history of friedrich ii of prussia v 16-第52章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　of　my　family！　I　brought　to　Berlin　about　a　score　of　teeth；　there　remain　to　me　something　like　six；　I　brought　two　eyes；　I　have　nearly　lost　one　of　them；　I　brought　no　erysipelas；　and　I　have　got　one；　which　I　take　a　great　deal　of　care　of。　。。。　Meanwhile　I　have　buried　almost　all　my　Doctors；　even　La　Mettrie。　Remains　only　that　I　bury　Codenius　＇Cothenius＇；　who　looks　too　stiff；　however；〃and；　at　any　rate；　return　to　you　in　Spring；　when　roads　and　weather　improve。　＇　OEuvres　de　Voltaire；　　lxxxv。　141。＇

FRIEDRICH　TO　VOLTAIRE　（Potsdam；　uncertain　date）。　〃There　was　no　need　of　that　pretext　about　the　waters　of　Plombieres；　in　demanding　your　leave　（CONGE）。　You　can　quit　my　service　when　you　like：　but；　before　going；　be　so　good　as　return　me　the　Contract　of　your　Engagement；　the　Key　＇Chamberlain's＇；　the　Cross　＇of　Merit＇；　and　the　Volume　of　Verses　which　I　confided　to　you。

〃I　wish　my　Works；　and　only　they；　had　been　what　you　and　Konig　attacked。　Them　I　sacrifice；　with　a　great　deal　of　willingness；　to　persons　who　think　of　increasing　their　own　reputation　by　lessening　that　of　others。　I　have　not　the　folly　nor　vanity　of　certain　Authors。　The　cabals　of　literary　people　seem　to　me　the　disgrace　of　Literature。　I　do　not　the　less　esteem　honorable　cultivators　of　Literature；　it　is　only　the　caballers　and　their　leaders　that　are　degraded　in　my　eyes。　On　this；　I　pray　God　to　have　you　in　his　holy　and　worthy　keeping。FRIEDRICH。〃　＇In　De　Prades's　hand；　　OEuvres　de　Frederic；　　xxii。　308；　309：　Friedrich's　own　Minute　to　De　Prades　has；　instead　of　these　last　three　lines：　〃That　I　have　not　the　folly　and　vanity　of　authors；　and　that　the　cabals　of　literary　people　seem　to　me　the　depth　of　degradation；〃　&c。＇

VOLTAIRE　SPECTRALLY　GIVEN　（Collini　LOQUITUR）。　〃One　evening　walking　in　the　garden　＇at　rural　Belvedere；after　March　5th＇；　talking　of　our　situation；　he　asked　me；　'Could　you　drive　a　coach…and…two？'　I　stared　at　him　a　moment；　but　knowing　that　there　must　be　no　direct　contradiction　of　his　ideas；　I　said　'Yes。''Well；　then；　listen；　I　have　thought　of　a　method　for　getting　away。　You　could　buy　two　horses；　a　chariot　after　that。　So　soon　as　we　have　horses；　it　will　not　appear　strange　that　we　lay　in　a　little　hay。''Yes；　Monsieur；　and　what　should　we　do　with　that？'　said　I。　'LE　VOICI　（this　is　it）。　We　will　fill　the　chariot　with　hay。　In　the　middle　of　the　hay　we　will　put　all　our　baggage。　I　will　place　myself；　disguised；　on　the　top　of　the　hay；　and　give　myself　out　for　a　Calvinist　Curate　going　to　see　one　of　his　Daughters　married　in　the　next　Town。　You　shall　drive：　we　take　the　shortest　road　for　the　Saxon　Border；　safe　there；　we　sell　chariot；　horses；　hay；　then　straight　to　Leipzig；　by　post。'　At　which　point；　or　soon　after；　he　burst　into　laughing。〃　＇Collini；　p。　53。＇

VOLTAIRE　TO　FRIEDRICH　（〃Berlin；　Belvedere；〃　rural　lodging；　＇〃In　the　STRALAUER　VORSTADT　（HODIE；　Woodmarket　Street）：〃　Preuss's　Note　to　this　Letter；　　OEuvres　de　Frederic；　　xxii。　306　n。＇　〃12th　March；〃　1753）。　〃Sire；　I　have　had　a　Letter　from　Konig；　quite　open；　as　my　heart　is。　I　think　it　my　duty　to　send　your　Majesty　a　duplicate　of　my　Answer。　。。。　Will　submit　to　you　every　step　of　my　conduct；　of　my　whole　life；　in　whatever　place　I　end　it。　I　am　Konig's　friend；　but　assuredly　I　am　much　more　attached　to　your　Majesty；　and　if　he　were　capable　the　least　in　the　world　of　failing　in　respect　＇as　is　rumored＇；　I　would〃Enough！

FRIEDRICH　RELENTS　（To　Voltaire；　De　Prades　writing；　Friedrich　covertly　dictating：　no　date）。　〃The　King　has　held　his　Consistory；　and　it　has　there　been　discussed；　Whether　your　case　was　a　mortal　sin　or　a　venial？　In　truth；　all　the　Doctors　owned　that　it　was　mortal；　and　even　exceedingly　confirmed　as　such　by　repeated　lapses　and　relapses。　Nevertheless；　by　the　plenitude　of　the　grace　of　Beelzebub；　which　rests　in　the　said　King；　he　thinks　he　can　absolve　you；　if　not　in　whole；　yet　in　part。　This　would　be；　of　course；　in　virtue　of　some　act　of　contrition　and　penitence　imposed　on　you：　but　as；　in　the　Empire　of　Satan；　there　is　a　great　respect　had　of　genius；　I　think；　on　the　whole；　that；　for　the　sake　of　your　talents；　one　might　pardon　a　good　many　things　which　do　discredit　to　your　heart。　These　are　the　Sovereign　Pontiff's　words；　which　I　have　carefully　taken　down。　They　are　a　Prophecy　rather。〃　＇　OEuvres　de　Frederic；　　xxii。　307。＇

VOLTAIRE　TO　DE　PRADES　（〃Belvedere；　15th　March；〃　1753）。　〃Dear　Abbe；　Your　style　has　not　appeared　to　me　soft。　You　are　a　frank　Secretary　of　State：nevertheless　I　give　you　warning；　it　is　to　be　a　settled　point　that　I　embrace　you　before　going。　I　shall　not　be　able　to　kiss　you；　my　lips　are　too　choppy　from　my　devil　of　a　disorder　＇SCURVY；　I　hear＇。　You　will　easily　dispense　with　my　kisses；　but　don't　dispense；　I　pray　you；　with　my　warm　and　true　friendship。

〃I　own　I　am　in　despair　at　quitting　you；　and　quitting　the　King；　but　it　is　a　thing　indispensable。　Consider　with　our　dear　Marquis　＇D'Argens＇；　with　Fredersdorf；PARBLEU；　with　the　King　himself；　How　you　can　manage　that　I　have　the　consolation　of　seeing　him　before　I　go。　I　absolutely　will　have　it；　I　will　embrace　with　my　two　arms　the　Abbe　and　the　Marquis。　The　Marquis　sha'n't　be　kissed；　any　more　than　you；　nor　the　King　either。　But　I　shall　perhaps　fall　blubbering；　I　am　weak；　I　am　a　drenched　hen。　I　shall　make　a　foolish　figure：　never　mind；　I　must；　once　more；　have　sight　of　you　two。　If　I　cannot　throw　myself　at　the　King's　feet；　the　Plombieres　waters　will　kill　me。　I　await　your　answer；　to　quit　this　Country　as　a　happy　or　as　a　miserable　man。　Depend　on　me　for　life。V。〃　＇Ib。　308。＇This　is　the　last　of　these　obscure　Documents。

Three　days　after　which；　〃evening　of　March　18th〃；　＇Collini；　pp。　55；　56。＇　Voltaire；　Collini　with　him　and　all　his　packages；　sets　out　for　Potsdam；　King's　guest　once　more。　Sees　the　King　in　person　〃after　dinner；　next　day；〃　stays　with　him　almost　a　week；　〃quite　gay　together；〃　〃some　private　quizzing　even　of　Maupertuis〃　（if　we　could　believe　Collini　or　his　master　on　that　point）；　means　〃to　return　in　October；　when　quite　refitted；〃does　at　least　（note　it；　reader）；　on　that　ground；　retain　his　Cross　and　Key；　and　his　Gift　of　the　OEUVRE　DE　POESIES：　which　he　had　much　better　have　left！　And　finally；　morning　of　March　25th）　1753；　＇Collini；　p。　56；　see　Rodenbeck；　i。　252。＇　drives　off；towards　Dresden；　where　there　are　Printing　Affairs　to　settle；　and　which　is　the　nearest　safe　City；and　Friedrich　and　he；　intending　so　or　not；　have　seen　one　another　for　the　last　time。　Not　quite　intending　that　extremity；　either　of　them；　I　should　think；　but　both　aware　that　living　together　was　a　thing　to　be　avoided　henceforth。

〃Take　care　of　your　health；　above　all；　and　don't　forget　that　I　expect　to　see　you　again　after　the　Waters！〃　such　was　Friedrich's　adieu；　say　the　French　Biographers；　＇Collini；　p。　57；　Duvernet；　p。　186；　　OEuvres　de　Voltaire；　　lxxv。　187　（〃will　return　in　October〃）。＇　〃who　is　himself　just　going　off　to　the　Silesian　Reviews〃；　add　they；who　does；　in　reality；　drive　to　Berlin　that　day；　but　not　to　the　Silesian　Reviews　till　May　following。　As　Voltaire　himself　will　experience；　to　his　cost！


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Chapter　XII。

　　　　　　OF　THE　AFTERPIECE；　WHICH　PROVED　STILL　MORE　TRAGICAL。

Voltaire；　once　safe　on　Saxon　ground；　was　in　no　extreme　haste　for　Plombieres。　He　deliberately　settled　his　Printing　Affairs　at　Dresden；　then　at　Leipzig；and　scattered　through　Newspapers；　or　what　port…holes　he　had；　various　fiery　darts　against　Maupertuis；　aggravating　the　humors　in　Berlin；　and　provoking　Maupertuis　to　write　him　an　express　Letter。　Letter　which　is　too　curious；　especially　the　Answer　it　gets；　to　be　quite　omitted：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　MAUPERTUIS　TO　VOLTAIRE　（at　Leipzig）。

〃BERLIN；　3d　APRIL；　1753。　If　it　is　true　that　you　design　to　attack　me　again　＇with　your　LA…BEAUMELLE　doggeries　and　scurrilous　discussions＇；　I　declare　to　you　that　I　have　still　health　enough　to　find　you　wherever　you　are；　and　to　take　the　most　signal　vengeance　on　you　（VENGEANCE　LA　PLUS　ECLATANTE）。　Thank　the　respect　and　the　obedience　which　have　hitherto　restrained　my　arm；　and　saved　you　from　the　worst　adventure　you　have　ever　yet　had。　　　　　　　　MAUPERTUIS。〃

　　　　　　　　VOLTAIRE'S　ANSWER　（from　Leipzig；　a　few　days　after）。

〃M。　le　President；I　have　had　the　honor　to　receive　your　Letter。　You　inform　me　that　you　are　well；　that　your　strength　is　ent