history of friedrich ii of prussia v 16-第55节

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g　habitable　for　man：and　what　Rhadamanthus　would　have　said　of　those　Two　Documents！　Enough；　the　French　have　taken　some　trouble；　more　or　less；　especially　in　sending　soldiers　out；　of　late。　The　French；　to　certain　thousands；　languidly　tilling；　hunting　and　adventuring；　and　very　skilful　in　wheedling　the　Indian　Nations；　are　actually　there；　and　they；　in　the　silence　of　Rhadamanthus；　decide　that　merit　shall　not　miss　its　wages　for　want　of　asking。　〃Ours　is　America　West　of　the　Alleghanies；〃　say　the　French；　openly　before　long。

〃Yours？　Yours；　of　all　people's？〃　answer　the　English；　and　begin；　with　lethargic　effort；　to　awake　a　little　to　that　stupid　Foreign　Question；　important；　though　stupid　and　foreign；　or　lying　far　off。　Who　really　owned　all　America；　probably　few　Englishmen　had　ever　asked　themselves；　in　their　dreamiest　humors；　nor　could　they　now　answer；　but；　that　North　America　does　not　belong　to　the　French；　can　be　doubtful　to　no　English　creature。　Pitt；　Chatham　as　we　now　call　him；　is　perhaps　the　Englishman　to　whom；　of　all　others；　it　is　least　doubtful。　Pitt　is　in　Office　at　last；in　some　subaltern　capacity；　〃Paymaster　of　the　Forces〃　for　some　years　past；　in　spite　of　Majesty's　dislike　of　the　outspoken　man；and　has　his　eyes　bent　on　America；which　is　perhaps　（little　as　you　would　guess　it　such）　the　main　fact　in　that　confused　Controversy　just　now！

In　1753　（28th　August　of　that　Year）；　goes　message　from　the　Home　Government；　〃Stand　on　your　defence；　over　there！　Repel　by　force　any　Foreign　encroachments　on　British　Dominions。〃　＇Holderness；　OR　Robinson　our　old　friend。＇　And　directly　on　the　heel　of　this；　November；　1753；　the　Virginia　Governor；urged；　I　can　believe；　by　the　Ohio　Company；　who　are　lying　wind…bound　so　long；despatches　Mr。　George　Washington　to　inquire　officially　of　the　French　Commandant　in　those　parts；　〃What　he　means；　then；　by　invading　the　British　Territories；　while　a　solid　Peace　subsists？〃　Mr。　George　had　a　long　ride　up　those　desert　ranges；　and　down　again　on　the　other　side；　waters　all　out；　ground　in　a　swash　with　December　rains；　no　help　or　direction　but　from　wampums　and　wigwams：　Mr。　George　got　to　Ohio　Head　（two　big　Rivers；　Monongahela　from　South；　Alleghany　from　North；　coalescing　to　form　a　double…big　Ohio　for　the　Far　West）；　and　thought　to　himself；　〃What　an　admirable　three…legged　place：　might　be　Chief　Post　of　those　regions；nest…egg　of　a　diligent　Ohio　Company。！〃　Mr。　George；　some　way　down　the　Ohio　River；　found　a　strongish　French　Fort；　log…barracks；　〃200　river…boats；　with　more　building；〃　and　a　French　Commandant；　who　cannot　enter　into　questions　of　a　diplomatic　nature　about　Peace　and　War：　〃My　orders　are；　To　keep　this　Fort　and　Territory　against　all　comers；　one　must　do　one's　orders；　Monsieur：　Adieu！〃　And　the　steadfast　Washington　had　to　return；　without　result；except　that　of　the　admirable　Three…legged　Place　for　dropping　your　Nest…egg；　in　a　commanding　and　defenceful　way！

Ohio　Company；　painfully　restrained　so　long　in　that　operation；　took　the　hint　at　once。　Despatched；　early　in　1754；　a　Party　of　some　Forty　or　Thirty…three　stout　fellows；　with　arms　about　them；　as　well　as　tools；　〃Go　build　us；　straightway；　a　Stockade　in　the　place　indicated；　you　are　warranted　to　smite　down；　by　shot　or　otherwise；　any　gainsayer！〃　And　furthermore；　directly　got　on　foot；　and　on　the　road　thither；　a　〃regiment　of　150　men；〃　Washington　as　Colonel　to　it；　For　perfecting　said　Stockade；　and　maintaining　it　against　all　comers。

Washington　and　his　Hundred…and…fiftywagonage；　provender　and　a　piece　or　two　of　cannon；　all　well　attended　tovigorously　climbed　the　Mountains；　got　to　the　top　27th　May；　1754；　and　there　MET　the　Thirty…three　in　retreat　homewards！　Stockade　had　been　torn　out；　six　weeks　ago　（17th　April　last）；　by　overwhelming　French　Force；　from　the　Gentleman　who　said　ADIEU；　and　had　the　river…boats；　last　Fall。　And；　instead　of　our　Stockade；　they　are　now　building　a　regular　French　Fort；FORT　DUQUESNE；　they　call　it；　in　honor　of　their　Governor　Duquesne：against　which；　Washington　and　his　regiment；　what　are　they？　Washington；　strictly　surveying；　girds　himself　up　for　the　retreat；　descends　diligently　homewards　again；　French　and　Indians　rather　harassing　his　rear。　In…trenches　himself；　1st　July；　at　what　he　calls　〃Fort　Necessity；〃　some　way　down；　and　the　second　day　after；　3d　July；　1754；　is　attacked　in　vigorous　military　manner。　Defends　himself；　what　he　can；　through　nine　hours　of　heavy　rain；　has　lost　thirty；　the　French　only　three；and　is　obliged　to　capitulate：　〃Free　Withdrawal〃　the　terms　given。　This　is　the　last　I　heard　of　the　Ohio　Company；　not　the　last　of　Washington；　by　any　means。　Ohio　Company；its　judicious　Nest…egg　squelched　in　this　manner；　nay　become　a　fiery　Cockatrice　or　〃FORT　DUQUESNE：〃need　not　be　mentioned　farther。

By　this　time；　surely　high　time　now；　serious　military　preparations　were　on　foot；　especially　in　the　various　Colonies　most　exposed。　But；　as　usual；　it　is　a　thing　of　most　admired　disorder；　every　Governor　his　own　King　or　Vice…King；　horses　are　pulling　different　ways：　small　hope　there；　unless　the　Home　Government　（where　too　I　have　known　the　horses　a　little　discrepant；　unskilful　in　harness！）　will　seriously　take　it　in　hand。　The　Home　Government　is　taking　it　in　hand；　horses　willing；　if　a　thought　unskilful。　Royal　Highness　of　Cumberland　has　selected　General　Braddock；　and　Two　Regiments　of　the　Line　（the　two　that　ran　away　at　Prestonpans；ABSIT　OMEN）。　Royal　Highness　consults；　concocts；　industriously　prepares；　completes；　modestly　certain　that　here　now　is　the　effectual　remedy。

About　New…year's　day；　1755；　Braddock；　with　his　Two　Regiments　and　completed　apparatus；　got　to　sea。　Arrived；　20th　February；　at　Williamsburg　in　Virginia　（〃at　Hampden；　near　there；〃　if　anybody　is　particular）；　found　now　that　this　was　not　the　place　to　arrive　at；　that　he　would　lose　six　weeks　of　marching；　by　not　having　landed　in　Pennsylvania　instead。　Found　that　his　Stores　had　been　mispacked　at　Cork；that　this　had　happened；　and　also　that；and；　in　short；　that　Chaos　had　been　very　considerably　prevalent　in　this　Adventure　of　his；　and　did　still；　in　all　that　now　lay　round　it；　much　prevail。　Poor　man：　very　brave；　they　say；　but　without　knowledge；　except　of　field…drill；　a　heart　of　iron；　but　brain　mostly　of　pipe…clay　quality。　A　man　severe　and　rigorous　in　regimental　points；　contemptuous　of　the　Colonial　Militias；　that　gathered　to　help　him；　thrice…contemptuous　of　the　Indians；　who　were　a　vital　point　in　the　Enterprise　ahead。　Chaos　is　very　strong；especially　if　within　oneself　as　well！　Poor　Braddock　took　the　Colonial　Militia　Regiments；　Colonel　Washington　as　Aide…de…Camp；　took　the　Indians　and　Appendages；　Colonial　Chaos　much　presiding：　and　after　infinite　delays　and　confused　hagglings；　got　on　march；2；000　regular；　and　of　all　sorts　say　4；000　strong。

Got　on　march；　sprawled　and　haggled　up　the　Alleghanies；such　a　Commissariat；　such　a　wagon…service；　as　was　seldom　seen　before。　Poor　General　and　Army；　he　was　like　to　be　starved　outright；　at　one　time；　had　not　a　certain　Mr。　Franklin　come　to　him；　with　charitable　oxen；　with　500　pounds…worth　provisions　live　and　dead；　subscribed　for　at　Philadelphia；Mr　Benjamin　Franklin；　since　celebrated　over　all　the　world；　who　did　not　much　admire　this　iron…tempered　General　with　the　pipe…clay　brain。　＇Franklin's　AUTOBIOGRAPHY；　　Gentleman's　Magazine；　　xxv。　378。＇　Thereupon；　however；　Braddock　took　the　road　again；　sprawled　and　staggered；　at　the　long　last；　to　the　top；　〃at　the　top　of　the　Alleghanies；　15th　June；〃and　forward　down　upon　FORT　DUQUESNE；　〃roads　nearly　perpendicular　in　some　places；〃　at　the　rate　of　〃four　miles〃　and　even　of　〃one　mile　per　day。〃　Much　wood　all　about；and　the　400　Indians　to　rear；　in　a　despised　and　disgusted　condition；　instead　of　being　vanward　keeping　their　brightest　outlook。

July　8th；　Braddock　crossed　the　Monongahela　without　hindrance。　July　9th；　was　within　ten　miles　of　FORT　DUQUESNE；　plodding　along；　marching　through　a　wood；　when；Ambuscade　of　French　and　Indians　burst　out　on　him；　French　with　defences　in　front　and　store　of　squatted　Indians　on　each　flank；who　at　once　blew　him　to　destruction；　him　and　his　Enterprise　both。　His　men　behaved　very　ill；　sensible　perhaps　that　they　were　not　led　very　well。　Wednesday；　9th　July；　1755；　about　three　in　the　afternoon。　His　two　regiments　gave　one　volley　and　no　more；　utterly　terror…struck　by　the　novelty；　by　the　misguidance；　as　at　Prestonpans　before；　shot；　it　was　whispered；　several　of　their　own　Officers；　who　were　furiously　rallying　them　with　word　and　sword：　of　the　sixty　Officers；　only　five　were　not　killed　or　wounded。　Brave　men　clad　in　soldier's　uniform；　victims　of　military　Chaos；　and　miraculous　Nescience；　in　themselves　and　in　others：　can　there　be　a　more　distressing　spectacle？　Imaginary　workers　are　all　tragical；　in　this　world；　and　come　to　a　bad　end；　sooner　or　later；　they　or　their　representatives　here：　but　the　Imaginary　Soldierhe　is　paid　his　wages　（he　and　his　poor　Nation　are）　on　the　very　nail！

Braddock；　refusing　to　fall　back　as　advised；　had　five　horses　shot　under　him；　was　himself　shot；　in　the　arm；　in　the　breast；　was　carried　off　the　field　in　a　death…stupor；forward　all　that　night；　next　day　and　next　（to　Fort　Cumberland；　seventy　miles　to　rear）；and　on　the　fourth　day　died。　The　Colonial　Militias　had　stood　their　ground；　Colonel　Washington　now　of　some　use　again；who　were　ranked　well　to　rearward；　and　able　to　receive　the　ambuscade　as