history of friedrich ii of prussia v 16-第12章
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iculty at Aix。 And now; Friedrich's Ownership of Silesia recognized by all the Powers to be final and unquestionable; surely nothing more is wanted? Nothing; except keeping of this solemn stipulation by all the Powers。 How it was kept by some of them; in what sense some of them are keeping it even now; we shall see by and by。
〃The Want of an Article was; on the part of England; concerning JENKINS'S EAR。 There is not the least conclusion arrived at on that important Spanish…English Question; blind beginning of all these conflagrations; and which; in its meaning to the somnambulant Nation; is so immense。 No notice taken of it; huddled together; some hasty shovelful or two of diplomatic ashes cast on it; 'As good as extinct; you see!' Left smoking; when all the rest is quenched。 Considerable feeling there was; on this point; in the heart of the poor somnambulant English Nation; much dumb or semi… articulate growling on such a Peace…Treaty: 'We have arrived nowhere; then; by all this fighting; and squandering; and perilous stumbling among the chimney…pots? Spain (on its own showing) owed us 95;000 pounds。 Spain's debt to Hanover; yes; you take care of that; some old sixpenny matter; which nobody ever heard of before: and of Spain's huge debt to England you drop no hint; of the 95;000 pounds; clear money; due by Spain; or of one's liberty to navigate the High Seas; none!' 'PROTEST OF ENGLISH MERCHANTS AGAINST; &c。 (〃May; 1748〃) given in ADELUNG; vi。 353…358。' A Peace the reverse of applauded in England; though the wiser Somnambulants; much more Pitt and Friends; who are broad awake on these German points; may well be thankful to see such a War end on any terms。〃
Well; surely this old admitted 95;000 pounds should have been paid! And; to a moral certainty; Robinson and Sandwich must have made demand of it from the Spaniard。 But there is no getting old Debts in; especially from that quarter。 〃King Friedrich 'let me interrupt; for a moment; with this poor composite Note' is trying in Spain even now;ever since 1746; when Termagant's Husband died; and a new King came;for payment of old debt: Two old Debts; quite tolerably just both of them。 King Friedrich keeps trying till 1749; three years in all: and; in the end; gets nothing whatever。 Nothing;except some Merino Rams in the interim;〃 gift from the new King of Spain; I can suppose; which proved extremely useful in our Wool Industries; 〃and; from the same polite Ferdinand VI。; a Porcelain Vase filled with Spanish Snuff。〃 That was all!
King Friedrich; let me note farther; is getting decidedly deep into snuff; holds by SPANIOL (a dry yellow pungency; analogous to Lundy… foot or Irish…Blackguard; known to snuffy readers); always by Spaniol; we say; and more especially 〃the kind used by her Majesty of Spain;〃 the now Dowager Termagant: 'Orders this kind; from his Ambassador in Paris; 〃30th September; 1743:〃 the earliest extant trace of his snuffing habits (Preuss; i。 409)。NOTE FARTHER (if interesting): 〃The Termagant still lasted as Dowager; consuming SPANIOL at least; for near twenty years (died 11th July; 1766); the new King; Ferdinand VI。; was her STEPson; not her son; he went mad; poor soul; and died (10th August; 1759): upon which; Carlos of Naples; our own 'Baby Carlos' that once was; succeeded in Spain; 'King Carlos III。 of Spain;' leaving his Son; a young boy under tutelage; as King of the Two Sicilies (King 'Ferdinand IV。;' who did not die; but had his difficulties; till 1825)。 Don Philip; who had fought so in those Savoy Passes; and got the bit of Parmesan Country; died 1765; the year before Mamma。〃' which; also; is to be remembered。 Dryasdust adds; in his sweetly consecutive way: 〃Friedrich was very expensive about his snuff…boxes; wore two big rich boxes in his pockets; five or six stood on tables about; and more than a hundred in store; coming out by turns for variety。 The cheapest of them cost 300 pounds (2;000 thalers); he had them as high as 1;500 pounds。 At his death; there were found 130 of various values: they were the substance of all the jewelry he had; besides these snuff…boxes; two gold watches only; and a very small modicum of rings。 Had yearly for personal Expenditure 1;200;000 thalers '180;000 pounds of Civil List; as we should say'; SPENT 33;000 pounds of it; and yearly gave the rest away in Royal beneficences; aid of burnt Villages; inundated Provinces; and multifarious PATER…PATRIAE objects。〃 'Preuss; i。 409; 410;' In regard to JENKINS'S EAR; my Constitutional Friend continues:
〃SILESIA and JENKINS'S EAR; we often say; were the two bits of realities in this enormous hurly…burly of imaginations; insane ambitions; and zeros and negative quantities。 Negative Belleisle goes home; not with Germany cut in Four and put under guidance of the First Nation of the Universe (so extremely fit for guiding self and neighbors); but with the First Nation itself reduced almost to wallet and staff; bankrupt; beggared 'Yes;' it answers; 'in all but glory! Have not we gained Fontenoy; Roucoux; Lauffeld; and strong…places innumerable 'mostly in a state of dry…rot'? Did men ever fight as we Frenchmen; combining it with theatrical entertainments; too! Sublime France; First Nation of the Universe; will try another flight (ESSOR); were she breathed a little!'
〃Yes; a new ESSOR ere long; and perhaps surprise herself and mankind! The losses of men; money and resource; under this mad empty Enterprise of Belleisle's; were enormous; palpable to France and all mortals: but perhaps these were trifling to the replacement of them by such GLOIRE as there had been。 A GLOIRE of plunging into War on no cause at all; and with an issue consisting only of foul gases of extreme levity。 Messieurs are of confessed promptitude to fight; and their talent for it; in some kinds; is very great indeed。 But this treating of battle and slaughter; of death; judgment and eternity; as light play…house matters; this of rising into such transcendency of valor; as to snap your fingers in the face of the Almighty Maker; this; Messieurs; give me leave to say so; is a thing that will conduct you and your PREMIERE NATION to the Devil; if you do not alter it。 Inevitable; I tell you! Your road lies that way; then? Good morning; Messieurs; let me still hope; Not!〃
Diplomatist Kaunitz gained his first glories in this Congress of Aix; which are still great in the eyes of some。 Age now thirty… seven; a native of these Western parts; but henceforth; by degrees ever more; the shining star and guide of Austrian Policies down almost to our own New Epoch。 As; unluckily; he will concern us not a little; in time coming; let us read this Note; as foreshadow of the man and his doings:
〃The glory of Count; ultimately Prince; von Kaunitz…Rietberg; is great in Diplomatic Circles of the past Century。 'The greatest of Diplomatists;' they all say;and surely it is reckoned something to become the greatest in your line。 Farther than this; to the readers of these times; Kaunitz…Rietberg's glory does not go。 A great character; great wisdom; lasting great results to his Country; readers do not trace in Kaunitz's diplomacies;only temporary great results; or what he and the by…standers thought such; to Kaunitz himself。 He was the Supreme Jove; we perceive; in that extinct Olympus; and regards with sublime pity; not unallied to contempt; all other diplomatic beings。 A man sparing of words; sparing even of looks; will hardly lift his eyelids for your sake; will lift perhaps his chin; in slight monosyllabic fashion; and stalk superlatively through the other door。 King of the vanished Shadows。 A determined hater of Fresh Air; rode under glass cover; on the finest day; made the very Empress shut her windows when he came to audience; fed; cautiously daring; on boiled capons: more I remember not;except also that he would suffer no mention of the word Death by any mortal。 'Hormayr; OEsterreichischer Plutarch; iv。 (3tes); 231…283。' A most high…sniffing; fantastic; slightly insolent shadow…king;ruled; in his time; the now vanished Olympus; and had the difficult glory (defective only in result) of uniting France and Austria AGAINST the poor old Sea… Power milk…cows; for the purpose of recovering Silesia from Friedrich; a few ye