frederick the great and his family-第38节

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be　seated；　listen　to　what　I　have　to　say；　and　upon　what　earnest　important　subjects　I　wish　your　advice。〃

And　in　a　few　words　the　king　first　showed　them　the　situation　of　Europe　and　of　his　own　states；　so　as　to　prepare　them　for　the　more　important　subjects　he　had　to　introduce　before　them。

〃You　will　now　understand；〃　said　he；　〃why　I　was　so　willing　to　make　this　contract　with　England。　I　hoped　thereby　to　gain　Russia；　who　is　allied　to　England；　to　my　side。　But　these　hopes　have　been　destroyed。　Russia；　angry　with　Britain　for　having　allied　herself　to　Prussia；　has　broken　her　contract。　Bestuchef；　it　is　true；　wavered　for　a　moment　between　his　love　of　English　guineas　and　his　hatred　of　me；　but　hate　carried　the　day。〃

〃But；　sire；〃　said　Retzow；　hastily；　〃if　your　majesty　can　succeed　in　making　a　reconciliation　between　France　and　England；　you　may　become　the　ally　of　these　two　powerful　nations。　Then　let　Austria；　Russia；　and　Saxony　come　upon　us　all　at　once；　we　can　confront　them。〃

〃We　can　do　that；　I　hope；　even　without　the　assistance　of　France；〃　said　the　king；　impetuously。　〃We　must　renounce　all　idea　of　help　from　France；　she　is　allied　to　Austria。　What　Kaunitz　commenced　with　his　wisdom；　Maria　Theresa　carried　out　with　her　flattery。　All　my　enemies　have　determined　to　attack　me　at　once。　But　I　am　ready　for　them；　weapons　in　hand。　I　have　been　hard　at　work；　all　is　arranged；　every　preparation　for　the　march　of　our　army　is　finished。　And　now　I　have　called　you　together　to　counsel　me　as　to　where　we　can　commence　our　attack　advantageously。〃

Frederick　stopped　speaking；　and　gazed　earnestly　at　his　generals；　endeavoring　to　divine　their　thoughts。　Marshal　Schwerin　was　looking　silently　before　him；　a　dark　cloud　rested　upon　General　Retzow's　brow；　but　the　young；　handsome　face　of　Winterfeldt　was　sparkling　with　delight　at　the　thought　of　war。

〃Well；　marshal；〃　said　the　king；　impatiently；　〃what　is　your　advice？〃

〃My　advice；　sire；〃　said　the　old　marshal；　sighing；　〃I　see　my　king　surrounded　by　threatening　and　powerful　foes；　I　see　him　alone　in　the　midst　of　all　these　allied　enemies。　For　England　may；　perchance；　send　us　money；　but　she　has　no　soldiers　for　us；　and　moreover；　we　must　assist　her　to　defend　Hanover。　I　cannot　counsel　this　war；　for　mighty　enemies　are　around　us；　and　Prussia　stands　alone。〃

〃No；〃　said　Frederick；　solemnly；　〃Prussia　stands　not　alone！a　good　cause　and　a　good　sword　are　her　allies；　and　with　them　she　will　conquer。　And　now；　General　Retzow；　let　us　have　your　opinion；〃

〃I　agree　entirely　with　Marshal　Schwerin；〃　said　Retzow。　〃Like　him；　I　think　Prussia　should　not　venture　into　this　strife；　because　she　is　too　weak　to　withstand　such　powerful　adversaries。〃

〃You　speak　prudently；〃　said　Frederick；　scornfully。　〃And　now；　Winterfeldt；　are　you　also　against　this　war？〃

〃No；　sire；〃　cried　Winterfeldt；　〃I　am　for　the　attack；　and　never　were　circumstances　more　favorable　than　at　present。　Austria　has　as　yet　made　no　preparations　for　war；　her　armies　are　scattered；　and　her　finances　are　in　disorder；　and　now　it　will　be　an　easy　task　to　attack　her　and　subdue　her　surprised　army。〃

The　king　looked　at　him　pleasantly；　and　turning　to　the　other　generals；　said　quietly。

〃We　must　not　be　carried　away　by　the　brave　daring　of　this　youth；　he　is　the　youngest　among　us；　and　is；　perhaps；　misled　by　enthusiasm。　But　we　old　ones　must　reflect；　and　I　wished　to　convince　you　that　I　had　not　failed　to　do　this。　But　all　has　been　in　vain。〃

〃Now　is　the　time；〃　said　Winterfeldt；　with　sparkling　eyes；　〃to　convince　the　crippled；　unwieldy　Austrian　eagle　that　the　young　eagle　of　Prussia　has　spread　her　wings；　and　that　her　claws　are　strong　enough　to　grasp　all　her　enemies　and　hurl　them　into　an　abyss。〃

〃And　if　the　young　eagle；　in　spite　of　his　daring；　should　have　to　succumb　to　the　superiority　of　numbers；〃　said　Marshal　Schwerin；　sadly。　〃If　the　balls　of　his　enemies　should　break　his　wings；　thereby　preventing　his　flight　for　the　future？　Were　it　not　better　to　avoid　this　possibility；　and　not　to　allow　the　whole　world　to　say　that　Prussia；　out　of　love　of　conquest；　began　a　fearful　war；　which　she　could　have　avoided？〃

〃There　is　no　reason　in　this　war；〃　said　General　Retzow；　〃for；　though　Austria；　Saxony；　and　Russia　are　not　our　friends；　they　have　not　shown　as　yet　by　any　open　act　that　they　are　our　enemies；　and　though　Austria's　alliance　with　France　surprised　the　world；　so　also　did　Prussia's　alliance　with　England。　Our　soldiers　will　hardly　know　why　they　are　going　to　battle；　and　they　will　be　wanting　in　that　inspiration　which　is　necessary　to　excite　an　army　to　heroic　deeds。〃

〃Inspiration　shall　not　be　wanting；　and　my　army　as　well　as　yourselves　shall　know　the　many　causes　we　have　for　this　war。　The　reasons　I　have　given　you　as　yet　have　not　satisfied　you？　Well；　then；　I　will　give　you　others；　and；　by　Heaven；　you　will　be　content　with　them！　You　think　Austria's　unkindly　feelings　to　Prussia　have　not　been　shown　by　any　overt　act。　I　will　now　prove　to　you　that　she　is　on　the　point　of　acting。〃　And　Frederick；　lifting　up　some　papers　from　his　desk；　continued：　〃These　papers　will　prove　to　you；　what　you　seem　determined　not　to　believe；　namely；　that　Saxony；　Russia；　and；　France　are　prepared　to　attack　Prussia　with　their　combined　forces；　and　to　turn　the　kingdom　of　Prussia　into　a　margraviate　once　more。　These　papers　are　authentic　proofs　of　the　dangers　which　hover　over　us。　I　will　now　inform　you　how　I　came　by　them；　so　that　you　may　be　convinced　of　their　genuineness。　For　some　time　I　have　suspected　that　there　was；　amongst　my　enemies；　an　alliance　against　me；　and　that　they　had　formed　a　contract　in　which　they　had　sworn　to　do　all　in　their　power　to　destroy　Prussia。　I　only　needed　to　have　my　suspicions　confirmed；　and　to　have　the　proofs　of　this　contract　in　my　hands。　There　proofs　were　in　the　Saxon　archives；　and　in　the　dispatches　of　the　Austrian　embassy。　It　was　therefore　necessary　to　get　the　key　of　these　archives；　and　to　have　copies　of　these　dispatches。　I　succeeded　in　doing　both；　Chance；　or　if　you　prefer　it；　a　kind　Providence；　came　to　my　aid。　The　Saxon　chancellor；　Reinitz；　a　former　servant　of　General　Winterfeldt；　came　from　Dresden　to　Potsdam　to　look　for　Winterfeldt　and　to　confide　to　him　that　a　friend　of　his；　Chancellor　Minzel　of　Dresden；　had　informed　him　that　the　state　papers　interchanged　between　the　court　of　Vienna　and　Dresden　were　kept　in　the　Dresden　archives；　of　which　he　had　the　key。　Winterfeldt　brought　me　this　important　message。　Reinitz　conducted　the　first　negotiations　with　Menzel；　which　I　then　delivered　into　the　hands　of　my　ambassador　in　Dresden；　Count　Mattzahn。　Menzel　was　poor　and　covetous。　He　was　therefore　easily　to　be　bribed。　For　three　years　Mattzahn　has　received　copies　of　every　dispatch　that　passed　between　the　three　courts。　I　am　quite　as　well　informed　of　all　negotiations　between　Austria　and　France；　for　the　secretary　of　the　Austrian　legation　of　this　place；　a　Count　Weingarten；　gave　me；　for　promises　and　gold；　copies　of　all　dispatches　that　came　from　Vienna　and　were　forwarded　to　France。　You　see　the　corruption　of　man　has　borne　me　good　fruit；　and　that　gold　is　a　magic　wand　which　reveals　all　secrets。　And　now　let　us　cast　a　hasty　glance　over　these　papers　which　I　have　obtained　by　the　aid　of　treachery　and　bribery。〃

He　took　one　of　the　papers　and　spread　it　before　the　astonished　generals。　〃You　see　here；〃　he　continued；　〃a　sample　of　all　other　negotiations。　It　is　a　copy　of　a　share　contract　which　the　courts　of　Vienna　and　Dresden　formed　in　1745。　They　then　regarded　the　decline　of　Prussia　as　so　sure　an　occurrence　that　they　had　already　divided　amongst　themselves　the　different　parts　of　my　land。　Russia　soon　affixed　her　name　also　to　this　contract；　and　here　in　this　document　you　will　see　that　these　three　powers　have　sworn　to　attack　Prussia　at　the　same　moment；　and　that　for　this　conquest；　each　one　of　the　named　courts　was　to　furnish　sixty　thousand　men。〃

While　the　generals　were　engaged　in　reading　these　papers；　the　king　leaned　back　in　his　arm…chair；　gazing　keenly　at　Retzow　and　Schwerin。　He　smiled　gayly　as　he　saw　Schwerin　pressing　his　lips　tightly　together；　and　trying　in　vain　to　suppress　a　cry　of　rage；　and　Retzow　clinching　his　fists　vehemently。

When　the　papers　had　been　read；　and　Schwerin　was　preparing　to　speak；　the　king；　with　his　head　thrown　proudly　back；　and　gazing　earnestly　at　his　listeners；　interrupted　him；　saying：

〃Now；　sirs；　perhaps　you　see　the　dangers　by　which　we　are　surrounded。　Under　the　circumstances；　I　owe　it　to　myself；　to　my　honor；　and　to　the　security　of　my　land；　to　attack　Austria　and　Saxony；　and　so　to　nip　their　abominable　designs　in　me　bud；　before　their　allies　are　ready　to　give　them　any　assistance。　I　am　prepared；　and　the　only　question　to　be　answered　before　setting　our　army　in　motion；　is　where　to　commence　the　attack　to　our　advantage？　For　the　deciding　of　this　question；　I　have　called　you　together。　I　have　finished　and　now；　Marshal　Schwerin；　it　is　your　turn。〃

The　old　gray　warrior　arose。　It　may　be　that　he　was　convinced　by　the　powerful　proofs　and　words　of　the　king；　or　that　knowing　that　his　will　was　law　it　were　vain　to　oppose　him；　but　he　was　now　as　strongly　for　war　as　the　king　or　Winterfeldt。

〃If　there　is　to　be　war；〃　said　he；　enthusiastically；　〃let　us　start　to…morrow；　take　Saxony；　and；　in　that　land　of　corn；　build　magazines　for　the　holding　of　our　provisions；　so　as　to　secure　a　way　for　our　future　operati