history of friedrich ii of prussia v 16-第57节

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　gave　him　a　whole　bunch　of　keys；　which　were　said　to　be　sent　by　Privy…counsellor　Eichel　of　Potsdam　＇whom　we　know＇；　to　try　whether　any　of　them　would　unlock　the　presses　of　the　Foreign　Department。　But　none　of　them　would；　and　Prisoner　returned　the　keys；　pointing　out；　however；　what　alterations　were　required　to　fit　the　keyhole。

〃And；　about　three　weeks　after　this；　Plessmann　provided　Prisoner　with　another　set　of　keys；　among　which　one　did　unlock　said　presses。　With　this　key　Prisoner　now　repeatedly　opened　the　presses；　and　provided　Plessmann；　whenever　required；oftenest；　with　Petersburg　Despatches。　Had　also；　three　years　ago　（1754）；　here　in　Warsaw；　communicated　Vienna　Despatches；　three　or　four　times；　to　Benoit；　especially　on　Sundays　and　Thursdays；　which　were　slack　days；　nobody　in　the　Office　about　noon。

〃The　actual　first　of　these　Communications　did　not　take　place　till　after　Easter…Fair；　1753；　Prisoner　not　having；　till　said　Fair；　received　the　second　bunch　of　keys　from　Plessmann。　Now　and　then　he　had　to　communicate　French　Despatches。　Whenever　he　gave　original　Despatches；　he　received　them　back　shortly　after；　and　replaced　them　in　the　presses。　During　this　present　stay　of　the　Court　at　Warsaw；　has　communicated　little　to　Benoit　except　from　the　CIRCULARS　＇Legation　NEWS…LETTERS＇；　when　he　found　anything　noteworthy　in　them；　also；　now　and　then；　the　Ponikau　Despatches　＇Ponikau　being　at　the　Reich's　Diet；　in　circumstances　interesting　to　us＇。　Has　received；　one　time　and　another；　several　100　thalers　from　Benoit；　since　the　Court　came　hither　last。〃（And　so　EXIT　Menzel。）

〃Hereupon　the　Second　Prisoner　was　brought　in；who　deposed　as　follows：

〃He　is　named　Johann　Benjamin　Erfurth；　a　goldsmith　by　trade；　age　thirty…two；　the　Prisoner　Menzel's　Brother…in…law。

〃Confesses　that　Menzel　had　made　use　of　him；　at　Dresden；　during　one　year：　to　deliver；　several　times；　sealed　papers　to　the　Prussian　Secretary　Plessmann；　or　rather　mostly　to　Plessmann's　servant。　Also　that；　here　in　Warsaw；　he　has　had　to　carry　Despatches　to　Benoit；　and　to　deliver　them　into　his　own　hands。　Latterly　he　has　delivered　the　Despatches　to　certain　Prussian　peasants；　who　stopped　at　Benoit's；　and　who　always　relieved　each　other；　and　every　time；　the　one　who　went　away　directed　Prisoner；　in　turn；　to　him　that　arrived。

〃He　received　from　Menzel；　yesterday　towards　noon；　a　small　sealed　packet；　which　he　was　to　convey　to　the　Prussian　peasant　who　had　made　an　appointment　with　him　at　the　Prussian　Office　（HOF）　here。　But　as　he　was　going　to　take　it；　and　had　just　got　outside　of　the　Palace　Court；　a　corporal　took　hold　of　him　and　arrested　him。　Confesses　having　concealed　the　parcel　in　his　trousers…pocket；　and　to　have　denied　that　he　had　anything　upon　him。　。。。　ACTUM　UT　SUPRA。〃　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Signed　〃GOTZE〃　（with　titles）。

〃Next　day；　September　26th；　Menzel　re…examined；　answers　in　effect　following：

〃Plessmann　never　himself　came　into　the　Archive　Office　at　Dresden；　except　the　one　time　＇a　time　that　will　be　notable　to　us！＇　when　the　Prussians　were　there　to　take　away　the　Papers　by　force；　then　Plessmann　was　with　them；〃and　we　will　remember　the　circumstance。

〃Before　leaving　Dresden　for　Poland；　last　Year　（1756）；　he；　Menzel；　had　returned　the　said　key　to　Plessmann；　who　gave　him　others　for　use　here。　After　his　arrival　here；　he　returned　these　keys　to　Benoit；　in　the　presence　of　Erfurth；　saying；　they　were　of　no　use　to　him；　and　that　he　could　not　get　at　the　Despatches　here。　Prisoner　farther　declares；　that　it　was　the　Minister　von　Mahlzahn　who；　of　his　own　accord；　and　quite　at　the　beginning；　made　the　proposal　concerning　the　keys；　and　when　Plessmann　brought　the　keys；　he　said　expressly　they　were　for　the　Minister；　along　with　fifty　thalers；　which　he；　Menzel；　received　at　the　same　time。　ACTUM　UT　SUPRA。〃　Signed　as　before。　＇　Helden…Geschichte；　　v。　677　（as　BEYLAGE　or　Appendix　to　the　Kur…Sachsen　〃PRO　MEMORIA　to　the　Reich's　Diet；〃　of　date；　Regensburg；　31st　January；　1758）。＇

We　could　give　some　of　the　stolen　Pieces；　too；　but　they　are　of　abstruse　tenor；　and　would　be　mere　enigmas　to　readers　here。　Enough　that　Friedrich　understands　them。　To　Friedrich's　intense　and　long…continued　scrutiny；　they　indicate；　what　is　next　to　incredible；　but　is　at　length　fatally　undeniable；　That　the　old　TREATY；　which　we　called　OF　WARSAW；　〃Treaty　for　Partitioning　Prussia；〃　is　still　（in　spite　of　all　subsequent　and　superincumbent　Treaties　to　the　contrary）　vigorously　alive　underground；　that　Saxon　Bruhl　and　her　Hungarian　Majesty；　to　whom　is　now　added　Czarish　Majesty；　are　fixed　as　ever　on　cutting　down　this　afflictive；　too　aspiring　King　of　Prussia　to　the　size　of　a　Brandenburg　Elector；　busy　（in　these　Menzel　Documents）　considering　how　it　may　be　done；　especially　how　the　bear…　skin　may　be　SHARED；and　that；　in　short；　there　lies　ahead；　inevitable　seemingly；　and　not　far　off；　a　Third　Silesian　War。

Which　punctually　came　true。　The　THIRD　SILESIAN　WARsince　called　SEVEN…YEARS　WAR；　that　proving　to　be　the　length　of　itis　now　near。　Breaks　out；　has　to　break　out；　August；　1756。　The　heaviest　and　direst　struggle　Friedrich　ever　had；　the　greatest　of　all　his　Prowesses；　Achievements　and　Endurances　in　this　world。　And；　on　the　whole；　the　last　that　was　very　great；　or　that　is　likely　to　be　memorable　with　Posterity。　Upon　which；　accordingly；　we　must　try　our　utmost　to　leave　some　not　untrue　notion　in　this　place：　and　that　once　DONE　Courage；　reader！


　　　　　　FRIEDRICH　IS　VISIBLE；　IN　HOLLAND；　TO　THE　NAKED　EYE；　FOR　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　SOME　MINUTES　（June　23d；　1755）。

In　1755　it　was　that　Voltaire　wrote；　not　the　first　Letter；　but　the　first　very　notable　one；　to　his　Royal　Friend；　after　their　great　quarrel：　＇Dated　〃The　DELICES；　near　Geneva；　4th　August；　1755〃　（in　Rodenbeck；　i。　287；　in　　OEuvres　de　Frederic；　　xxiii。　7；　not　given　by　any　of　the　French　Editors）。＇　seductively　repentant；　and　oh；　so　true；　so　tender；Royal　Friend　still　obstinate；　who　answers　nothing；　or　answers　only　through　De　Prades：　〃Yes；　yes；　we　are　aware！〃　And　it　was　in　the　same　Year　that　Friedrich　first　saw　D'Alembert；Voltaire's　successor；　in　a　sense。　And　farther　on　（1st　November；　1755）；　that　the　Earthquake　of　Lisbon　went；　horribly　crashing；　through　the　thoughts　of　all　mortals；　thoughts　of　King　Friedrich；　among　others；　whose　reflections　on　it；　I　apprehend；　are　stingy；　snarlingly　contemptuous；　rather　than　valiant　and　pious；　and　need　not　detain　us　here。　One　thing　only　we　will　mention；　for　an　accidental　reason：　That　Friedrich；　this　Year；　made　a　short　run　to　Holland；and　that　actual　momentary　sight　of　him　happens　thereby　to　be　still　possible。

In　Summer；　1755；　after　the　West…Country　Reviews；　and　a　short　Journey　into　Ost…Friesland；　whence　to　Wesel　on　the　Rhine；whither　Friedrich　had　invited　D'Alembert　to　meet　him；　whom　he　finds　〃UN　TRES…AIMABLE　GARCON；〃　likely　for　the　task　in　hand；Friedrich　decided　on　a　run　into　Holland：　strictly　INCOGNITO；　accompanied　only　by　Balbi　（Engineer；　a　Genoese）　and　one　page。　Bade　his　D'Alembert　adieu；　and　left　Wesel　thitherward　June　19th。　＇Rodenbeck；　i。　287。＇　At　Amsterdam　he　viewed　the　Bramkamp　Picture…Gallery；　the　illustrious　Country…house　of　Jew　Pinto　at　TULPENBURG　（Tulip…　borough！）　。。。　〃I　saw　nothing　but　whim…whams　（COLIFICHETS）；〃　says　he：　〃I　gave　myself　out　for　a　Musician　of　the　King　of　Poland；〃　wore　a　black　wig　moreover；　〃and　was　nowhere　known：〃　＇　OEuvres；　　xxvii。　i。　268　（〃Potsdam；　28th　June；　1755；〃　and　ib。　p。　270）；　to　Wilhelmina；　who　is　now　on　the　return　from　her　Italian　Journey。　UNCERTAIN　Anecdotes　of　adventures　among　the　whim…whams；　in　Rodenbeck；　&c。＇and；　for　finis；　got　into　the　common　Passage…Boat　（TREKSCHUIT；　no　doubt）　for　Utrecht；　that　he　might　see　the　other　fine　Country…houses　along　the　Vechte。　Fine　enough　Country…houses；not　mud　and　sedges　the　main　thing；　as　idle　readers　think。　To　Arnheim　up　the　Vechte　in　this　manner；　Wesel　and　his　own　Country　just　at　hand　again。

Now　it　happened　that　a　young　Swisspoor　enough　in　purse；　but　not　without　talent　and　eyesight；　assistant　Teacher　in　some　Boarding…　school　thereabouts；　name　of　him　De　Catt；　age　twenty…seven；　〃born　at　Morges　near　Geneva　1728〃had　got　holiday；　or　had　got　errand；　poor　good　soul；　had　decided；　on　this　same　day　（23d　June；　1755）；　to　go　to　Utrecht；　and　so　stept　into　the　very　boat　where　Friedrich　was。　He　himself　（in　a　Letter　written　long　after　to　Editor　LAVEAUX）　shall　tell　us　the　rest：

〃As　I　could　n't　get　into　the　ROEF　（cabin）　because　it　was　all　engaged；　I　stayed　with　the　other　passengers　in　the　Steerage　（DANS　LA　BARQUE　MEME）；　and　the　weather　being　fine；　came　up　on　deck。　After　some　time；　there　stept　out　of　the　Cabin　a　man　in　cinnamon…　colored　coat　with　gold　button…HOLES；　in　black　wig；　face　and　coat　considerably　dusted　with　Spanish　snuff。　He　looked　fixedly　at　me；　for　a　while；　and　then　said；　without　farther　preface；　'Who　are　you；　Monsieur？'　This　cavalier　tone　from　an　unknown　person；　whose　exterior　indicated　nothing　very　important；　did　not　please　me；　and　I　declined　satisfying　his　curiosity。　He　was　silent。　But；　some　time　after；　he　took　a　more　courteous　tone；　and　said：　'Come　in　here　to　me；　Monsieur！　You　will　be　better　here　than　in　the　Steerage；　amid　the　tobacco…smoke。'　This　polite　address　put　an　end　to　all　anger；　and　as　the　singular　manner　of　the　man　excited　my　curiosity；　I　took　advantage　of　his　invitation。　We　sat　d