history of friedrich ii of prussia v 18-第31章

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renadiers　too　are　said　to　have　wept　（for　rage）；　and　probably　Breitenbach　and　the　Hereditary　Prince。〃　＇Mauvillon；　i。　228；　Anonymous　of　Hamburg；　i。　206　（who　gives　a　Plan　and　all　manner　of　details；　if　needed　by　anybody）；　Kausler；　&c。　&c。＇

This　is　the　last　of　Royal　Highness's　exploits　in　War。　The　retreat　had　been　ordered　〃To　Hanover；〃　but　the　baggage　by　mistake　took　the　road　for　Minden；　and　Royal　Highness　followed　thither；much　the　same　what　road　he　or　it　takes。　Friedrich　might　still　hope　he　would　retreat　on　Magdeburg；　40；000　good　soldiers　might　find　a　Captain　there；　and　be　valuable　against　a　D'Estrees　and　Soubise　in　those　parts。　But　no；　it　was　through　Bremen　Country；　to　Stade；　into　the　Sea；　that　Royal　Highness；　by　ill　luck；　retreated！　He　has　still　one　great　vexation　to　give　Friedrich；to　us　almost　a　comfort；　knowing　what　followed　out　of　it；and　will　have　to　be　mentioned　one　other　time　in　this　History；　and　then　go　over　our　horizon　altogether。

Whether　Friedrich　had　heard　of　Hastenbeck　the　day　his　Brother　and　he　met　（July　29th；　at　Bautzen）；　I　do　not　know：　but　it　is　likely　enough　he　may　have　got　the　news　that　very　morning；　which　was　not　calculated　to　increase　one's　good　humor！　His　meeting　with　the　Prince　is　royal；　not　fraternal；　as　all　men　have　heard。　Let　us　give　with　brevity；　from　Schmettau　Junior；　the　exact　features　of　it；　and　leave　the　candid　reader；　who　has　formed　to　himself　some　notion　of　kingship　and　its　sorrows　and　stern　conditions　（having　perhaps　himself　some　thing　of　kingly；　in　a　small　potential　way）；　to　interpret　the　matter；　and　make　what　he　can　of　it：

〃BAUTZEN；　29th　JULY；　1757。　The　King　with　reinforcement　is　coming　hither；　from　the　Dresden　side；　to　take　up　the　reins　of　this　dishevelled　Zittau　Army；　to　speed　with　it　against　the　Austrians；　and；　if　humanly　possible；　lock　the　doors　of　Silesia　and　Saxony　again；　and　chase　the　intruders　away。　Prince　of　Prussia　and　the　other　Generals　have　notice；　the　night　before：　'At　4　A。M。　to…morrow　（29th）；　wait　his　Majesty。'　Prince　and　Generals　wait　accordingly；　all　there　but　Goltz　and　Winterfeld；　they　not；　which　is　noted。

〃For　above　an　hour；　no　King；　Prince　and　Generals　ride　forward：　there　is　the　King　coming；　Prince　Henri；　Duke　Ferdinand　of　Brunswick　and　others　in　his　train。　King；　noticing　them；　at　about　300　paces　distance；　drew　bridle；　Prince　of　Prussia　did　the　like；　train　and　he　saluting　with　their　hats；　as　did　the　King's　train　in　return。　King　did　not　salute；on　the　contrary；　he　turned　his　horse　round　and　dismounted；　as　did　everybody　else　on　such　signal。　King　lay　down　on　the　ground；　as　if　waiting　the　arrival　of　his　Vanguard；　and　bade　Winterfeld　and　Goltz　sit　by　him。〃　Poor　Prince　of　Prussia；　and　battered　heavy…laden　Generals！　〃After　a　minute　or　two；　Goltz　came　over　and　whispered　to　the　Prince。　'Hither；　MEINE　HERREN；　all　of　you；　a　message　from　his　Majesty！'　cried　the　Prince。　Whereupon；　to　Generals　and　Prince；　Goltz　delivered；　in　equable　official　tone；　these　affecting　words：　'His　Majesty　commands　me　to　inform　your　Royal　Highness；　That　he　has　cause　to　be　greatly　discontented　with　you；　that　you　deserve　to　have　a　Court…martial　held　over　you；　which　would　sentence　you　and　all　your　Generals　to　death；　but　that　his　Majesty　will　not　carry　the　matter　so　far；　being　unable　to　forget　that　in　the　Chief　General　he　has　a　Brother！'〃　＇Schmettau；　pp。　384；　385。＇

The　Prince　answered；　He　wanted　only　a　Court…martial；　and　the　like；　in　stiff　tone。　Here　is　the　Letter　he　writes　next　day　to　his　Brother；　with　the　Answer：


PRINCE　OF　PRUSSIA　TO　THE　KING。

〃BAUTERN；　30th　July；　1757。

〃MY　DEAR　BROTHER；The　Letters　you　have　written　me；　and　the　reception　I　yesterday　met　with；　are　sufficient　proof　that；　in　your　opinion；　I　have　ruined　my　honor　and　reputation。　This　grieves；　but　it　does　not　crush　me；　as　in　my　own　mind　I　am　not　conscious　of　the　least　reproach。　I　am　perfectly　convinced　that　I　did　not　act　by　caprice：　I　did　not　follow　the　counsels　of　people　incapable　of　giving　good　ones；　I　have　done　what　I　thought　to　be　suitablest　for　the　Army。　All　your　Generals　will　do　me　that　justice。

〃I　reckon　it　useless　to　beg　of　you　to　have　my　conduct　investigated：　this　would　be　a　favor　you　would　do　me；　so　I　cannot　expect　it。　My　health　has　been　weakened　by　these　fatigues；　still　more　by　these　chagrins。　I　have　gone　to　lodge　in　the　Town；　to　recruit　myself。

〃I　have　requested　the　Duke　of　Bevern　to　present　the　Army　Reports；　he　can　give　you　explanation　of　everything。　Be　assured；　my　dear　Brother；　that　in　spite　of　the　misfortunes　which　overwhelm　me；　and　which　I　have　not　deserved；　I　shall　never　cease　to　be　attached　to　the　State；　and　as　a　faithful　member　of　the　same；　my　joy　will　be　perfect　when　I　learn　the　happy　issue　of　your　Enterprises。　I　have　the　honor　to　be〃

AUGUST　WILHELM。　　Main　de　Maitre；　　p。　21。＇

KING'S　ANSWER；　THE　SAME　DAY。

〃CAMP　NEAR　BAUTZEN；　30th　July；　1757。　〃MY　DEAR　BROTHER；Your　bad　guidance　has　greatly　deranged　my　affairs。　It　is　not　the　Enemy；　it　is　your　ill…judged　measures　that　have　done　me　all　this　mischief。　My　Generals　are　inexcusable；　either　for　advising　you　so　ill；　or　in　permitting　you　to　follow　resolutions　so　unwise。　Your　ears　are　accustomed　to　listen　to　the　talk　of　flatterers　only。　Daun　has　not　flattered　you；behold　the　consequences。　In　this　aad　situation；　nothing　is　left　for　me　but　trying　the　last　extremity。　I　must　go　and　give　battle；　and　if　we　cannot　conquer；　we　must　all　of　us　have　ourselves　killed。

〃I　do　not　complain　of　your　heart；　but　I　do　of　your　incapaciy；　of　your　want　of　judgment　in　not　choosing　better　methods。　A　man　who　＇like　me；　mark　the　phrase；　from　such　a　quarter！＇　has　but　a　few　days　to　live　need　not　dissemble。　I　wish　you　better　fortune　than　mine　has　been：　and　that　all　the　miseries　and　bad　adventures　you　have　had　may　teach　you　to　treat　important　things　with　more　of　care；　more　of　sense；　and　more　of　resolution。　The　greater　part　of　the　misfortunes　which　I　now　see　to　be　near　comes　only　from　you。　You　and　your　Children　will　be　more　overwhelmed　by　them　than　I。　Be　persuaded　nevertheless　that　I　have　always　loved　you；　and　that　with　these　sentiments　I　shall　die。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　FRIEDRICH。〃　＇MAIN　DE　MAITRE；　p。　22。＇

As　the　King　went　off　to　the　Heights　of　Weissenberg；　Zittau　way；　to　encamp　there　against　the　Austrians；　that　same　evening；　the　Prince　did　not　answer　this　Letter；except　by　asking　verbally　through　Lieutenant…Colonel　Lentulus　（a　mute　Swiss　figure；　much　about　the　King；　who　often　turns　up　in　these　Histories）；　〃for　leave　to　return　to　Dresden　by　the　first　escort。〃〃Depends　on　himself；an　escort　is　going　this　night！　answered　Friedrich。　And　the　Prince　went　accordingly；　and；　by　two　stages；　got　into　Dresden　with　his　escort　on　the　morrow。　And　had；　not　yet　conscious　of　it；　quitted　the　Field　of　War　altogether；　and　was　soon　about　to　quit　the　world；　and　die；　poor　Prince。　Died　within　a　year；　12th　June；　1758；　at　Oranienburg；　beside　his　Family；　where　he　had　latterly　been。　＇Preuss；　ii。　60　（ib。　78）。＇Winterfeld　was　already　gone；　six　months　before　him；　Goltz　went；　not　long　after　him；　the　other　Zittau　Generals　all　survived　this　War。

The　poor　Prince's　fate；　as　natural；　was　much　pitied；　and　Friedrich；　to　this　day；　is　growled　at　for　〃inhuman　treatment〃　and　so　on。　Into　which　question　we　do　not　enter；　except　to　say　that　Friedrich　too　had　his　sorrows；　and　that　probably　his　concluding　words；　〃with　these　sentiments　I　shall　die；〃　were　perfectly　true。　MAIN　DE　MAITRE　went　widely　abroad　over　the　world。　The　poor　Prince's　words　and　procedures　were　eagerly　caught　up　by　a　scrutinizing　public；and　some　of　the　former　were　not　too　guarded。　At　Dresden；　he　said；　one　morning；　calling　on　a　General　Finck　whom　we　shall　hear　of　again：　〃Four　such　disagreeing；　thin…skinned；　high…pacing　（UNEINIGE；　PIQUIRTE）　Generals　as　Fouquet；　Schmettau；　Winterfeld　and　Goltz；　about　you；　what　was　to　be　done！〃　said　the　Prince　to　Finck。　＇Preuss；　ii。　79　n。：　see　ib。　60；　78。＇

His　Wife；　when　at　last　he　came　to　Oranienburg；　nursed　him　fondly；　that　is　one　comfortable　fact。　Prince　Henri；　to　the　last；　had　privately　a　grudge　of　peculiar　intensity；　on　this　score；　against　all　the　peccant　parties；　King　not　excepted。　As　indeed　he　was　apt　to　have；　on　various　scores；　the　jealous；　too　vehement　little　man。

Friedrich's　humor　at　this　time　I　can　guess　to　have　been　well…