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history of friedrich ii of prussia v 18-第17章

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l of airy lightning; was much admired。 Followed by many; with the lightning getting denser and denser; always on the Opposition side 'once on the JENKINS'S…EAR QUESTION; as we saw; when the Gazetteer Editor spelt him Mr。 Pitts': so that Majesty was very angry; sulky Public much applausive; and Walpole was heard to say; 'We must muzzle; in some way; that terrible Cornet of Horse!' but could not; on trial; this man's 'price;' as would seem; being awfully high! AUGUST…OCTOBER; 1744; Sarah Duchess of Marlborough bequeathed him 10;000 pounds as Commissariat equipment in this his Campaign against the Mud…gods; 'Thackeray; i。 138。'glory to the old Heroine for so doing! Which lifted Pitt out of the Cornetcy or Horse…guards element; I fancy; and was as the nailing of his Parliamentary colors to the mast。

2。 〃FEBRUARY 14th; 1746; Vice…Treasurer for Ireland: on occasion of that Pelham…Granville 'As…you…were!' (Carteret Ministry; which lasted One Day); and the slight shufflings that were necessary。 Now first in Office;after such Ten Years of colliding and conflicting; and fine steering in difficult waters。 Vice…Treasurer for Ireland: and 'soon after; on Lord Wilmington's death;' PAYMASTER OF THE FORCES。 Continued Paymaster about nine years。 Rejects; quietly and totally; the big income derivable from Interest of Government Moneys lying delayed in the Paymaster's hand ('Dishonest; I tell you!')and will none of it; though poor。 Not yet high; still low over the horizon; but shining brighter and brighter。 Greatly contemptuous of Newcastle and the Platitudes and Poltrooneries; and still a good deal in the Opposition strain; and NOT always tempering the wind to the shorn lamb。 For example; Pitt (still Paymaster) to Newcastle on King of the Romans Question (1752 or so): 'You engage for Subsidies; not knowing their extent; for Treaties; not knowing the terms!''What a bashaw!' moan Newcastle and the top Officials。 'Best way is; don't mind it;' said Mr。 Stone 'one of their terriers;a hard…headed fellow; whose brother became Primate of Ireland by and by'。

3。 〃NOVEMBER 20th; 1755; Thrown out:on Pelham's death; and the general hurly…burly in Official regions; and change of partners with no little difficulty; which had then ensued! Sir Thomas Robinson;〃 our old friend; 〃made Secretary;not found to answer。 Pitt sulkily looking on America; on Minorca; on things German; on things in general; warily set on returning; as is thought; but How? FOX to Pitt: 'Will you join ME?'PITT: 'No;'with such politeness; but in an unmistakable way! Ten months of consummate steering on the part of Pitt; Chancellor Hardwicke coming as messenger; he among others; Pitt's answer to him dexterous; modestly royal。 Pitt's bearing; in this grand juncture and crisis; is royal; his speakings and also his silences notably fine。 OCTOBER 20th; 1756: to Newcastle face to face; 'I will accept no situation under your Grace!'and; about that day month; comes IN; on his own footing。 That is to say;

〃NOVEMBER 19th; 1756; to England's great comfort; Sees himself Secretary of State (age now just forty…eight)。 Has pretty much all England at his back; but has; in face of him; Fox; Newcastle and Company; offering mere impediment and discouragement; Royal Highness of Cumberland looking deadly sour。 Till finally;

〃APRIL 5th; 1757; King bids him resign; Royal Highness setting off for Germany the second day after。 Pitt had been IN rather more than Four months。 England; at that time a silent Country in comparison; knew not well what to do; took to offering him Freedoms of Corporations in very great quantity。 Town after Town; from all the four winds; sympathetically firing off; upon a misguided Sacred Majesty; its little Box; in this oblique way; with extraordinary diligence。 Whereby; after six months bombardment by Boxes; and also by Events; JUNE 29th; 1757〃 We will expect June 29th。 'Thackeray; i。 231; 264; Almon;  Anecdotes of Pitt  (London; 1810); i。 151; 182; 218。'

In these sad circumstances; Preparations so called have been making for Hanover; for America;such preparations as were never seen before。 Take only one instance; let one be enough:

〃By the London Gazette; well on in February; 1756; we learn that Lord Loudon; a military gentleman of small faculty; but of good connections; has been nominated to command the Forces in America; and then; more obscurely; some days after; that another has been nominated:one of them ought certainly to make haste out; if he could; the French; by account; have 25;000 men in those countries; with real officers to lead them! Haste out; however; is not what this Lord Loudon or his rival can make。 In March; we learn that Lord Loudon has been again nominated; in an improved manner; this time;and still does not look like going。 'Again nominated; why again?' Alas; reader; there have been hysterical fidgetings in a high quarter; internal shiftings and shufflings; contradictions; new proposals; one knows not what。 ' Gentleman's Magazine  for 1756; pp。 92; 150; 359; 450。' One asks only: How is the business ever to be done; if you cannot even settle what imbecile is to go and try it?

〃Seldom had Country more need of a Commander than America now。 America itself is of willing mind; and surely has resources; in such a Cause; but is full of anarchies as well: the different States and sections of it; with their discrepant Legislatures; their half…drilled Militias; pulling each a different way; there is; as in the poor Mother Country; little result except of the St。…Vitus kind。 In some Legislatures are anarchic Quakers; who think it unpermissible to fight with those hectoring French; and their tail of scalping Indians; and that the 'method of love' ought to be tried with them。 What is to become of those poor people; if not even a Lord Loudon can get out?〃

The result was; Lord Loudon had not in his own poor person come to hand in America till August; 1756; Season now done; and could only write home; 〃All is St。 Vitus out here! Must have reinforcement of 10;000 men!〃 〃Yes;〃 answers Pitt; who is now in Office: 〃you shall have them; and we will take Cape Breton; please Heaven!〃but was thrown out; and by the wrigglings that ensued; nothing of the 10;000 reached Lord Loudon till Season 1757 too was done。 Nor did they then stead his Lordship much; then or afterwards; who never took Cape Breton; nor was like doing it;but wriggled to and fro a good deal; and revolved on his axis; according to pattern given。 And set (what chiefly induces us to name him here) his not reverent enough Subordinate; Lord Charles Hay; our old Fontenoy friend; into angry impatient quizzing of him;and by and by into Court…Martial for such quizzing。 'Peerage Books; ? Tweeddale。' Court…Martial; which was much puzzled by the case; and could decide nothing; but only adjourn and adjourn;as we will now do; not mentioning Lord Loudon farther; or the numerous other instances at all。 '〃1st May; 1760; Major…General Lord Charles Hay died〃 ( Gentleman's Magazine  of Year); and his particular Court…Martial could adjourn for the last time。〃I wrote something for Lord Charles;〃 said the great Johnson once; many years afterwards; 〃and I thought he had nothing to fear from a Court…Martial。 I suffered a great loss when he died: he was a mighty pleasing man in conversation; and a reading man〃 (Boswell's  Life of Johnson:  under date; 〃3d April; 1776〃)。'

Pitt; we just saw; far from being confirmed and furthered; has been thrown out by Royal Highness of Cumberland; the last thing before crossing to that exquisite Weser Problem。 〃Nothing now left at home to hinder us and our Hanover and Weser Problem!〃 thinks Royal Highness。 No; indeed: a comfortable pacific No…government; or Battle of the Four Elements; left yonder; the Anarch Old waggling his addle head over it; ready to help everybody; and bring fire and water; and Yes and No; into holy matrimony; if he could!Let us return to Prag。 Only one remark more; upon 〃April 5th。〃 That was the Day of Pitt's Dismissal at St。 James's: and I find; at Schonbrunn it is likewise the day when REICHS…HOFRATH (Kaiser in Privy Council) decides; in respect to Friedrich; that Ban of the Reich must be proceeded 

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