history of friedrich ii of prussia v 17-第12节

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　soldier　visible；　soldiers　all　ebbing　away；　whitherward　we　guess。　＇　Helden…Geschichte；　　iii。　732；　733；　　OEuvres　de　Frederic；　　iv。　81。＇

At　Wilsdruf；　Friedrich　first　learns　for　certain；　that　the　Saxon　Army；　with　King；　with　Bruhl　and　other　chief　personages；　are　withdrawn　to　Pirna；　to　the　inexpugnable　Konigstein　and　Rock…　Country。　The　Saxon　Army　had　begun　assembling　there；　September　1st；　directly　on　the　news　that　Friedrich　was　across　the　Border；　September　9th；　on　Friedrich's　approach；　the　King　and　Dignitaries　move　off　thither；　from　Dresden；　out　of　his　way。　Excellency　Broglio　has　put　them　on　that　plan。　Which　may　have　its　complexities　for　Friedrich；　hopes　Broglio；though　perhaps　its　still　greater　for　some　other　parties　concerned！　For　Bruhl　and　Polish　Majesty；　as　will　appear　by　and　by；　nothing　could　have　turned　out　worse。

Meanwhile　Friedrich　pushes　on：　〃Forward；　all　the　same。〃　Polish　Majesty；　dating　from　Struppen；　in　the　Pirna　Country；　has　begun　a　Correspondence　with　Friedrich；　very　polite　on　both　hands；　and　his　Adjutant…General；　the　Chevalier　Meagher　（〃Chevalier　de　MARRE；〃　as　Valori　calls　him；MA'AR；　as　he　calls　himself　in　Irish）；　has　just　had；　at　Wilsdruf；　an　interview　with　Friedrich；　but　is　far　from　having　got　settlement　on　the　terms　he　wished。　Polish　Majesty　magnanimously　assenting　to　〃a　Road　through　his　Country　for　military　purposes；〃　offers　〃the　strictest　Neutrality；　strictest　friendship　even；　has　done；　and　will　do；　no　injury　whatever　to　his　Prussian　Majesty＇〃Did　we　ever　SIGN　anything？〃　whisper　comfortably　Bruhl　and　he　to　one　another＇；expects；　therefore；　that　his　Prussian　Majesty　will　march　on；　whither　he　is　bound；　and　leave　him　unmolested　here。〃　＇　Helden…Geschichte；　　iii。　774。＇

That　was　Meagher's　message；　that　is　the　purport　of　all　his　Polish　Majesty's　Eleven　Letters　to　Friedrich；　which　precede　or　follow；　reiterating　with　a　certain　ovine　obstinacy；　insensible　to　time　or　change；　That　such　is　Polish　Majesty's　fixed　notion：　〃Strict　neutrality；　friendship　even；　and　leave　me　unmolested　here。〃　＇In　　OEuvres　de　Frederic；　　iv。　235…260　（〃29th　August…10th　September…18th　September；〃　1756）；　are　collected　now；　the　Eleven　Letters；　with　their　Answers。＇　〃Strict　neutrality；　yes：　but　disperse　your　Army；　then；〃　answers　Friedrich；　send　your　Army　back　to　its　cantonments：　I　must　myself　have　the　keeping　of　my　Highway；　lest　I　lose　it；　as　in　1744。〃　This　is　Friedrich's　answer；　this　at　first；　and　for　some　time　coming；　though；　as　the　aspects　change；　and　the　dangerous　elements　heap　themselves　higher；　Friedrich's　answer　will　rise　with　them；　and　his　terms；　like　the　Sibyl's；　become　worse　and　worse。　This　is　the　utmost　that　Meagher；　at　Wilsdruf；　can　make　of　it；　and　this；　in　conceivable　circumstances；　will　grow　less　and　less。

Next　day；　September　9th；　Friedrich；　with　some　Battalions；　entered　Dresden；　most　of　his　Column　taking　Camp　near　by；　General　Wylich　had　entered　yesterday；　and　is　already　Commandant　there。　Friedrich　sends；　by　Feldmarschall　Keith；　highest　Officer　of　his　Column；　his　homages　to　her　Polish　Majesty：nothing　given　us　of　Keith's　Interview；　except　by　a　side…wind；　〃That　Majesty　complained　of　those　Prussian　Sentries　walking　about　in　certain　of　her　corridors〃　（with　an　eye　to　Something；　it　may　be　feared！）of　which；　doubtless；　Keith　undertook　to　make　report。　Friedrich　himself　waits　upon　the　Junior　Princes；　who　are　left　here：　is　polite　and　gracious　as　ever；　though　strict；　and　with　business　enough；　lodges；　for　his　own　part；　〃in　the　Garden…House　of　Princess　Moczinska；〃and　next　morning　leads　off　his　Column；　a　short　march　eastward；　to　the　Pirna　Country；　where；　on　the　right　and　on　the　left；　Ferdinand　at　Cotta；　Bevern　at　Lohmen　（if　readers　will　look　on　their　Map）；　he　finds　the　other　Two　in　their　due　positions。　Head…quarter　is　Gross…Sedlitz　（westernmost　skirt　of　the　Rock…region）；　and　will　have　to　continue　so；　much　longer　than　had　been　expected。

The　Diplomatic　world　in　Dresden　is　in　great　emotion；　more　especially　just　at　present。　This　morning；　before　leaving；　Friedrich　had　to　do　an　exceedingly　strict　thing：　secure　the　Originals　of　those　Menzel　Documents。　Originals　indispensable　to　him；　for　justifying　his　new　procedures　upon　Saxony。　So　that　there　has　been；　at　the　Palace；　a　Scene　this　morning　of　a　very　high　and　dissonant　nature；〃Marshal　Keith〃　in　it；　〃Marshal　Keith　making　a　second　visit〃　（say　some　loose　and　false　Accounts）；the　facts　being　strictly　as　follows。

Far　from　removing　those　Prussian　sentries　complained　of　last　night；　here　seems　to　be　a　double　strength　of　them　this　morning。　And　her　Polish　Majesty；　a　severe；　hard…featured　old　Lady；　has　been　filled　with　indignant　amazement　by　a　Prussian　OfficerMajor　von　Wangenheim；　I　believe　it　isrequiring；　in　the　King　of　Prussia's　name；　the　Keys　of　that　Archive…room；　Prussian　Majesty　absolutely　needing　sight；　for　a　little　while；　of　certain　Papers　there。　〃Enter　that　room？　Archives　of　a　crowned　Head？　Let　me　see　the　living　mortal　that　will　dare　to　do　it！〃one　fancies　the　indignant　Polish　Majesty's　answer；　and　how；　calling　for　materials；　she　〃openly　sealed　the　door　in　question；〃　in　Wangenheim's　presence。　As　this　is　a　celebrated　Passage；　which　has　been　reported　in　several　loose　ways；　let　us　take　it　from　the　primary　source；　Chancery　style　and　all。　Graf　von　Sternberg；　Austrian　Excellency；　writing　from　the　spot　and　at　the　hour；　informs　his　own　Court；　and　through　that　all　Courts；　in　these　solemnly　Official　terms：

〃DRESDEN；　10th　SEPTEMBER；　1756。　The　Queen's　Majesty；　this　forenoon；　has　called　to　her　all　the　Foreign　Ministers　now　at　Dresden；　and　in　Highest　Own　Person　has　signified　to　us；　How；　the　Prussian　intrusions　and　hostilities　being　already　known；　Highest　said　Queen's　Majesty　would　now　simply　state　what　had　farther　taken　place　this　morning：

〃Highest　said　Queen's　Majesty；　to　wit；　had；　in　her　own　name；　requested　the　King　of　Prussia；　in　conformity　with　his　assurances　＇by　Keith；　yesternight＇　of　paying　every　regard　for　Her　and　the　Royal　Family；　To　remove　the　Prussian　Sentries　pacing　about　in　those　Corridors；〃Corridors　which　lead　to　the　Secret　Archives；　important　to　some　of　us！〃Instead　of　which；　the　said　King　had　not　only　doubled　his　Sentries　there；　but　also；　by　an　Officer；　demanded　the　Keys　of　the　Archive…apartment　＇just　alluded　to＇！　And　as　the　Queen's　Majesty；　for　security　of　all　writings　there；　offered　to　seal　the　Door　of　it　herself；　and　did　so；　there　and　then；the　said　Officer　had　so　little　respect；　that　he　clapped　his　own　seal　thereon　too。

〃Nor　was　he　content　therewith；〃not　by　any　means！〃but　the　same　Officer　＇having　been　with　Wylich；　Commandant　here＇　came　back；　a　short　time　after；　and　made　for　opening　of　the　Door　himself。　Which　being　announced　to　the　Queen's　Majesty；　she　in　her　own　person　（HOCHSTDIESELBE；　Highest…the…Same）　went　out　again；　and　standing　before　the　Door；　informed　him；　'How　Highest…the…Same　had　too　much　regard　to　his　Prussian　Majesty's　given　assurance；　to　believe　that　such　order　could　proceed　from　the　King。'　As　the　Officer；　however；　replied；　'That　he　was　sorry　to　have　such　an　order　to　execute；　but　that　the　order　was　serious　and　precise；　and　that　he；　by　not　executing　it；　would　expose　himself　to　the　greatest　responsibility；〃　Her　Majesty　continued　standing　before　the　Door；　and　said　to　the　Officer；　'If　he　meant　to　use　force；　he　might　upon　Her　make　his　beginning。'〃　There　is　for　you；　Herr　Wangenheim！

〃Upon　which　said　Officer　had　gone　away；　to　report　anew　to　the　King　＇I　think；　only　to　Wylich　the　Commandant；　King　now　a　dozen　miles　off；　not　so　easily　reported　to；　and　his　mind　known＇；　and　in　the　mean　while　Her　Majesty　had　called　to　her　the　Prussian　and　English　Ambassadors　＇Mahlzahn　and　Stormont；　sorry　both　of　them；　but　how　entirely　resourceless；especially　Mahlzahn！＇；　and　had　represented　and　repeated　to　them　the　above；　beseeching　that　by　their　remonstrances　and　persuasions　they　would　induce　the　King　of　Prussia；　conformably　with　his　given　assurance；　to　forbear。　Instead；　however；　of　any　fruit　from　such　remonstrances　and　urgencies；　final　Order　came；　'That；　Queen's　Majesty's　own　Highest　Person　notwithstanding；　force　must　be　used。'

〃Whereupon　her　Majesty；　to　avoid　actual　mistreatment；　had　been　obliged　to〃to　become　passive；　and；　no　Keys　being　procurable　from　her；　see　a　smith　with　his　picklocks　give　these　Prussians　admission。　Legation…Secretary　Plessmann　was　there　（Menzel　one　fancies　sitting；　rather　pale；　in　an　adjacent　room　＇Supra；　p。　266。＇）；　and　they　knew　what　to　do。　Their　smith　opens　the　required　Box　for　them　（one　of　several　〃all　lying　packed　for　Warsaw；〃　says　Friedrich）；　from　which　soon　taking　what　they　needed；　Wangenheim　and　Wylich　withdrew　with　their　booty；　and　readers　have　the　fruit　of　it　to　this　day。　〃Which　unheard…of　procedure；　be　pleased；　your　Excellencies；　to　report　to　your　respective　Courts。〃　＇　Gesammelte　Nachrichten；　　i。　222　（or　〃No。　26〃　of　that　Collection）；　　OEuvres　de　Frederic；　　iv。　83。＇

Poor　old　Lady；　what　a　situation！　And　I　believe　she　never　saw　her　poor　old　Husband　again。　The　day　he　went　to　Pirna　（morning　of　yesterday；　September　9th；　Friedrich　entering　in　the　evening）；　these　poor　Spouses　had；　little　dreaming　of　it；　taken　leave　of　one　another　forevermore。　Such　profit　lies　in　your　Bruhl。