history of friedrich ii of prussia v 16-第11章
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em 200 years old; and filling seventy Volumes); and of the 994 New ones; 772; not one Lawsuit remaining over from the previous Year。〃 A highly gratifying bit of news to his Majesty; who answers emphatically; EUGE! and directs that the Law Hercules proceed now to the other Provinces;to the Kur…Mark; now; and Berlin itself;with his salutary industries。 Naming him 〃Grand Chancellor;〃 moreover; that is to say; under a new title; Head of Prussian Law;old Arnim; 〃Minister of Justice;〃 having shown himself disaffected to Law…Reform; and got rebuked in consequence; and sulkily gone into private life。 'Stenzel; iv。 321; Ranke; iii。 389。'
In February of this Year; 1747; Friedrich had something like a stroke of apoplexy; 〃sank suddenly motionless; one day;〃 and sat insensible; perhaps for half an hour: to the terror and horror of those about him。 Hemiplegia; he calls it; rush of blood to the head;probably indigestion; or gouty humors; exasperated by over… fatigue。 Which occasioned great rumor in the world; and at Paris; to Voltaire's horror; reports of his death。 He himself made light of the matter: 'To Voltaire; 22d February; 1747 ( OEuvres de Frederic; xxii。 164); see IB。 164 n。' and it did not prove to have been important; was never followed by anything similar through his long life; and produced no change in his often… wavering health; or in his habits; which were always steady。 He is writing MEMOIRS; settling 〃Colonies〃 (on his waste moors); improving Harbors。 Waiting when this European War will end; politely deaf to the offers of Britannic Majesty as to taking the least personal share in it。
Chapter III。
EUROPEAN WAR FALLS DONE: TREATY OF AIX…LA…CHAPELLE。
The preparations for Campaign 1748 were on a larger scale than ever。 Britannic Subsidies; a New Parliament being of willing mind; are opulent to a degree; 192;000 men; 60;000 Austrians for one item; shall be in the Netherlands;coupled with this remarkable new clause; 〃And they are to be there in fact; and not on paper only;〃 and with a tare…and…tret of 30 or 40 per cent; as too often heretofore! Holland; under its new Stadtholder; is stanch of purpose; if of nothing else。 The 35;000 Russians; tramping along; are actually dawning over the horizon; towards Teutschland;King Friedrich standing to arms along his Silesian Border; vigilant 〃Cordon of Troops all the way;〃 in watch of such questionable transit。 'In ADELUNG; vi。 110; 143; 167; 399 (〃April; 1747…August; 1748〃); account of the more and more visible ill…will of the Czarina: 〃jealousy〃 about Sweden; about Dantzig; Poland; &c。 &c。' Britannic Majesty and Parliament seem resolute to try; once more; to the utmost; the power of the breeches…pocket in defending this sacred Cause of Liberty so called。
Breeches…pocket MINUS most other requisites: alas; with such methods as you have; what can come of it? Royal Highness of Cumberland is a valiant man; knowing of War little more than the White Horse of Hanover does;certain of ruin again; at the hands of Marechal de Saxe。 So think many; and have their dismal misgivings。 〃Saxe having eaten Bergen…op…Zoom before our eyes; what can withstand the teeth of Saxe?〃 In fact; there remains only Maestricht; of considerable; and then Holland is as good as his! As for King Louis; glory; with funds running out; and the pot ceasing to boil; has lost its charm to an afflicted France and him。 King Louis's wishes are known; this long while;and Ligonier; generously dismissed by him after Lauffeld; has brought express word to that effect; and outline of the modest terms proposed in one's hour of victory; with pot ceasing to boil。
On a sudden; too; 〃March 18th;〃wintry blasts and hailstorms still raging;Marechal de Saxe; regardless of Domestic Hunger; took the field; stronger than ever。 Manoeuvred about; bewildering the mind of Royal Highness and the Stadtholder (〃Will he besiege Breda? Will he do this; will he do that?〃)poor Highness and poor Stadtholder; who 〃did not agree well together;〃 and had not the half of their forces come in; not to speak of handling them when come! Bewilderment of these two once completed; Marechal de Saxe made 〃a beautiful march upon Maestricht; 〃 and; April 15th; opened trenches; a very Vesuvius of artillery; before that place; Royal Highness gazing into it; in a doleful manner; from the adjacent steeple…tops。 Royal Highness; valor's self; has to admit: 〃Such an outlook; not half of us got together! The 60;000 Austrians are but 30;000; the In fact; you will have to make Peace; what else?〃 'His Letters; in Coxe's Pelham (〃March 29th…April 2d; 1748〃); i。 405…410。' Nothing else; as has been evident to practical Official People (especially to frugal Pelham; Chesterfield and other leading heads) for these two months last past。
In a word; those 35;000 Russians are still far away under the horizon; when thoughts of a new Congress; 〃Congress of Aix…la… Chapelle;〃 are busying the public mind: 〃Mere moonshine again?〃 〃Something real this time?〃And on and from March 17th (Lord Sandwich first on the ground; and Robinson from Vienna coming to help); the actual Congress begins assembling there。 April 24th; the Congress gets actually to business; very intent on doing it; at least the three main parties; France; England; Holland; are supremely so。 Who; finding; for five diligent days; nothing but haggle and objection on the part of the others; did by themselves meet under cloud of night; 〃night of April 29th…30th;〃 andbring the Preliminaries to perfection。 And have them signed before daybreak; which is; in effect; signing; or at least fixing as certain; the Treaty itself; so that Armistice can ensue straightway; and the War essentially end。
A fixed thing; the Purseholders having signed。 On the safe rear of which; your recipient Subsidiary Parties can argue and protest (as the Empress…Queen and her Kaunitz vehemently did; to great lengths); and gradually come in and finish。 Which; in the course of the next six months; they all did; Empress…Queen and Excellency Kaunitz not excepted。 And so; October 18th; 1748; all details being; in the interim; either got settled; or got flung into corners as unsettleable (mostly the latter);Treaty itself was signed by everybody; and there was 〃Peace of Aix…la…Chapelle。〃 Upon which; except to remark transiently how inconclusive a conclusion it was; mere end of war because your powder is run out; mere truce till you gather breath and gunpowder again; we will spend no word in this place。 'Complete details in ADELUNG; vi。 225…409: 〃October; 1747;〃 Ligonier returning; and first rumor of new Congress (226); 〃17th March; 1748;〃 Sandwich come (323); 〃April 29th…30th;〃 meet under cloud of night (326); Kaunitz protesting (339): 〃2d August;〃 Russians to halt and turn (397); 〃are over into the Oberpfalz; magazines ahead at Nurnberg;〃 in September; get to Bohmen again; and winter there: 〃18th October; 1748;〃 Treaty finished (398; 409); Treaty itself given (IB。; Beylage; 44)。 See Gentleman's Magazine; and OLD NEWSPAPERS of 1748; Coxe's Pelham; ii。 7…41; i。 366…416。'
〃The Treaty of Aix…la…Chapelle was done in a hurry and a huddle; greatly to Maria Theresa's disgust。 'Why not go on with your expenditures; ye Sea…Powers? Can money and life be spent better? I have yet conquered next to nothing for the Cause of Liberty and myself!' But the Sea…Powers were tired of it; the Dutch especially; who had been hoisted with such difficulty; tended strongly; New Stadtholder notwithstanding; to plump down again into stable equilibrium on the broad…bottom principle。 Huddle up the matter; end it; well if you can; any way end it。 The Treaty contained many Articles; now become forgettable to mankind。 There is only One Article; and the Want of One; which shall concern us in this place。 The One Article is: guarantee by all the European Powers to Friedrich's Treaty of Dresden。 Punctually got as bargained for; French especially willing; Britannic Majesty perhaps a little languid; but his Ministers positive on the point; so that Friedrioh's Envoy had not much difficulty at Aix。 And now; Friedrich's Ownership of Silesia recognized by all the Powers to be final an