history of friedrich ii of prussia v 16-第1节

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History　of　Friedrich　II　of　Prussia　V　16
By　Thomas　Carlyle

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　BOOK　XVI。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　TEN　YEARS　OF　PEACE。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　1746…1756。


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Chapter　I。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　SANS…SOUCI。

Friedrich　has　now　climbed　the　heights；　and　sees　himself　on　the　upper　table…land　of　Victory　and　Success；　his　desperate　life…and…　death　struggles　triumphantly　ended。　What　may　be　ahead；　nobody　knows；　but　here　is　fair　outlook　that　his　enemies　and　Austria　itself　have　had　enough　of　him。　No　wringing　of　his　Silesia　from　this　〃bad　Man。〃　Not　to　be　overset；　this　one；　by　never　such　exertions；　oversets　US；　on　the　contrary；　plunges　us　heels…over…head　into　the　ditch；　so　often　as　we　like　to　apply　to　him；　nothing　but　heavy　beatings；　disastrous　breaking　of　crowns；　to　be　had　on　trying　there！　〃Five　Victories！〃　as　Voltaire　keeps　counting　on　his　fingers；　with　upturned　eyes；Mollwitz；　Chotusitz；　Striegau；　Sohr；　Kesselsdorf　（the　last　done　by　Anhalt；　but　omitting　Hennersdorf；　and　that　sudden　slitting　of　the　big　Saxon…Austrian　Projects　into　a　cloud　of　feathers；　as　fine　a　feat　as　any）；〃Five　Victories！〃　counts　Voltaire；　calling　on　everybody　（or　everybody　but　Friedrich　himself；　who　is　easily　sated　with　that　kind　of　thing）　to　admire。　In　the　world　are　many　opinions　about　Friedrich。　In　Austria；　for　instance；　what　an　opinion；　sinister；　gloomy　in　the　extreme：　or　in　England；　which　derives　from　Austria；only　with　additional　dimness；　and　with　gloomy　new　provocations　of　its　own　before　long！　Many　opinions　about　Friedrich；　all　dim　enough：　but　this；　that　he　is　a　very　demon　for　fighting；　and　the　stoutest　King　walking　the　Earth　just　now；　may　well　be　a　universal　one。　A　man　better　not　be　meddled　with；　if　he　will　be　at　peace；　as　he　professes　to　wish　being。

Friedrich　accordingly　is　not　meddled　with；　or　not　openly　meddled　with；　and　has；　for　the　Ten　or　Eleven　Years　coming；　a　time　of　perfect　external　Peace。　He　himself　is　decided　〃not　to　fight　with　a　cat；〃　if　he　can　get　the　peace　kept；　and　for　about　eight　years　hopes　confidently　that　this；　by　good　management；　will　continue　possible；　till；　in　the　last　three　years；　electric　symptoms　did　again　disclose　themselves；　and　such　hope　more　and　more　died　away。　It　is　well　known　there　lay　in　the　fates　a　Third　Silesian　War　for　him；　worse　than　both　the　others；　which　is　now　the　main　segment　of　his　History　still　lying　ahead　for　us；　were　this　Halcyon　Period　done。　Halcyon　Period　counts　from　Christmas…day；　Dresden；　1745；〃from　this　day；　Peace　to　the　end　of　my　life！〃　had　been　Friedrich's　fond　hope。　But　on　the　9th　day　of　September；　1756；　Friedrich　was　again　entering　Dresden　（Saxony　some　twelve　days　before）；　and　the　Crowning　Struggle　of　his　Life　was；　beyond　all　expectation；　found　to　be　still　lying　ahead　for　him；　awfully　dubious　for　Seven　Years　thereafter！

Friedrich's　History　during　this　intervening　Halcyon　or　Peace　Period　must；　in　some　way；　be　made　known　to　readers：　but　for　a　great　many　reasons；　especially　at　present；　it　behooves　to　be　given　in　compressed　form；　riddled　down；　to　an　immense　extent；　out　of　those　sad　Prussian　Repositories；　where　the　grain　of　perennial；　of　significant　and　still　memorable；　lies　overwhelmed　under　rubbish…　mountains　of　the　fairly　extinct；　the　poisonously　dusty　and　forgettable；ACH　HIMMEL！　Which　indispensable　preliminary　process；　how　can　an　English　Editor；　at　this　time；　do　it；　no　Prussian；　at　any　time；　having　thought　of　trying　it！　From　a　painful　Predecessor　of　mine；　I　collect；　rummaging　among　his　dismal　Paper…masses；　the　following　Three　Fragments；　worth　reading　here：

1。　〃Friedrich　was　as　busy；　in　those　Years；　as　in　the　generality　of　his　life；　and　his　actions；　and　salutary　conquests　over　difficulties；　were　many；　profitable　to　Prussia　and　to　himself。　Very　well　worth　keeping　in　mind。　But　not　fit　for　History；　or　at　least　only　fit　in　the　summary　form；　to　be　delineated　in　little；　with　large　generic　strokes；if　we　had　the　means；such　details　belonging　to　the　Prussian　Antiquary；　rather　than　to　the　English　Historian　of　Friedrich　in　our　day。　A　happy　Ten　Years　of　time。　Perhaps　the　time　for　Montesquieu's　aphorism；　'Happy　the　People　whose　Annals　are　blank　in　History…Books！'　The　Prussian　Antiquary；　had　he　once　got　any　image　formed　to　himself　of　Friedrich；　and　of　Friedrich's　History　in　its　human　lineaments　and　organic　sequences；　will　glean　many　memorabilia　in　those　Years：　which　his　readers　then　（and　not　till　then）　will　be　able　to　intercalate　in　their　places；　and　get　human　good　of。　But　alas；　while　there　is　no　intelligible　human　image；　nothing　of　lineaments　or　organic　sequences；　or　other　than　a　jumbled　mass　of　Historical　Marine…Stores；　presided　over　by　Dryasdust　and　Human　Stupor　（unsorted；　unlabelled；　tied　up　in　blind　sacks）；　the　very　Antiquary　will　have　uphill　work　of　it；　and　his　readers　will　often　turn　round　on　him　with　a　gloomy　expression　of　countenance！〃

2。　〃Friedrich's　Lifelittle　as　he　expected　it；　that　day　when　he　started　up　from　his　ague…fit　at　Reinsberg；　and　grasped　the　fiery　Opportunity　that　was　shooting　pastis　a　Life　of　War。　The　chief　memory　that　will　remain　of　him　is　that　of　a　King　and　man　who　fought　consummately　well。　Not　Peace　and　the　Muses；　no；　that　is　denied　him；　though　he　was　so　unwilling；　always；　to　think　it　denied！　But　his　Life…Task　turned　out　to　be　a　Battle　for　Silesia。　It　consists　of　Three　grand　Struggles　of　War。　And　not　for　Silesia　only；　unconsciously；　for　what　far　greater　things　to　his　Nation　and　to　him！

〃Deeply　unconscious　of　it；　they　were　passing　their　'Trials；'　his　Nation　and　he；　in　the　great　Civil…Service…Examination　Hall　of　this　Universe：　'Are　you　able　to　defend　yourselves；　then；　and　to　hang　together　coherent；　against　the　whole　world　and　its　incoherencies　and　rages？'　A　question　which　has　to　be　asked　of　Nations；　before　they　can　be　recognized　as　such；　and　be　baptized　into　the　general　commonwealth；　they　are　mere　Hordes　or　accidental　Aggregates；　till　that　Question　come。　Question　which　this　Nation　had　long　been　getting　ready　for；　which　now；　under　this　King；　it　answered　to　the　satisfaction　of　gods　and　men：　'Yes；　Heaven　assisting；　we　can　stand　on　our　defence；　and　in　the　long…run　（as　with　air　when　you　try　to　annihilate　it；　or　crush　it　to　NOTHING）　there　is　even　an　infinite　force　in　us；　and　the　whole　world　does　not　succeed　in　annihilating　us！'　Upon　which　has　followed　what　we　term　National　Baptism；or　rather　this　was　the　National　Baptism；　this　furious　one　in　torrent　whirlwinds　of　fire；　done　three　times　over；　till　in　gods　or　men　there　was　no　doubt　left。　That　was　Friedrich's　function　in　the　world；　and　a　great　and　memorable　one；not　to　his　own　Prussian　Nation　only；　but　to　Teutschland　at　large；　forever　memorable。

〃'Is　Teutschland　a　Nation；　is　there　in　Teutschland　still　a　Nation？'　Austria；　not　dishonestly；　but　much　sunk　in　superstitions　and　involuntary　mendacities；　and　liable　to　sink　much　farther；　answers　always；　in　gloomy　proud　tone；　'Yes；　I　am　the　Nation　of　Teutschland！'but　is　mistaken；　as　turns　out。　For　it　is　not　mendacities；　conscious　or　other；　but　veracities；　that　the　Divine　Powers　will　patronize；　or　even　in　the　end　will　put　up　with　at　all。　Which　you　ought　to　understand　better　than　you　do；　my　friend。　For；　on　the　great　scale　and　on　the　small；　and　in　all　seasons；　circumstances；　scenes　and　situations　where　a　Son　of　Adam　finds　himself；　that　is　true；　and　even　a　sovereign　truth。　And　whoever　does　not　know　it；human　charity　to　him　（were　such　always　possible）　would　be；　that　HE　were　furnished　with　handcuffs　as　a　part　of　his　outfit　in　this　world；　and　put　under　guidance　of　those　who　do。　Yes；　to　him；　I　should　say；　a　private　pair　of　handcuffs　were　much　usefuler　than　a　ballot…box；were　the　times　once　settled　again；　which　they　are　far　from　being！〃　。。。

〃So　that；　if　there　be　only　Austria　for　Nation；　Teutschland　is　in　ominous　case。　Truly　so。　But　there　is　in　Teutschland　withal；　very　irrecognizable　to　Teutschland；　yet　authentically　present；　a　Man　of　the　properly　unconquerable　type；　there　is　also　a　select　Population　drilled　for　him：　these　two　together　will　prove　to　you　that　there　is　a　Nation。　Conquest　of　Silesia；　Three　Silesian　Wars；　labors　and　valors　as　of　Alcides；　in　vindication　of　oneself　and　one's　Silesia：　secretly；　how　unconsciously；　that　other　and　higher　Question　of　Teutschland；　and　of　its　having　in　it　a　Nation；　was　Friedrich's　sore　task　and　his　Prussia's　at　that　time。　As　Teutschland　may　be　perhaps　now；　in　our　day；　beginning　to　recognize；　with　hope；　with　astonishment；　poor　Teutschland！〃　。。。

3。　〃And　in　fine；　leaving　all　that；　there　is　one　thing　undeniable：　In　all　human　Narrative；　it　is　the　battle　only；　and　not　the　victory；　that　can　be　dwelt　upon　with　advantage。　Friedrich　has　now；　by　his　Second　Silesian　War；　achieved　Greatness：　'Friedrich　the　Great；'　expressly　so　denominated；　by　his　People　and　others。　The　struggle　upwards　is　the　Romance；　your　hero　once　wedded；to　GLORY；　or　whoever　the　Bride　may　be；the　Romance　ends。　Precise　critics　do　object；　That　there　may　still　lie　difficulties；　new　perils　and　adventures　ahead：which　proves　conspicuously　true　in　this　case　of　ours。　And　accordingly；　our　Book　not　being　a　Romance　but　a　History；　let　us；　with　all　fidelity；　look　out　what　these　are；　and　how　they　modify　our　Royal　Gentleman　who　has　got　his　wedding　done。　With　all　fidelity；　but　with　a