEAR　BROTHER；　MY　DEAR　SISTER；I　write　to　you　both　at　once；　for　want　of　time。　I　will　follow　the　advice　you　are　so　good　as　give　me；　and　will　take　leave　of　the　Queen　＇our　dear　Mamma＇　by　Letter。　And　that　the　reading　of　my　Letter　may　not　frighten　her；　I　will　send　it　by　my　Sister；　to　be　presented　in　a　favorable　moment。

〃I　have　yet　got　no　Answer　from　Vienna；　by　Klinggraf's　account；　I　shall　not　receive　it　till　to…morrow　＇came　this　night＇；　But　I　count　myself　surer　of　War　than　ever；　as　the　Austrians　have　named　Generals；　and　their　Army　is　ordered　to　march；　from　Kolin　to　Konigsgratz〃Schlesien　way。　〃So　that；　expecting　nothing　but　a　haughty　Answer；　or　a　very　uncertain　one；　on　which　there　will　be　no　reliance　possible；　I　have　arranged　everything　for　setting　out　on　Saturday　next。　To…morrow；　so　soon　as　the　news　comes；　I　will　not　fail　to　let　you　know。　Assuring　you　that　I　am；　with　a　perfect　affection；　my　dear　Brother　and　my　dear　Sister；Yours；F。〃　＇　OEuvres　de　Frederic；　　xxvi。　155。＇

Answer　comes　from　Klinggraf　that　same　night。　Once　more；　an　Answer　almost　worse　than　could　have　been　expected。　〃The　'League　with　Russia　against　you'　is　nonextant；　a　thing　of　your　imagination：　Have　not　we　already　answered？〃　＇In　　Gesammelte　Urkunden；　　i。　217：　Klinggraf's　second　question　（done　by　Letter　this　time）；　〃18th　August；〃　Maria　Theresa's　Answer；　〃21st　August；〃＇　Whereupon；

2。　FRIEDRICH　TO　THE　PRINCE　OF　PRUSSIA。

POTSDAM；　〃26th　August；〃　1756。

〃MY　DEAR　BROTHER；I　have　already　written　to　the　Queen；　softening　things　as　much　as　I　could　＇Letter　lost＇。　My　Sister；　to　whom　I　address　the　Letter；　will　deliver　it。

〃You　have　seen　the　Paper　I　sent　to　Klinggraf。　Their　Answer　is　'That　they　have　not　made　an　Offensive　Alliance　with　Russia　against　me。'　The　Answer　is　impertinent；　high　and　contemptuous；　and　of　the　Assurance　that　I　required　＇as　to　This　Year　and　next＇；　not　one　word。　So　that　the　sword　alone　can　cut　this　Gordian　Knot。　I　am　innocent　of　this　War；　I　have　done　what　I　could　to　avoid　it；　but　whatever　be　one's　love　of　peace；　one　cannot　and　must　not　sacrifice　to　that；　one's　safety　and　one's　honor。　Such；　I　believe；　will　be　your　opinion　too；　from　the　sentiments　I　know　in　you。　At　present；　our　one　thought　must　be；　To　do　War　in　such　a　way　as　may　cure　our　Enemies　of　their　wish　to　break　Peace　again　too　soon。　I　embrace　you　with　all　my　heart。　I　have　had　no　end　of　business　（TERRIBLEMENT　A　FAIRE）。〃F。　＇　OEuvres；　　xxvi。　116。＇

THE　MARCH　INTO　SAXONY；　IN　THREE　COLUMNS。

Ahead　of　that　last　Note；　from　an　earlier　hour　of　the　same　day；　Thursday；　26th　August；　there　is　speeding　forth；　to　all　Three　Generals　of　Division；　this　Order　（take　Duke　Ferdinand's　copy｝：　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　｛not　in　original＇　^　＋＋＋＋＋＋＋＋＋＋＋＋＋＋＋＋＋＋＋＋＋＋＋＋＋＋＋＋

〃I　hereby　order　that　Your　Dilection　（EW。　LIEBDEN）；　with　all　the　regiments　and　corps　in　the　Column　standing　under　your　command；　Shall　now；　without　more　delay；　get　on　march；　on　the　29th　inst。；　and　proceed；　according　to　the　March…Tables　and　Instructions　already　given；　to　execute　what　Your　Dilection　has　got　in　charge。〃F。

The　same　Thursday；　26th；　Excellency　Mitchell；　informed　by　Podewils　of　the　King's　wish　to　see　him　at　Potsdam；　gets　under　way　from　Berlin；　arrives　〃just　time　enough　to　speak　with　the　King　before　he　sat　down　to　supper。〃　Very　many　things　to　be　consulted　of；　and　deliberatively　touched　upon；　with　Mitchell　and　England；　no　end　of　things　and　considerations；　for　England　and　King　Friedrich；　in　this　that　is　now　about　to　burst　forth　on　an　astonished　world！Over　in　London；　we　observe；　just　in　the　hours　when　Mitchell　was　harnessing　for　Potsdam；　and　so　many　Orders　and　Letters　were　speeding　their　swiftest　in　that　quarter；　there　is　going　forward；　on　Tower…Hill　yonder；　the　following　Operation：

〃LONDON；　THURSDAY；　26th　AUGUST；　1756。　About　five　in　the　afternoon；　a　noted　Admiral　＇only　in　Effigy　as　yet；　but　who　has　been　held　in　miserable　durance；　and　too　actual　question　of　death　or　life；　ever　since　his　return：　〃Oh；　yes　indeed！　Hang　HIM　at　once〃；if　that　can　be　a　remedy！＇　was；　after　having　been　privately　shown　to　many　ladies　and　gentlemen；　broughtin　an　open　sedan；　guarded　by　a　number　of　young　gentlemen　under　arms；　with　drums　beating；　colors　flyingto　Tower…Hill；　where　a　Gallows　had　been　erected　for　him　at　six　the　same　morning。　He　was　richly　dressed；　in　a　blue　and　gold　coat；　buff　waistcoat；　trimmed；　&c。　in　full　uniform。　When　brought　under　the　Gallows；　he　stayed　a　small　space；　till　his　clergyman　（a　chimney…　sweeper）　had　given　him　some　admonitions：　that　done；　he　was　drawn；　by　pulleys；　to　the　top　of　the　Gallows；　which　was　twenty　feet　high；　every　person　expressing　as　much　satisfaction　as　if　it　had　been　the　real　man。

〃He　remained　there；　guarded　by　the　above　volunteers；　without　any　molestation；　two　hours；　when；　upon　a　supposition　of　being　obstructed　by　the　Governor　of　the　Tower；　some　sailors　appeared；　who　wanted　to　pull　him　down；　in　order　to　drag　him　along　the　streets。　But　a　fire　being　kindled；　which　consisted　of　tar…barrels；　fagots；　tables；　tubs；　&c。；　he　was　consumed　in　about　half　an　hour。〃　＇Old　Newspapers　（　Gentleman's　Magazine；　　xxvi。　409）。＇

That　is　their　employment　on　Tower…Hill；　over　yonder；　while　Mitchell　is　getting　under　way　to　see　Friedrich。

Mitchell　continued　at　Potsdam　over　Friday；　and　was　still　in　eager　consultation　that　night；　when　the　King　said　to　him；　with　a　certain　expressiveness　of　glance：　〃BON　SOIR；　then；To…morrow　morning　about　four！〃　And　on　the　morrow；　Saturday；　28th；　Mitchell　reports　hurriedly：

〃。。。　Am　just　returned　to　Berlin；　in　time　to　write　to　your　Lordship。　This　morning；　between　four　and　five；　I　took　leave　of　the　King　of　Prussia。　Hr　went　immediately　upon　the　Parade；　mounted　on　horseback；　and；　after　a　very　short　exercise　of　his　Troops；　put　himself　at　their　head；　and　marched　directly　for　Belitz　＇half…way　to　Brietzen；　TREUENbrietzen　as　they　call　it＇；　where；　To…morrow；　he　will　enter　the　Saxon　Territory；〃as；　at　their　respective　points；　his　two　other　Columns　will；and　begin；　who　shall　say　what　terrible　game；　incalculable　to　your　Lordship　and　me；　with　such　Operations　afoot　on　Tower…Hill！　＇Mitchell　Papers；　vi。　804　（〃To　Lord　Holderness；　28th　August；　1756〃）。＇

Seven　Hussar　Regiments　of　Duke　Ferdinand's　Column　got　the　length　of　Leipzig　that　Sunday　Evening；　29th；　and　took　possession　of　the　place。　＇In　　Helden…Geschichte；　　iii。　731；　his　〃Proclamation〃　there；　29th　August；　1756。＇　Duke　Ferdinand　to　right　of　the　King；　Duke　of　Brunswick…Bevern　to　left；the　Three　Columns　cross　the　Border；　at　points；　say　80　miles　from　one　another；　occasionally；　on　the　march；　bending　to　rightwards　and　leftwards；　to　take　in　the　principal　Towns；　and　make　settlements　there；　the　two　might　be　above　a　hundred　miles　from　Friedrich　on　each　hand。　The　length　of　march　for　each　Column；Ferdinand　〃from　Leipzig；　by　Chemnitz；　Freyberg；　Dippoldiswalde；　to　the　Village　of　Cotta〃　（Pirna　neighborhood；　south　of　Elbe）；　Bevern；　〃through　the　Lausitz；　by　Bautzen；　to　Lohmen〃　（same　neighborhood；　north　of　Elbe）；　King　Friedrich；　to　Dresden；　by　the　course　of　the　Elbe　itself；　was　not　far　from　equal；　and　may　be　called　about　150　miles。　They　marched　with　diligence；　not　with　hurry；　had　their　pauses；　rest…days；　when　business　required。　They　got　to　their　ground；　with　the　simultaneousness　appointed；　on　the　eleventh　or　twelfth　day。

The　middle　Column；　under　the　King；　where　Marshal　Keith　is　second　in　command；　goes　by　Torgau　（detaching　Moritz　of　Dessau　to　pick　up　Wittenberg；　and　ruin　the　slight　works　there）；　crosses　the　Elbe　at　Torgau；　September　2d；　marches；　cantoning　itself　day　after　day；　along　the　southern　bank　of　the　River；　leaves　Meissen　to　the　left；　I　perceive；　does　not　pass　through　Meissen；　comes　first　at　Wilsdruf　on　ground　where　we　have　been；and　portions　of　it；　I　doubt　not；　were　billeted　in　Kesselsdorf；　and　would　take　a　glance　at　the　old　Field；　if　they　had　time。　There　is　strict　discipline　in　all　the　Columns；　the　authorities　complying　on　summons；　and　arranging　what　is　needful。　Nobody　resists；　town…guards　at　once　ground　arms；　and　there　is　no　soldier　visible；　soldiers　all　e