HISTORY OF FRIEDRICH II OF PRUSSIA, Volume 14

by Thomas Carlyle

BOOK XIV. --THE SURROUNDING EUROPEAN WAR DOES NOT END. --August, 1742-July, 1744. 

Chapter I. --FRIEDRICH RESUMES HIS PEACEABLE PURSUITS. 

Friedrich's own Peace being made on such terms, his wish and hope was, that it might soon be followed by a general European one; that, thelive-coal, which had kindled this War, being quenched, the War itselfmight go out. Silesia is his; farther interest in the Controversy, except that it would end itself in some fair manner, he has none. "Silesia being settled, " think many, thinks Friedrich for one, "whatelse of real and solid is there to settle?"

The European Public, or benevolent individuals of it everywhere, indulged also in this hope. "How glorious is my King, the youngestof the Kings and the grandest!" exclaims Voltaire (in his Lettersto Friedrich, at this time), and re-exclaims, till Friedrich has tointerfere, and politely stop it: "A King who carries in the one hand anall-conquering sword, but in the other a blessed olive-branch, andis the Arbiter of Europe for Peace or War!" "Friedrich the THIRD [soVoltaire calls him, counting ill, or misled by ignorance of Germannomenclature], Friedrich the Third, I mean Friedrich the Great (FREDERICLE GRAND), " will do this, and do that;--probably the first emergence ofthat epithet in human speech, as yet in a quite private hypothetic way. [Letters of Voltaire, in _OEuvres de Frederic, _ xxii. 100, &c. : thislast Letter is of date "July, 1742"--almost contemporary with the "JauerTransparency" noticed above. ] Opinions about Friedrich's conduct, abouthis talents, his moralities, there were many (all wide of the mark): butthis seemed clear, That the weight of such a sword as his, thrown intoeither scale, would be decisive; and that he evidently now wished peace. An unquestionable fact, that latter! Wished it, yes, right heartily; andalso strove to hope, --though with less confidence than the benevolentoutside Public, as knowing the interior of the elements better. 

These hopes, how fond they were, we now all know. True, my friends, the live-coal which kindled this incendiary whirlpool (ONE of thelive-coals, first of them that spread actual flame in these Europeanparts, and first of them all except Jenkins's Ear) is out, fairlywithdrawn; but the fire, you perceive, rages not the less. The fire willnot quench itself, I doubt, till the bitumen, sulphur and other angryfuel have run much lower! Austria has fighting men in abundance, Englandbehind it has guineas; Austria has got injuries, then successes:--thereis in Austria withal a dumb pride, quite equal in pretensions to thevocal vanity of France, and far more stubborn of humor. The First Nationof the Universe, rashly hurling its fine-throated hunting-pack, orArmy of the Oriflamme, into Austria, --see what a sort of badgers, andgloomily indignant bears, it has awakened there! Friedrich had to takearms again; and an unwelcome task it was to him, and a sore and costly. We shall be obliged (what is our grand difficulty in this History) tonote, in their order, the series of European occurrences; and, tediousas the matter now is, keep readers acquainted with the current of thatbig War; in which, except Friedrich broad awake, and the Ear of Jenkinsin somnambulancy, there is now next to nothing to interest a humancreature. 

It is an error still prevalent in England, though long since explodedeverywhere else, that Friedrich wanted new wars, "new successfulrobberies, " as our Gazetteers called them; and did wilfully plungeinto this War again, in the hope of again doing a stroke in that kind. English readers, on consulting the facts a little, will not hesitate tosweep that notion altogether away. Shadow of basis, except in their ownangry uninformed imaginations, they will find it never had; and thatprecisely the reverse is manifest in Friedrich's History. A perfectlyclear-sighted Friedrich; able to discriminate shine from substance;and gravitating always towards the solid, the actual. That of "GLOIRE, "which he owns to at starting, we saw how soon it died out, choked inthe dire realities. That of Conquering Hero, in the Macedonia's-madmanstyle, was at all times far from him, if the reader knew it, --perhapsnever farther from any King who had such allurements to it, suchopportunities for it. This his First Expedition to Silesia--a rushingout to seize your own stolen horse, while the occasion answered--was avoluntary one; produced, we may say, by Friedrich's own thought and theInvisible Powers. But the rest were all purely compulsory, --to defendthe horse he had seized. Clear necessities, and Powers very Visible, were the origin of all his other Expeditions and Warlike Struggles, which lasted to the end of his life. 

That recent "Moravian Foray;" the joint-stock principle in War matters;and the terrible pass a man might reduce himself to, at thatenormous gaming-table of the gods, if he lingered there: think whatconsiderations these had been for him! So that "his look becameFAROUCHE, " in the sight of Valori; and the spectre of Ruin kept himcompany, and such hell-dogs were in chase of him;--till Czaslau, whenthe dice fell kind again! All this had been didactic on a young docileman. He was but thirty gone. And if readers mark such docility at thoseyears, they will find considerable meaning in it. Here are prudence, moderation, clear discernment; very unusual VERACITY of intellect, as wedefine it, --which quality, indeed, is the summary and victorious outcomeof all manner of good qualities, and faithful performances, in a man. "Given up to strong delusions, " in the tragical way many are, Friedrichwas not; and, in practical matters, very seldom indeed "believed a lie. "

Certain it is, he now resumes his old Reinsberg Program of Life;probably with double relish, after such experiences the other way; andprosecutes it with the old ardor; hoping much that his History will beof halcyon pacific nature, after all. Would the mad War-whirlpool butquench itself; dangerous for singeing a near neighbor, who is only justgot out of it! Fain would he be arbiter, and help to quench it; but itwill not quench. For a space of Two Years or more (till August, 1744, Twenty-six Months in all), Friedrich, busy on his own affairs, withcarefully neutral aspect towards this War, yet with sword ready fordrawing in case of need, looks on with intense vigilance; using hiswisest interference, not too often either, in that sense and in thatonly, "Be at Peace; oh, come to Peace!"--and finds that the benevolentPublic and he have been mistaken in their hopes. For the next Two Years, we say:--for the first Year (or till about August, 1743), with hopenot much abated, and little actual interference needed; for the latterTwelvemonth, with hope ever more abating; interference, warning, almostthreatening ever more needed, and yet of no avail, as if they had beenidle talking and gesticulation on his part:--till, in August, 1744, hehad to--But the reader shall gradually see it, if by any method we canshow it him, in something of its real sequence; and shall judge of it byhis own light. 

Friedrich's Domestic History was not of noisy nature, during thisinterval:--and indeed in the bewildered Records given of it, there isnothing visible, at first, but one wide vortex of simmering inanities;leading to the desperate conclusion that Friedrich had no domestichistory at all. Which latter is by no means the fact! Your poor PrussianDryasdust (without even an Index to help you) being at least authentic, if you look a long time intensely and on many sides, features do at lastdawn out of those sad vortexes; and you find the old Reinsberg Programrisen to activity again; and all manner of peaceable projects going on. Friedrich visits the Baths of Aachen (what we call Aix-la-Chapelle);has the usual Inspections, business activities, recreations, visitsof friends. He opens his Opera-House, this first winter. He enterson Law-reform, strikes decisively into that grand problem; hoping toperfect it. What is still more significant, he in private begins writinghis MEMOIRS. And furthermore, gradually determines on having a littleCountry House, place of escape from his big Potsdam Palace; and getsplans drawn for it, --place which became very famous, by the name ofSANS-SOUCI, in times coming. His thoughts are wholly pacific; of Life toMinerva and the Arts, not to Bellona and the Battles:--and yet he knowswell, this latter too is an inexorable element. About his Army, he isquietly busy; augmenting, improving it; the staff of life to Prussia andhim. 

Silesian Fortress-building, under ugly Walrave, goes on at asteadily swift rate. Much Silesian settlement goes on; fixing of thePrussian-Austrian Boundaries without; of the Catholic-Protestant limitswithin: rapid, not too rough, remodelling of the Province from Austrianinto Prussian, in the Financial, Administrative and every otherrespect:--in all which important operations the success was noiseless, but is considered to have been perfect, or nearly so. Cannot we, fromthese enormous Paper-masses, carefully riddled, afford the reader aglimpse or two, to quicken his imagination of these things?

SETTLES THE SILESIAN BOUNDARIES, THE SILESIAN ARRANGEMENTS; WITHMANIFEST PROFIT TO SILESIA AND HIMSELF. 

In regard to the Marches, Herr Nussler, as natural, was again the personemployed. Nussler, shifty soul, wide-awake at all times, has alreadyseen this Country; "noticed the Pass into Glatz with its block-house, and perceived that his Majesty would want it. " From September 22d toDecember 12th, 1742, the actual Operation went on; ratified, completelyset at rest, 16th January following. [Busching, _Beitrage, _? Nussler:and Busching's _Magazin, _ b. X. (Halle, 1776); where, pp. 475-538, is a"GESCHICHTE DER &c. SHLESISCHEN GRANZSCHEIDUNG IM JAHR 1742, " in greatamplitude and authenticity. ] Nussler serves on three thalers (nineshillings) a day. The Austrian Head-Commissioner has 5 pounds (thirtythalers) a day; but he is an elderly fat gentleman, pursy, scant ofbreath; cannot stand the rapid galloping about, and thousand-foldinspecting and detailing; leaves it all to Nussler; who goes like thewind. Thus, for example, Nussler dictates, at evening from his saddle, the mutual Protocol of the day's doings; Old Pursy sitting by, impatientfor supper, and making no criticisms. Then at night, Nussler privatelymounts again; privately, by moonlight, gallops over the ground they areto deal with next day, and takes notice of everything. No wonder theboundary-pillars, set up in such manner, which stand to this day, bearmarks that Prussia here and there has had fair play!--Poor Nussler hasno fixed appointment yet, except one of about 100 pounds a year: in allmy travels I have seen no man of equal faculty at lower wages. Nor didhe ever get any signal promotion, or the least exuberance of wages, thispoor Nussler;--unless it be that he got trained to perfect veracity ofworkmanship, and to be a man without dry-rot in the soul of him; whichindeed is incalculable wages. Income of 100 pounds a year, and nodry-rot in the soul of you anywhere; income of 100, 000 pounds a year, and nothing but dry and wet rot in the soul of you (ugly appetitesunveracities, blusterous conceits, --and probably, as symbol of allthings, a pot-belly to your poor body itself): Oh, my friends!

In settling the Spiritual or internal Catholic-Protestant limits ofSilesia, Friedrich did also a workmanlike thing. Perfect fairnessbetween Protestant and Catholic; to that he is bound, and never neededbinding. But it is withal his intention to be King in Catholic Silesia;and that no Holy Father, or other extraneous individual, shall intrudewith inconvenient pretensions there. He accordingly nominates thenow Bishop of Neisse and natural Primate of Silesia, --Cardinal vonSinzendorf, who has made submission for any late Austrian peccadilloes, and thoroughly reconciled himself, --nominates Sinzendorf "Vicar-General"of the Country; who is to relieve the Pope of Silesian trouble, and behimself Quasi-Supreme of the Catholic Church there. "No offence, HolyPapa of Christian Mankind! Your holy religion is, and shall be, intactin these parts; but the palliums, bulls and other holy wares andinterferences are not needed here. On that footing, be pleased to restcontent. "

The Holy Father shrieked his loudest (which is now a quite calculableloudness, nothing like so loud as it once was); declared he would"himself join the Army of Martyrs sooner;" and summoned Sinzendorf toRome: "What kind of HINGE are you, CARDINALIS of the Gates of"--Husht!Shrieked his loudest, we say; but, as nobody minded it, and asSinzendorf would not come, had to let the matter take its course. [Adelung, iii. A. 197-200. ] And, gradually noticing what correctobservance of essentials there was, he even came quite round, into ahigh state of satisfaction with this Heretic King, in the course ofa few years. Friedrich and the Pope were very polite to each otherthenceforth; always ready to do little mutual favors. And it is to beremarked, Friedrich's management of his Clergy, Protestant and Catholic, was always excellent; true, in a considerable degree, to the real law ofthings; gentle, but strict, and without shadow of hypocrisy, --in whichlast fine particular he is singularly unique among Modern Sovereigns. 

He recognizes honestly the uses of Religion, though he himself haslittle; takes a good deal of pains with his Preaching Clergy, fromthe Army-Chaplain upwards, --will suggest texts to them, with schemeof sermon, on occasion;--is always anxious to have, as ClericalFunctionary, the right man in the important place; and for the rest, expects to be obeyed by them, as by his Sergeants and Corporals. Indeed, the reverend men feel themselves to be a body of Spiritual Sergeants, Corporals and Captains; to whom obedience is the rule, and discontent athing not to be indulged in by any means. And it is worth noticing, howwell they seem to thrive in this completely submissive posture; how muchreal Christian worth is traceable in their labors and them; and what afund of piety and religious faith, in rugged effectual form, exists inthe Armies and Populations of such a King. ["In 1780, at Berlin, thepopulation being 140, 000, there are of ECCLESIASTIC kind only 140;that is 1 to the 1, 000;--at Munchen there are thirty times as manyin proportion" (Mirabeau, _Monarchie Prussienne, _ viii. 342; quotingNICOLAI). ]. . . 

By degrees the Munchows and Official Persons intrusted with Silesia gotit wrought in all respects, financial, administrative, judicial, secularand spiritual, into the Prussian model: a long tough job; but one thatproved well worth doing. [In Preuss (i. 197-200), the various steps(from 1740 to 1806). ] In this state, counts one authority, it was worthto Prussia "about six times what it had been to Austria;"--from someother forgotten source, I have seen the computation "eight times. " Inmoney revenue, at the end of Friedrich's reign, it is a little morethan twice; the "eight times" and the "six times, " which are but loosemultiples, refer, I suppose, to population, trade, increase ofnational wealth, of new regiments yielded by new cantons, and the like. [Westphalen, in _Feldzuge des Herzogs Ferdinand_ (printed, Berlin, 1859, written 100 years before by that well-informed person), i. 65, says inthe rough "six times:" Preuss, iv. 292, gives, very indistinctly, theciphers of Revenue, in 1740 and SOME later Year: according to Friedrichhimself (_Oeuvres_, ii. 102), the Silesian Revenue at first was"3, 600, 000 thalers" (540, 000 pounds, little more than Half a Million);Population, a Million-and-Half. ]

Six or eight times as useful to Prussia: and to the Inhabitants whatmultiple of usefulness shall we give? To be governed on principles fairand rational, that is to say, conformable to Nature's appointment inthat respect; and to be governed on principles which contradict the veryrules of Cocker, and with impious disbelief of the very MultiplicationTable: the one is a perpetual Gospel of Cosmos and Heaven to every unitof the Population; the other a Gospel of Chaos and Beelzebub to everyunit of them: there is no multiple to be found in Arithmetic which willexpress that!--Certain of these advantages, in the new Government, areseen at once; others, the still more valuable, do not appear, exceptgradually and after many days and years. With the one and the other, Schlesien appears to have been tolerably content. From that Year 1742to this, Schlesien has expressed by word and symptom nothing butthankfulness for the Transfer it underwent; and there is, for thelast Hundred Years, no part of the Prussian Dominion more loyal to theHohenzollerns (who are the Authors of Prussia, without whom Prussia hadnever been), than this their latest acquisition, when once it too gotmoulded into their own image. [Preuss, i. 193, and ib. 200 (Note fromKlein, a Silesian Jurist): "Favor not merit formerly;" "Magistraciesa regular branch of TRADE;"--"highway robbers on a strangely familiarfooting with the old Breslau magistrates;" &c. &c. ]

OPENING OF THE OPERA-HOUSE AT BERLIN. 

. . . December 7th, this Winter, Carnival being come or just coming, Friedrich opens his New Opera-House, for behoof of the cultivated Berlinclasses; a fine Edifice, which had been diligently built by Knobelsdorf, while those Silesian battlings went on. "One of the largest and finestOpera-houses in the whole world; like a sumptuous Palace rather. Stands free on all sides, space for 1, 000 Coaches round it; Five greatEntrances, five persons can walk abreast through each; and inside--youshould see, you should hear! Boxes more like rooms or boudoirs, freeview and perfect hearing of the stage from every point: air pure andfree everywhere; water aloft, not only for theatrical cascades, butto drown out any fire or risk of fire. " [Seyfarth, i. 234; Nicolai, _Beschreibung von Berlin, _ i. 169. ] This is Seyfarth's account, stillcapable of confirmation by travelling readers of a musical turn. Ihave seen Operas with much more brilliancy of gas and gilding; but nonenearly so convenient to the human mind and sense; or where the audience(not now a gratis one) attended to the music in so meritorious a way. 

"Perhaps it will attract moneyed strangers to frequent ourCapital?"--some guess, that was Friedrich's thought. "At all events, itis a handsome piece of equipage, for a musical King and People; notto be neglected in the circumstances. Thalia, in general, --let us notneglect Thalia, in such a dearth of worshipable objects. " Nor did heneglect Thalia. The trouble Friedrich took with his Opera, with hisDancing-Apparatus, French Comedy, and the rest of that affair, was verygreat. Much greater, surely, than this Editor would have thought oftaking; though, on reflection, he does not presume to blame. The worldis dreadfully scant of worshipable objects: and if your Theatre is yourown, to sweep away intrusive nonsense continually from the gates of it?Friedrich's Opera costs him heavy sums (surely I once knew approximatelywhat, but the sibylline leaf is gone again upon the winds!)--and headmits gratis a select public, and that only. [Preuss, i. 277; andPreuss, _Buch fur Jedermann, _ i. 100. ] "This Winter, 1742-43, wasunusually magnificent at Court: balls, WIRTHSCHAFTEN [kind of MIMICFAIRS], sledge-parties, masquerades, and theatricals of all sorts;--andonce even, December 2d, the new Golden Table-Service [cost of it 200, 000pounds] was in action, when the two Queens [Queen Regnant and QueenMother] dined with his Majesty. "

FRIEDRICH TAKES THE WATERS AT AACHEN, WHERE VOLTAIRE COMES TO SEE HIM. 

Months before that of the Opera-House or those Silesian settlements, Friedrich, in the end of August, what is the first thing visible inhis Domestic History, makes a visit, for health's sake, to Aachen(Aix-la-Chapelle so called), with a view to the waters there. Intends totry for a little improvement in health, as the basis of ulterior things. Health has naturally suffered a little in these War-hardships; and theDoctors recommend Aix. After Wesel, and the Westphalian Inspections, Friedrich, accordingly, proceeds to Aix; and for about a fortnight (23thAugust-9th September) drinks the waters in that old resting-place ofCharlemagne;--particulars not given in the Books; except that "he lodgedwith Baege" (if any mortal now knew Baege), and did an Audience or so toselect persons now unknown. He is not entirely incognito, but is withoutroyal state; the "guard of twenty men, the escort of 160 men, " being nomen of his, but presumably mere Town-guard of Aix coming in an honoraryway. Aix is proud to see him; he himself is intent on the waters here atold Aix:--

 Aquisgranum, urbs regalis, Sedes Regni principalis:--

My friend, this was Charlemagne's high place; and his dust lies here, these thousand years last past. And there used to soar "a very largeGilt Eagle, " ten feet wide or so, aloft on the Cathedral-steeple there;Eagle turned southward when the Kaiser was in Frankenland, eastward whenhe was in Teutsch or Teuton-land; in fact, pointing out the Kaiser'swhereabouts to loyal mankind. [Kohler, _Reichs-Historie. _] Eaglewhich shines on me as a human fact; luminously gilt, through the darkDryasdustic Ages, gone all spectral under Dryasdust's sad handling. Friedrich knows farther, that for many centuries after, the "Reich'sINSIGNIA (REICHS-KLEINODIEN)" used to be here, --though Maria Theresahas them now, and will not give them up. The whole of which points areindifferent to him. The practical, not the sentimental, is Friedrich'sinterest;--not to say that WERTER and the sentimental were not yet borninto our afflicted Earth. A King thoroughly practical;--yet an exquisiteplayer on the flute withal, as we often notice; whose adagio could drawtears from you. For in himself, too, there were floods of tears (aswhen his Mother died); and he has been heard saying, not bragging butlamenting, what was truly the fact, that "he had more feeling than othermen. " But it was honest human feeling always; and was repressed, wherenot irrepressible;--as it behooved to be. 

Friedrich's suite was not considerable, says the French spy at Aix onthis occasion; pomp of Entrance, --a thing to be mute upon! "Camedriving in with the common post-horses of the country; and such a setof carriages as your Lordship, intent on the sublime, has no idea of. "[Spy-Letter, in _Campagnes des Trois Marechaux, _ i. 222. ] Rumor was, HisBritannic Majesty was coming (also on pretext of the waters) to conferwith him; other rumor is, If King George came in at one gate, KingFriedrich would go out at the other. A dubious Friedrich, to the Frenchspy, at this moment; nothing like so admirable as he once was!--

The French emotions (of which we say little), on Friedrich's makingPeace for himself, had naturally been great. To the French Public it wasunexpected, somewhat SUDDEN even to the Court; and, sure enough, it wasof perilous importance in the circumstances. Few days ago, Broglio (byorder given him) "could not spare a man, " for the Common Cause;--and nowthe Common Cause has become entirely the Broglio one, and Broglio willhave the full use of all his men! "Defection [plainly treasonous to yourLiege Lord and Nation]! horrible to think of!" cried the French Public;the Court outwardly taking a lofty tragic-elegiac tone, with some airof hope that his Prussian Majesty would perhaps come round again, tothe side of his afflicted France! Of which, except in the way of helpingFrance and the other afflicted parties to a just Peace if he could, hisPrussian Majesty had small thought at this time. 

More affecting to Friedrich were the natural terrors of the poor Kaiseron this event. The Kaiser has already had his Messenger at Berlin, in consequence of it; with urgent inquiries, entreaties;--an expertMessenger, who knows Berlin well. So other than our old friend, theOrdnance-Master Seckendorf, now titular Feldmarschall, --whom one ismore surprised than delighted to meet again! Being out with Austria(clamoring for great sums of "arrears, " which they will not pay), hehas been hanging about this new Kaiser, ever since Election-time; andis again getting into employment, Diplomatic, Strategic, for someyears, --though we hope mostly to ignore him and it. Friedrich's ownfeeling at sight of him, --ask not about it, more than if there had beennone! Friedrich gave him "a distinguished reception;" Friedrich's answersent by him to the Kaiser was all kindness; emphatic assurance, "That, not 'hostility' by any means, that loyalty, friendship, and aid whereverpossible within the limits, should always be his rule towards thenow Kaiser, lawful Head of the Reich, in difficult circumstances. "["Audience, 30th July" (Adelung, iii. A, 217). ] Which was someconsolation to the poor man, --stript of his old revenues, old BavarianDominions, and unprovided with new; this sublime Headship of the Reichbring moneyless; and one's new "Kingdom of Bohemia" hanging in souncertain a state, with nothing but a Pharsalia-Sahay to show foritself!--

Among Friedrich's "inconsiderable suite, " at Aachen, was Prince Henri(his youngest Brother, age now sixteen, a small, sensitive, shiveringcreature, but of uncommon parts); and another young man, PrinceFerdinand of Brunswick, his Wife's youngest Brother; a soldier, as allthe Brothers are; soldier in Friedrich's Army, this one; in whosefine inarticulate eupeptic character are excellent dispositions andcapacities discernible. Ferdinand goes generally with the King; muchabout him in these years. All the Brothers follow soldiering; it isthe one trade of German Princes. When at home, Friedrich is stilloccasionally with his Queen; who lives at Schonhausen, in the environsof Berlin, but goes with him to Charlottenburg, to old Reinsberg; andhas her share of galas in his company, with the Queen Mother and cognateHighnesses. 

Another small fact, still more memorable at present, is, That Voltairenow made him a Third Visit, --privately on Fleury's instance, as isevident this time. Of which Voltaire Visit readers shall know duly, byand by, what little is knowable. But, alas, there is first an immensearrear of War-matters to bring up; to which, still more than toVoltaire, the afflicted reader must address himself, if he wouldunderstand at all what Friedrich's Environment, or circumambientLife-element now was, and how Friedrich, well or ill, comported himselfin the same. Brevity, this Editor knows, is extremely desirable, and that the scissors should be merciless on those sad Paper-Heaps, intolerable to the modern mind; but, unless the modern mind chance toprefer ease and darkness, what can an Editor do!

Chapter II. --AUSTRIAN AFFAIRS ARE ON THE MOUNTING HAND. 

Austrian affairs are not now in their nadir-point; a long while nowsince they passed that. Austria, to all appearance dead, started up, andbegan to strike for herself, with some success, the instant Walpole'sSOUP-ROYAL (that first 200, 000 pounds, followed since by abundance more)got to her lips. Touched her poor pale lips; and went tingling throughher, like life and fiery elasticity, out of death by inanition! Cardinalmoment, which History knows, but can never date, except vaguely, sometime in 1741; among the last acts of judicious Walpole. 

Austria, thanks to its own Khevenhullers and its English guineas, wasalready rising in various quarters: and now when the Prussian Affairis settled, Austria springs up everywhere like an elastic body with thepressure taken from it; mounts steadily, month after month, in practicalsuccess, and in height of humor in a still higher ratio. And inthe course of the next Two Years rises to a great height indeed. Here--snatched, who knows with what difficulty, from that shorelessbottomless slough of an Austrian-Succession War, deservedly forgotten, and avoided by extant mankind--are some of the more essential phenomena, which Friedrich had to witness in those months. To witness, to scanwith such intense interest, --rightly, at his peril;--and to interpret asactual "Omens" for him, as monitions of a most indisputable nature! NoHaruspex, I suppose, with or without "white beard, and long staff forcutting the Heavenly Vault into compartments from the zenith downwards, "could, in Etruria or elsewhere, "watch the flight of birds, now intothis compartment, now into that, " with stricter scrutiny than, on thenew terms, did this young King from his Potsdam Observatory. 

WAR-PHENOMENA IN THE WESTERN PARTS: KING GEORGE TRIES, A SECOND TIME, TODRAW HIS SWORD; TUGS AT IT VIOLENTLY, FOR SEVEN MONTHS (February-October, 1742). 

"The first phenomenon, cheering to Austria, is that of the BritannicMajesty again clutching sword, with evident intent to draw it on herbehalf. [Tindal, xx. 552; Old Newspapers; &c. &c. ] Besides his potentsoup-royal of Half-Millions annually, the Britannic Majesty has aconsiderable sword, say 40, 000, of British and of subsidized;--swordwhich costs him a great deal of money to keep by his side; and a greatdeal of clamor and insolent gibing from the Gazetteer species, becausehe is forced to keep it strictly in the scabbard hitherto. This Year, we observe, he has determined again to draw it, in the Cause of HumanLiberty, whatever follow. From early Spring there were symptoms: Campson Lexden and other Heaths, much reviewing in Hyde-Park and elsewhere;from all corners a universal marching towards the Kent Coast; theaspects being favorable. 'We can besiege Dunkirk at any rate, cannotwe, your High Mightinesses? Dunkirk, which, by all the Treaties inexistence, ought to need no besieging; but which, in spite of treatyingsinnumerable, always does?' The High Mightinesses answer nothingarticulate, languidly grumble something in OPTATIVE tone;--'meaningassent, ' thinks the sanguine mind. 'Dutch hoistable, after all!' thinkshe; 'Dutch will co-operate, if they saw example set!' And, in England, the work of embarking actually begins. 

"Britannic Majesty's purpose, and even fixed resolve to this effect, hadpreceded the Prussian-Austrian Settlement. May 20th, ["9th" by the OldNewspapers; but we always TRANSLATE their o. S. ] 'Two regiments ofFoot, ' first poor instalment of British Troops, had actually landedat Ostend;--news of the Battle of Chotusitz, much more, of theAustrian-Prussian Settlement, or Peace of Breslau, would meet themTHERE. But after that latter auspicious event, things start into quickand double-quick time; and the Gazetteers get vocal, almost lyrical:About Howard's regiment, Ponsonby's regiment, all manner of regiments, off to Flanders, for a stroke of work; how 'Ligonier's Dragoons [a setof wild swearing fellows, whom Guildford is happy to be quit of] rodethrough Bromley with their kettle-drums going, and are this day atGravesend to take ship;'"--or to give one other, more specific example:

"Yesterday [3d July, 1742] General Campbell's Regiment of Scotch Greysarrived in the Borough of Southwark, on their march to Dover, where theyare to embark for Flanders. They are fine hardy fellows, that wantno seasoning; and make an appearance agreeable to all but theinnkeepers, "--who have such billeting to do, of late. [_Daily Post, _June 23d (o. S. ), 1742. ] "Grey Dragoons, " or Royal Scots-Greys, is thetitle of this fine Regiment; and their Colonel is Lieutenant-GeneralJohn Campbell, afterwards Duke of Argyle (fourth Duke), Cousin of thegreat second Duke of Argyle that now is. [Douglas, _Scotch Peerage_(Edinburgh, 1764), p. 44. ] Visibly billeting there, in Southwark, withsuch intentions:--and, by accident, this Editor knows Twenty of thesefine fellows! Twenty or so, who had gone in one batch as Greys; sons ofgood Annandale yeomen, otherwise without a career open: some Two of whomdid get back, and lived to be old men; the rumor of whom, and of theirunheard-of adventures, was still lingering in the air, when this Editorbegan existence. Pardon, O reader!--

"But, all through those hot days, it is a universal drumming, kettle-drumming, coast-ward; preparation of transports at Gravesend, atthe top of one's velocity. 'All the coopers in London are in requisitionfor water-casks, so that our very brewers have to pause astonished forwant of tubs. ' There is pumping in of water day and night, Sunday notexcepted, then throwing of it out again [owing to new circumstances]:250 saddle-horses, and 100 sumpter ditto, for his Majesty's ownuse, --these need a deal of water, never to speak of Ligonier and theGreys. 'For the honor of our Country, his Majesty will make a granderappearance this Campaign than any of his Predecessors ever did; andas to the magnificence of his equipage, '--besides the 350 quadrupeds, 'there are above 100 rich portmanteaus getting ready with allexpedition. ' [_Daily Post, _ September 13th (I. E. 26th). ] The Fat Boytoo [Royal Highness Duke of Cumberland, one should say] is to go; a mostbrave-hearted, flaxen-florid, plump young creature; hopeful Son of Mars, could he once get experience, which, alas, he never could, though tryingit for five-and-twenty years to come, under huge expense to this Nation!There are to be 16, 000 troops, perhaps more; '1, 000 sandbags' (empty asyet); demolition of Dunkirk the thing aimed at. " If only the Dutch provehoistable!--

"And so, from May on to September, it noisily proceeds, at multiplexrates? and often with more haste than speed: and in such five months(seven, strictly counted) of clangorous movement and dead-liftexertion, there were veritably got across, of Horse and Foot with theirequipments, the surprising number of '16, 334 men. ' [Adelung, iii. A, 201. ] May 20th it began, --that is, the embarking began; the noise andbabble about it, which have been incessant ever since, had begun inFebruary before;--and on September 26th, Ostend, now almost weary ofhuzzaing over British glory by instalment, had the joy of seeing ourfinal portions of Artillery arrive: Such a Park of Siege-and-FieldArtillery, " exults the Gazetteer, "as"--as these poor creatures neverdreamt of before. 

"Magnanimous Lord Stair, already Plenipotentiary to the Dutch, is to beKing's General-in-Chief of this fine Enterprise; Carteret, another Lordof some real brilliancy, and perhaps of still weightier metal, is headof the Cabinet; hearty, both of them, for these Anti-French intentions:and the Public cannot but think, Surely something will come of it thistime? More especially now that Maillebois, about the middle of August, by a strange turn of fortune, is swept out of the way. Maillebois, lyingover in Westphalia with his 30 or 40, 000, on 'Check to your King' thisyear past, had, on sight of these Anti-Dunkirk movements, been orderedto look Dunkirk way, and at length to move thitherward, for protectionof Dunkirk. So that Stair, before his Dunkirk business, will have tofight Maillebois; which Stair doubts not may be satisfactorily done. But behold, in August and earlier, come marvellous news from the Pragquarter, tragical to France; and Maillebois is off, at his best speed, in the reverse direction; on a far other errand!"--Of which readersshall soon hear enough. 

"Dunkirk, therefore, is now open. With 16, 000 British troops, Hanoverians to the like number, and Hessians 6, 000, together near40, 000, not to speak of Dutch at all, surely one might manage Dunkirk, if not something still better? It is AFTER Maillebois's departure thatthese dreadful exertions, coopering of water-casks, pumping allSunday, go on at Gravesend: 'Swift, oh, be swift, while time is!' AndGeneralissimo-Plenipotentiary Stair, who has run over beforehand, is ardent enough upon the Dutch; his eloquence fiery and incessant:'Magnanimous High Mightinesses, was there, will there again be, such achance? The Cause of Human Liberty may be secured forever! Dunkirk--orwhat is Dunkirk even? Between us and Paris, there is nothing, now thatMaillebois is off on such an errand! Why should not we play Marlboronghagain, and teach them a little what Invasion means? It is ourselvesalone that can hinder it! Now, I say, or never!'

"Stair was a pupil of Marlborough's; is otherwise a shining kind of man;and has immense things in his eye, at this time. They say, what is notunlikely, he proposed an Interview with Friedrich now at Aachen; wouldcome privately, to 'take the waters' for a day or two, --while Mailleboiswas on his new errand, and such a crisis had risen. But Friedrich, anxious to be neutral and give no offence, politely waived such honor. Lord Stair was thought to be something of a General, in fact as well asin costume;--and perhaps he was so. And had there been a proper COUNTESSof Stair, or new Sarah Jennings, --to cover gently, by art-magic, theBritannic Majesty and Fat Boy under a tub; and to put Britain, and British Parliament and resources, into Stair's hand for a fewyears, --who knows what Stair too might have done! A Marlborough in theWar Arts, --perhaps still less in the Peace ones, if we knew the greatMarlborough, --he could not have been. But there is in him a recognizableflash of magnanimity, of heroic enterprise and purpose; which is highlypeculiar in that sordid element. And it can be said of him, as oflightning striking ineffectual on the Bog of Allen or the Stygian Fens, that his strength was never tried. "--For the upshot of him we will wait;not very long. 

These are fine prospects, if only the Dutch prove hoistable. But theseare as nothing to what is passing, and has passed, in the Eastern Parts, in the Bohemian-Bavarian quarter, since we were there. Poor Kaiser Karl, what an outlook for him! His own real Bavaria, much more his imaginary"Upper Austria" and "Conquests on the Donau, " after that SegurAdventure, are plunging headlong. As to his once "Kingdom of Bohemia, "it has already plunged; nay, the Army of the Oriflamme is itself nearplunging, in spite of that Pharsalia of a Sahay! Bavaria itself, we say, is mostly gone to Khevenhuller; Segur with his French on march homeward, and nothing but Bavarians left. The Belleisle-Broglio grand BudweisExpedition is gone totally heels over head; Belleisle and Broglioare getting, step by step, shut up in Prag and besieged there: whileMaillebois--Let us try whether, by snatching out here a fragment andthere a fragment, with chronological and other appliances, it be notpossible to give readers some conceivable notion of what Friedrich wasnow looking at with such interest!--

HOW DUC D'HARCOURT, ADVANCING TO REINFORCE THE ORIFLAMME, HAD TO SPLITHIMSELF IN TWO; AND BECOME AN "ARMY OF BAVARIA, " TO LITTLE EFFECT. 

The poor Kaiser, who at one time counted "30, 000 Bavarians of his own, "has all along been ill served by them and the bad Generals they had: twoGenerals; both of whom, Minuzzi, and old Feldmarschall Thorring (PrimeMinister withal), came to a bad reputation in this War. Beaten nearlyalways; Thorring quite always, --"like a DRUM, that Thorring; neverheard of except when beaten, " said the wits! Of such let us not speak. Understand only, FIRST, that the French, reasonably soon after that Linzexplosion, did, in such crisis, get reinforcements on the road; a Ducd'Harcourt with some 25, 000 faring forward, in an intermittent manner, ever since "March 4th. " And SECONDLY, that Khevenhuller has fast hold ofPassau, the Austrian-Bavarian Key-City; is master of nearly all Bavaria(of Munchen, and all that lies south of the Donau); and is now acrosson the north shore, wrenching and tugging upon Kelheim and theIngolstadt-Donauworth regions, with nothing but Thorring people andsmall French Garrisons to hinder him;--where it will be fatal if hequite prosper; Ingolstadt being our Place-of-Arms, and House on theHighway, both for Bavaria and Bohemia!

"For months past, there had been a gleam of hope for Kaiser Karl, andhis new 'Kingdom of Bohemia, ' and old Electorate of Bavaria, from therumor of 'D'Harcourt's reinforcement, '--a 20 or 30, 000 new Frenchmenmarching into those parts, in a very detached intermittent manner;great in the Gazettes. But it proved a gleam only, and came to nothingeffectual. Poor D'Harcourt, owing to cross orders [Groglio clamorouslydemanding that the new force should come to Prag; Karl Albert theKaiser, nominally General-in-Chief, demanding that it should go down theDonau and sweep his Bavaria clear], was in difficulty. To do either ofthese cross orders might have brought some result; but to half-do bothof them, as he was enjoined to attempt, was not wise! Some half ofhis force he did detach towards Broglio; which got to actual junction, partly before, partly after, that Pharsalia-Sahay Affair, and raisedBroglio to a strength of 24, 000, --still inadequate against Prince Karl. Which done, D'Harcourt himself went down the Donau, on his originalscheme, with the remainder of his forces, --now likewise becomeinadequate. He is to join with Feldmarschall Thorring in the"--And doesit, as we shall see presently!. . . 

MUNCHEN, 5th MAY. "Rumor of D'Harcourt had somewhat cleared Bavariaof Austrians; but the reality of him, in a divided state, by no meanscorresponds. Thus Munchen City, in the last days of April, --D'Harcourtadvancing, terrible as a rumor, --rejoiced exceedingly to see theAustrians march out, at their best pace. And the exultant populace evenmassacred a loitering Tolpatch or two; who well deserve it, think thepopulace, judging by their experience for the last three months, sinceBarenklau and Mentzel became King here. --'Rumor of D'Harcourt?' answersKhevenhuller from the Kelheim-Passau side of things: 'Let us wait forsight of him, at least!' And orders Munchen to be reoccupied. So that, alas, 'within a week, ' on the 5th of May, Barenklau is back upon thepoor City; exacts severe vengeance for the Tolpatch business; and willgive them seven months more of his company, in spite of D'Harcourt, and'the Army of Bavaria' as he now called himself:"--new "Army of Bavaria, "when once arrived in those Countries, and joined with poor Thorring andthe Kaiser's people there. Such an "Army of Bavaria, " first and last, as--as Khevenhuller could have wished it! Under D'Harcourt, joined withold Feldmarschall Thorring (him whom men liken to a DRUM, "never heardof except when beaten"), this is literally the sum of what fighting itdid:

"HILGARTSBERG (Deggendorf Donau-Country), MAY 28th. D'Harcourt andThorring, after junction at Donauworth several weeks ago, and a gooddeal of futile marching up and down in those Donau Countries, --on theleft bank, for most part; Khevenhuller holding stiffly, as usual, by theInn, the Iser, and the rivers and countries on the right, --did at last, being now almost within sight of Passau and that important valley of theInn across yonder, seriously decide to have a stroke at Passau, andto dislodge Khevenhuller, who is weak in force, though obstinate. Theyperceive that there is, on this left bank, a post in the woods, Castleof Hilgartsberg, none of the strongest Castles, rather a big CountryMansion than a Castle, which it will be necessary first to take. They goaccordingly to take it (May 28th, having well laid their heads togetherthe day before); march through intricate wet forest country, peat aboveall abundant; see the Castle of Hilgartsberg towering aloft, picturesqueobject in the Donau Valley, left bank;--are met by cannon-shot, case-shot, shot of every kind; likewise by Croats apparentlyinnumerable, by cavalry sabrings and levelled bayonets; do not behavetoo well, being excessively astonished; and are glad to get off again, leaving one of their guns lodged in the mud, and about a hundredunfortunate men. [_Guerre de Boheme, _ ii. 146-148, 136, &c. ] Thisquite disgusted D'Harcourt with the Passau speculation and these grimKhevenhuller outposts. He straightway took to collecting Magazines;lodging himself in the attainable Towns thereabouts, Deggendorf thechief strength for him; and gave up fighting till perhaps bettertimes might arrive. " We will wish him good success in the victuallingdepartment, hope to hear no more of him in this History;--and shallsay only that Comte de Saxe, before long, relieves him of this BavarianArmy;--and will be seen at the head of it, on a most important businessthat rises. 

Kaiser Karl begins to have real thoughts of recalling this Thorring, whois grown so very AUDIBLE, altogether home; and of appointing Seckendorfinstead. A course which Belleisle has been strongly recommending forsome time. Seckendorf is at present "gathering meal in the Ober-Pfalz"(Upper Palatinate, road from Ingolstadt to Eger, to Bohmen generally), that is, forming Magazines, on the Kaiser's behalf there: "Surely alikelier man than your Thorring!" urges Belleisle always. With whom theKaiser does finally comply; nominates Seckendorf commander, --recalls theinvaluable Thorring! "to his services in our Cabinet Council, which morebefit his great age. " In which safe post poor Thorring, like a Drum NOTbeaten upon, has thenceforth a silent life of it; Seckendorf fighting inhis stead, --as we shall have to witness, more or less. 

Khevenhuller's is a changed posture, since he stood in Vienna, eight ornine months ago; grimly resolute, drilling his "6, 000 of garrison, " withthe wheelbarrows all busy!--But her Hungarian Majesty's chief success, which is now opening into outlooks of a quite triumphant nature, has been that over the New Oriflamme itself, the Belleisle-BroglioArmy, --most sweet to her Majesty to triumph over! Shortly afterChotusitz, shortly after that Pharsalia of a Sahay, readers rememberBelleisle's fine Project, "Conjoined attack on Budweis, and sweeping ofBohemia clear;"--readers saw Belleisle, in the Schloss of Maleschau, 5th June last, rushing out (with violence to his own wig, saysrumor); hurrying off to Dresden for co-operation; equally in vain. "Co-operation, M. Le Marechal; attack on Budweis?"--Here is anotherFragment:--

HOW BELLEISLE, RETURNING FROM DRESDEN WITHOUT CO-OPERATION FOUND THEATTACK HAD BEEN DONE, --IN A FATALLY REVERSE WAY. PRAG EXPECTING SIEGE. COLLOQUY WITH BROGLIO ON THAT INTERESTING POINT. PRAG BESIEGED. 

BUDWEIS, JUNE 4th, -PRAG, JUNE 13th. "Broglio, ever since that Sahay[which had been fought so gloriously on Frauenberg's account], lay inthe Castle of Frauenberg, in and around, --hither side of the Moldauriver, with his Pisek thirty miles to rear, and judicious outpostsall about. There lay Broglio, meditating the attack on Budweis [wereco-operation once here], --when, contrariwise, altogether on the sudden, Budweis made attack on Broglio; tumbled him quite topsy-turvy, and senthim home to Prag, uncertain which end uppermost; rolling like a heap ofmown stubble in the wind, rather than marching like an army!". . . Takeone glance at him:--

"JUNE 4th, 1742 [day BEFORE that of Belleisle's "Wig" at Maleschau, hadBelleisle known it!]--Prince Karl, being now free of the Prussians, andready for new work, issued suddenly from Budweis; suddenly stept acrossthe Moldau, --by the Bridge of Moldau-Tein, sweeping away the French thatlay there. Prince Karl swept away this first French Post, by the meresight and sound of him; swept away, in like fashion, the second and allfollowing posts; swept Broglio himself, almost without shot fired, andin huge flurry, home to Prag, double-quick, night and day, --with muchloss of baggage, artillery, prisoners, and total loss of one's presenceof mind. 'Poor man, he was born for surprises' [said Friedrich'sDoggerel long ago]! Manoeuvred consummately [he asserts] at differentpoints, behind rivers and the like; but nowhere could he call halt, andresolutely stand still. Which undoubtedly he could and should have done, say Valori and all judges;--nothing quite immediate being upon him, except the waste-howling tagraggery of Croats, whom it had been good toquench a little, before going farther. On the third night, June 7th, hearrived at Pisek; marched again before daybreak, leaving a garrison of1, 200, --who surrendered to Prince Karl next day, without shot fired. Broglio tumbling on ahead, double-quick, with the tagraggery of Croatscontinually worrying at his heels, baggage-wagons sticking fast, countrypeople massacring all stragglers, panted home to Prag on the 13th;with 'the Gross of the Army saved, don't you observe!' And thinks it anexcellent retreat, he if no one-else. [_Guerre de Boheme, _ ii. 122, &c. ;_ Campagnes, _ v. 167 (his own Despatch). ]

"At Pisek, Prince Karl has ceased chasing with his regulars, the pacebeing so uncommonly swift. From Pisek, Prince Karl struck off towardsPilsen, there to intercept a residue of Harcourt reinforcements who werecoming that way: from Broglio, who knew of it, but in such flurrycould not mind it, he had no hindrance; and it was by good luck, notmanagement of Broglio's, that these poor reinforcements did in partget through to him, and in part seek refuge in Eger again. Broglio hasencamped under the walls of Prag; in a ruinous though still blusterouscondition; his positions all gone; except Prag and Eger, nothing inBohemia now his. "

PRAG, 17th JUNE-17th AUGUST. "It is in this condition that Belleisle, returning from the Kuttenberg-Dresden mission (June 15th), finds hisBroglio. Most disastrous, Belleisle thinks it; and nothing but aSiege in Prag lying ahead; though Broglio is of different opinion, or, blustering about his late miraculous retreat, and other high merits toolittle recognized, forms no opinion at all on such extraneous points. . . . From Versailles, they had answered Belleisle: 'Nothing to be made ofDresden either, say you? Then go you and take the command at Prag; sendBroglio to command the Bavarian Army. See, you, what can be done byfighting. ' On this errand Belleisle is come, the heavy-laden man, andValori with him, --if, in this black crisis, Valori could do anything. Valori at least reports the colloquy the Two Marshals had [one bit ofcolloquy, for they had more than one, though as few as possible; Brogliobeing altogether blusterous, sulphurous, difficult to speak with onpolite terms]. [Valori, i. 162-166; _Campagnes, _ v. 170, 124, &c. &c. ]'Army of Bavaria?' answers Broglio; 'I will have those Ten Battalions ofthe D'Harcourt reinforcement, then. I tell you, Yes! Prag? Prag maygo to the--What have I to do with Prag? The oldest Marechal of France, superseded, after such merits, and on the very heel of such a retreat!Nay, but where is YOUR commission to command in Prag, M. Le Marechal?'Belleisle, in the haste there was, has no Commission rightly drawnout by the War-office; only an Order from Court. '_I_ have a regularcommission, Monseigneur: I want a Sign-manual before laying it down!'The unreasonable Broglio. 

"Belleisle, tormented with rheumatic nerves, and of violent temper atany rate, compresses the immense waste rage that is in him. His answersto Broglio are calm and low-voiced; admirable to Valori. One thing hewished to ascertain definitely: What M. De Broglio's intentions were;and whether he would, or would not, go to Bavaria and take charge there?If so, he shall have all the Cavalry for escort; Cavalry, unless it bedragoons, will only eat victual in case of siege. --No, Broglio will notgo with Cavalry; must have those Ten Battalions, must have Sign-manual;won't, in short!"--Will stay, then, thinks Belleisle; and one must tryto drive him, as men do pigs, covertly and by the rule of contraries, while Prag falls under Siege. 

What an outlook for his Most Christian Majesty's service, --fatalaltogether, had not Belleisle been a high man, and willing to undertakepig-driving!. . . "Discouragement in the Army is total, were it notfor Belleisle; anger against Broglio very great. The Officers declareopenly, 'We will quit, if Broglio continue General! Our commissions weremade out in the name of Marechal de Belleisle [in the spring of lastYear, when he had such levees, more crowded than the King's!]--weare not bound to serve another General!'--'You recognize ME for yourGeneral?' asks Belleisle. 'Yes!'--'Then, I bid you obey M. De Broglio, so long as he is here. ' [Valori, i. 166. ]. . . 

"JUNE 27th. The Grand-Duke, Maria Theresa's Husband, come from Viennato take command-in-chief, joins the Austrian main Army and his BrotherKarl, this day: at Konigsaal, one march to the south of Prag. Friedrichbeing now off their hands, why should not they besiege Prag, capture Prag! Under Khevenhuller, with Barenklau, and the Mentzels, Trencks, --poor D'Harcourt merely storing victual, --Bavaria lies safeenough. And the Oriflamme caged in Prag:--Have at the Oriflamme!

"Prag is begirdled, straitened more and more, from this day. FormalSiege to begin, so soon [as the artillery can come up' which is not forseven weeks yet]. And so, in fine, 'AUGUST 17th, all at once, ' furiousbombardment bursts out, from 36 mortars and above 100 big guns, disposedin batteries around. [_Guerre de Boheme, _ ii. 149, 170. ] To whichthe French, Belleisle's high soul animating everything, as furiouslyresponded; making continual sallies of a hot desperate nature;especially, on the fifth day of the siege, one sally [to be mentioned byand by] which was very famous at Prag and at Paris. ". . . 

CONCERNING THE ITALIAN WAR WHICH SIMULTANEOUSLY WENT ON, ALL ALONG. 

War in Italy--the Spanish Termagant very high in her Anti-Pragmaticnotions--there had been, for eight months past; and it went on, fiercelyenough, doggedly enough, on both sides for Six Years more, till 1748, when the general Finis came. War of which we propose to say almostnothing; but must request the reader to imagine it, all along, asinfluential on our specific affairs. 

The Spanish Termagant wished ardently to have the Milanese andpertinents, as an Apanage for her second Infant, Don Philip; a younggentleman who now needs to be provided for, as Don Carlos had once done. "Cannot get to be Pope this one, it appears, " said the fond Mother(who at one time looked that way for her Infant, ): "Well, here is theMilanese fallen loose!" Readers know her for a lady of many claims, of illimitable aspirations; and she went very high on the PragmaticQuestion. "Headship of the Golden Fleece, Madam; YOU head of it? Isay all Austria, German and Italian, is mine!"--though she has nowmagnanimously given up the German part to Kaiser Karl VII. ; and will becontent with the Italian, as an Apanage for Don Philip. And so there isWar in Italy, and will be. To be imagined by us henceforth. 

A War in which these Three Elements are noticeable as the chief. FIRST, the Sardinian Majesty, [Charles Emanuel, Victor Amadeus's Son (Hubner, t. 293): born 27th April, 1701; lived and reigned till 19th February, 1773 (OErtel, t. 77). ] who is very anxious himself for Milanese paringsand additaments; but, except by skilfully playing off-and-on between theFrench side and the Austrian, has no chance of getting any. For Spainhe is able to fight; and also (on good British Subsidies) against Spain. Element SECOND is the British Navy, cruising always between Spainand the Seat of War; rendering supplies by sea impossible, --almostimpossible. THIRD, the Passes of Savoy; wild Alpine chasms, stone-labyrinths; inexpugnable, with a Sardinian Majesty defending;which are the one remaining road, for Armies and Supplies, out of Spainor France. 

The Savoy Passes are, in fact, the gist of the War; the insolubleproblem for Don Philip and the French. By detours, by circuitous effortand happy accident, your troops may occasionally squeeze through: butwithout one secure road open behind them for supplies and recruitments, what good is it? Battles there are, behind the Alps, on what we maycall the STAGE itself of this Italian War-theatre; but the grand steadybattle is that of France and Don Philip, struggling spasmodically, yearafter year, to get a road through the COULISSES or side-scenes, --namely, those Savoy Passes. They try it by this Pass and by that; Pass ofDemont, Pass of Villa-Franca or Montalban (glorious for France, butfutile), Pass of Exilles or Col d'Assiette (again glorious, again futileand fatal); sometimes by the way of Nice itself, and rocky mule-tracksoverhanging the sea-edge (British Naval-cannon playing on them);--andcan by no way do it. 

There were fine fightings, in the interior too, under Generals of mark;General Browne doing feats, excellent old General Feldmarschall Traun, of whom we shall hear; Maillebois, Belleisle the Younger, of whom wehave heard. There was Battle of Campo-Santo, new battle there(Traun's); there was Battle of Rottofreddo; of Piacenza (doleful toMaillebois), --followed by Invasion of Provence, by Revolt of Genoa andother things: which all readers have now forgotten. [Two elaborate workson the subject are said to be instructive to military readers: Buonamici(who was in it, for a while). _De Bello Italico Commentarii_ (in Worksof Buonamici, Lyon, 1750); and Pezay, _Campagnes de Maillebois_ (ourWestphalian friend again) _en Italie, _ 1745-1746 (Paris, 1775). ] Readersare to imagine this Italian War, all along, as a fact very loud and realat that time, and continually pulsing over into our German Events (likehalf-audible thunder below the horizon, into raging thunder above), little as we can afford to say of it here. One small Scene from thisItalian War;--one, or with difficulty two;--and if possible be silentabout all the rest:

SCENE, ROADS OF CADIZ, October, 1741: BY WHAT ASTONISHING ARTIFICE THISITALIAN WAR DID, AT LENGTH, GET BEGUN. 

. . . "The Spanish Court, that is, Termagant Elizabeth, who ruleseverybody there, being in this humor, was passionate to begin; andstood ready a good while, indignantly champing the bit, before the sadpreliminary obstacles could be got over. At Barcelona she had, in thecourse of last summer, doubly busy ever since Mollwitz time, gotinto equipment some 15, 000 men; but could not by any method get themacross, --owing to the British Fleets, which hung blockading this placeand that; blockading Cadiz especially, where lay her Transport-shipsand War-ships, at this interesting juncture. Fleury's cunctations weredisgusting to the ardent mind; and here now, still more insuperable, arethe British Fleets; here--and a pest to him!--is your Admiral Haddock, blockading Cadiz, with his Seventy-fours!

"But again, on the other or Pragmatic side, there were cunctations. TheSardinian Majesty, Charles Emanuel of Savoy, holding the door ofthe Alps, was difficult to bargain with, in spite of BritishSubsidies;--stood out for higher door-fees, a larger slice of theMilanese than could be granted him; had always one ear open for France, too; in short, was tedious and capricious, and there seemed no bringinghim to the point of drawing sword for her Hungarian Majesty. In the end, he was brought to it, by a stroke of British Art, --such to the admiringGazetteer and Diplomatic mind it seemed;--equal to anything we havesince heard of, on the part of perfidious Albion. 

"One day, 'middle of October last, ' the Seventy-fours of Haddock andperfidious Albion, --Spanish official persons, looking out from CadizLight-house, ask themselves, 'Where are they? Vanished from thesewaters; not a Seventy-four of them to be seen!'--Have got foul in theunderworks, or otherwise some blunder has happened; and the blockadingFleet of perfidious Albion has had to quit its post, and run toGibraltar to refit. That, I guess, was the Machiavellian stroke of Artthey had done; without investigating Haddock and Company [as indignantHonorable Members did], I will wager, That and nothing more!

"In any case, the Termagant, finding no Seventy-fours there, and thewind good, despatches swiftly her Transports and War-ships to Barcelona;swiftly embarks there her 15, 000, France cautiously assisting; and landsthem complete, 'by the middle of December, ' Haddock feebly opposing, onthe Genoa coast: 'Have at the Milanese, my men!' Which obliges CharlesEmanuel to end his cunctations, and rank at once in defence of thatCountry, [Adelung, ii. 535, 538 (who believes in the "stroke of art"):what kind of "art" it was, learn sufficiently in _Gentleman's Magazine, _&c. Of those months. ] lest he get no share of it whatever. And so thegame began. Europe admired, with a shudder, the refined stroke of art;for in cunning they equal Beelzebub, those perfidious Islanders;--andare always at it; hence their greatness in the world. Imitate them, yePeoples, if you also would grow great. That is our Gazetteer Evangel, inthis late epoch of Man's History. ". . . 

OTHER SCENE, BAY OF NAPLES, 19th-20th August, 1742: KING OF TWO SICILIES(BABY CARLOS THAT WAS), HAVING BEEN ASSISTING MAMMA, IS OBLIGED TOBECOME NEUTRAL IN THE ITALIAN WAR. 

Readers will transport themselves to the Bay of Naples, and beautifulVesuvian scenery seen from sea. The English-Spanish War, it wouldappear, is not quite dead, nor carried on by Jenkins and the Wappingpeople alone. Here in this Bay it blazes out into something ofmemorability; and gives lively sign of its existence, among the othertroubles of the world. 

"SUNDAY, AUGUST 19th, Commodore Martin, who had arrived overnight, appears in the Bay, with due modicum of seventy-fours, 'dursleygalleys, ' bomb-vessels, on an errand from his Admiral [one Matthews]and the Britannic Majesty, much to the astonishment of Naples. CommodoreMartin hovers about, all morning, and at 4 P. M. Drops anchor, --withinshot of the place, fearfully near;--and therefrom sends ashore aMessage: 'That his Sicilian Majesty [Baby Carlos, our notable oldfriend, who is said to be a sovereign of merit otherwise], has not beenneutral, in this Italian War, as his engagements bore; but has joinedhis force to that of the Spaniards, declared enemies of his BritannicMajesty; which rash step his Britannic Majesty hereby requires him toretract, if painful consequences are not at once to ensue!' That isMartin's message; to which he stands doggedly, without variation, in theextreme flutter and multifarious reasoning of the poor Court of Naples:'Recall your 20, 000 men, and keep them recalled, ' persists Martin; andfurthermore at last, as the reasoning threatens to get lengthy:'Your answer is required within one hour, '--and lays his watch on theCabin-table. 

"The Court, thrown into transcendent tremor, with no resource but eitherto be burnt or comply, answers within the hour: 'Yes: in all points. 'Some eight hours or so of reasoning: deep in the night of Sunday, it isall over; everything preparing to get signed and sealed; ships makingready to sail again;--and on Tuesday at sunrise, there is no Martinthere. Martin, to the last top-gallant, has vanished clean over thehorizon; never to be seen again, though long remembered. [Tindal's_Rapin, _ xx. 572 (MISdates, and is altogether indistinct); _Gentleman'sMagazine, _ xii. 494:--CAME, "Sunday morning, 19th August, n. S. ;""anchored about 4 p. M. ;" "2 a. M. Of 20th" all agreed; King Carlos'sLETTER is GOT, ships prepared for sailing;--sail that night, andto-morrow, 21st, are out of sight. ] One wonders, Were Pipes and Hatchwayperhaps there, in Martin's squadron? In what station Commodore Trunniondid then serve in the British Navy? Vanished ghosts of grim mutesea-kings, there is no record of them but what is itself a kind ofghost! Ghost, or symbolical phantasm, from the brain of that TobiasSmollett; an assistant Surgeon, who served in the body along with them, his singular value altogether unknown. "--King Carlos's Neutrality, obtained in this manner, lasted for a year-and-half; a sensiblealleviation to her Hungarian Majesty for the time. We here quit theItalian War; leaving it to the reader's fancy, on the above terms. . . . . . . . 

THE SIEGE OF PRAG CONTIMES. A GRAND SALLY THERE. 

"PRAG, 22d AUGUST. In the same hours, while Martin lay coercingNaples, the Army of the Oriflamme in Prag City was engaged in 'furioussallies;'"--readers may divine what that means for Prag and theOriflamme!

"Prag is begirdled, bombarded from all the Wischerads, Ziscabergs andHill environments; every avenue blocked, 'above 60, 000 Austrians roundit, near 40, 000 of them regulars:' a place difficult to defend; but withexcellent arrangements for defence on Belleisle's part, and the garrisonwith its blood up. Garrison makes continual furious sallies, --which areeminently successful, say the French Newspapers; but which end, asall sallies do, in returning home again, without conquest, except ofhonor;--and on this Wednesday, 22d August, comes out with the greatestsally of all. [_Campagnes, _ vi. 5; _Guerre de Boheme, _ ii. 173. ] WhileCommodore Martin, many a Pipes and Hatchway standing grimly on the watchunknown to us, is steering towards Matthews and the Toulon waters again. The equal sun looking down on all. 

"It was about twelve o'clock, when this Prag sally, now all in order, broke out, several thousand strong, and all at the white heat, now aconstant temperature. Sally almost equal to that Pharsalia of a Sahay, it would seem;--concerning which we can spend no word in this briefsummary. Fierce fighting, fiery irresistible onslaught; but it went toofar, lost all its captured cannon again; and returned only with laurelsand a heavy account of killed and wounded, --the leader of it beinghimself carried home in a very bleeding state. 'Oh, the incomparabletroops!' cried Paris;--cried Voltaire withal (as I gather), and in veryhigh company, in that Visit at Aachen. A sally glorious, but useless. 

"The Imperial Generals were just sitting down to dinner, when it brokeout; had intended a Council of War, over their wine, in the Grand-Duke'stent: 'What, won't they let us have our dinner!' cried Prince Karl, inpetulant humor, struggling to be mirthful. He rather likes his dinner, this Prince Karl, I am told, and does not object to his wine: otherwisea hearty, talky, free-and-easy Prince, --'black shallow-set eyes, facered, and much marked with small-pox. ' Clapping on his hat, facultiessharpened by hunger and impatience, let him do his best, for severalhours to come, till the sally abate and go its ways again. Leavingits cannon, and trophies. No sally could hope to rout 60, 000 men; thisfurious sally, almost equal to Sahay, had to return home again, on theabove terms. Upon which Prince Karl and the others got some snatch ofdinner; and the inexorable pressure of Siege, tightening itself closerand closer, went on as before. 

"The eyes of all Europe are turned towards Prag; a big crisis clearlypreparing itself there. . . . France, or aid in France, is some 500 milesaway. In D'Harcourt, merely gathering magazines, with his Khevenhullernear, is no help; help, not the question there! The garrison of Eger, 100 miles to west of us, across the Mountains, barely mans its ownworks. Other strong post, or support of any kind in these countries, we have now none. We are 24, 000; and of available resource have theMagazines in Prag, and our own right hands. 

"The flower of the young Nobility had marched in that Oriflamme;--nowstanding at bay, they and it, in Prag yonder: French honor itself seemsshut up there! The thought of it agitates bitterly the days and nightsof old Fleury, who is towards ninety now, and always disliked war. TheFrench public too, --we can fancy what a public! The young Nobilityin Prag has its spokes-men, and spokes-women, at Versailles, whosecomplaint waxes louder, shriller; the whole world, excited by rumor ofthose furious sallies, is getting shrill and loud. What can oldFleury do but order Maillebois: 'Leave Dunkirk to its own luck; marchimmediately for relief of Prag!' And Maillebois is already on march; hisvarious divisions (August 9th-20th) crossing the Rhine, in DusseldorfCountry;"--of whom we shall hear. 

. . . "Some time before the actual Bombardment, Fleury, seeing itinevitable, had ordered Belleisle to treat. Belleisle accordingly hadan interview, almost two interviews, with Konigseck. [_Guerre de Boheme_, ii. 156 ("2d July" the actual interview); ib. 161 (the corollary to it, confirmatory of it, which passed by letters). ] 'Liberty to march home, and equitable Peace-Negotiations in the rear?' proposed Belleisle. 'Absolute surrender; Prisoners of War!' answered Konigseck; 'such is herHungarian Majesty's positive order and ultimatum. ' The high Belleisleresponded nothing unpolite; merely some, 'ALORS, MONSIEUR--!' And rodeback to Prag, with a spirit all in white heat;--gradually heating allthe 24, 000 white, and keeping them so. 

"In fact, Belleisle, a high-flown lion reduced to silence and nowstanding at bay, much distinguishes himself in this Siege; which, forhis sake, is still worth a moment's memory from mankind. He gathershimself into iron stoicism, into concentration of endeavor; suffers allthings, Broglio's domineering in the first place; as if his own thinskin were that of a rhinoceros; and is prepared to dare all things. Likean excellent soldier, like an excellent citizen. He contrives, arranges;leads, covertly drives the domineering Broglio, by rule of contraries orotherwise, according to the nature of the beast; animates all men byhis laconic words; by his silences, which are still more emphatic. . . . Sechelles, provident of the future, has laid in immense supplies ofindifferent biscuit; beef was not attainable: Belleisle dismounts his4, 000 cavalry, all but 400 dragoons; slaughters 160 horses per day, andboils the same by way of butcher's-meat, to keep the soldier in heart. It is his own fare, and Broglio's, to serve as example. At Broglio'squarter, there is a kind of ordinary of horse-flesh: Officers come in, silent speed looking through their eyes; cut a morsel of the boiledprovender, break a bad biscuit, pour one glass of indifferent wine;and eat, hardly sitting the while, in such haste to be at the rampartsagain. The 80, 000 Townsfolk, except some Jews, are against them toa man. Belleisle cares for everything: there is strict charge on hissoldiers to observe discipline, observe civility to the Townsfolk; thereis occasional 'hanging of a Prag Butcher' or so, convicted of spyship, but the minimum of that, we will hope. "

MAILLEBOIS MARCHES, WITH AN "ARMY OF REDEMPTION" OR "OF MATHURINS"(WITTILY SO CALLED), TO RELIEVE PRAG; REACHES THE BOHEMIAN FRONTIER, JOINED BY THE COMTE DE SAXE; ABOVE 50, 000 STRONG (August 9th-September19th). 

Maillebois has some 40, 000 men: ahead of him 600 miles of difficultway; rainy season come, days shortening; uncertain staff of bread("Seckendorf's meal, " and what other commissariat there may be): adifficult march, to Amberg Country and the top of the Ober-Pfalz. Afterwhich are Mountain-passes; Bohemian Forest: and the Event--? "Cannot bedubious!" thinks France, whatever Maillebois think. Witty Paris, loving its timely joke, calls him Army of Redemption, "L'ARMEE DESMATHURINS, "--a kind of Priests, whose business is commonly in Barbary, about Christian bondage:--how sprightly! And yet the enthusiasm wasgreat: young Princes of the Blood longing to be off as volunteers, needing strict prohibition by the King;--upon which, Prince de Conti, gallant young fellow, leaving his wife, his mistress, and miraculouslyborrowing 2, 500 pounds for equipments, rushed off furtively by post; anddid join, and do his best. Was reprimanded, clapt in arrest for threedays; but afterwards promoted; and came to some distinction in theseWars. [Barbier, ii. 326 (that of Conti, ib. 331); Adelung, &c. ]

The March goes continually southeast; by Frankfurt, thence towardsNurnberg Country ("be at Furth, September 6th"), and the skirts of thePine-Mountains (FICHTEL-GEBIRGE), --Anspach and Baireuth well to yourleft;--end, lastly, in the OBER-PFALZ (Upper Palatinate), Town of Ambergthere. Before trying the Bohemian Passes, you shall have reinforcement. Best part of the "Bavarian Army, " now under Comte de Saxe, not underD'Harcourt farther, is to cease collecting victual in the Donau-IserCountries (Deggendorf, north bank of Donau, its head-quarter); and toget on march, --circling very wide, not northward, but by the Donan, andeven by the SOUTH, bank of it mainly (to avoid the hungry Mountains andtheir Tolpatcheries), --and, at Amberg, is to join Maillebois. This is awide-lying game. 

The great Marlborough used to play such, and win; making the wideelements, the times and the spaces, hit with exactitude: but aMaillebois?"He is called by the Parisians, 'VIEUX PETIT-MAITRE (dandyof sixty, ' so to speak); has a poor upturned nose, with baboon-faceto match, which he even helps by paint. ". . . Here is one Scene; atFrankfurt-on-Mayn; fact certain, day not given. 

FRANKFURT, "LATTER END OF AUGUST, " 1742. "At Frankfurt, his Army havinggot into the neighborhood, "--not into Frankfurt itself, which, as aREICHS-STADT, is sacred from Armies and their marchings, --"Marechalde Maillebois, as in duty bound, waited on the Kaiser to pay hiscompliments there: on which occasion, we regret to say, Marechal deMaillebois was not so reverent to the Imperial Majesty as he should havebeen. Angry belike at the Adventure now forced on him, and harassed withmany things; seeing in the Imperial Majesty little but an unfortunatePlay-actor Majesty, who lives in furnished lodgings paid for by France, and gives France and Maillebois an infinite deal of trouble to littlepurpose. Certain it is, he addressed the Imperial Majesty in the mostfree-and-easy manner; very much the reverse of being dashed by thesacred Presence: and his Officers in the ante-chamber, crowding about, all day, for presentation to the Imperial Majesty, made a noise, andkept up a babble of talk and laughter, as if it had been a mess-room, instead of the Forecourt of Imperial Majesty. So that Imperial Majesty, barely master of its temper and able to finish without explosion, signified to Maillebois on the morrow, That henceforth it woulddispense with such visits, Poor Imperial Majesty; a human creaturedoing Play-actorisms of too high a flight. He had the finest Palace inGermany; a wonder to the Great Gustavus long ago: and now he has it not;mere Meutzels and horrent shaggy creatures rule in Munchen and it: andthe Imperial quasi-furnished lodgings are respected in this manner!"[Van Loon, _Kleine Schriften, _ ii. 271 (cited in Buchholz, ii. 71). CAMPAGNES is silent; usually suppressing scenes of that kind. ]--The witssay of him, "He would be Kaiser or Nothing: see you, he is Kaiser andNothing!" [_"Aut nihil aut Caesar, Bavarus Dux esse volebat; Et nihil etCaesar factus utrumque simul. "_ (Barbier, ii. 322. )]. . . 

AUGUST 19th-SEPTEMBER 14th. "Comte de Saxe is on march, from Deggendorf;north bank of the Donau, by narrow mountain roads; then crosses theDonau to south bank, and a plain country;--making large circuit, keepingthe River on his right, --to meet Maillebois at Amberg; his force, some 10 or 12, 000 men. Seckendorf, now Bavarian Commander-in-chief, accompanies Saxe; with considerable Bavarian force, guess 20, 000, 'marching always on the left. ' Accompanies; but only to Regensburg, to Stadt-am-Hof, a Suburb of Regensburg, where they cross the Donauagain. "--SUBURB of Regensburg, mark that; Regensburg itself being aReichs-Stadt, very particularly sacred from War;--the very Reichs-DIETcommonly sitting here; though it has gone to Frankfurt lately, to bewith its Kaiser, and out of these continual trumpetings and tumultsclose by. [Went 10th May, 1742, --after three months' arguing andprotesting on the Austrian part (Adelung, iii. A, 102, 138). ]--"AtRegensburg, once across, Seckendorf with his Bavarians calls halt;plants himself down in Kelheim, Ingolstadt, and the safe Garrisonsthereabouts, --calculates that, if Khevenhuller should be called awayPrag-ward, there may be a stroke do-able in these parts. Saxe marcheson; straight northward now, up the Valley of the Naab; obliged to bea good deal on his guard. Mischievous Tolpatcheries and Trencks, eversince he crossed the Donau again, have escorted him, to right, as closeas they durst; dashing out sometimes on the magazines. " One of theexploits they had done, take only one:--in their road TOWARDS Saxe, afew days ago:--

. . . "SEPTEMBER 7th, Trenck with his Tolpatcheries had appeared atCham, --a fine trading Town on the hither or neutral side of themountains [not in Bohmen, but in Ober-Pfalz, old Kur-Pfalz's country, whom the Austrians hate];--and summoning and assaulting Cham, over thethroat of all law, had by fire and by massacre annihilated the same. [Adelung, iii A, 258; _Guerre de Boheme;_ &c. ] Fact horrible, nearlyincredible; but true. The noise of which is now loud everywhere. Lesslovely individual than this Trenck [Pandour Trenck, Cousin of thePrussian one, ] there was not, since the days of Attila and Genghis, in any War. Blusters abominably, too; has written [save the mark!]an 'AUTOBIOGRAPHY, '--having happily afterwards, in Prison and even inBedlam, time for such a Work;--which is stuffed with sanguinary lies andexaggerations: unbeautifulest of human souls. Has a face the colorof indigo, too;--got it, plundering in an Apothecary's [in this samecountry, if I recollect]: 'ACH GOTT, your Grace, nothing of money here!'said the poor Apothecary, accompanying Colonel Trenck with a lightedcandle over house and shop. Trenck, noticing one likely thing, snatchedthe candle, held it nearer:--likely thing proved gunpowder; and Trenck, till Doomsday, continues deep blue. [_Guerre de Boheme. _] Soul moreworthy of damnation I have seldom known. "

"SEPTEMBER 19th (five days after dropping Seckendorf), Saxe actuallygets joined with Maillebois;--not quite at Amberg, but at Vohenstrauss, in that same Sulzbach Country, a forty miles to eastward, or Prag-ward, of Amberg. Maillebois and he conjoined are between 50 and 60, 000. Theyare got now to the Bohemian Boundary, edge of the Bohemian Forest (bigBOHMISCHE WALD, Mountainous woody Country, 70 miles long); they arewithin 60 miles of Pilsen, within 100 of Prag itself, --if they can crossthe Forest. Which may be difficult. "

PRINCE KARL AND THE GRAND-DUKE, HEARING OF MAILLEBOIS, GO TO MEET HIM(September 14th); AND THE SIEGE OF PRAG IS RAISED. 

"SEPTEMBER llth, the Besieged at Prag notice that the Austrian fireslackens; that the Enemy seems to be taking away his guns. Villagesand Farmsteads, far and wide all round, are going up in fire. A joyfulsymptom:--since August 13th, Belleisle has known of Maillebois's advent;guesses that the Austrians now know it. --SEPTEMBER 14th, their Firinghas quite ceased. Grand-Duke and Prince Karl are off to meet thisMaillebois, amid the intricate defiles, 'Better meet him there thanhere:'--and on this fourth morning, Belleisle, looking out, perceivesthat the Siege is raised. [Espagnac, i. 145; _Campagnes, _ v. 348. ]

"A blessed change indeed. No enemy here, --perhaps some Festititz, withhis canaille of Tolpatches, still lingering about, --no enemy worthmention. Parties go out freely to investigate:--but as to forage? Alas, a Country burnt, Villages black and silent for ten miles round;--youpick up here and there a lean steer, welcome amid boiled horse-flesh;you bundle a load or two of neglected grass together, for what cavalryremains. The genius of Sechelles, and help from the Saxon side, will bemuch useful!

"Perhaps the undeniablest advantage of any is this, That Broglio, not now so proud of the situation Prag is in, or led by the rule ofcontraries, willingly quits Prag: Belleisle will not have to dohis function by the medium of pig-driving, but in the direct mannerhenceforth. 'Give me 6 or 8, 000 foot, and what of the cavalry havehorses still uneaten, ' proposes Broglio; 'I will push obliquely towardsEger, --which is towards Saxony withal, and opens our food-communicationsthere:--I will stretch out a hand to Maillebois, across the MountainPasses; and thus bring a victorious issue!' [Espagnac, i. 170. ]Belleisle consents: 'Well, since my Broglio will have it so!'--glad topart with my Broglio at any rate, --'Adieu, then, M. Le Marechal (and, 'SOTTO VOCE, 'may it be long before we meet again in partnership)!'Broglio marches accordingly ('hand' beautifully held out to Maillebois, but NOT within grasping distance); gets northwestward some 60 miles, asfar as Toplitz [sadly oblique for Eger], --never farther on that errand. "

THE MAILLEBOIS ARMY OF REDEMPTION CANNOT REDEEM AT ALL;--HAS TO STAGGERSOUTHWARD AGAIN; AND BECOMES AN "ARMY OF BAVARIA, " UNDER BROGLIO. 

"SEPTEMBER 19th-OCTOBER 10th, ,'--Scene is, the Eger-VohenStraussCountry, in and about that Bohemian Forest of seventy miles. --"For threeweeks, Maillebois and the Comte de Saxe, trying their utmost, cannot, or cannot to purpose, get through that Bohemian Wood. Only Threepracticable Passes in it; difficult each, and each conducting youtowards more new difficulties, on the farther side;--not surmountableexcept by the determined mind. A gloomy business: a gloomy difficultregion, solitary, hungry; nothing in it but shaggy chasms (and perhapsTolpatchery lurking), wastes, mountain woodlands, dumb trees, damp brownleaves. Maillebois and Saxe, after survey, shoot leftwards to Eger; drawfood and reinforcement from the Garrison there. They do get through theForest, at one Pass, the Pass nearest Eger;--but find Prince Karl andthe Grand-Duke ranked to receive them on the other side. 'Plunge homeupon Prince Karl and the Grand-Duke; beat them, with your Broglio tohelp in the rear?' That possibly was Friedrich's thought as he watched[now home at Berlin again] the contemporaneous Theatre of War. 

"But that was not the Maillebois-Broglio method;--nay, it is saidMaillebois was privately forbidden 'to run risks. ' Broglio, with hisstretched-out hand (12, 000 some count him, and indeed it is no matter), sits quiet at Toplitz, far too oblique: 'Come then, come, O Maillebois!'Maillebois, --manoeuvring Prince Karl aside, or Hunger doing it forhim, --did once push forward Prag-ward, by the Pass of Caaden; which isvery oblique to Toplitz. By the Pass of Caaden, --down the Eger River, through those Mountains of the Circle of Saatz, past a Castle ofEllenbogen, key of the same;--and 'Could have done it [he said alwaysafter], had it not been for Comte de Saxe!' Undeniable it is, Saxe, asvanguard, took that Castle of Ellenbogen; and, time being so precious, gave the Tolpatchery dismissal on parole. Undeniable, too, theTolpatchery, careless of parole, beset Caaden Village thereupon, 4, 000strong; cut off our foreposts, at Caaden Village; and--In short, we hadto retire from those parts; and prove an Army of Redemption that couldnot redeem at all!

"Maillebois and Saxe wend sulkily down the Naab Valley (having lost, say15, 000, not by fighting, but by mud and hardship); and the rapt EuropeanPublic (shilling-gallery especially) says, with a sneer on its face, 'Pooh; ended, then!' Sulkily wending, Maillebois and Saxe (October30th-November 7th) get across the Donau, safe on the southern bankagain; march for the Iser Country and the D'Harcourt Magazines, --andbecome 'Grand Bavarian Army, ' usual refuge of the unlucky. ". . . 

OF SECKENDORF IN THE INTERIM. "For Belleisle and relief of Prag, Maillebois in person had proved futile; but to Seckendorf, waiting withhis Bavarians, the shadow and rumor of Maillebois had brought famousresults, --famous for a few weeks. Khevenhuller being called north tohelp in those Anti-Maillebois operations, and only Barenklau with about10, 000 Austrians now remaining in Baiern, Seckendorf, clearly superior(not to speak of that remnant of D'Harcourt people, with theirmagazines), promptly bestirred himself, in the Kelheim-IngolstadtCountry; got on march; and drove the Austrians mostly out of Baiern. Out mostly, and without stroke of sword, merely by marching; out forthe time. Munchen was evacuated, on rumor of Seckendorf (October 4th):a glad City to see Barenklau march off. Much was evacuated, --the IserValley, down partly to the Inn Valley, --much was cleared, by Seckendorfin these happy circumstances. Who sees himself victorious, for once;and has his fame in the Gazettes, if it would last. Pretty much withoutstroke of sword, we say, and merely by marching: in one place, havingmarched too close, the retreating Barenklau people turned on him, 'took100 prisoners' before going; [Espagnac, i. 166. ]--other fighting, inthis line 'Reconquest of Bavaria, ' I do not recollect. Winter come, he makes for Maillebois and the Iser Countries; cantons himself onthe Upper Inn itself, well in advance of the French [Braunau his chiefstrong-place, if readers care to look on the Map]; and strives to expecta combined seizure of Passau, and considerable things, were Springcome. ". . . 

AND OF BROGLIO IN THE INTERIM. "As for Broglio, left alone at Toplitz, gazing after a futile Maillebois, he sends the better half of hisForce back to Prag; other half he establishes at Leitmeritz: goodhalfway-house to Dresden. 'Will forward Saxon provender to you, M. DeBelleisle!' (never did, and were all taken prisoners some weeks hence). Which settled, Broglio proceeded to the Saxon Court; who answered him:'Provender? Alas, Monseigneur! We are (to confess it to you!) at Peacewith Austria: [Treatying ever since "July 17th;" Treaty actually done, "11th September") (Adelung, iii. A, 201, 268). ] not an ounce of provenderpossible; how dare we?'--but were otherwise politeness itself to thegreat Broglio. Great Broglio, after sumptuous entertainments there, takes the road for Baiern; circling grandly ('through Nurnberg withescort of 500 Horse') to Maillebois's new quarters;--takes command ofthe 'Bavarian Army' (may it be lucky for him!); and sends Mailleboishome, in deep dudgeon, to the merciless criticisms of men. 'Could havedone it, ' persists the VIEUX PETIT-MAITRE always, 'had not'--one knowswhat, but cares not, at this date!--

"Broglio's quarters in the Iser Country, I am told, are fatally toocrowded, men perishing at a frightful rate per day. [Espagnac, i. 182. ]'Things all awry here, --thanks to that Maillebois and others!' AndBroglio's troubles and procedures, as is everywhere usual to Broglio, run to a great height in this Bavarian Command. And poor Seckendorf, in neighborhood of such a Broglio, has his adoes; eyes sparkling; faceblushing slate-color; at times nearly driven out of his wits;--butstrives to consume his own smoke, and to have hopes on Passaunotwithstanding. "--And of Belleisle in Prag, and his meditations on theOriflamme?--Patience, reader. 

Meantime, what a relief to Kaiser Karl, in such wreck of BohemianKingdoms and Castles in Spain, to have got his own Munchen and Countryin hand again; with the prospect of quitting furnished-lodgings, andseeing the color of real money! April next, he actually goes to Munchen, where we catch a glimpse of him. ["17th April, 1743, " Montijos &c. Accompanying (Adelung, iii. B, 119, 120). ] This same October, the Reich, after endless debatings on the question, "Help our Kaiser, or not help?"[Ib. Iii A, 289. ] has voted him fifty ROMER-MONATE ("Romish-months, "still so termed, though there is NOT now any marching of the Kaiser toRome on business); meaning fifty of the known QUOTAS, due from all andsundry in such case, --which would amount to about 300, 000 pounds (couldit, or the half of it, be collected from so wide a Parish), and wouldprove a sensible relief to the poor man. 

VOLTAIRE HAS BEEN ON VISIT AT AACHEN, IN THE INTERIM, --HIS THIRD VISITTO KING FRIEDRICH. 

King Friedrich had come to the Baths of Aachen, August 25th; theMaillebois Army of Redemption being then, to the last man of it, fivedays across the Rhine on its high errand, which has since proved futile. Friedrich left Aachen, taking leave of his Voltaire, who had beenlodging with him for a week by special invitation, September 9th; andwitnessed the later struggles and final inability of Maillebois toredeem, not at Aix, but at Berlin, amid the ordinary course of hisemployments there. We promised something of Voltaire's new visit, hisThird to Friedrich. Here is what little we have, --if the lively readerwill exert his fancy on it. 

Voltaire and his Du Chatelet had been to Cirey, and thence been at Paristhrough this Spring and Summer, 1742;--engaged in what to Voltaire andParis was a great thing, though a pacific one: The getting of MAHOMETbrought upon the boards. August 9th, precisely while the first vanguardof the Army of Redemption got across the Rhine at Dusseldorf, Voltaire'sTragedy of MAHOMET came on the stage. 

August 9th, llth, 13th, Paris City was in transports of various kinds;never were such crowds of Audience, lifting a man to the immortalgods, --though a part too, majority by count of heads, were dragging himto Tartarus again. "Exquisite, unparalleled!" exclaimed good judges (asFleury himself had anticipated, on examining the Piece):--"Infamous, irreligious, accursed!" vociferously exclaimed the bad judges; ReverendDesfontaines (of Sodom, so Voltaire persists to define him), ReverendDesfontaines and others giving cue; hugely vociferous, these latter, hugely in majority by count of heads. And there was such a bellowingand such a shrieking, judicious Fleury, or Maurepas under him, hadto suggest, "Let an actor fall sick; let M. De Voltaire volunteer towithdraw his Piece; otherwise--!" And so it had to be: Actor fell sickon the 14th (Playbills sorry to retract their MAHOMET on the 14th);and--in fact, it was not for nine years coming, and after Dedication tothe Pope, and other exquisite manoeuvres and unexpected turns of fate, that MAHOMET could be acted a fourth time in Paris, and thereafter ADLIBITUM down to this day. [_OEuvres de Voltaire, _ ii. 137 n. ; &c. &c. ]

Such tempest in a teapot is not unexampled, nay rather is very frequent, in that Anarchic Republic called of Letters. Confess, reader, that youtoo would have needed some patience in M. De Voltaire's place; withsuch a Heaven's own Inspiration of a MAHOMET in your hands, and such aterrestrial Doggery at your heels. Suppose the bitterest of your barkingcurs were a Reverend Desfontaines of Sodom, whom you yourself hadsaved from the gibbet once, and again and again from starving? It ispositively a great Anarchy, and Fountain of Anarchies, all that, if youwill consider; and it will have results under the sun. You cannot helpit, say you; there is no shutting up of a Reverend Desfontaines, whichwould be so salutary to himself and to us all? No:--and when humanreverence (daily going, in such ways) is quite gone from the world;and your lowest blockhead and scoundrel (usually one entity) shall haveperfect freedom to spit in the face of your highest sage and hero, --whata remarkably Free World shall we be!

Voltaire, keeping good silence as to all this, and minded for Brusselsagain, receives the King of Prussia's invitation; lays it at hisEminency Fleury's feet; will not accept, unless his Eminency and my ownKing of France (possibly to their advantage, if one might hint such athing!) will permit it. [Ib. Lxxii. 555 (Letter to Fleury, "Paris, Aug. 22d"). ] "By all means; go, and"--The rest is in dumb-show; meaning, "Tryto pump him for us!" Under such omens, Voltaire and his divine Emiliereturn to their Honsbruck Lawsuit: "Silent Brussels, how preferableto Paris and its mad cries!" Voltaire, leaving the divine Emilie atBrussels, September 2d, sets out for Aix, --Aix attainable within theday. He is back at Brussels late in the evening, September 9th:--howhe had fared, and what extent of pumping there was, learn from thefollowing Excerpts, which are all dated the morrow after his return:--

THREE LETTERS OF VOLTAIRE, DATED BRUSSELS, 10th SEPT. 1742. 

1. TO CIDEVILLE (the Rouen Advocate, who has sometimes troubled us). . . . "I have been to see the King of Prussia since I began this Letter[beginning of it dates September 1st]. I have courageously resistedhis fine proposals. He offers me a beautiful House in Berlin, a prettyEstate; but I prefer my second-floor in Madame du Chatelet's here. Heassures me of his favor, of the perfect freedom I should have;--and I amrunning to Paris [did not just yet run] to my slavery and persecution. I could fancy myself a small Athenian, refusing the bounties of the Kingof Persia. With this difference, however, one had liberty [not slavery]at Athens; and I am sure there were many Cidevilles there, instead ofone, "--HELAS, my Cideville!

2. TO MARQUIS D'ARGENSON (worthy official Gentleman, not War-Ministernow or afterwards; War-Minister's senior brother, --Voltaire's oldschool-fellows, both these brothers, in the College of Louis leGrand). . . . "I have just been to see the King of Prussia in these latedays [in fact, quitted him only yesterday; both of us, after a weektogether, leaving Aix yesterday]: I have seen him as one seldom seesKings, --much at my ease, in my own room, in the chimney-nook, whitherthe same man who has gained two Battles would come and talk familiarly, as Scipio did with Terence. You will tell me, I am not Terence; true, but neither is he altogether Scipio. 

"I learned some extraordinary things, "--things not from Friedrich atall: mere dinner-table rumors; about the 16, 000 English landing here("18, 000" he calls them, and farther on, "20, 000") with the other 16, 000PLUS 6, 000 of Hanoverian-Hessian sort, expecting 20, 000 Dutch to jointhem, --who perhaps will not? "M. De Neipperg [Governor of Luxemburg now]is come hither to Brussels; but brings no Dutch troops with him, ashe had hoped, "--Dutch perhaps won't rise, after all this flogging andhoisting?" Perhaps we may soon get a useful and glorious Peace, inspite of my Lord Stair, and of M. Van Haren, the Tyrtaeus of theStates-General [famed Van Haren, eyes in a fine Dutch frenzy rolling, whose Cause-of-Liberty verses let no man inquire after]: Stair printsMemoirs, Van Haren makes Odes; and with so much prose and so much verse, perhaps their High and Slow Mightinesses [Excellency Fenelon sleeplesslybusy persuading them, and native Gravitation SLEEPILY ditto] will sitquiet. God grant it!

"The English want to attack us on our own soil [actually Stair's plan];and we cannot pay them in that kind. The match is too unfair! If we killthe whole 20, 000 of them, we merely send 20, 000 Heretics to--What shallI say?--A L'ENFER, and gain nothing; if they kill us, they even feedat our expense in doing it. Better have no quarrels except on Locke andNewton! The quarrel I have on MAHOMET is happily only ridiculous. ". . . Adieu, M. Le Marquis. 

3. TO THE CARDINAL DE FLEURY. "Monseigneur, . . . To give your Eminency, asI am bound, some account of my journey to Aix-la-Chapelle. " Friedrich'sguest there; let us hear, let us look. 

"I could not get away from Brussels till the 2d of this month. On theroad, I met a courier from the King of Prussia, coming to reiterate hisMaster's orders on me. The King had me lodged near his own Apartment;and he passed, for two consecutive days, four hours at a time in myroom, with all that goodness and familiarity which forms, as you know, part of his character, and which does not lower the King's dignity, because one is duly careful not to abuse it [be careful!]. I hadabundant time to speak, with a great deal of freedom, on what yourEminency had prescribed to me; and the King spoke to me with an equalfrankness. 

"First, he asked me, If it was true that the French Nation wasso angered against him; if the King was, and if you were? Ianswered, "--mildly reprobatory, yet conciliative, "Hm, no, nothingpermanent, nothing to speak of. " "He then deigned to speak to me, atlarge, of the reasons which had induced him to be so hasty with thePeace. " "Extremely remarkable reasons;" "dare not trust them to thisPaper" (Broglio-Belleisle discrepancies, we guess, distractedBroglio procedures);--they have no concern with that Pallandt-LetterStory, --"they do not turn on the pretended Secret Negotiations at theCourt of Vienna [which are not pretended at all, as I among otherswell know], in regard to which your Eminency has condescended toclear yourself [by denying the truth, poor Eminency; there was no helpotherwise]. All I dare state is, that it seems to me easy to lead backthe mind of this Sovereign, whom the situation of his Territories, hisinterest, and his taste would appear to mark as the natural ally ofFrance. "

"He said farther [what may be relied on as true by his Eminency Fleury, and my readers here], That he passionately wished to see Bohemia inthe Emperor's hands [small chance for it, as things now go!]; that herenounced, with the best faith in the world, all claim whatever on Bergand Julich; and that, in spite of the advantageous proposals which LordStair was making him, he thought only of keeping Silesia. That he knewwell enough the House of Austria would, one day, wish to recover thatfine Province, but that he trusted he could keep his conquest; that hehad at this time 130, 000 soldiers always ready; that he would make ofNeisse, Glogau, Brieg, fortresses as strong as Wesel [which he is nowdiligently doing, and will soon have done]; that besides he was wellinformed the Queen of Hungary already owed 80, 000, 000 German crowns, which is about 300 millions of our money [about 12 millions sterling];that her Provinces, exhausted, and lying wide apart, would not be ableto make long efforts; and that the Austrians, for a good while to come, could not of themselves be formidable. " Of themselves, no: but withBritannic soup-royal in quantity?--

"My Lord Hyndford had spoken to him" as if France were entirelydiscouraged and done for: How false, Monseigneur! "And Lord Stair in hisletters represented France, a month ago, as ready to give in. Lord Stairhas not ceased to press his Majesty during this Aix Excursion even:"and, in spite of what your Eminency hears from the Hague, "there was, on the 30th of August, an Englishman at Aix on the part of Milord Stair;and he had speech with the King of Prussia [CROYEZ MOI!] in a littleVillage called Boschet [Burtscheid, where are hot wells], a quarter ofa league from Aix. I have been assured, moreover, that the Englishmanreturned in much discontent. On the other hand, General Schmettau, whowas with the King [elder Schmettau, Graf SAMUEL, who does a great dealof envoying for his Majesty], sent, at that very time, to Brussels, for Maps of the Moselle and of the Three Bishoprics, and purchased fivecopies, "--means to examine Milord Stair's proposed Seat of War, at anyrate. (Here is a pleasant friend to have on visit to you, in the nextapartment, with such an eye and such a nose!). . . 

"Monseigneur, " finely insinuates Voltaire in conclusion, "is not there"a certain Frenchman, true to his Country, to his King, and to yourEminency, with perhaps peculiar facilities for being of use, in suchdelicate case?--"JE SUIS, " much your Eminency's. [_OEuvres, _ lxxii. P. 568 (to Cideville), p. 579 (D'Argenson), p. 574 (Fleury). ]

Friedrich, on the day while Voltaire at Brussels sat so busy writing ofhim, was at Salzdahl, visiting his Brunswick kindred there, on theroad home to his usual affairs. Old Fleury, age ninety gone, died29th January, 1743, --five months and nineteen days after this Letter. War-Minister Breteuil had died January 1st. Here is room for newMinisters and Ministries; for the two D'Argensons, --if it could availtheir old School-fellow, or France, or us; which it cannot much. 

Chapter III. --CARNIVAL PHENOMENA IN WAR-TIME. 

Readers were anticipating it, readers have no sympathy; but the sad factis, Britannic Majesty has NOT got out his sword; this second paroxysm ofhis proves vain as the first did! Those laggard Dutch, dead to the Causeof Liberty, it is they again. Just as the hour was striking, they--plumpdown, in spite of magnanimous Stair, into their mud again; cannot behoisted by engineering. And, after all that filling and emptying ofwater-casks, and pumping and puffing, and straining of every fibre for atwelvemonth past, Britannic Majesty had to sit down again, panting in anOlympian manner, with that expensive long sword of his still sticking inthe scabbard. 

Tongue cannot tell what his poor little Majesty has suffered from thoseDutch, --checking one's noble rage, into mere zero, always; making ofone's own glorious Army a mere expensive Phantasm! Hanoverian, Hessian, British: 40, 000 fighters standing in harness, year after year, atsuch cost; and not the killing of a French turkey to be had of them inreturn. Patience, Olympian patience, withal! He cantons his troops inthe Netherlands Towns; many of the British about Ghent (who consider theprovisions, and customs, none of the best); [Letters of Officers, from Ghent (_Westminster Journal, _ Oct. 23d, &c. ). ] his Hanoverians, Hessians, farther northward, Hanover way;--and, greatly daring, determines to try again, next Spring. Carteret himself shall go andflagitate the Dutch. Patience; whip and hoist!--What a conclusion, snorts the indignant British Public through its Gazetteers. 

"Next year, yes, exclaims one indignant Editor: 'if talking will dobusiness, we shall no doubt perform wonders; for we have had as muchtalking and puffing since February last, as during any ten years of thelate Administration' [_The Daily Post, _ December 31st (o. S. ), 1742. ][under poor Walpole, whom you could not enough condemn]! The Dutch?exclaims another: 'If WE were a Free People [F-- P-- he puts it, joiningcaution with his rage], QUOERE, Whether Holland would not, at thisjuncture, come cap in hand, to sue for our protection and alliance;instead of making us dance attendance at the Hague?' Yes, indeed;--andthen the CASE OF THE HANOVER FORCES (fear not, reader; I understand yourterror of locked-jaw, and will never mention said CASE again); but it issingular to the Gazetteer mind, That these Hanover Forces are to be paidby England, as appears; Hanover, as if without interest in the matter, paying nothing! Upon which, in covert form of symbolic adumbration, ofwitty parable, what stinging commentaries, not the first, nor by manythousands the last (very sad reading in our day) on this paltry HanoverConnection altogether: What immensities it has cost poor England, and islike to cost, 'the Lord of the Manor' (great George our King) being thegentleman he is; and how England, or, as it is adumbratively called, 'the Manor of St. James's, ' is become a mere 'fee-farm to Mumland. 'Unendurable to think of. 'Bob Monopoly, the late Tallyman [adumbrativefor Walpole, late Prime Minister], was much blamed on this account; andJohn the Carter [John Lord Carteret], Clerk of the Vestry and presentfavorite of his Lordship, is not behind Robin in his care for the Manorof MUMLAND' [In _Westminster Journal_ (Feb. 12th, n. S. , 1743), a longApologue in this strain. ] (that contemptible Country, where their verybeer is called MUM), --and no remedy within view?"

RETREAT FROM PRAG; ARMY OF THE ORIFLAMME, BOHEMIAN SECTION BOHEMIANSECTION OF IT, MAKES EXIT. 

"And Belleisle in Prag, left solitary there, with his heroicremnant, --gone now to 17, 000, the fourth man of them in hospital, withFestititz Tolpatchery hovering round, and Winter and Hunger drawingnigh, --what is to become of Belleisle? Prince Karl and the Grand-Dukehad attended Maillebois to Bavaria; steadily to left of Mailleboisbetween Austria and him; and are now busy in the Passau Country, benton exploding those Seckendorf-Broglio operations and intentions, as thechief thing now. Meanwhile they have detached Prince Lobkowitz to girdlein Belleisle again; for which Lobkowitz (say, 20, 000, with the FestititzTolpatchery included) will be easily able. On the march thither heeasily picked up (18th-25th November) that new French Post of Leitmeritz(Broglio's fine 'Half-way House to Saxony and Provender'), with itsgarrison of 2, 000: the other posts and outposts, one and all, had tohurry home, in fear of a like fate. Beyond the circuit of Prag, isolatedin ten miles of burnt country, Belleisle has no resource except what hisown head may furnish. The black landscape is getting powdered with snow;one of the grimmest Winters, almost like that of 1740; Belleisle mustsee what he will do. 

"Belleisle knows secretly what he will do. Belleisle has orders to comeaway from Prag; bring his Army off, and the chivalry of France home totheir afflicted friends. [_Campagnes, _ vi. 244-251; Espagnac, i. 168. ] Athing that would have been so feasible two months ago, while Mailleboiswas still wriggling in the Pass of Caaden; but which now borders onimpossibility, if not reaches into it. As a primary measure, Belleislekeeps those orders of his rigorously secret. Within the Garrison, oron the part of Lobkowitz, there is a far other theory of Belleisle'sintentions. Lobkowitz, unable to exist in the black circuit, has retiredbeyond it, and taken the eastern side of the Moldau, as the leastruined; leaving the Tolpatchery, under one Festititz, to caracole roundthe black horizon on the west. Farther, as the Moldau is rolling ice, and Lobkowitz is afraid of his pontoons, he drags them out high anddry: 'Can be replaced in a day, when wanted. ' In a day; yes, thinksBelleisle, but not in less than a day;--and proceeds now to theconsummation. Detailed accounts exist, Belleisle's own Account (rapid, exact, loftily modest); here, compressing to the utmost, let us snatchhastily the main features. 

"On the 15th December, 1742, Prag Gates are all shut: Enter if you like;but no outgate. Monseigneur le Marechal intends to have a grand foragingto-morrow, on the southwestern side of Prag. Lobkowitz heard of it, inspite of the shut gates; for all Prag is against Belleisle, and doesspy-work for Lobkowitz. 'Let him forage, ' thought Lobkowitz; 'he willnot grow rich by what he gathers;' and sat still, leaving hispontoons high and dry. So that Belleisle, on the afternoon of December16th, --between 12 and 14, 000 men, near 4, 000 of them cavalry, withcannon, with provision-wagons, baggage-wagons, goods and chattels inmass, --has issued through the two Southwestern Gates; and finds himselffairly out of Prag. On the Pilsen road; about nightfall of theshort winter day: earth all snow and 'VERGLAS, ' iron glazed; hugeolive-colored curtains of the Dusk going down upon the Mountainsahead of him; shutting in a scene wholly grim for Belleisle. BrigadierChevert, a distinguished and determined man, with some 4, 000 sick, convalescent and half able, is left in Prag to man the works; theMarechal has taken hostages, twenty Notabilities of Prag; and neglectedno precaution. He means towards Eger; has, at least, got one marchahead; and will do what is in him, he and every soul of those 14, 000. The officers have given their horses for the baggage-wagons, made everysacrifice; the word Homewards kindles a strange fire in all hearts; andthe troops, say my French authorities, are unsurpassable. The Marechalhimself, victim of rheumatisms, cannot ride at all; but has hislight sledge always harnessed; and, at a moment's notice, is presenteverywhere. Sleep, during these ten days and nights, he has little. 

"Eger is 100 miles off, by the shortest Highway: there are two badHighways, one by Pilsen southerly, one by Karlsbad northerly, --withtheir bridges all broken, infested by Hussars:--we strike into a middlecombination of country roads, intricate parish lanes; and march zigzagacross these frozen wildernesses: we must dodge these Festititz Hussarswarms; and cross the rivers near their springs. Forward! Perhaps somereaders, for the high Belleisle's sake, will look out these localitiessubjoined in the Note, and reduced to spelling. [Tachlowitz, Lischon(near Rakonitz); Jechnitz (as if you were for the Pilsen road; then turnas if for the Karlsbad one); Steben (not discoverable, but a DESPATCHfrom it, --_Campagnes, _ v. 280), Chisch, Luditz, Theysing (hereabouts youbreak off into smaller columns, separate parties and patches, cavalryall ahead, among the Hills): Schonthal AND Landeck (Belleisle passesChristmas-day at Landeck, --_ Campagnes, _ vii. 10); Einsiedel (ANDby Petschau), Lauterbach, Konigswart, AND likewise by Topl, Sandau, Treunitz (that is, into Eger from two sides). ] Resting-places in thisgrim wilderness of his: poor snow-clad Hamlets, --with their little hoodof human smoke rising through the snow; silent all of them, except forthe sound of here and there a flail, or crowing cock;--but have beenawakened from their torpor by this transit of Belleisle. Happily thebogs themselves are iron; deepest bog will bear. 

"Festititz tries us twice, --very anxious to get Belleisle's Army-chest, or money; we give him torrents of sharp shot instead. Festititz, thesetwo chief times, we pepper rapidly into the Hills again; he is reducedto hang prancing on our flanks and rear. Men bivouac over fires of turf, amid snow, amid frost; tear down, how greedily, any wood-work for fire. Leave a trumpet to beg quarter for the frozen and speechless;--which islittle respected: they are lugged in carts, stript by the savageries, and cruelly used. There were first extensive plains, then boggy passes, intricate mountains; bog and rock; snow and VERGLAS. --On the 26th, afterindescribable endeavors, we got into Eger;--some 1, 300 (about one inten) left frozen in the wilderness; and half the Army falling ill atEger, of swollen limbs, sore-throats, and other fataler diseases, fatalthen, or soon after. Chevert, at Prag, refused summons from PrinceLobkowitz: 'No, MON PRINCE; not by any means! We will die, every manof us, first; and we will burn Prag withal!'--So that Lobkowitz had toconsent to everything; and escort Chevert to Eger, with bag and baggage, Lobkowitz furnishing the wagons. 

"Comparable to the Retreat of Xenophon! cry many. Every Retreat iscompared to that. A valiant feat, after all exaggerations. A thing welldone, say military men;--'nothing to object, except that the troops wereso ruined;'--and the most unmilitary may see, it is the work of a highand gallant kind of man. One of the coldest expeditions ever known. There have been three expeditions or retreats of this kind which werevery cold: that of those Swedes in the Great Elector's time (not tomention that of Karl XII. 's Army out of Norway, after poor Karl XII. Got shot); that of Napoleon from Moscow; this of Belleisle, which is theonly one brilliantly conducted, and not ending in rout and annihilation. 

"The troops rest in Eger for a week or two; then homeward through theOber-Pfalz:--'go all across the Rhine at Speyer' (5th February next);the Bohemian Section of the Oriflamme making exit in this manner. Notquite the eighth man of them left; five-eighths are dead: and there areabout 12, 000 prisoners, gone to Hungary, --who ran mostly to the Turks, such treatment had they, and were not heard of again. " [_Guerre deBoheme, _ ii. 221 (for this last fact). IB. 204, and Espagnac, i. 176(for particulars of the Retreat); and still better, Belleisle's ownDespatch and Private Letter (Eger, 2d January and 5th January, 1743), in_Campagnes, _ vii. 1-21. ]--Ah, Belleisle, Belleisle!

The Army of the Oriflamme gets home in this sad manner; Germany notcut in Four at all. "Implacable Austrian badgers, " as we call them, "gloomily indignant bears, " how have they served this fine Frenchhunting-pack; and from hunted are become hunters, very dangerous tocontemplate! At Frankfurt, Belleisle, for his own part, pauses; cannot, in this entirely down-broken state of body, serve his Majesty farther inthe military business; will do some needful diplomatics with the Kaiser, and retire home to government of Metz, till his worn-out health recoveritself a little. 

A GLANCE AT VIENNA, AND THEN AT BERLIN. 

Prince Karl had been busy upon Braunau (the BAVARIAN Braunau, not theBOHEMIAN or another, Seckendorf's chief post on the Inn); had furiouslybombarded Braunau, with red-hot balls, for some days; [2d-10th December(Espagnac, i. 171). ] intent to explode the Seckendorf-Broglio projectsbefore winter quite came. Seckendorf, in a fine frenzy, calls toBroglio, "Help!" and again calls; both Kaiser and he, CRESCENDO to ahigh pitch, before Broglio will come. "Relieve Braunau? Well;--but nofighting farther, mark you!" answers Broglio. To the disgust of Kaiserand Seckendorf; who were eager for a combined movement, and heartyattack on Prince Karl, with perhaps capture of Passau itself. At sightof Broglio and Seckendorf combined, Prince Karl did at once withdrawfrom Braunau; but as to attacking him, --"NON; MILLE FOIS, NON!" answeredBroglio disdainfully bellowing. First grand quarrel of Broglioand Seckendorf; by no means their last. Prince Karl put his men inwinter-quarters, in those Passau regions; postponing the explosion ofthe Broglio-Seckendorf projects, till Spring; and returned to Vienna forthe Winter gayeties and businesses there. How the high Maria Theresais contented, I do not hear;--readers may take this Note, which isauthentic, though vague, and straggling over wide spaces of time stillfuture. 

"Does her Majesty still think of 'taking the command of her Armieson herself, ' high Amazon that she is!" Has not yet thought of that, Ishould guess. "At one time she did seriously think of it, says a goodwitness; which is noteworthy. [Podewils, _Der Wiener Hof _ (Court ofVienna, in the years 1746, 1747 and 1748; a curious set of REPORTS forFriedrich's information, by Podewils, his Minister there); printed underthat Title, "by the Imperial Academy of Sciences" (Wien, 1850);--may beworth alluding to again, if chance offer. ] Her Husband has been with theArmies, once, twice; but never to much purpose (Brother Karl doing thework, if work were done);--and this is about the last time, or the lastbut one, this in Winter 1742. She loves her Husband thoroughly, allalong; but gives him no share in business, finding he understandsnothing except Banking. It is certain she chiefly was the reformer ofher Army, " in years coming; "she, athwart many impediments. An ardentrider, often on horseback, at paces furiously swift; her beautiful facetanned by the weather. Very devout too; honest to the bone, athwart allher prejudices. Since our own Elizabeth! no Woman, and hardly above oneMan, is worth being named beside her as a Sovereign Ruler;--she is 'aliving contradiction of the Salic Law, ' say her admirers. Depends onEngland for money, All hearts and right hands in Austria are hers. The loss of Schlesien, pure highway robbery, thrice-doleful loss anddisgrace, rankles incurable in the noble heart, pious to its Fatherswithal, and to their Heritages in the world, --we shall see with whatissues, for the next twenty years, to that 'BOSE MANN, ' unpardonably'wicked man' of Brandenburg. And indeed, to the end of her life, shenever could get over it. To the last, they say, if a Stranger, gettingaudience, were graciously asked, 'From what Country, then?' andshould answer, 'Schlesien, your Majesty!' she would burst intotears. --'Patience, high Madam!' urges the Britannic Majesty: 'Patience;may not there be compensation, if we hunt well?'" Austrian bears, implacable badgers, with Britannic mastiffs helping, now that theBelleisle Pack is down!--

At Berlin it was gay Carnival, while those tragedies went on: Friedrichwas opening his Opera-House, enjoying the first ballets, while Belleislefiled out of Prag that gloomy evening. Our poor Kaiser will not "retainBohemia, " then; how far from it! The thing is not comfortable toFriedrich; but what help?

This is the gayest Carnival yet seen in Berlin, this immediatelyfollowing the Peace; everybody saying to himself and others, "GAUDEAMUS, What a Season!" Not that, in the present hurry of affairs, I can dwellon operas, assemblies, balls, sledge-parties; or indeed have the leastword to say on such matters, beyond suggesting them to the imaginationof readers. The operas, the carnival gayeties, the intricateconsiderations and diplomacies of this Winter, at Berlin and elsewhere, may be figured: but here is one little speck, also from the Archives, which is worth saving. Princess Ulrique is in her twenty-third year, Princess Amelia in her twentieth; beautiful clever creatures, both;Ulrique the more staid of the two. "Never saw so gay a Carnival, " saideverybody; and in the height of it, with all manner of gayeties goingon, --think where the dainty little shoes have been pinching!

PRINCESSES ULRIQUE AND AMELIA TO THE KING. 

BERLIN, "1st March, 1743. "MY DEAREST BROTHER, --I know not if it isnot too bold to trouble your Majesty on private affairs: but thegreat confidence which my Sister [Amelia] and I have in your kindnessencourages us to lay before you a sincere avowal as to the state of ourbits of finances (NOS PETITES FINANCES), which are a good deal derangedjust now; the revenues having, for two years and a half past, beenrather small; amounting to only 400 crowns (60 pounds) a year; whichcould not be made to cover all the little expenses required in theadjustments of ladies. This circumstance, added to our card-playing, though small, which we could not dispense with, has led us into debts. Mine amount to 225 pounds (1, 500 crowns); my Sister's to 270 pounds(1, 800 crowns). 

"We have not spoken of it to the Queen-Mother, though we are well sureshe would have tried to assist us; but as that could not have been donewithout some inconvenience to her, and she would have retrenched in someof her own little entertainments, I thought we should do better to applydirect to Your Majesty; being persuaded you would have taken it amiss, had we deprived the Queen of her smallest pleasure;--and especially, aswe consider you, my dear Brother, the Father of the Family, and hope youwill be so gracious as help us. We shall never forget the kind acts ofYour Majesty; and we beg you to be persuaded of the perfect and tenderattachment with which we are proud to be all our lives, --Your Majesty'smost humble and most obedient Sisters and Servants, "LOUISE-ULRIQUE; ANNE-AMELIE [which latter adds anxiously as Postscript, Ulrique having written hitherto], "P. S. I most humbly beg Your Majesty not to speak of this to theQueen-Mother, as perhaps she would not approve of the step we are nowtaking. " [_OEuvres de Frederic, _ xxvii. I. 387. ]

Poor little souls; bankruptcy just imminent! I have no doubt Friedrichcame handsomely forward on this grave occasion, though Dryasdust has notthe grace to give me the least information. --"Frederic Baron Trenck, "loud-sounding Phantasm once famous in the world, now gone to theNurseries as mythical, was of this Carnival 1742-43; and of the next, and NOT of the next again! A tall actuality in that time; swaggeringabout in sumptuous Life-guard uniform, in his mess-rooms andassembly-rooms; much in love with himself, the fool. And I rather think, in spite of his dog insinuations, neither Princess had heard of him tilltwenty years hence, in a very different phasis of his life! The empty, noisy, quasi-tragic fellow;--sounds throughout quasi-tragically, like anempty barrel; well-built, longing to be FILLED. And it is scandalouslyfalse, what loud Trenck insinuates, what stupid Thiebault (alwaysstupid, incorrect, and the prey of stupidities) confirms, as to thismatter, --fit only for the Nurseries, till it cease altogether. 

VOLTAIRE, AT PARIS, IS MADE IMMORTAL BY A KISS. 

Voltaire and the divine Emilie are home to Cirey again; that ofBrussels, with the Royal Aachen Excursion, has been only an interlude. They returned, by slow stages, visit after visit, in October last, --someslake occurring, I suppose, in that interminable Honsbruck Lawsuit; andmuch business, not to speak of ennui, urging them back. They are nowlatterly in Paris itself, safe in their own "little palace (PETITPALAIS) at the point of the Isle;" little jewel of a house on the IsleSt. Louis, which they are warming again, after long absence in Brusselsand the barbarous countries. They have returned hither, on sufferance, on good behavior; multitudes of small interests, small to us, great tothem, --death of old Fleury, hopeful changes of Ministry, not to speak oftheatricals and the like, --giving opportunity and invitation. Madame, we observe, is marrying her Daughter: the happy man a Duke of Montenero, ill-built Neapolitan, complexion rhubarb, and face consisting much ofnose. [Letter of Voltaire, in _ OEuvres, _ lxxiii 24. ] Madame never wantsfor business; business enough, were it only in the way of shopping, visiting, consulting lawyers, doing the Pure Sciences. 

As to Voltaire, he has, as usual, Plays to get acted, --if he can. MAHOMET, no; MORT DE CESAR, yes OR no; for the Authorities are shy, in spite of the Public. One Play Voltaire did get acted, with asuccess, --think of it, reader! The exquisite Tragedy MEROPE, perhaps nowhardly known to you; of which you shall hear anon. 

But Plays are not all. Old Pleury being dead, there is again a Vacancyin the Academy; place among the sacred Forty, --vacant for Voltaire, if he can get it. Voltaire attaches endless importance to this place;beautiful as a feather in one's cap; useful also to the solitaryIshmael of Literature, who will now in a certain sense have Thirty-nineComrades, and at least one fixed House-of-Call in this world. In fine, nothing can be more ardent than the wish of M. De Voltaire for thesesupreme felicities. To be of the Forty, to get his Plays acted, --oh, then were the Saturnian Kingdoms come; and a man might sing IO TRIUMPHE, and take his ease in the Creation, more or less! Stealthily, as ifon shoes of felt, --as if on paws of velvet, with eyes luminous, tailbushy, --he walks warily, all energies compressively summoned, towardsthat high goal. Hush, steady! May you soon catch that bit of savoryred-herring, then; worthiest of the human feline tribe!--As to the PlayMEROPE, here is the notable passage:

"PARIS, WEDNESDAY, 20th FEBRUARY, 1743. First night of MEROPE; whichraised the Paris Public into transports, so that they knew not what todo, to express their feelings. 'Author! M. De Voltaire! Author!' shoutedthey; summoning the Author, what is now so common, but was thenan unheard-of originality. 'Author! Author!' Author, poor blushingcreature, lay squatted somewhere, and durst not come; was ferreted out;produced in the Lady Villars's Box, --Dowager MARECHALE DE VILLARS, and her Son's Wife DUCHESSE DE VILLARS, being there; known friendsof Voltaire's. Between these Two he stands ducking some kind of bow;uncertain, embarrassed what to do; with a Theatre all in rapturousdelirium round him, --uncertain it too, but not embarrassed. 'Kiss him!MADAME LA DUCHESSE DE VILLARS, EMBRASSEZ VOLTAIRE!' Yes, kiss him, fairDuchess, in the name of France! shout all mortals;--and the youngerLady has to do it; does it with a charming grace; urged by Madame laMarechale her mother-in-law. [Duvernet (T. J. D. V. ), _Vie de Voltaire, _ p. 128; Voltaire himself, _OEuvres, _ ii. 142; Barbier, ii. 358. ] Ah, and Madame la Marechale was herself an old love of Voltaire's; who hadbeen entirely unkind to him!

"Thus are you made immortal by a Kiss;--and have not your choice of theKiss, Fate having chosen for you. The younger Lady was a Daughter ofMarechal de Noailles [our fine old Marechal, gone to the Warsagainst his Britannic Majesty in those very weeks]: infinitely clever(INFINIMENT D'ESPRIT); beautiful too, I understand, though towardsforty;--hangs to the human memory, slightly but indissolubly, ever sincethat Wednesday Night of 1743. "

Old Marechal de Noailles is to the Wars, we said;--it is in a worldall twinkling with watch-fires, and raked coals of War, that these fineCarnival things go on. Noailles is 70, 000 strong; posted in the RhineCountries, middle and upper Rhine; vigilantly patrolling about, tosupport those staggering Bavarian Affairs; especially to give accountof his Britannic Majesty. Brittanic Majesty is thought to have got theDutch hoisted, after all; to have his sword OUT;--and ere long doesactually get on march; up the Rhine hitherward, as is too evident, toNoailles, to the Kaiser and everybody!

Chapter IV. --AUSTRIAN AFFAIRS MOUNT TO A DANGEROUS HEIGHT. 

Led by fond hopes, --and driven also by that sad fear, of a Visit fromhis Britannic Majesty, --the poor Kaiser, in the rear of those lateSeckendorf successes, quitted Frankfurt, April 17th; and the second dayafter, got to Munchen. Saw himself in Munchen again, after a space ofmore than two years; "all ranks of people crowding out to welcome him;"the joy of all people, for themselves and for him, being very great. Next day he drove out to Nymphenburg; saw the Pandour devastationsthere, --might have seen the window where the rugged old Unertl set uphis ladder, "For God's sake, your Serenity, have nothing to do withthose French!"--and did not want for sorrowful comparisons of past andpresent. 

It was remarked, he quitted Munchen in a day or two; preferring CountryPalaces still unruined, --for example, Wolnzach, a Schloss he has, somefifty miles off, down the Iser Valley, not far from the little Town ofMosburg; which, at any rate, is among the Broglio-Seckendorf posts, andconvenient for business. Broglio and Seckendorf lie dotted all about, from Braunau up to Ingolstadt and farther; chiefly in the Iser and InnValleys, but on the north side of the Donau too; over an area, say of2, 000 square miles; Seckendorf preaching incessantly to Broglio, whatis sun-clear to all eyes but Broglio's, "Let us concentrate, M. LeMarechal; let us march and attack! If Prince Karl come upon us in thisscattered posture, what are we to do?" Broglio continuing deaf; Broglioanswering--in a way to drive one frantic. 

The Kaiser himself takes Broglio in hand; has a scene with Broglio;which, to readers that study it, may be symbolical of much that is goneand that is coming. It fell "about the middle of May" (prior to May17th, as readers will guess before long); and here, according to report, was the somewhat explosive finale it had. Prince Conti, the same who ranto join Maillebois, and has proved a gallant fellow and got command of aDivision, attends Broglio in this important interview at Wolnzach:--

SCHLOSS OF WOLNZACH, MAY, 1743. . . . "The Kaiser pressed, in the mostemphatic manner, That the Two Armies [French and Bavarian] shouldcollect and unite for immediate action. To which Broglio declared hecould by no means assent, not having any order from Paris of thattenor. The Kaiser thereupon: 'I give you my order for it; I, by the MostChristian King's appointment, am Commander-in-Chief of your Army, as ofmy own; and I now order you!'--taking out his Patent, and spreading itbefore Broglio with the sign-manual visible, Broglio knew the Patentvery well; but answered, 'That he could not, for all that, follow thewish of his Imperial Majesty; that he, Broglio, had later orders, andmust obey them!' Upon which the Imperial Majesty, nature irrepressiblyasserting itself, towered into Olympian height; flung his Patent on thetable, telling Conti and Broglio, 'You can send that back, then; Patentslike that are of no service to me!' and quitted them in a blaze. "[Adelung, iii. B, 150; cites ETTAT POLITIQUE (Annual Register ofthose times), xiii. 16. Nothing of this scene in _Campagnes, _ which isofficially careful to suppress the like of this. ]

The indisputable fact is, Prince Karl is at the door; nay he has beatenin the door in a frightful manner; and has Braunau, key of the Inn, again under siege. Not we getting Passau; it is he getting Braunau! Aweek ago (9th May) his vanguard, on the sudden, cut to pieces our poorBavarian 8, 000, and their poor Minuzzi, who were covering Braunau, andhas ended him and them;--Minuzzi himself prisoner, not to be heard of orbeaten more;--and is battering Braunau ever since. That is the sad fact, whatever the theory may have been. Prince Karl is rolling in fromthe east; Lobkowitz (Prag now ended) is advancing from the northward, Khevenhuller from the Salzburg southern quarter: Is it in a sprinkle ofdisconnected fractions that you will wait Prince Karl? The question ofuniting, and advancing, ought to be a simple one for Broglio. Takethis other symbolic passage, of nearly the same date;--posterior, as weguessed, to that Interview at Wolnzach. 

"DINGELFINGEN, 17th MAY, 1743. At Dingelfingen on the Iser, a strongishcentral post of the French, about fifty miles farther down than thatSchloss of Wolnzach, there is a second argument, --much corroborativeof the Kaiser's reasoning. About sunrise of the 17th, the Austrians, insufficient force, chiefly of Pandours, appeared on the heights to thesouth: they had been foreseen the night before; but the French coveringGeneral, luckier than Minuzzi, did not wait for them; only warnedDingelfingen, and withdrew across the River, to wait there on the safeleft bank. Leader of the Austrians was one Leopold Graf von Daun, activeman of thirty-five, already of good rank, who will be much heard ofafterwards; Commandant in Dingelfingen is a Brigadier du Chatelet, Marquis du Chatelet-Lamont; whom--after search (in the interest of someidle readers)--I discover to be no other than the Husband of a certainAlgebraic Lady! Identity made out, mark what a pass he is at. CountDaun comes on in a tempest of furious fire; 'very heavy, ' they say, from great guns and small; till close upon the place, when he summonsDu Chatelet: 'No;' and thereupon attempts scalade. Cannot scalade, DuChatelet and his people being mettlesome; takes then to flingingshells, to burning the suburbs; Town itself catches fire, --Town plainlyindefensible. 'Truce for one hour' proposes Du Chatelet (wishful toconsult the covering General across the River): 'No, ' answers Daun. Sothat Du Chatelet has to jumble and wriggle himself out of the place;courageous to the last; but not in a very Parthian fashion, --greatdifficulty to get his bridge ruined (very partially ruined), behindhim;--and joins the covering General, in a flustery singed condition!Were not pursued farther by Daun:--and Prince Conti, Head General inthose parts, called it a fine defence, on examining. " [_Campagnes, _viii. 239; Espagnac, i. 187; Hormayr, iv. 82, 85. ] Espagnac continues:--

"On the 19th, " after one rest-day, "Graf von Daun set out for Landau[still on the Iser, farther down; Baiern has ITS "Landau" too, andits "Landshut, " both on this River], to seize Landau; which is anotherFrench place of strength. The Garrison defended themselves for sometime; after which they retired over the River [left bank, or wrong sideof the Iser, they too]; and set fire to the Bridge behind them. The fireof the Bridge caught the Town; Pandours helping it, as our people said;and Landau also was reduced to ashes. "--Poor Landau, poor Dingelfingen, they cannot have the benefit of Louis XV. 's talent for governingGermany, quite gratis, it would appear!

But where are the divine Emilie and Voltaire, that morning, while theBrigadier is in such taking? Sitting safe in "that dainty little palaceof Madame's (PETIT PALAIS) at the point of the Isle de St. Louis, "intent on quite other adventures; disgusted with the slavish Forty andtheir methods of Election (of which by and by); and little thinking ofM. Le Brigadier and the dangers of war. --Prince de Conti praised theBrigadier's defence: but very soon, alas, --

DEGGENDORF, 27th MAY. "Prince de Conti, at Deggendorf [other or northbank of the Donau, Head-quarters of Conti, which was thought to be wellsecured by batteries and defences on the steep heights to landward], washimself suddenly attacked, the tenth day hence, 'May 27th, at daybreak, 'in a still more furious manner; and was tumbled out of Deggendorf amidwhirlwinds of fire, in very flamy condition indeed. The Austrians, playing on us from the uplands with their heavy artillery, made a breachin our outmost battery: 'Not tenable!' exclaimed the Captain there:'This way, my men!'--and withdrew, like a shot, he and party; slidingdown the steep face of the mountain [feet foremost, I hope], home toDeggendorf in this peculiar manner; leaving the AUSTRIANS to manage hisguns. Our two lower batteries, ruled by this upper one, had now to beabandoned; and Conti ran, Bridge of the Town-ditch breaking underhim; baggages, even to his own portmanteaus, all lost; and had aneck-and-neck race of it in getting to his Donau-Bridge, and across tothe safe side. With loss of everything, we say, --personal baggage allincluded; which latter item, Prince Karl politely returned him nextday. " [Espagnac, p. 188. ]

Broglio, with Prince Karl in his bowels going at such a rate, may judgenow whether it was wise to lie in that loose posture, scattered over twothousand square miles, and snort on his judicious Seckendorf's advicesand urgencies as he did! Readers anticipate the issue; and shall notbe wearied farther with detail. There are, as we said, Three AustrianArmies pressing on this luckless Bavaria and its French Protectors:Khevenhuller, from Salzburg and the southern quarter, pushing in hisDauns; Lobkowitz, hanging over us from the Ober-Pfalz (Naab-RiverCountry) on the north; and Prince Karl, on one or sometimes on bothsides of the Donau, pricking sharply into the rear of us; saying, bybayonets, burnt bridges, bomb-shells, "Off; swift; it will be better foryou!" And Broglio has lost head, a mere whirlwind of flaming gases;and your ablest Comte de Saxe in such position, what can he do? Brogliowrites to Versailles, That there will be no continuing in Bavaria; thathe recommends an order to march homewards;--much to the surprise ofVersailles. 

"The Court of Versailles was much astonished at the message it got fromBroglio; Court of Versailles had always calculated that Broglio couldkeep Bavaria; and had gone into extensive measures for maintaininghim there. Experienced old Marechal de Noailles has a new French Army, 70, 000 or more, assembled in the Upper Rhine for that and the cognateobjects [of whom, more specially, anon]: Noailles, by order from Court, has detached 12, 000, who are now marching their best, to reinforceBroglio;--and indeed the Court 'had already appointed the Generals andStaff-Officers for Broglio's Bavarian Army, ' and gratified many men bypromotions, which now went to smoke! [Espagnac, i. 190. ]

"Versailles, however, has to expedite the order: 'Come home, then. 'Order or no order, Broglio's posts are all crackling off again, burstingaloft like a chain of powder-mines; Broglio is plunging head foremost, towards Donauworth, towards Ingolstadt, his place of arms; Seckendorfnow welcome to join him, but unable to do anything when joined. Blustering Broglio has no steadfastness of mind; explodes like aninflammable body, in this crackling off of the posts, and becomes amere whirlwind of flaming gases. Old snuffling Seckendorf, born to illsuccess in his old days, strong only in caution, how is he to quench orstay this crackling of the posts? Broglio blusters, reproaches, bullies;Seckendorf quarrels with him outright, as he may well do: 'JARNI-BLEU, such a delirious whirlwind of a Marechal; mere bickering flames andsoot!'--and looks out chiefly to keep his own skin and that of his poorBavarians whole. 

"The unhappy Kaiser has run from Munchen again, to Augsburg for somebrief shelter; cannot stay there either, in the circumstances. Willhe have to hurry back to Frankfurt, to bankruptcy and furnishedlodgings, --nay to the Britannic Majesty's tender mercies, whose Armyis now actually there? Those indignant prophesyings to Broglio, at theSchloss of Wolnzach, have so soon come true! And Broglio and the Frenchare--what a staff to lean upon! Enough, the poor Kaiser, after doleful'Council of War held at Augsburg, June 25th, ' does on the morrow makeoff for Frankfurt again:--whither else? Britannic Majesty's intentions, friends tell him, friend Wilhelm of Hessen tells him, are magnanimous;eager for Peace to Teutschland; hostile only to the French. Poor Karltook the road, June 26th;--and will find news on his arrival, or beforeit. 

"On which same day, 26th of June, as it chances, Broglio too has madehis packages; left a garrison in Ingolstadt, garrison in Eger; and isferrying across at Donauworth, --will see the Marlborough Schellenberg ashe passes, --in full speed for the Rhine Countries, and the finis ofthis bad Business. [Adelung, iii. B. 152. ] On the road, I believe atDonauworth itself, Noailles's 12, 000, little foreseeing these retrogradeevents, met Broglio: 'Right about, you too!' orders Broglio; and speedsRhineward not the less. And the same day of that ferrying at Donauworth, and of the Kaiser's setting out for Frankfurt, Seckendorf, --atNieder-Schonfeld [an old Monastery near the Town of Rain, in thoseparts], the Kaiser being now safe away, --is making terms for himselfwith Khevenhuller and Prince Karl: 'Will lie quiet as mere REICHS-Army, almost as Troops of the Swabian Circle, over at Wembdingen there, insaid circle, and be strictly neutral, if we can but get lived at all!'[Ib. Iii. B, 153. ] Seckendorf concludes on the morrow, 27th June;--whichis elsewhere a memorable Day of Battle, as will be seen. 

"Broglio marched in Five Divisions [Du Chatelet in the Second Division, poor soul, which was led by Comte de Saxe]: [Espagnac, i. 198. ] alwaysin Five Divisions, swiftly, half a march apart; through the WurtembergCountry;--lost much baggage, many stragglers; Tolpatcheries in multitudecontinually pricking at the skirts of him; Prince Karl followingsteadily, Rhine-wards also, a few marches behind. Here are omens toreturn with! 'But have you seen a retreat better managed?' thinksBroglio to himself:" that is one consoling circumstance. 

In this manner, then, has the Problem of Bavaria solved itself. Hungarian Majesty, in these weeks, was getting crowned in Prag; "Queenof Bohemia, I, not you; in the sight of Heaven and of Earth!" [Crowned12th May, 1743 (Adelung, iii. B, 128); "news of Prince Karl's havingtaken Braunau [incipiency of all these successes] had reached her thatvery morning. "]--and was purifying her Bohemia: with some rigor (it issaid), from foreign defacements, treasonous compliances and the like, which there had been. To see your Bavarian Kaiser, false King ofBohemia, your Broglio with his French, and the Bohemian-BavarianQuestion in whole, all rolling Rhine-wards at their swiftest, withPrince Karl sticking in the skirts of them:--what a satisfaction to thathigh Lady!

BRITANNIC MAJESTY, WITH SWORD ACTUALLY DRAWN, HAS MARCHED MEANWHILETO THE FRANKFURT COUNTRIES, AS "PRAGMATIC ARMY;" READY FOR BATTLE ANDTREATY ALIKE. 

Add to which fine set of results, simultaneously with them: HisBritannic Majesty, third effort successful, has got his sword drawn, fairly out at last; and in the air is making horrid circles withit, ever since March last; nay does, he flatters himself, a veryconsiderable slash with it, in this current month of June. Of which, though loath, we must now take some notice. 

The fact is, though Stair could not hoist the Dutch, and ourdouble-quick Britannic heroism had to drop dead in consequence, Carterethas done it: Carteret himself rushed over in that crisis, a fieryemphatic man and chief minister, [Arrived at the Hague "5th October, 1742" (Adelung, iii. A, 294). ]--"eager to please his Master's humor!"said enemies. Yes, doubtless; but acting on his own turbid belief withal(says fact); and revolving big thoughts in his head, about bringingFriedrich over to the Cause of Liberty, giving French Ambition alesson for once, and the like. Carteret strongly pulleying, "All hands, heave-oh!"--and, no doubt, those Maillebois-Broglio events from Pragassisting him, --did bring the High Mightinesses to their legs; still ina staggering splay-footed posture, but trying to steady themselves. Thatis to say, the High Mightinesses did agree to go with us in the Cause ofLiberty; will now pay actual Subsidies to her Hungarian Majesty (at therate of two for our three); and will add, so soon as humanly possible, 20, 000 men to those wind-bound 40, 000 of ours;--which latter shall nowtherefore, at once, as "Pragmatic Army" (that is the term fixed on), get on march, Frankfurt way; and strike home upon the French and otherenemies of Pragmatic Sanction. This is what Noailles has been lookingfor, this good while, and diligently adjusting himself, in thoseMiddle-Rhine Countries, to give account of. 

Pragmatic Army lifted itself accordingly, --Stair, and the most ofhis English, from Ghent, where the wearisome Head-quarters had been;Hanoverians, Hessians, from we will forget where;--and in variousstreaks and streams, certain Austrians from Luxemburg (with our oldfriend Neipperg in company) having joined them, are flowing Rhine-wardever since March 1st. ["February 18th, " o. S. (Old Newspapers). ] Theycross the Rhine at three suitable points; whence, by the north bank, home upon Frankfurt Country, and the Noailles-Broglio operations inthose parts. The English crossed "at Neuwied, in the end of April" (ifanybody is curious); "Lord Stair in person superintending them. " LordStair has been much about, and a most busy person; General-in-Chief ofthe Pragmatic Army till his Britannic Majesty arrive. Generalissimo LordStair; and there is General Clayton, General Ligonier, "General Heywoodleft with the Reserve at Brussels:"--and, from the ashes of theOld Newspapers, the main stages and particulars of this surprisingExpedition (England marching as Pragmatic Army into distant parts)can be riddled out; though they require mostly to be flung in again. Shocking weather on the march, mere Boreas and icy tempests; snow insome places two feet deep; Rhine much swollen, when we come to it. 

The Austrian Chief General--who lies about Wiesbaden, and consults withStair, while the English are crossing--is Duke d'Ahremberg (Father ofthe Prince de Ligne, or "Prince of Coxcombs" as some call him): littleor nothing of military skill in D'Ahremberg; but Neipperg is thoughtto have given much counsel, such as it was. With the Hessians there wassome difficulty; hesitation on Landgraf Wilhelm's part; who pities thepoor Kaiser, and would fain see him back at Frankfurt, and awaken theBritannic magnanimities for him. "To Frankfurt, say you? We cannot fightagainst the Kaiser!"--and they had to be left behind, for some time; butat length did come on, though late for business, as it chanced. Generalof these Hessians is Prince George of Hessen, worthy stout gentleman, whom Wilhelmina met at the Frankfurt Gayeties lately. George's elderBrother Wilhelm is Manager or Vice-Landgraf, this long while back;and in seven or eight years hence became, as had been expected, actualLandgraf (old King of Sweden dying childless);--of which Wilhelm weshall have to hear, at Hanau (a Town of his in those parts), and perhapsslightly elsewhere, in the course of this business. A fat, just man, hetoo; probably somewhat iracund; not without troubles in his House. His eldest Son, Heir-Apparent of Hessen, let me remind readers, has anEnglish Princess to Wife; Princess Mary, King George's Daughter, weddedtwo years ago. That, added to the Subsidies, is surely a point ofunion;--though again there may such discrepancies rise! A good whileafter this, the eldest Son becoming Catholic (foolish wretch), to thehorror of Papa, --there rose still other noises in the world, aboutHessen and its Landgraves. Of good Prince George, who doubtless attendedin War Councils, but probably said little, we hope to hear nothing morewhatever. 

From Neuwied to Frankfurt is but a few days' march for the PragmaticArmy; in a direct line, not sixty miles. Frankfurt itself, which is aREICHS-STADT (Imperial City), they must not enter: "Fear not, City orCountry!" writes Stair to it: "We come as saviors, pacificators, hostileto your enemies and disturbers only; we understand discipline and theLaws of the Reich, and will pay for everything. " [Letter itself, ofbrief magnanimous strain, in _Campagnes de Noailles, _ i. 127; date"Neuwied, 26th April, 1743" (Adelung, iii. B, 114). ] For the rest, theyare in no hurry. They linger in that Frankfurt-Mainz region, all throughthe month of May; not unobservant of Noailles and his movements, if hemade any; but occupied chiefly with gathering provisions; forming, withdifficulty, a Magazine in Hanau. "What they intended: or intend, bycoming hither?" asks the Public everywhere: "To go into the DonauCountries, and enclose Broglio between two fires?" That had been, and was still, Stair's fine idea; but D'Ahremberg had disapproved themethods. D'Ahremberg, it seems, is rather given to opposing Stair;--andthere rise uncertainties, in this Pragmatic Army: certain only hithertothe Magazine in Hanau. And in secret, it afterwards appeared, theimmediate real errand of this Pragmatic Army had lain--in the Chapter ofMainz Cathedral, and an Election that was going on there. 

The old Kur-Mainz, namely, had just died; and there was a new "ChiefSpiritual Kurfurst" to be elected by the Canons there. Kur-Mainz isChairman of the Reich, an important personage, analogous to Speaker ofthe House of Commons; and ought to be, --by no means the Kaiser's youngBrother, as the French and Kaiser are proposing; but a man with Austrianleanings;--say, Graf von Ostein, titular DOM-CUSTOS (Cathedral Keeper)here; lately Ambassador in London, and known in select society for whathe is. Not much of an Archbishop, of a Spiritual or Chief Spiritual Herrhitherto; but capable of being made one, --were the Pragmatic Army at hiselbow! It was on this errand that the Pragmatic Army had come hither, or come so early, and with their plans still unripe. And truly theysucceeded; got their Ostein chosen to their mind: ["21st March, 1743, "Mainz vacant; "22d April, " Ostein elected (Adelung, iii. B, 113, 121). ]a new Kur-Mainz, --whose leanings and procedures were very manifest inthe sequel, and some of them important before long. This was alwaysreckoned one result of his Britannic Majesty's Pragmatic Campaign;--andtruly some think it was, in strict arithmetic, the only one, though thatis far from his Majesty's own opinion. 

FRIEDRICH HAS OBJECTIONS TO THE PRAGMATIC ARMY; BUT IN VAIN. OFFRIEDRICH'S MANY ENDEAVORS TO QUENCH THIS WAR, BY "UNION OF INDEPENDENTGERMAN PRINCES, " BY "MEDIATION OF THE REICH, " AND OTHERWISE; ALL INVAIN. 

Friedrich, at an early stage, had inquired of his Britannic Majesty, politely but with emphasis, "What in the world he meant, then, byinvading the German Reich; leading foreign Armies into the Reich: inthis unauthorized manner?" To which the Britannic Majesty had answered, with what vague argument of words we will not ask, but with a lookthat we can fancy, --look that would split a pitcher, as the Irish say!Friedrich persisted to call it an Invasion of the German Reich; andspoke, at first, of flatly opposing it by a Reich's Army (30, 000, oreven 50, 000, for Brandenburg's contingent, in such case); but as thepoor Reich took no notice, and the Britannic Majesty was positive, Friedrich had to content himself with protest for the present. [Friedrich's Remonstrance and George's Response are in _Adelung, _ iii. B, 132 (date, "March, 1743"); date of Friedrich's first stirring in thematter is "January, 1743, " and earlier (ib. P. 37, p. 8, &c. ). ]

The exertions of Friedrich to bring about a Peace, or at least todiminish, not increase, the disturbance, are forgotten now; wearisometo think of, as they did not produce the smallest result; but they havebeen incessant and zealous, as those of a man to quench the fire whichis still raging in his street, and from which he himself is just saved. "Cannot the Reich be roused for settlement of this Bavarian-Austrianquarrel?" thought Friedrich always. And spent a great deal of earnestendeavor in that direction; wished a Reich's ARMY OF MEDIATION; "towhich I will myself furnish 30, 000; 50, 000, if needed. " Reich, alas! TheReich is a horse fallen down to die, --no use spurring at the Reich; itcannot, for many months, on Friedrich's Proposal (though the questionwas far from new, and "had been two years on hand"), come to thedecision, "Well then, yes; the Reich WILL try to moderate and mediate:"and as for a Reich's Mediation-ARMY, or any practical step at all [Thequestion had been started, "in August, 1741, " by the Kaiser himself;"11th March, 1743, " again urged by him, after Friedrich's offer; "10thMay, 1743, " "Yes, then, we will try; but--" and the result continuedzero. ]--!

"Is not Germany, are not all the German Princes, interested to havePeace?" thinks Friedrich. "A union of the independent German Princes torecommend Peace, and even with hand on sword-hilt to command it; thatwould be the method of producing Treaty of Peace!" thinks he always. Andis greatly set on that method; which, we find, has been, and continuesto be, the soul of his many efforts in this matter. A fact to benoted. Long poring in those mournful imbroglios of Dryasdust, where thefraction of living and important welters overwhelmed by wildernesses ofthe dead and nugatory, one at length disengages this fact; and readersmay take it along with them, for it proves illuminative of Friedrich'sprocedures now and afterwards. A fixed notion of Friedrich's, this ofGerman Princes "uniting, " when the common dangers become flagrant; avery lively notion with him at present. He will himself cheerfully takethe lead in such Union, but he must not venture alone. [See Adelung, iii. A and B, passim; Valori, i. 178; &c. &c. ]

The Reich, when appealed to, with such degree of emphasis, in thismatter, --we see how the Reich has responded! Later on, Friedrich tried"the Swabian Circle" (chief scene of these Austrian-Bavarian tusslings);which has, like the other Circles, a kind of parliament, and pretendsto be a political unity of some sort. "Cannot the Swabian Circle, or Swabian and Frankish joined (to which one might declare oneselfPROTECTOR, in such case), order their own Captains, with military forceof their own, say 20, 000 men, to rank on the Frontier; and to informperemptorily all belligerents and tumultuous persons, French, Bavarian, English, Austrian: 'No thoroughfare; we tell you, No admittance here!'"Friedrich, disappointed of the Reich, had taken up that smaller notion:and he spent a good deal of endeavor on that too, --of which we maysee some glimpse, as we proceed. But it proves all futile. The SwabianCircle too is a moribund horse; all these horses dead or moribund. 

Friedrich, of course, has thought much what kind of Peace could beoffered by a mediating party. The Kaiser has lost his Bavaria: yet he isthe Kaiser, and must have a living granted him as such. Compensations, aspirations, claims of territory; these will be manifold! These are aworld of floating vapor, of greed, of anger, idle pretension: but withinall these there are the real necessities; what the case does require, if it is ever to be settled! Friedrich discerns this Austrian-Bavariannecessity of compensation; of new land to cut upon. And where is that tocome from!

In January last, Friedrich, intensely meditating this business, hadin private a bright-enough idea: That of secularizing those so-calledSovereign Bishoprics, Austrian-Bavarian by locality and nature, Passau, Salzburg, Regensburg, idle opulent territories, with functions absurdnot useful;--and of therefrom cutting compensation to right and to left. This notion he, by obscure channels, put into the head of Baron vonHaslang, Bavarian Ambassador at London; where it germinated rapidly, and came to fruit;--was officially submitted to Lord Carteret in hisown house, in two highly artistic forms, one evening;--and setsthe Diplomatic Heads all wagging upon it. [Adelung, iii. B, 84, 90, "January-March, 1743. "] With great hope, at one time; till rumor of itgot abroad into the Orthodox imagination, into the Gazetteer world; andraised such a clamor, in those months, as seldom was. "Secularize, Hah!One sees the devilish heathen spirit of you; and what kind of Kaiser, onthe religious side, we now have the happiness of having!" So thatKaiser Karl had to deny utterly, "Never heard of such a thing!" Carterethimself had, in politeness, to deny; much more, and for dire cause, hadHaslang himself, over the belly of facts, "Never in my dreams, I tellyou!"--and to get ambiguous certificate from Carteret, which the simplecould interpret to that effect. [Carteret's Letter (ibid. Iii, B, 190). ]

It was only in whispers that the name of Friedrich was connected withthis fine scheme; and all parties were glad to get it soon buried again. A bright idea; but had come a century too soon. Of another CarteretNegotiation with Kaiser Karl, famed as "Conferences of Hanau, " which hadalmost come to be a Treaty, but did not; and then, failing that, ofa famous Carteret "Treaty of Worms, " which did come to perfection, inthese same localities shortly afterwards; and which were infinitelyinteresting to our Friedrich, both the Treaty and the Failure of theTreaty, --we propose to speak elsewhere, in due time. 

As to Friedrich's own endeavors and industries, at Regensburg andelsewhere, for effective mediation of Peace; for the Reich to mediate, and have "Army of Mediation;" for a "Union of Swabian Circles" to do it;for this and then for that to do it;--as to Friedrich's own efforts andstrugglings that way, in all likely and in some unlikely quarters, --theywere, and continued to be, earnest, incessant; but without result. Likethe spurring of horses really DEAD some time ago! Of which no readerwishes the details, though the fact has to be remembered. And so, withslight indication for Friedrich's sake, --being intent on the stage ofevents, --we must leave that shadowy hypothetic region, as a wood inthe background; the much foliage and many twigs and boughs of which doauthentically TAKE the trouble to be there, though we have to paint itin this summary manner. 

Chapter V. --BRITANNIC MAJESTY FIGHTS HIS BATTLE OF DETTINGEN; ANDBECOMES SUPREME JOVE OF GERMANY, IN A MANNER. 

Brittanic Majesty with his Yarmouth, and martial Prince of Cumberland, arrived at Hanover May 15th; soon followed by Carteret from the Hague:[_Biographia Britannica_ (Kippin's, ? Carteret), iii. 277. ] a Majestyprepared now for battle and for treaty alike; kind of earthly Jove, Arbiter of Nations, or victorious Hercules of the Pragmatic, the sublimelittle man. At Herrenhausen he has a fine time; grandly fugling about;negotiating with Wilhelm of Hessen and others; commanding his PragmaticArmy from the distance: and then at last, dashing off rather in haste, he--It is well known what enigmatic Exploit he did, at least the Name ofit is well known! Here, from the Imbroglios, is a rough Account; partsof which are introducible for the sake of English readers. 

BATTLE OF DETTINGEN. 

"After some five leisurely weeks in Herrenhausen, George II. (now an oldgentleman of sixty), with his martial Fat Boy the Duke of Cumberland, and Lord Carteret his Diplomatist-in-Chief, quitted that pleasantsojourn, rather on a sudden, for the actual Seat of War. By speedyjourneys they got to Frankfurt Country; to Hanau, June 19th;whence, still up the Mayn, twenty or thirty miles farther up, toAschaffenburg, --where the Pragmatic Army, after some dangerousmanoeuvring on the opposite or south bank of the River, has lainencamped some days, and is in questionable posture. Whither his Majestyin person has hastened up. And truly, if his Majesty's head contain anygood counsel, there is great need of it here just now. 

"Captains and men were impatient of that long loitering, hanging idleabout Frankfurt all through May; and they have at length started realbusiness, --with more valor than discretion, it is feared. They are some40 or 44, 000 strong: English 16, 000; Hanoverians the like number; and ofAustrians [by theory 20, 000], say, in effect, 12, 000 or even 8, 000: allpaid by England. They have Hanau for Magazine; they have rearguard of12, 000 [the 6, 000 Hessians, and 6, 000 new Hanoverians], who at lastare actually on march thither, near arriving there: 'Forward!' said theCaptaincy [said Stair, chiefly, it was thought]: 'Shall the whole summerwaste itself to no purpose?'--and are up the River thus far, not on themost considerate terms. 

"What this Pragmatic Army means to do? That is, and has been, a greatquestion for all the world; especially for Noailles and the French, --notto say, for the Pragmatic itself! 'Get into Lorraine?' think the French:'Get into Alsace, and wrest it from us, for behoof of her HungarianMajesty, '--plundered goods, which indeed belong to the Reich and her, in a sense! ELS-SASS (Alsace, OUTER-seat), with its ROAD-Fortress(STRASburg) plundered from the Holy Romish Reich by Louis XIV. , in a wayno one can forget; actually plundered, as if by highway robbery, orby highway robbery and attorneyism combined, on the part of thatgreat Sovereign. 'To Strasburg? To Lorraine perhaps? Or to the ThreeBishoprics'" (Metz, Toul, Verdun:--readers recollect that Siege ofMetz, which broke the great heart of Karl V. ? Who raged and fired as manseldom did, with 50, 000 men, against Guise and the intrusive French, forsix weeks; sound of his cannon heard at Strasburg on winter nights, 300years ago: to no purpose; for his Captains of the Siege, after trial andsecond trial, solemnly shook their heads; and the great Kaiser, breakinginto tears, had to raise the Siege of Metz; and went his way, never tosmile more in this world: and Metz, and Toul, and Verdun, remain withthe French ever since):--"To the Three Bishoprics, possibly enough!"

"'Or they may purpose for the Donau Countries, where Broglio iscrackling off like trains of gunpowder; and lend hand to Prince Karl, thereby enclosing Broglio fires?' This, according to present aspects, isbetween two the likeliest. And perhaps, had provenders and arrangementsbeen made beforehand for such a march, this had been the feasiblest:and, to my own notion, it was some wild hope of doing this withoutprovenders or prearrangements that had brought the Pragmatic into itspresent quarters at Aschaffenburg, which are for the military mind amystery to this day. 

"Early in the Spring, the French Government had equipped Noailleswith 70, 000 men, to keep watch, and patrol about, in the Rhine-MaynCountries, and look into those points. Which he has been vigilantlydoing, --posted of late on the south or left bank of the Mayn;--and isespecially vigilant, since June 14th, when the Pragmatic Army got onmarch, across the Mayn at Hochst; and took to offering him battle, on his own south side of the River. Noailles--though his Force [still58, 000, after that Broglio Detachment of 12, 000] was greatly thestronger--would not fight; preferred cutting off the Enemy's supplies, capturing his river-boats, provision-convoys from Hanau, and settlinghim by hunger, as the cheaper method. Impetuous Stair was thwarted, byflat protest of his German colleagues, especially by D'Ahremberg, inFORCING battle on those rash terms: 'We Austrians absolutely will not!'said D'Ahremberg at last, and withdrew, or was withdrawing, he for hispart, across the River again. So that Stair also was obliged to recrossthe River, in indignant humor; and now lies at Aschaffenburg, sufferingthe sad alternative, short diet namely, which will end in famine soon, if these counsels prevail. 

"Stair and D'Ahremberg do not well accord in their opinions; nor, itseems, is anybody in particular absolute Chief; there are likewise heatsand jealousies between the Hanoverian and the English troops ('Are notwe come for all your goods?' 'Yes, damn you, and for all our chattelstoo!')--and withal it is frightfully uncertain whether a high degree ofintellect presides over these 44, 000 fighting men, which may lead themto something, or a low degree, which can only lead them to nothing!--Theblame is all laid on Stair; 'too rash, ' they say. Possibly enough, toorash. And possibly enough withal, even to a sound military judgment, insuch unutterable puddle of jarring imbecilities, 'rashness, ' headlongcourage, offered the one chance there was of success? Who knows, had allthe 44, 000 been as rash as Stair and his English, but luck, and sheerhard fighting, might have favored him, as skill could not, in thosesad circumstances! Stair's plan was, 'Beat Noailles, and you have doneeverything: provisions, opulent new regions, and all else shall be addedto you!' Stair's plan might have answered, --had Stair been the master toexecute it; which he was not. D'Ahremberg's also, who protested, 'Waittill your 12, 000 join, and you have your provisions, ' was the orthodoxplan, and might have much to say for itself. But the two planscollapsing into one, --that was the clearly fatal method! MagnanimousStair never made the least explanation, to an undiscerning Public orParliament; wrapt himself in strict silence, and accepted in a grand waywhat had come to him. [His Papers, to voluminous extent, are still inthe Family Archives;--not inaccessible, I think, were the right studentof them (who would be a rare article among us!) to turn up. ] Clear itis, the Pragmatic Army had come across again, at Aschaffenburg, Sunday, June 16th; and was found there by his Majesty on the Wednesdayfollowing, with its two internecine plans fallen into mutual death; aPragmatic Army in truly dangerous circumstances. 

"The English who were in and round Aschaffenburg itself, Hanoveriansand Austrians encamping farther down, had put a battery on the Bridge ofAschaffenburg; hoping to be able to forage thereby on the other side ofthe Mayn. Whereupon Noailles had instantly clapt a redoubt, underdue cover of a Wood, at his end of the Bridge, 'No passage this way, gentlemen, except into the cannon's throat!'--so that Marshal Stair, reconnoitring that way, 'had his hat shot off, ' and rapidly drew backagain. Nay, before long, Noailles, at the Village of Seligenstadt, someeight miles farther down, throws two wooden or pontoon bridgesover; [Sketch of Plan at p. 257. ] can bring his whole Army across atSeligenstadt; prohibits all manner of supply to us from Hanau or ourMagazines by his arrangement there:"--(Notable little Seligenstadt, "City of the Blessed;" where Eginhart and Emma, ever since Charlemagne'stime, lie waiting the Resurrection; that is the place of these Noaillescontrivances!)--"Furthermore, we learn, Noailles has seized a posttwenty miles farther up the river (Miltenberg the name of it); and willprevent supplies from coming down to us out of Branken or the NeckarCountry. We had forgotten, or our COLLAPSE of plans had done it, that'an army moves on its stomach' (as the King of Prussia says), and thatwe have nothing to live upon in these parts!

"Such has the unfortunate fact turned out to be, when Britannic Majestyarrives; and it can now be discovered clearly, by any eyes, however flatto the head. And a terrible fact it is. Discordant Generals accuse oneanother; hungry soldiers cannot be kept from plundering: for the horsesthere is unripe rye in quantity; but what is there for the men? My poortraditionary friends, of the Grey Dragoons, were wont (I have heard)to be heart-rending on this point, in after years! Famine being urgent, discipline is not possible, nor existence itself. For a week longer, George, rather in obstinate hope than with any reasonable plan orexertion, still tries it; finds, after repeated Councils of War, thathe will have to give it up, and go back to Hanau where his livingis. Wednesday night, 26th June, 1743, that is the final resolution, inevitably come upon, without argument: and about one on Thursdaymorning, the Army (in two columns, Austrians to vanward well away fromthe River, English as rear-guard close on it) gets in motion to executesaid resolution, --if the Army can. 

"If the Army can: but that is like to be a formidably difficultbusiness; with a Noailles watching every step of you, to-day and forten days back, in these sad circumstances. Eyes in him like a lynx, theysay; and great skill in war, only too cautious. Hardly is the Army gonefrom Aschaffenburg, when Noailles, pushing across by the Bridge, seizesthat post, --no retreat now for us thitherward. His Majesty, who marchesin the rear division, has happily some artillery with him; repels theassaults from behind, which might have been more serious otherwise. Asit is, there play cannon across the River upon him:--Why not bend toright, and get out of range, asks the reader? The Spessart Hills rise, high and woody, on the right; and there is in many places no marchingexcept within range. Noailles has Five effective Batteries, at thevarious good points, on his side of the River:--and that is nothing towhat he has got ready for us, were we once at Dettingen, within windof his Two Bridges a little beyond! Noailles has us in a perfectmouse-trap, SOURICIERE as he felinely calls it; and calculates on havingannihilation ready for us at Dettingen. 

"Dettingen, short way above those Pontoons at Seligenstadt, is neareight miles westward [NORTHwestward, but let us use the briefer term]from Aschaffenburg: Dettingen is a poor peasant Village, of some size, close on the Mayn, and on our side of it. A Brook, coming down from theSpessart Mountains, falls into the Mayn there; having formed for itself, there and upwards, a considerable dell or hollow way; chiefly on thewestern or right bank of which stands the Village with its barnyards andpiggeries: on both sides of the great High-road, which here crossesthe Brook, and will lead you to Hanau twenty miles off, --or back toAschaffenburg, and even to Nurnberg and the Donau Countries, if youpersevere. Except that of the high-road, Dettingen Brook has no bridge. Above the Village, after coming from the Mountains, the banks of it areboggy; especially the western bank, which spreads out into a scrubbywaste of moor, for some good space. In which scrubby moor, as elsewherein this dell or hollow way itself, where the Village hangs, with itshedges, piggeries, colegarths, --there is like to be bad enough marchingfor a column of men! Noailles, as we said, has Two Bridges thrown acrossthe Mayn, just below; and the last of his Five Batteries, from the otherside, will command Dettingen. His plan of operation is this:--

"By these Bridges he has passed 24, 000 horse and foot across the River, under his Nephew the chivalrous Duke of Grammont: these, with dueartillery and equipment, are to occupy the Village; and to rankthemselves in battle-order to leftward of it, on the moor justmentioned, --well behind that hollow way, with its brook and bogs;--and, one thing they must note well, Not to stir from that position, tillthe English columns have got fairly into said hollow way and brookof Dettingen, and are plunging more or less distractedly across theentanglements there. With cannon on their left flank, and such a gulletto pass through, one may hope they will be in rather an attackablecondition. Across that gullet it is our intention they shall never get. How can they, if Grammont do his duty?

"This is Noailles's plan; one of the prettiest imaginable, saymilitary men, --had the execution but corresponded. Noailles had seizedAschaffenburg, so soon as the English were out of it; Noailles, from hisbatteries beyond the River, salutes the English march with continuousshot and thunder, which is very discomposing: he sees confidentlya really fair likelihood of capturing the Britannic Majesty and hisPragmatic Army, unless they prefer to die on the ground. Seldom, sincethat of the Caudine Forks, did any Army, by ill-luck and ill-guidance, get into such a pinfold, --death or flat surrender seemingly their onealternative. 

"Thus march these English, that dewy morning, Thursday, June 27th, 1743, with cannon playing on their left flank; and such a fate ahead of them, had they known it;--very short of breakfast, too, for most part. Butthey have one fine quality, and Britannic George, like all his Welf racefrom Henry the Lion down to these days, has it in an eminent degree:they are not easily put into flurry, into fear. In all Welf Sovereigns, and generally in Teuton Populations, on that side of the Channel oron this, there is the requisite unconscious substratum of taciturninexpugnability, with depths of potential rage almost unquenchable, tobe found when you apply for it. Which quality will much stead them onthe present occasion: and, indeed, it is perhaps strengthened by their'stupidity' itself, what neighbors call their 'stupidity;'--want of idleimagining, idle flurrying, nay want even of knowing, is not one of theworst qualities just now! They tramp on, paying a minimum of attentionto the cannon; ignorant of what is ahead; hoping only it may bebreakfast, in some form, before the day quite terminate. The dayis still young, hardly 8 o'clock, when their advanced parties findDettingen beset; find a whole French Army drawn up, on the scrubby moorthere; and come galloping back with this interesting bit of news! Pausehereupon; much consulting; in fact, endless hithering and thithering, the affair being knotty: 'Fight, YES, now at last! But how?' ImpetuousStair was not wanting to himself; Neipperg too, they say, was usefulwith advice; D'Ahremberg, I should imagine, good for little. 

"Some six hours followed of thrice-intricate deploying, planting offield-pieces, counter-batteries; ranking, re-ranking, shuffling hitherand then thither of horse and foot; Noailles's cannonade proceeding allthe while; the English, still considerably exposed to it, and standingit like stones; chivalrous Grammont, and with better reason the English, much wishing these preliminaries were done. A difficult business, thatof deploying here. The Pragmatic had no room, jammed so against theSpessart Hills, and obliged to lean FROM the River and Noailles'scannon; had to rank itself in six, some say in eight lines; horse behindfoot, as well as on flank; unsatisfactory to the military mind: and Ithink had not done shuffling and re-shuffling at 2 P. M. , --when theEnemy came bursting on, with a peremptory finish to it, 'Enough ofthat, MESSIEUR'S LES ANGLAIS!' 'Too much of it, a great deal!' thoughtMessieurs grimly, in response. And there ensued a really furiousclash of host against host; French chivalry (MAISON DU ROI, BlackMousquetaires, the Flower of their Horse regiments) dashing, in rightGallic frenzy, on their natural enemies, --on the English, that is; who, I find, were mainly on the left wing there, horse and foot; and hadmainly (the Austrians and they, very mainly) the work to do;--and did, with an effort, and luck helping, manage to do it. 

"'Grammont breaks orders! Thrice-blamable Grammont!' exclaim Noaillesand others, sorrowfully wringing their hands. Even so! Grammont hadwaited seven mortal hours; one's courage burning all the while, courageperhaps rather burning down, --and not the least use coming of if. Grammont had, in natural impatience, gradually edged forward; and, inthe end, was being cannonaded and pricked into by the Enemy;--and did atlast, with his MAISON-DU-ROI, dash across that essential Hollow Way, andplunge in upon them on their own side of it. And 'the, English foot gavetheir volley too soon;' ad Grammont did, in effect, partly repulse anddisorder the front ranks of them; and, blazing up uncontrollable, atsight of those first ranks in disorder, did press home upon them moreand more; get wholly into the affair, bringing on his Infantry as well:'Let us finish it wholly, now that our hand is in!'--and took one cannonfrom the Enemy; and did other feats. 

"So furious was that first charge of his; 'MAISON-DU-ROI covering itselfwith glory, '--for a short while. MAISON-DU-ROI broke three lines of theEnemy [three, not "Five"]; did in some places actually break through; inothers 'could not, but galloped along the front. ' Three of their lines:but the fourth line would not break; much the contrary, it advanced(Austrians and English) with steady fire, hotter and hotter: upon thisfourth line MAISON-DU-ROI had, itself, to break, pretty much altogether, and rush home again, in ruinous condition. 'Our front lines made lanesfor them; terribly maltreating them with musketry on right and left, asthey galloped through. ' And this was the end of Grammont's successes, this charge of horse; for his infantry had no luck anywhere; and theessential crisis of the Battle had been here. It continued still a goodwhile; plenty of cannonading, fusillading, but in sporadic detachedform; a confused series of small shocks and knocks; which were mostly, or all, unfortunate for Grammont; and which at length knocked him quiteoff the field. 'He was now interlaced with the English, ' moans Noailles;'so that my cannon, not to shoot Grammont as well as the English, had tocease firing!' Well, yes, that is true, M. Le Marechal; but that is notso important as you would have it. The English had stood nine hours inthis fire of yours; by degrees, leaning well away from it; answeringit with counter-batteries;--and were not yet ruined by it, when theGrammont crisis came! Noailles should have dashed fresh troops acrosshis Bridges, and tried to handle them well. Noailles did not do that; ordo anything but wring his hands. 

"The Fight lasted four hours; ever hotter on the English part, ever lesshot on the French [fire of anthracite-coal VERSUS flame of dry wood, which latter at last sinks ASHY!]--and ended in total defeat of theFrench. The French Infantry by no means behaved as their Cavalry haddone. The GARDES FRANCAISES [fire burning ashy, after seven hours offlaming], when Grammont ordered them up to take the English in flank, would hardly come on at all, or stand one push. They threw away theirarms, and plunged into the River, like a drove of swimmers; gettingdrowned in great numbers. So that their comrades nicknamed them 'CANARDSDU MEIN (Ducks of the Mayn):' and in English mess-rooms, there wentafterwards a saying: 'The French had, in reality, Three Bridges; one ofthem NOT wooden, and carpeted with blue cloth!' Such the wit of militarymankind. 

". . . The English, it appears, did something by mere shouting. Partialhuzzas and counter-huzzas between the Infantries were going on at onetime, when Stair happened to gallop up: 'Stop that, ' said Stair; 'letus do it right. Silence; then, One and all, when I give you signal!'And Stair, at the right moment, lifting his hat, there burst out sucha thunder-growl, edged with melodious ire in alt, as quite seemedto strike a damp into the French, says my authority, 'and they nevershouted more. . . . Our ground in many parts was under rye, ' hedgelessfields of rye, chief grain-crop of that sandy country. 'We had alreadywasted above 120, 000 acres of it, ' still in the unripe state, so hungrywere we, man and horse, 'since crossing to Aschaffenburg;'--fighting foryour Cause of Liberty, ye benighted ones!

"King Friedrich's private accounts, deformed by ridicule, are, That theBritannic Majesty, his respectable old Uncle, finding the French therebarring his way to breakfast, understood simply that there must andshould be fighting, of the toughest; but had no plan or counsel farther:that he did at first ride up, to see what was what with his own eyes;but that his horse ran away with him, frightened at the cannon; uponwhich he hastily got down; drew sword; put himself at the head of hisHanoverian Infantry [on the right wing], and stood, --left footdrawn back, sword pushed out, in the form of a fencing-master doinglunge, --steadily in that defensive attitude, inexpugnable like therocks, till all was over, and victory gained. This is defaced by thespirit of ridicule, and not quite correct. Britannic Majesty's horse[one of those 500 fine animals] did, it is certain, at last dangerouslyrun away with him; upon which he took to his feet and his Hanoverians. But he had been repeatedly on horseback, in the earlier stages;galloping about, to look with his own eyes, could they have availed him;and was heard encouraging his people, and speaking even in the Englishlanguage, 'Steady, my boys; fire, my brave boys, give them fire; theywill soon run!' [_OEuvres de Frederic, _ (iii. 14): compare Anonymous, _Life of the Duke of Cumberland_ (p. 64 n. ); Henderson's LIFE of ditto;&c. ] Latterly, there can be no doubt, he stands [and to our imagination, he may fitly stand throughout] in the above attitude of lunge; no fearin him, and no plan; 'SANS PEUR ET SANS AVIS, ' as me might term it. Likea real Hanoverian Sovereign of England; like England itself, and itsways in those German Wars. A typical epitome of long sections of EnglishHistory, that attitude of lunge!--

"The English Officers also, it is evident, behaved in their usualway:--without knowledge of war, without fear of death, or regard toutmost peril or difficulty; cheering their men, and keeping them steadyupon the throats of the French, so far as might be. And always, afterthat first stumble with the French Horse was mended, they kept gainingground, thrusting back the Enemy, not over the Dettingen Brook andMoor-ground only, but, knock after knock, out of his woody or othercoverts, back and ever back, towards Welzheim, Kahl, and those TwoBridges of his. The flamy French [ligneous fire burning lower and lower, VERSUS anthracitic glowing brighter and brighter] found that they hada bad time of it;--found, in fact, that they could not stand it; andtumbled finally, in great torrents, across their Bridges on the Mayn, many leaping into the River, the English sitting dreadfully on theskirts of them. So that had the English had their Cavalry in readinessto pursue, Noailles's Army, in the humor it had sunk to, was ruined, andthe Victory would have been conspicuously great. But they had, as toocommon, nothing ready. Impetuous Stair strove to get ready; "pushed outthe Grey Dragoons" for one item. But the Authorities refused Stair'scounsel, as rash again; and made no effectual pursuit at all;--too gladthat they had brushed their Battle-field triumphantly clear, and got outof that fatal pinfold in an honorable manner. 

MAP: BOOK XIV, Chap V, page 257 GOES HERE--------------------------

"They stayed on the ground till 10 at night; settling, or trying tosettle, many things. The Surgeons were busy as bees, but able forOfficers only;--'Dress HIM first!' said the glorious Duke of Cumberland, pointing to a young Frenchman [Excellency Fenelon's Son, grand-nephewof TELEMAQUE] who was worse wounded than his Highness. Quite in thePhilip-Sydney fashion; which was much taken notice of. 'All this while, we had next to nothing to eat' (says one informant). --Ten P. M. : afterwhich, leaving a polite Letter to Noailles, 'That he would take care ofour Wounded, and bury our Slain as well as his own, ' we march [through apour of rain] to Hanau, where our victuals are, and 12, 000 new Hessiansand Hanoverians by this time. 

"Noailles politely bandaged the Wounded, buried the Dead. Noailles, gathering his scattered battalions, found that he had lost 2, 659 men;no ruinous loss to him, --the Enemy's being at least equal, and all hisWounded fallen Prisoners of War. No ruinous loss to Noailles, had it notbeen the loss of Victory, --which was a sore blow to French feeling; and, adding itself to those Broglio disgraces, a new discouragement to MostChristian Majesty. Victory indisputably lost:--but is it not Grammont'sblame altogether? Grammont bears it, as we saw; and it is heavily laidon him. But my own conjecture is, forty thousand enraged people, ofEnglish and other Platt-Teutsch type, would have been very difficult topin up, into captivity or death instead of breakfast, in that manner:and it is possible if poor Grammont had not mistaken, some other wouldhave done so, and the hungry Baresarks (their blood fairly up, asis evident) would have ended in getting through. " [Espagnac, i. 193;_Guerre de Boheme, _ i. 231. ]--_Gentleman's Magazine, _ vol. Xiii. (for1743), pp. 328-481;--containing Carteret's Despatch from the field;followed by many other Letters and indistinct Narrations from Officerspresent (p. 434, "Plan of the Battle, " blotchy, indecipherable inparts, but essentially rather true), --is worth examining. See likewiseAnonymous, _Memoirs of the late Duke of Cumberland_ (Lond. 1767; theAuthor an ignorant, much-adoring military-man, who has made some study, and is not so stupid as he looks), pp. 56-78; and Henderson (ignorant hetoo, much-adoring, and not military), _Life of the Duke of Cumberland_(Lond. 1766), pp. 32-48. Noailles's Official Account (ingenuously at aloss what to say), in _ Campagnes, _ ii. B, 242-253, 306-310. _OEuvres deFrederic, _ iii. 11-14 (incorrect in many of the DETAILS). 

This was all the Fighting that King George got of his Pragmatic Army;the gain from conquest made by it was, That it victoriously struggledback to its bread-cupboard. Stair, about two months hence, in themere loitering and higgling that there was, quitted the Pragmatic;magnanimously silent on his many wrongs and disgusts, desirous onlyof "returning to the plough, " as he expressed himself. The lofty man;wanted several requisites for being a Marlborough; wanted a SarahJennings, as the preliminary of all!--We will not attend the lazymovements and procedures of the Pragmatic Army farther; which were ofaltogether futile character, even in the temporary Gazetteer estimate;and are to be valued at zero, and left charitably in oblivion by a piousposterity. Stair, the one brightish-looking man in it, being gone, thereremain Majesty with his D'Ahrembergs, Neippergs, and the Martial Boy;Generals Cope, Hawley, Wade, and many of leaden character, remain:--letthe leaden be wrapped in lead. 

It was not a successful Army, this Pragmatic. Dettingen itself, inspite of the rumoring of Gazetteers and temporary persons, had noresult, --except the extremely bad one, That it inflated to an alarmingheight the pride and belligerent humor of his Britannic, especially ofher Hungarian Majesty; and made Peace more difficult than ever. That ofgetting Ostein, with his Austrian leanings, chosen Kur-Mainz, --that tooturned out ill: and perhaps, in the course of the next few months, weshall judge that, had Ostein leant AGAINST Austria, it had been betterfor Austria and Ostein. Of the Pragmatic Army, silence henceforth, rather than speech!--

One thing we have to mark, his Britannic Majesty, commander of such anArmy, --and of such a Purse, which is still more stupendous, --has risen, in the Gazetteer estimate and his own, to a high pitch of importance. Tobe Supreme Jove of Teutschland, in a manner; and acts, for the presentSummer, in that sublime capacity. Two Diplomatic feats of his, --onea Treaty done and tumbled down again, the other a Treaty done andlet stand ("Treaty of Worms, " and "Conferences, " or NON-Treaty "ofHanau"), --are of moment in this History and that of the then World. Of these two Transactions, due both of them to such an Army and sucha Purse, we shall have to take some notice by and by; the rest shallbelong to Night and her leaden sceptre--much good may they do her!

Some ten days after Dettingen, Broglio (who was crackling off fromDonauwurth, in view of the Lines of Schellenberg, that very 27th ofJune) ended his retreat to the Rhine Countries; "glorious, " thoughrather swift, and eaten into by the Tolpatcheries of Prince Karl. "July8th, at Wimpfen" (in the Neckar Region, some way South of Dettingen), Broglio delivers his troops to Marechal de Noailles's care; and, nextmorning, rushes off towards Strasburg, and quiet Official life, asGovernor there. 

"The day after his arrival, " says Friedrich, "he gave a grand ball inStrasburg:" [_OEuvres de Frederic, _ iii. 10. ] "Behold your conqueringhero safe again, my friends!" An ungrateful Court judged otherwise ofthe hero. Took his Strasburg Government from him, gave it to Marechal deCoigny; ordered the hero to his Estates in the Country, Normandy, if Iremember;--where he soon died of apoplexy, poor man; and will troublenone of us again. "A man born for surprises, " said Friedrich long since, in the Strasburg Doggerel. Lost his indispensable garnitures, atthe Ford of Secchia once; and now, in these last twelve months, isconsidered to have done a series of blustery explosions, derogatory tothe glory of France, and ruinous to that sublime Belleisle Enterprisefor oue thing. 

A ruined Enterprise that, at any rate; seldom was Enterprise betterruined. Here, under Broglio, amid the titterings of mankind, has thetail of the Oriflamme gone the same bad road as its head did;--into zeroand outer darkness; leaving the expenses to pay. Like a mad tavern-brawlof one's own raising, the biggest that ever was. Has cost already, Ishould guess, some 80, 000 French drilled Men, paid down, on the nail, tothe inexorable Fates: and of coined Millions, --how many? In subsidies, in equipments, in waste, in loss and wreck: Dryasdust could not havetold me, had he tried. And then the breakages, damages still chargeable;the probable afterclap? For you cannot quite gratuitously tweak peopleby the nose, in your wanton humor, over your wine!--One willing man, orMost Christian Majesty, can at any time begin a quarrel; but there needalways two or more to end it again. 

Most Christian Majesty is not so sensible of this fact as he afterwardsbecame; but what with Broglio and the extinct Oriflamme, what withDettingen and the incipient Pragmatic, he is heartily disgusted anddiscouraged; and wishes he had not thought of cutting Germany in Four. July 26th, Most Christian Majesty applies to the German Diet; signifying"That he did indeed undertake to help the Kaiser, according to treaties;but was the farthest in the world from meaning to invade Germany, onhis own score. That he had and has no quarrel, except with Austria asKaiser's enemy; and is ready to be friends even with Austria. And nowindeed intends to withdraw his troops wholly from the German territory. And can therefore hope that all unpleasantness will cease, between theGerman Nation and him; and that perhaps the Kaiser will be able tomake peace with her Majesty of Hungary on softer terms than at onetime seemed likely. If only the animosities of sovereign persons wouldassuage themselves, and each of us would look without passion at theissue really desirable for him!" [Espagnac, i. 200. Adelung, iii. B, 199(26th July); Ib. 201 (the Answer to it, 16th August). ]

That is now, 26th July, 1743, King Louis's story for himself to the Dietof the Holy Roman Empire, Teutsch by Nation, sitting at Frankfurt inrather disconsolate circumstances. The Diet naturally answered, "JAWOHL, JA WOHL, " in intricate official language, --nobody need know whatthe Diet answered. But what the Hungarian Majesty answered, strong andhigh in such Britannic backing, --this was of such unexpected tone, thatit fixed everybody's attention; and will very specially require to benoted by us, in the course of a week or two. 

We said, her Hungarian Majesty was getting crowned in Bohemia, gettingpersonally homaged in Upper Austria, about to get vice-homaged inBavaria itself, --nothing but glorious pomp, but loyalty loudly vocal, inPrag, in Linz and the once-afflicted Countries; at her return to Vienna, she has met the news of Dettingen; and is ready to strike the stars withher sublime head. "My little Paladin become Supreme Jove, too: aha!"

BRITANNIC MAJESTY HOLDS HIS CONFERENCES OF HANAU. 

Britannic Majesty stayed two whole months in Hanau, brushing himselfup again after that fierce bout; and considering, with much dubitation, What is the next thing?"Go in upon Noailles [who is still hanging abouthere, with Broglio coming on in the exploded state]; wreck Broglio andhim! Go in upon the French!" so urges Stair always: rash Stair, urgentto the edge of importunity; English Officers and Martial Boy urgentlybacking Stair; while the Hanoverian Officers and Martial Parent aresteady to the other view. So that, in respect of War, the next thing, for two months coming, was absolutely nothing, and to the end ofthe Campaign was nothing worth a moment's notice from us. But on theDiplomatic side, there were two somethings, CONFERENCES AT HANAUwith poor Kaiser Karl, and TREATY AT WORMS with the King of Sardinia;which--as minus quantities, or things less than nothing--turned out tobe highly considerable for his Britannic Majesty and us. 

HANAU, 7th July-1st AUGUST, 1743. "Poor Kaiser Karl had left AugsburgJune 26th, --while his Broglio was ferrying at Donauworth, and hisSeckendorf treatying for Armistice at Nieder-Schonfeld, --the very daybefore Dettingen. What a piece of news to him, that Dettingen, on hisreturn to Frankfurt!

"A few days after Dettingen, July 3d, Noailles, who is still withincall, came across to see this poor stepson of Fortune; gives piteousaccount of him, if any one were now curious on that head: How hebitterly complains of Broglio, of the no-subsidies sent, and is drivennearly desperate;--not a penny in his pocket, beyond all. Upon whichlatter clause Noailles munificently advanced him a $6, 000. 'Draughtof 40, 000 crowns, in my own name; which doubtless the King, in hiscompassion, will see good to sanction. ' [_Campagnes de Noailles_(Amsterdam, 1760: this is a Sequel, or rather VICE VERSA, to that whichwe have called DES TROIS MARECHAUX, being of the same Collection), i. 316-328. ] His feelings on the loss of Dettingen may be pictured. But hehad laid his account with such things;--prepared for the worst, sincethat Interview with Broglio and Conti; one plan now left, 'Peace, costwhat it will!'

"The poor Kaiser had already, as we saw, got into hopes of bargainingwith his Britannic Majesty; and now he instantly sets about it, whileHanau is victorious head-quarters. Britannic Majesty is not himself veryforward; but Carteret, I rather judge, had taken up the notion; andon his Majesty's and Carteret's part, there is actually the wish andattempt to pacificate the Reich; to do something tolerable for the poorKaiser, as well as satisfactory to the Hungarian Majesty, --satisfactory, or capable of being (by the Purse-holder) insisted on as such. 

"And so the Landgraf of Hessen, excellent Wilhelm, King George's friendand gossip, is come over to that little Town of Hanau, which is hisown, in the Schloss of which King George is lodged: and there, betweenCarteret and our Landgraf, --the King of Prussia's Ambassador (HerrKlinggraf), and one or two selectly zealous Official persons, assistingor watching, --we have 'Conferences of Hanau' going on; in a zealousfashion; all parties eager for Peace to Kaiser and Reich, and in goodhope of bringing it about. The wish, ardent to a degree, had been theKaiser's first of all. The scheme, I guess, was chiefly of Carteret'sdevising; who, in his magnificent mind, regardless of expense, thinksit may be possible, and discerns well what a stroke it will be for theCause of Liberty, and how glorious for a Britannic Majesty's Adviser insuch circumstances. July 7th, the Conferences began; and, so frank andloyal were the parties, in a week's time matters were advanced almostto completion, the fundamental outlines of a bargain settled, and almostready for signing. 

"'Give me my Bavaria again!' the Kaiser had always said: 'I am Head ofthe Reich, and have nothing to live upon!' On one preliminary, Carterethad always been inexorable: 'Have done with your French auxiliaries;send every soul of them home; the German soil once cleared of them, muchwill be possible; till then nothing. ' KAISER: 'Well, give me back myBavaria; my Bavaria, and something suitable to live upon, as Head ofthe Reich: some decent Annual Pension, till Bavaria come into payingcondition, --cannot you, who are so wealthy? And Bavaria might be madea Kingdom, if you wished to do the handsome thing. I will renounce myAustrian Pretensions, quit utterly my French Alliances; consent to haveher Hungarian Majesty's august Consort made King of the Romans [whichmeans Kaiser after me], and in fact be very safe to the House of Austriaand the Cause of Liberty. ' To all this the thrice-unfortunate gentleman, titular Emperor of the World, and unable now to pay his milk-scores, iseager to consent. To continue crossing the Abysses on bridges of Frenchrainbow? Nothing but French subsidies to subsist on; and these howpaid, --Noailles's private pocket knows how! 'I consent, ' said theKaiser; 'will forgive and forget, and bygones shall be bygones allround!' 'Fair on his Imperial Majesty's part, ' admits Carteret; 'we willtry to be persuasive at Vienna. Difficult, but we will try. ' In a meekmatters had come to this point; and the morrow, July 15th, was appointedfor signing. Most important of Protocols, foundation-stone of Peace toTeutschland; King Friedrich and the impartial Powers approving, withBritannic George and drawn sword presiding. 

"King Friedrich approves heartily; and hopes it will do. LandgrafWilhelm is proud to have saved his Kaiser, --who so glad as the Landgrafand his Kaiser? Carteret, too, is very glad; exulting, as he wellmay, to have composed these world-deliriums, or concentrated them uponpeccant France, he with his single head, and to have got a value out ofthat absurd Pragmatic Army, after all. A man of magnificent ideas; whohopes 'to bring Friedrich over to his mind;' to unite poor Teutschlandagainst such Oriflamme Invasions and intolerable interferences, and tosettle the account of France for a long while. He is the only EnglishMinister who speaks German, knows German situations, interests, ways; orhas the least real understanding of this huge German Imbroglio in whichEngland is voluntarily weltering. And truly, had Carteret been Kingof England, which he was not, --nay, had King Friedrich ever got tounderstand, instead of misunderstand, what Carteret WAS, --here mighthave been a considerable affair!

"But it now, at the eleventh hour, came upon magnificent Carteret, nowseemingly for the first time in its full force, That he Carteret wasnot the master; that there was a bewildered Parliament at home, a poorpeddling Duke of Newcastle leader of the same, with his Lords of theRegency, who could fatally put a negative on all this, unless theywere first gained over. On the morrow, July 15th, Carteret, insteadof signing, as expected, has to--purpose a fortnight's delay till heconsult in England! Absolutely would not and could not sign, tilla Courier to England went and returned. To Landgraf Wilhelm's, toKlinggraf's and the Kaiser's very great surprise, disappointment andsuspicion. But Carteret was inflexible: 'will only take a fortnight, 'said he; 'and I can hope all will yet be well!'

"The Courier came back punctually in a fortnight. His Message waspresented at Hanau, August 1st, --and ran conclusively to the effect:'No! We, Noodle of Newcastle, and my other Lords of Regency, donot consent; much less, will undertake to carry the thing throughParliament: By no manner of means!' So that Carteret's lately toweringAffair had to collapse ignominiously, in that manner; poor Carteretprotesting his sorrow, his unalterable individual wishes and futureendeavors, not to speak of his Britannic Majesty's, --and politelypressing on the poor Kaiser a gift of 15, 000 pounds (first weeklyinstalment of the 'Annual Pension' that HAD, in theory, been set apartfor him); which the Kaiser, though indigent, declined. [Adelung, iii. B, 206, 209-212; see Coxe, _Memoirs of Pelham_ (London, 1829), i. 75, 469. ]'

"The disgust of Landgraf Wilhelm was infinite; who, honest man, saw inall this merely an artifice of Carteret's, To undo the Kaiser with hisFrench Allies, to quirk him out of his poor help from the French, andhave him at their mercy. 'Shame on it!' cried Landgraf Wilhelm aloud, and many others less aloud, Klinggraf and King Friedrich among them:'What a Carteret!' The Landgraf turned away with indignation fromperfidious England; and began forming quite opposite connections. 'Youshall not even have my hired 6, 000, you perfidious! Thing done with suchdexterity of art, too!' thought the Landgraf, --and continued to think, till evidence turned up, after many months. [CARTERET PAPERS (in BritishMuseum), Additional MSS. No. 22, 529 (May, 1743-January, 1745); in No. 22, 527 (January-September, 1742) are other Landgraf-Wilhelm piecesof Correspondence. ] This was Friedrich's opinion too, --permanently, Ibelieve;--and that of nearly all the world, till the thing and the Doerof the thing were contemptuously forgotten. A piece of Machiavelism onthe part of Carteret and perfidious Albion, --equal in refined cunning tothat of the Ships with foul bottom, which vanished from Cadiz two yearsago, and were admired with a shudder by Continental mankind who couldsee into millstones!

"This is the second stroke of Machiavellian Art by those Islanders, intheir truly vulpine method. Stroke of Art important for this History;and worth the attention of English readers, --being almost of patheticnature, when one comes to understand it! Carteret, for this Hanaubusiness, had clangor enough to undergo, poor man, from Germans and fromEnglish; which was wholly unjust. 'His trade, ' say the English--(or usedto say, till they forgot their considerable Carteret altogether)--'wasthat of rising in the world by feeding the mad German humors of littleGeorge; a miserable trade. ' Yes, my friends;--but it was not quiteCarteret's, if you will please to examine! And none say, Carteret didnot do his trade, whatever it was, with a certain greatness, --at leasttill habits of drinking rather took him, Poor man: impatient, probably, of such fortune long continued! For he was thrown out, next Session ofParliament, by Noodle of Newcastle, on those strange terms; and nevercould get in again, and is now forgotten; and there succeeded him stillmore mournful phenomena, --said Noodle or the poor Pelhams, namely, --ofwhom, as of strange minus quantities set to manage our affairs, there isstill some dreary remembrance in England. Well!"--

Carteret, though there had been no Duke of Newcastle to run athwart thisfine scheme, would have had his difficulties in making her HungarianMajesty comply. Her Majesty's great heart, incurably grieved aboutSilesia, is bent on having, if not restoration one day, which is a hopeshe never quits, at any rate some ample (cannot be too ample) equivalentelsewhere. On the Hanau scheme, united Teutschland, with England forsoul to it, would have fallen vigorously on the throat of France, andmade France disgorge: Lorraine, Elsass, the Three Bishoprics, --not tothink of Burgundy, and earlier plunders from the Reich, --here would havebeen "cut and come again" for her Hungarian Majesty and everybody!--ButDiana, in the shape of his Grace of Newcastle, intervenes; and all thishas become chimerical and worse. 

It was while Carteret's courier was gone to England and not comeback, that King Louis made the above-mentioned mild, almost penitent, Declaration to the Reich, "Good people, let us have Peace; and all be aswe were! I, for my share, wish to be out of it; I am for home!" And, ineffect, was already home; every Frenchman in arms being, by this time, on his own side of the Rhine, as we shall presently observe. 

For, the same day, July 26th, while that was going on at Frankfurt, andCarteret's return-courier was due in five days, his Britannic Majesty atHanau had a splendid visit, --tending not towards Peace with France, butquite the opposite way. Visit from Prince Karl, with Khevenhuller andother dignitaries; doing us that honor "till the evening of the 28th. "Quitting their Army, --which is now in these neighborhoods (Broglio wellgone to air ahead of it; Noailles too, at the first sure sniff of it, having rushed double-quick across the Rhine), --these high Gentlemen haverun over to us, for a couple of days, to "congratulate on Dettingen;"or, better still, to consult, face to face, about ulterior movements. "Follow Noailles; transfer the seat of war to France itself? These aremy orders, your Majesty. Combined Invasion of Elsass: what a slash maybe made into France [right handselling of your Carteret Scheme] thisvery year!" "Proper, in every case!" answers the Britannic Majesty; andengages to co-operate. Upon which Prince Karl--after the due reviewing, dinnering, ceremonial blaring, which was splendid to witness [Anonymous, _Duke of Cumberland, _ pp. 65, 86. ]--hastens back to his Army (now lyingabout Baden Durlach, 70, 000 strong); and ought to be swift, while thechance lasts. 

HUNGARIAN MAJESTY ANSWERS, IN THE DIET, THAT FRENCH DECLARATION, "MAKEPEACE, GOOD PEOPLE; I WISH TO BE OUT OF IT!"--IN AN OMINOUS MANNER. 

These are fine prospects, in the French quarter, of an equivalent forSchlesien;--very fine, unless Diana intervene! Diana or not, Frenchprospects or not, her Hungarian Majesty fastens on Bavaria with uncommontightness of fist, now that Bavaria is swept clear; well resolved tokeep Bavaria for equivalent, till better come. Exacts, by her deputy, Homage from the Population there; strict Oath of Fealty to HER; poorKaiser protesting his uttermost, to no purpose; Kaiser's poor Printer(at Regensburg, which is in Bavaria) getting "tried and hanged" forprinting such Protest! "She draughts forcibly the Bavarian militiasinto her Italian Army;" is high and merciless on all hands;--in a word, throttles poor Bavaria, as if to the choking of it outright. So thatthe very Gazetteers in foreign places gave voice, though Bavaria itself, such a grasp on the throat of it, was voiceless. Seckendorf's poorBargain for neutrality as a Bavarian Reich-Army, her Hungarian Majestydisdains to confirm; to confirm, or even to reject; treats Seckendorfand his Bavarian Army little otherwise than as a stray dog which shehas not yet shot. And truly the old Feldmarschall lies at Wembdingen, in most disconsolate moulting condition; little or nothing to liveupon;--the English, generous creatures, had at one time flung himsomething, fancying the Armistice might be useful; but now it must bethe French that do it, if anybody! [Adelung, iii. B, 204 ("22d August"), 206, &c. ]

Hanau Conferences having failed, these things do not fail. Kaiser Karlis become tragical to think of. A spectacle of pity to Landgraf Wilhelm, to King Friedrich, and serious on-lookers;--and perhaps not of pityonly, but of "pity and fear" to some of them!--sullen Austria takingits sweet revenges, in this fashion. Readers who will look through thesesmall chinks, may guess what a world-welter this was; and how Friedrich, gazing into phase on phase of it, as into Oracles of Fate, which to himthey were, had a History, in these months, that will now never be known. 

August 16th came out her Hungarian Majesty's Response to that mildquasi-penitent Declaration of King Louis to the Reich; and muchastonished King Louis and others, and the very Reich itself. "Out ofit?" says her Hungarian Majesty (whom we with regret, for brevity'ssake, translate from Official into vulgate): "His Most Christian Majestywishes to be out of it:--Does not he, the (what shall I call him)Crowned Housebreaker taken in the fact? You shall get out of it, pleaseHeaven, when you have made compensation for the damage done; and tillthen not, if it please Heaven!" And in this strain (lengthily Official, though indignant to a degree) enumerates the wanton unspeakablemischiefs and outrages which Austria, a kind of sacred entity guaranteedby Law of Nature and Eleven Signatures of Potentates, has suffered fromthe Most Christian Majesty, --and will have compensation for, Heaven nowpointing the way! [IN EXTENSO in Adelung, iii. B, 201 et seqq. ]

A most portentous Document; full of sombre emphasis, in sonoroussnuffling tone of voice; enunciating, with inflexible purpose, a numberof unexpected things: very portentous to his Prussian Majesty amongothers. Forms a turning-point or crisis both in the French War, and inhis Prussian Majesty's History; and ought to be particularly noted anddated by the careful reader. It is here that we first publicly heartell of Compensation, the necessity Austria will have ofCompensation, --Austria does not say expressly for Silesia, but she saysand means for loss of territory, and for all other losses whatsoever:"Compensation for the past, and security for the future; that is myfull intention, " snuffles she, in that slow metallic tone of hers, irrevocable except by the gods. 

"Compensation for the past, Security for the future:" Compensation? whatdoes her Hungarian Majesty mean? asked all the world; asked Friedrich, the now Proprietor of Silesia, with peculiar curiosity! It is thefirst time her Hungarian Majesty steps articulately forward withsuch extraordinary Claim of Damages, as if she alone had suffereddamage;--but it is a fixed point at Vienna, and is an agitating topicto mankind in the coming months and years. Lorraine and the ThreeBishoprics; there would be a fine compensation. Then again, what say youto Bavaria, in lieu of the Silesia lost? You have Bavaria by the throat;keep Bavaria, you. Give "Kur-Baiern, Kaiser as they call him, "something in the Netherlands to live upon? Will be better out of Germanyaltogether, with his French leanings. Or, give him the Kingdom ofNaples, --if once we had conquered it again? These were actual schemes, successive, simultaneous, much occupying Carteret and the high Heads atVienna now and afterwards; which came all to nothing; but should were itnot impossible, be held in some remembrance by readers. 

Another still more unexpected point comes out here, in this singularDocument, publicly for the first time: Austria's feelings in regard tothe Imperial Election itself. Namely, That Austria, considers, and hasall along considered, the said Election to be fatally vitiated by thatExclusion of the Bohemian Vote; to be in fact nullified thereby; andthat, to her clear view, the present so-called Kaiser is an imaginaryquantity, and a mere Kaiser of French shreds and patches! "DERSEYN-SOLLENDE KAISER, " snuffles Austria in one passage, "Your Kaiser asyou call him;" and in another passage, instead of "Kaiser, " puts flatly"Kur-Baiern. " This is a most extraordinary doctrine to an ElectoralRomish Reich! Is the Holy Romish Reich to DECLARE itself an "EnchantedWiggery, " then, and do suicide, for behoof of Austria?--

"August 16th, this extraordinary Document was delivered to the Chanceryof Mainz; and September 23d, it was, contrary to expectation, broughtto DICTATUR by said Chancery, "--of which latter phrase, and phenomenon, here is the explanation to English readers. 

Had the late Kur-Mainz (general Arch-Chairman, Speaker of the Diet)been still in office and existence, certainly so shocking a Document hadnever been allowed "to come to DICTATUR, "--to be dictated to the Reich'sClerks; to have a first reading, as we should call it; or even to lie onthe table, with a theoretic chance that way. But Austria, thanks to ourlittle George and his Pragmatic Armament, had got a new Kur-Mainz;--bywhom, in open contempt of impartiality, and in open leaning for Austriawith all his weight, it was duly forwarded to Dictature; brought beforean astonished Diet (REICHSTAG), and endlessly argued of in Reichstagand Reich, --with small benefit to Austria, or the new Kur-Mainz. Wisekindness to Austria had been suppression of this Piece, not bringingof it to Dictature at all: but the new Kur-Mainz, called upon, andconscious of face sufficient, had not scrupled. "Shame on you, partialArch-Chancellor!" exclaims all the world. --"Revoke such shamefullypartial Dictature?" this was the next question brought before theReich. In which, Kur-Hanover (Britannic George) was the one Electorthat opined, No. Majority conclusive; though, as usual, no settlementattainable. This is the famous "DICTATUR-SACHE (Dictature Question), "which rages on us, for about eleven months to come, in those distractedold Books; and seems as if it would never end. Nor is there any sayingwhen it would have ended;--had not, in August, 1744, something elseended, the King of Prussia's patience, namely; which enabled it to end, on the Kaiser's then order! [Adelung, iii. B, 201, iv. 198, &c. ]

It must be owned, in general, the conduct of Maria Theresa to the Reich, ever since the Reich had ventured to reject her Husband as Kaiser, andprefer another, was all along of a high nature; till now it has growninto absolute contumacy, and a treating of the Reich's elected Kaiseras a merely chimerical personage. No law of the Reich had been violatedagainst her Hungarian Majesty or Husband: "What law?" asked all judges. Vicarius Kur-Sachsen sat, in committee, hatching for many months thatQuestion of the Kur-Bohmen Vote; and by the prescribed methods, broughtit out in the negative, --every formality and regularity observed, andnobody but your Austrian Deputy protesting upon it, when requested togo home. But, the high Maria had a notion that the Reich belonged to heraugust Family and her; and that all Elections to the contrary were aninconclusive thing, fundamentally void every one of them. 

Thus too, long before this, in regard to the REICHS-ARCHIV Question. The Archives and indispensablest Official Records and Papers of theReich, --these had lain so long at Vienna, the high Maria could not thinkof giving them up. "So difficult to extricate what Papers are Austrianspecially, from what are Austrian-Imperial;--must have time!" answeredshe always. And neither the Kaiser's more and more pressing demands, northose of the late Kur-Mainz, backed by the Reich, and reiterated monthafter month and year after year, could avail in the matter. Mere angrycorrespondences, growing ever angrier;--the Archives of the Reich layirrecoverable at Vienna, detained on this pretext and on that: nor werethey ever given up; but lay there till the Reich itself had ended, muchmore the Kaiser Karl VII. ! These are high procedures. 

As if the Reich had been one's own chattel; as if a Non-Austrian Kaisermere impossible, and the Reich and its laws had, even Officially, becomephantasmal! That, in fact, was Maria Theresa's inarticulate inbornnotion; and gradually, as her successes on the field rose higher, itbecame ever more articulate: till this of "the SEYN-SOLLENDE Kaiser" puta crown on it. Justifiable, if the Reich with its Laws were a chattel, or rebellious vassal, of Austria; not justifiable otherwise. "Hear ye?"answered almost all the Reich (eight Kurfursts, with the one exceptionof Kur-Hanover: as we observed): "Our solemnly elected Kaiser, KarlVII. , is a thing of quirks and quiddities, of French shreds and patches;at present, it seems, the Reich has no Kaiser at all; and will go everdeeper into anarchies and unnamabilities, till it proceed anew to getone, --of the right Austrian type!"--The Reich is a talking entity: KingFriedrich is bound rather to silence, so long as possible. His thoughtson these matters are not given; but sure enough they were continual, too intense they could hardly be. "Compensation;" "The Reich as goodas mine:" Whither is all this tending? Walrave and those SilesianFortifyings, --let Walrave mind his work, and get it perfected!

BRITANNIC MAJESTY GOES HOME. 

The "Combined Invasion of Elsass"--let us say briefly, oversteppingthe order of date, and still for a moment leaving Friedrich--came tonothing, this year. Prince Karl was 70, 000; Britannic George (whenonce those Dutch, crawling on all summer, had actually come up) was66, 000, --nay 70, 000; Karl having lent him that beautiful cannibalgentleman, "Colonel Mentzel and 4, 000 Tolpatches, " by way ofedge-trimming. Karl was to cross in Upper Elsass, in the Strasburgparts; Karl once across, Britannic Majesty was to cross about Mainz, andco-operate from Lower Elsass. And they should have been swift aboutit; and were not! All the world expected a severe slash to France; andFrance itself had the due apprehension of it: but France and all theworld were mistaken, this time. 

Prince Karl was slow with his preparations; Noailles and Coigny(Broglio's successor) were not slow; "raising batteries everywhere, "raising lines, "10, 000 Elsass Peasants, " and what not;--so that, by thetime Prince Karl was ready (middle of August), they lay intrenchedand minatory at all passable points; and Karl could nowhere, in thatUpper-Rhine Country, by any method, get across. Nothing got across;except once or twice for perhaps a day, Butcher Trenck and his loosekennel of Pandours; who went about, plundering and rioting, with loudrodomontade, to the admiration of the Gazetteers, if of no one else. 

Nor was George's seconding of important nature; most dubitative, whollypassive, you would rather say, though the River, in his quarter, layundefended. He did, at last, cross the Rhine about Mainz; went languidlyto Worms, --did an ever-memorable TREATY OF WORMS there, if no fightingthere or elsewhere. Went to Speyer, where the Dutch joined him (sadlyshort of numbers stipulated, had it been the least matter);--was atGermersheim, at what other places I forget; manoeuvring about in alanguid and as if in an aimless manner, at least it was in a perfectlyineffectual one. Mentzel rode gloriously to Trarbach, into Lorraine;stuck up Proclamation, "Hungarian Majesty come, by God's help, for herown again, " and the like;--of which Document, now fallen rare, we givetextually the last line: "And if any of you DON'T [don't sit quiet atleast], I will, " to be brief, "first cut off your ears and noses, andthen hang you out of hand. " The singular Champion of Christendom, famousto the then Gazetteers! [In Adelung (iii. B, 193) the Proclamationat large. I have, or once had, a _Life of Mentzel_ (Dublin, I think, 1744), "price twopence, "--dear at the money. ] Nothing farther couldGeorge, with his Dutch now adjoined, do in those parts, but wriggleslightly to and fro without aim; or stand absolutely still, and eatprovision (great uncertainty and discrepancy among the Generals, andStair gone in a huff [Went, "August 27th, by Worms" (Henderson, _Life of Cumberlund, _ p. 48), just while his Majesty was beginning tocross. ]), --till at length the "Combined Pragmatic Troops" returned toMainz (October 11th); and thence, dreadfully in ill-humor with eachother, separated into their winter-quarters in the Netherlands andadjacent regions. 

Prince Karl tried hard in several places; hardest at, Alt-Breisach, farup the River, with Swabian Freiburg for his place of arms;--anAustrian Country all that, "Hither Austria, " Swabian Austria. There, at Alt-Breisach, lay Prince Karl (24th August-3d September), his leftleaning on that venerable sugar-loaf Hill, with the towers and rampartson the top of it; looking wistfully into Alsace, if there were no wayof getting at it. He did get once half-way across the River, lodginghimself in an Island called Rheinmark; but could get no farther, owingto the Noailles-Coigny preparations for him. Called a Council of War;decided that he had not Magazines, that it was too late in the season;and marched home again (October 12th) through the Schwabenland; leaving, besides the strong Garrison of Freiburg, only Trenck with 12, 000Pandours to keep the Country open for us, against next year. BritannicMajesty, as we observed, did then, almost simultaneously, in like mannermarch home; [Adelung, iii. B, 192, 215; Anonymous, _Cumberland, _ p. 121. ]--one goal is always clear when the day sinks: Make for yourquarters, for your bed. 

Prince Karl was gloriously wedded, this Winter, to her HungarianMajesty's young Sister;--glorious meed of War; and, they say, a unionof hearts withal;--Wife and he to have Brussels for residence, and be"Joint-Governors of the Netherlands" henceforth. Stout Khevenhuller, almost during the rejoicings, took fever, and suddenly died; to thegreat sorrow of her Majesty, for loss of such a soldier and man. [_Maria Theresiens Leben, _ pp. 94, 45. ] Britannic Majesty has not beensuccessful with his Pragmatic Army. He did get his new Kur-Mainz, who has brought the Austrian Exorbitancy to a first reading, and intogeneral view. He did get out of the Dettingen mouse-trap; and, to theadmiration of the Gazetteer mind, and (we hope) envy of Most ChristianMajesty, he has, regardless of expense, played Supreme Jove on theGerman boards for above three months running. But as to Settlement ofthe German Quarrel, he has done nothing at all, and even a good dealless! Let me commend to readers this little scrap of Note; headed, "METHODS OF PACIFICATING GERMANY:-- 1. There is one ready method ofpacificating Germany: That his Britannic Majesty should firmly buttonhis breeches-pocket, 'Not one sixpence more, Madam!'--and go home to hisbed, if he find no business waiting him at home. Has not he always theEAR-OF-JENKINS Question, and the Cause of Liberty in that succinct form. But, in Germany, sinews of war being cut, law of gravitation would atonce act; and exorbitant Hungarian Majesty, tired France, and all else, would in a brief space of time lapse into equilibrium, probably of themore stable kind. 2. Or, if you want to save the Cause of Liberty on there are those HANAU CONFERENCES, --Carteret's magnificent scheme:A united Teutschland (England inspiring it), to rush on the throat ofFrance, for 'Compensation, ' for universal salving of sores. This secondmethod, Diana having intervened, is gone to water, and even to poisonedwater. So that, 3". There was nothing left for poor Carteret but a TR WORMS (concerning which, something more explicit by and by): ATeutschland (the English, doubly and trebly inspiring it, as surely theywill now need!) to rush as aforesaid, in the DISunited and indeed nearlyinternecine state. Which third method--unless Carteret can conquerNaples for the Kaiser, stuff the Kaiser into some satisfactory'Netherlands' or the like, and miraculously do the unfeasible (Fortuneperhaps favoring the brave)--may be called the unlikely one! As poorCarteret probably guesses, or dreads;--had he now any choice left. Butit was love's last shift! And, by aid of Diana and otherwise, that isthe posture in which, at Mainz, 11th October, 1743, we leave the GermanQuestion. "

"Compensation, " from France in particular, is not to be had gratis, itappears. Somewhere or other it must be had! Complaining once, as shevery often does, to her Supreme Jove, Hungarian Majesty had written:"Why, oh, why did you force me to give up Silesia!"--Supreme Joveanswers (at what date I never knew, though Friedrich knows it, and "hascopy of the Letter"): "Madam, what was good to give is good to take back(CC QUI EST BON A PRENDRE EST BON A RENDRE)!" [_OEuvres de Frederic, _iii. 27. ]

Chapter VI. --VOLTAIRE VISITS FRIEDRICH FOR THE FOURTH TIME. 

In the last days of August, there appears at Berlin M. De Voltaire, on his Fourth Visit:--thrice and four times welcome; though this time, privately, in a somewhat unexpected capacity. Come to try his handin the diplomatic line; to sound Friedrich a little, on behalf of thedistressed French Ministry. That, very privately indeed, is Voltaire'serrand at present; and great hopes hang by it for Voltaire, if he proveadroit enough. 

Poor man, it had turned out he could not get his Academy Diploma, afterall, --owing again to intricacies and heterodoxies. King Louis wasat first willing, indifferent; nay the Chateauroux was willing: butorthodox parties persuaded his Majesty; wicked Maurepas (the same wholasted till the Revolution time) set his face against it; Maurepas, andANC. De Mirepoix (whom they wittily call "ANE" or Ass of Mirepoix, thatsour opaque creature, lately monk), were industrious exceedingly; andput veto on Voltaire. A stupid Bishop was preferred to him for fillingup the Forty. Two Bishops magnanimously refused; but one was found withambitious stupidity enough: Voltaire, for the third time, failed in thissmall matter, to him great. Nay, in spite of that kiss in MEROPE, hecould not get his MORT DE CESAR acted; cabals rising; ANCIEN de Mirepoixrising; Orthodoxy, sour Opacity prevailing again. To Madame and him(though finely caressed in the Parisian circles) these were provokingmonths;--enough to make a man forswear Literature, and try some otherJacob's-Ladder in this world. Which Voltaire had actual thoughts of, nowand then. We may ask, Are these things of a nature to create love of theHierarchy in M. De Voltaire? "Your Academy is going to be a Seminaryof Priests, " says Friedrich. The lynx-eyed animal, --anxiously askingitself, "Whitherward, then, out of such a mess?"--walks warily about, with its paws of velvet; but has, IN POSSE, claws under them, forcertain individuals and fraternities. 

Nor, alas, is the Du Chatelet relation itself so celestial as it oncewas. Madame has discovered, think only with what feelings, that thisgreat man does not love her as formerly! The great man denies, ready todeny on the Gospels, to her and to himself; and yet, at bottom, if weread with the microscope, there are symptoms, and it is not deniable. How should it? Leafy May, hot June, by degrees comes October, sere, yellow; and at last, a quite leafless condition, --not Favonius, but grayNortheast, with its hail-storms (jealousies, barren cankered gusts), your main wind blowing. "EMILIE FAIT DE L'ALGEBRE, " sneers he once, inan inadvertent moment, to some Lady-friend: "Emilie doing? Emilie isdoing Algebra; that is Emilie's employment, --which will be of great useto her in the affairs of Life, and of great charm in Society. " [Letterof Voltaire "To Madame Chambonin, " end of 1742 (_OEuvres, _ Edition in40 vols. , Paris, 1818, xxxii. 148);--is MISSED in the later Edition (97vols. , Paris, 1837), to which our habitual reference is. ] Voltaire (ifyou read with the microscope) has, on this side also, thoughts of beingoff. "Off on this side?" Madame flies mad, becomes Megaera, at themention or suspicion of it! A jealous, high-tempered Algebraic Lady. They have had to tell her of this secret Mission to Berlin; and sheinsists on being the conduit, all the papers to pass through her handshere at Paris, during the great man's absence. Fixed northeast; that is, to appearance, the domestic wind blowing! And I rather judge, the greatman is glad to get away for a time. 

This Quasi-Diplomatic Speculation, one perceives, is much more serious, on the part both of Voltaire and of the Ministry, than any of the formerhad been. And, on Voltaire's part, there glitter prospects now and thenof something positively Diplomatic, of a real career in that kind, lyingahead for him. Fond hopes these! But among the new Ministers, sinceFleury's death, are Amelot, the D'Argensons, personal friends, oldschool-fellows of the poor hunted man, who are willing he should haveshelter from such a pack; and all French Ministers, clutching at everyfloating spar, in this their general shipwreck in Germany, are aware ofthe uses there might be in him, in such crisis. "Knows Friedrich; mightperhaps have some power in persuading him, --power in spying him atany rate. Unless Friedrich do step forward again, what is to become ofus!"--The mutual hintings, negotiatings, express interviews, bargainingsand secret-instructions, dimly traceable in Voltaire's LETTERS, hadbeen going on perhaps since May last, time of those ACADEMY failures, of those Broglio Despatches from the Donau Countries, "No staying here, your Majesty!"--and I think it was, in fact, about the time when Broglioblew up like gunpowder and tumbled home on the winds, that Voltaire setout on his mission. "Visit to Friedrich, " they call it;--"invitation"from Friedrich there is, or can, on the first hint, at any point of theJourney be. 

Voltaire has lingered long on the road; left Paris, middle of June; [HisLetters (_OEuvres, _ lxxiii. 42, 48). ] but has been exceedingly exertinghimself, in the Hague, at Brussels, and wherever else present, inthe way of forwarding his errand, Spying, contriving, persuading;corresponding to right and left, --corresponding, especially much, withthe King of Prussia himself, and then with "M. Amelot, Secretary ofState, " to report progress to the best advantage. There are curiouselucidative sparks, in those Voltaire Letters, chaotic as they are;small sparks, elucidative, confirmatory of your dull History Books, andadding traits, here and there, to the Image you have formed from them. Yielding you a poor momentary comfort; like reading some riddle ofno use; like light got incidentally, by rubbing dark upon dark(say Voltaire flint upon Dryasdust gritstone), in those labyrinthiccatacombs, if you are doomed to travel there. A mere weariness, otherwise, to the outside reader, hurrying forward, --to the light FrenchEditor, who can pass comfortably on wings or balloons! [_OEuvres, _lxxiii. Pp. 40-138. Clogenson, a Dane (whose Notes, signed "Clog. , " arein all tolerable recent Editions), has, alone among the Commentators ofVoltaire's LETTERS, made some real attempt towards explaining the manypassages that are fallen unintelligible. "Clog. , " travelling onfoot, with his eyes open, is--especially on German-Historypoints--incomparable and unique, among his French comrades going byballoon; and drops a rational or half-rational hint now and then, whichis meritoriously helpful. Unhappily he is by no means well-read in thatGerman matter, by no means always exact; nor indeed ever quite to betrusted without trial had. ] Voltaire's assiduous finessings with theHague Diplomatist People, or with their Secretaries if bribable;nay, with the Dutch Government itself ("through channels which I haveopened, "--with infinitesimally small result); his spyings ("youngPodewils, " Minister here, Nephew of the Podewils we have known, "youngPodewils in intrigue with a Dutch Lady of rank:" think of that, yourExcellency); his preparatory subtle correspondings with Friedrich:his exquisite manoeuvrings, and really great industries in the smallway:--all this, and much else, we will omit. Impatient of thesepreludings, which have been many! Thus, at one point, Voltaire "tooka FLUXION" (catarrhal, from the nose only), when Friedrich was quiteready; then, again, when Voltaire was ready, and the fluxion off, Friedrich had gone upon his Silesian Reviews: in short, there hadbeen such cross-purposes, tedious delays, as are distressing to thinkof;--and we will say only, that M. De Voltaire did actually, afterthe conceivable adventures, alight in the Berlin Schloss (last day ofAugust, as I count); welcomed, like no other man, by the Royal Landlordthere;--and that this is the Fourth Visit; and has (in strict privacy)weightier intentions than any of the foregoing, on M. De Voltaire'spart. 

Voltaire had a glorious reception; apartment near the King's; Kinggliding in, at odd moments, in the beautifulest way; and for seven oreight days, there was, at Berlin and then at Potsdam, a fine awakeningof the sphere-harmonies between them, with touches of practicalitythrown in as suited. Of course it was not long till, on some touch ofthat latter kind, Friedrich discerned what the celestial messenger hadcome upon withal;--a dangerous moment for M. De Voltaire, "King visiblyirritated, " admits he, with the aquiline glance transfixing him!" Alas, your Majesty, mere excess of loyalty, submission, devotion, on my poorpart! Deign to think, may not this too, --in the present state of myKing, of my Two Kings, and of all Europe, --be itself a kind of spheralthing?" So that the aquiline lightning was but momentary; and abated tolambent twinklings, with something even of comic in them, as weshall gather. Voltaire had his difficulties with Valori, too; "Whatinterloping fellow is this?" gloomed Valori, "A devoted secretary ofyour Excellency's; on his honor, nothing more!" answered Voltaire, bowing to the ground:--and strives to behave as such; giving Valori"these poor Reports of mine to put in cipher, " and the like. Veryslippery ice hereabouts for the adroit man! His reports to Amelot areof sanguine tone; but indicate, to the by-stander, small progress; iceslippery, and a twinkle of the comic. Many of them are lost (or liehidden in the French Archives, and are not worth disinterring): but hereis one, saved by Beaumarchais and published long afterwards, which willsufficiently bring home the old scene to us. In the Palace of Berlin orelse of Potsdam (date must be, 6th-8th September, 1743), Voltaire fromhis Apartment hands in a "Memorial" to Friedrich; and gets it back withMarginalia, --as follows:

"Would your Majesty be pleased to have the kind condescension (ASSEZ DEBONTE) to put on the margin your reflections and orders. "

MEMORIAL BY VOLTAIRE. "1. Your Majesty is to know that the SieurBassecour [signifies BACKYARD], chief Burghermaster of Amsterdam, has come lately to beg M. De la Ville, French Minister there, to makeProposals of Peace. La Ville answered, If the Dutch had offers to make, the King his master could hear them. 

MARGINALIA BY FRIEDRICH. "1. This Bassecour, or Backyard, seems to bethe gentleman that has charge of fattening the capons and turkeys fortheir High Mightinesses?

MEMORIAL BY VOLTAIRE. "2. Is it not clear that the Peace Party willinfallibly carry it, in Holland, --since Bassecour, one of the mostdetermined for War, begins to speak of Peace? Is it not clear thatFrance shows vigor and wisdom?

MARGINALIA BY FRIEDRICH. "2. I admire the wisdom of France; but Godpreserve me from ever imitating it!

MEMORIAL BY VOLTAIRE. "3. In these circumstances, if your Majesty tookthe tone of a Master, gave example to the Princes of the Empire inassembling an Army of Neutrality, --would not you snatch the sceptre ofEurope from the hands of the English, who now brave you, and speak in aninsolent revolting manner of your Majesty, as do, in Holland also, theparty of the Bentincks, the Fagels, the Opdams? I have myself heardthem, and am reporting nothing but what is very true. 

MARGINALIA BY FRIEDRICH. "3. This would be finer in an ode than inactual reality. I disturb myself very little about what the Dutchand English say, the rather as I understand nothing of those dialects(PATOIS) of theirs. 

MEMORIAL BY VOLTAIRE. "4. Do not you cover yourself with an immortalglory in declaring yourself, with effect, the protector of the Empire?And is it not of most pressing interest to your Majesty, to hinder theEnglish from making your Enemy the Grand-Duke [Maria Theresa's Husband]King of the Romans?

MARGINALIA BY FRIEDRICH. "4. France has more interest than Prussiato hinder that. Besides, on this point, dear Voltaire, you are illinformed. For there can be no Election of a King of the Romans withoutthe unanimous consent of the Empire;--so you perceive, that alwaysdepends on me. 

MEMORIAL BY VOLTAIRE. "5. Whoever has spoken but a quarter of an hourto the Duke d'Ahremberg [who spilt Lord Stair's fine enterprises lately, and reduced them to a DETTINGEN, or a getting into the mouse-trap and agetting out], to the Count Harrach [important Austrian Official], LordStair, or any of the partisans of Austria, even for a quarter of an hour[as I have often done], has beard them say, That they burn with desireto open the campaign in Silesia again. Have you in that case, Sire, anyally but France? And, however potent you are, is an ally useless to you?You know the resources of the House of Austria, and how many Princesare united to it. But will they resist your power, joined to that of theHouse of Bourbon?

MARGINALIA BY FRIEDRICH. "5. _On les y recevra, Biribi, A la facon deBarbari, Mon ami. _ We will receive them, Twiddledee, In the mode ofBarbary, Don't you see? [Form of Song, very fashionable at Paris (seeBarbier soepius) in those years: "BIRIBI, " I believe, is a kind oflottery-game. ]

MEMORIAL BY VOLTAIRE. "6. If you were but to march a body of troops toCleves, do not you awaken terror and respect, without apprehension thatany one dare make war on you? Is it not, on the contrary, the one methodof forcing the Dutch to concur, under your orders, in the pacificationof the Empire, and re-establishment of the Emperor, who will thus asecond time he indebted to you for his throne, and will aid in thesplendor of yours?

MARGINALIA BY FRIEDRICH. "6. _Vous voulez qu'en vrai dieu de lamachine, _ "You will have me as theatre-god, then, _"J'arrive pour tedenouement?_ "Swoop in, and produce the catastrophe? _"Qu'aux Anglais, aux Pandours, a ce peuple insolent, "J'aille donner la discipline?--_"Tame to sobriety those English, those Pandours, and obstreperouspeople? _"Mais examinez mieux ma mine;_ "Examine the look of me better;_"Je ne suis pas assez mechant!_ "I have not surliness euough. 

MEMORIAL BY VOLTAIRE. "7. Whatever resolution may be come to, willyour Majesty deign to confide it to me, and impart the result, --to yourservant, to him who desires to pass his life at your Court? May I havethe honor to accompany your Majesty to Baireuth; and if your goodness goso far, would you please to declare it, that I may have time to preparefor the journey? One favorable word written to me in the Letter on thatoccasion [word favorable to France, ostensible to M. Amelot and the mostChristian Majesty], one word would suffice to procure me the happinessI have, for six years, been aspiring to, of living beside you. " Oh, sendit!

MARGINALIA BY FRIEDRICH. "7. If you like to come to Baireuth, I shall beglad to see you there, provided the journey don't derange your health. It will depend on yourself, then, to take what measures you please. [Andabout the ostensible WORD, --Nothing!]

MEMORIAL BY VOLTAIRE. "8. During the short stay I am now to make, ifI could be made the bearer of some news agreeable to my Court, I wouldsupplicate your Majesty to honor me with such a commission. [This doesnot want for impudence, Monsieur! Friedrich answers, from aloft!]

MARGINALIA BY FRIEDRICH. "8. I am not in any connection with France; Ihave nothing to fear nor to hope from France. If you would like, I willmake a Panegyric on Louis XV. Without a word of truth in it: but as topolitical business, there is, at present, none to bring us together; andneither is it I that am to speak first. When they put a question to me, it will be time to reply: but you, who are so much a man of sense, yousee well what a ridiculous business it would be if, without ground givenme, I set to prescribing projects of policy to France, and even put themon paper with my own hand!

MEMORIAL BY VOLTAIRE. "9. Do whatsoever you may please, I shall alwayslove your Majesty with my whole heart. "

MARGINALIA BY FRIEDRICH. "9. I love you with all my heart; I esteem you:I will do all to have you, except follies, and things which would makeme forever ridiculous over Europe, and at bottom would be contrary to myinterests and my glory. The only commission I can give you for France, is to advise them to behave with more wisdom than they have donehitherto. That Monarchy is a body with much strength, but without, soulor energy (NERF). "

And so you may give it to Valori to put in cipher, my illustriousMessenger from the Spheres. [_OEuvres de Voltaire, _ lxxiii. 101-105 (seeIb. Ii. 55); _OEuvres de Frederic, _ xxii. 141-144. ]

Worth reading, this, rather well. Very kingly, and characteristic ofthe young Friedrich. Saved by Beaumarchais, who did not give it in hisfamous Kehl Edition of VOLTAIRE, but "had it in Autograph ever after, and printed it in his DECADE PHILOSOPHIQUE, 10 Messidor, An vii. [Summer, 1799]: Beaumarchais had several other Pieces of the same sort;"which, as bits of contemporary photographing, one would have liked tosee. 

FRIEDRICH VISITS BAIREUTH: ON A PARTICULAR ERRAND;--VOLTAIRE ATTENDING, AND PRIVATELY REPORTING. 

This "BIRIBI" Document, I suppose to have been delivered perhaps on the7th; and that Friedrich HAD it, but had not yet answered it, when hewrote the following Letter:--

"POTSDAM, 8th SEPTEMBER, 1743 [Friedrich to Voltaire]. --I dare not speakto a son of Apollo about horses and carriages, relays and such things;these are details with which the gods do not concern themselves, andwhich we mortals take upon us. You will set out on Monday afternoon, if you like the journey, for Baireuth, and you will dine with me inpassing, if you please [at Potsdam here]. 

"The rest of my MEMOIRE [Paper before given?] is so blurred and in sobad a state, I cannot yet send it you. --I am getting Cantos 8 and 9 ofLA PUCELLE copied; I at present have Cantos 1, 2, 4, 5, 8 and 9: I keepthem under three keys, that the eye of mortal may not see them. 

"I hear you supped yesternight in good company [great gathering in somehigh house, gone all asunder now];

"The finest wits of the Canton All collected in your name, People allwho could not but be pleased with you, All devout believers in Voltaire, Unanimously took you For the god of their Paradise. 

"'Paradise, ' that you may not be scandalized, is taken here in a generalsense for a place of pleasure and joy. See the 'remark' on the lastverse of the MONDAIN. " [_OEuvres de Frederic, _ xxii. 144; Voltaire, lxxiii. 100] (scandalously MISdated in Edition 1818, xxxix. 466). As toMONDAIN, and "remark" upon it, --the ghost of what was once a sparkle ofsuccessful coterie-speech and epistolary allusion, --take this: "In theMONDAIN Voltaire had written, 'LE PARADIS TERRESTRE EST OU JE SUIS;'and as the Priests made outcry, had with airs of orthodoxy explained thephrase away, "--as Friedrich now affects to do; obliquely quizzing, inthe Friedrich manner. 

Voltaire is to go upon the Baireuth Journey, then, according to prayer. Whether Voltaire ever got that all-important "word which he could show, "I cannot say: though there is some appearance that Friedrich may havedashed off for him the Panegyric of Louis, in these very hours, to servehis turn, and have done with him. Under date 7th September, day beforethe Letter just read, here are snatches from another to the sameaddress:--

"POTSDAM, 7th SEPTEMBER, 1743 [Friedrich to Voltaire]. --You tell me somuch good of France and of its King, it were to be wished all Sovereignshad subjects like you, and all Commonwealths such citizens, --[youcan show that, I suppose?] What a pity France and Sweden had not hadMilitary Chiefs of your way of thinking! But it is very certain, saywhat you will, that the feebleness of their Generals, and the timidityof their counsels, have almost ruined in public repute two Nationswhich, not half a century ago, inspired terror over Europe. "--. . . "Scandalous Peace, that of Fleury, in 1735; abandoning King Stanislaus, cheating Spain, cheating Sardinia, to get Lorraine! And now this mannerof abandoning the Emperor [respectable Karl VII. Of your making];sacrificing Bavaria; and reducing that worthy Prince to the lowestpoverty, --poverty, I say not, of a Prince, but into the frightfuleststate for a private man!" Ah, Monsieur. 

"And yet your France is the most charming of Nations; and if it is notfeared, it deserves well to be loved. A King worthy to command it, who governs sagely, and acquires for himself the esteem of allEurope, --[there, won't that do!] may restore its ancient splendor, which the Broglios, and so many others even more inept, have a littleeclipsed. That is assuredly a work worthy of a Prince endowed withsuch gifts! To reverse the sad posture of affairs, nobly repairing whatothers have spoiled; to defend his country against furious enemies, reducing them to beg Peace, instead of scornfully rejecting it whenoffered: never was more glory acquirable by any King! I shall admirewhatsoever this great man [CE GRAND HOMME, Louis XV. , not yet visiblytending to the dung-heap, let us hope better things!] may achieve inthat way; and of all the Sovereigns of Europe none will be less jealousof his success than I:"--there, my spheral friend, show that! [_OEuvresde Frederic, _ xxii. 139: see, for what followed, _OEuvres de Voltaire, _lxxiii. 129 (report to Amelot, 27th October). ]

Which the spheral friend does. Nor was it "irony, " as the newCommentators think; not at all; sincere enough, what you callsincere;--Voltaire himself had a nose for "irony"! This was what youcall sincere Panegyric in liberal measure; why be stingy with yourmeasure? It costs half an hour: it will end Voltaire's importunities;and so may, if anything, oil the business-wheels withal. For Friedrichforesees business enough with Louis and the French Ministries, thoughhe will not enter on it with Voltaire. This Journey to Baireuth andAnspach, for example, this is not for a visit to his Sisters, asFriedrich labels it; but has extensive purposes hidden under thattitle, --meetings with Franconian Potentates, earnest survey, earnestconsultation on a state of things altogether grave for Germany andFriedrich; though he understands whom to treat with about it, whomto answer with a "BIRIBIRI, MON AMI. " That Austrian Exorbitancy of amessage to the Diet has come out (August 16th, and is strugglingto DICTATUR); the Austrian procedures in Baiern are in their fullflagrancy: Friedrich intends trying once more, Whether, in such crisis, there be absolutely no "Union of German Princes" possible; nor even ofany two or three of them, in the "Swabian and Franconian Circles, " whichhe always thought the likeliest?

The Journey took effect, Tuesday, 10th September [Rodenbeck, i. 93. ](not the day before, as Friedrich had been projecting); went by Halle, straight upon Baireuth; and ended there on Thursday. As usual, PrinceAugust Wilhelm, and Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick, were of it; Voltairefailed not to accompany. What the complexion of it was, especially whatFriedrich had meant by it, and how ill he succeeded, will perhaps bemost directly visible through the following compressed Excerpts fromVoltaire's long LETTER to Secretary Amelot on the subject, --if readerswill be diligent with them. Friedrich, after four days, ran across toAnspach on important business; came back with mere failure, and wasprovokingly quite silent on it; stayed at Baireuth some three days more;thence home by Gotha (still on "Union" business, still mere failure), by Leipzig, and arrived at Potsdam, September 25th;--leaving Voltairein Wilhelmina's charmed circle (of which unhappily there is not a wordsaid), for about a week more. Voltaire, directly on getting back toBerlin, "resumes the thread of his journal" to Secretary Amelot; thatis, writes him another long Letter:--

VOLTAIRE (from Berlin, 3d October, 1743) TO SECRETARY AMELOT. 

". . . The King of Prussia told me at Baireuth, on the 13th or 14th oflast month, He was glad our King had sent the Kaiser money;"--usefulthat, at any rate; Noailles's 6, 000 pounds would not go far. "That hethought M. Le Marechal de Noailles's explanation [of a certain smallrumor, to the disadvantage of Noailles in reference to the Kaiser] wassatisfactory: 'but, ' added he, 'it results from all your secret motionsthat you are begging Peace from everybody, and there may have beensomething in this rumor, after all. '

"He then told me he was going over to Anspach, to see what could be donefor the Common Cause [Kaiser's and Ours]; that he expected to meet theBishop of Wurzburg there; and would try to stir the Frankish and SwabianCircles into some kind of Union. And, at setting off [from Baireuth, September 16th, on this errand], he promised his Brother-in-law theMargraf, He would return with great schemes afoot, and even with greatsuccess;" which proved otherwise, to a disappointing degree. 

". . . The Margraf of Anspach did say he would join a Union of Princesin favor of the Kaiser, if Prussia gave example. But that was all. TheBishop of Wurzburg, " a feeble old creature, "never appeared atAnspach, nor even sent an apology; and Seckendorf, with the ImperialArmy"--Seckendorf, caged up at Wembdingen (whom Friedrich drove offfrom Anspach, twenty miles, to see and consult), was in a disconsolatemoulting condition, and could promise or advise nothing satisfactory, during the dinner one took with him. [September 19th, "under a shadytree, after muster of the troops" (Rodenbeck, p. 93). ] Four days runningabout on those errands had yielded his Prussian Majesty nothing. "Whilsthe (Prussian Majesty) was on this Anspach excursion, the Margraf ofBaireuth, who is lately made Field-marshal of his Circle, spoke much tome of present affairs: a young Prince, full of worth and courage, wholoves the French, hates the Austrians, "--and would fain make himselfgenerally useful. "To whom I suggested this and that" (does yourLordship observe?), if it could ever come to anything. 

"The King of Prussia, on returning to Baireuth [guess, 20th September], did not speak the least word of business to the Margraf: which muchsurprised the latter! He surprised him still more by indicating someintention to retain forcibly at Berlin the young Duke of Wurtemberg, under pretext, 'that Madam his Mother intended to have him taken toVienna, ' for education. To anger this young Duke, and drive his Motherto despair, was not the method for acquiring credit in the Circle ofSwabia, and getting the Princes brought to unite!

"The Duchess of Wurtemberg, who was there at Baireuth, by appointment, to confer with the King of Prussia, sent to seek me. I found her alldissolved in tears. 'Ah!' said she, --[But why is our dear Wilhelminaleft saying nothing; invisible, behind the curtains of envious Chance, and only a skirt of them lifted to show us this Improper Duchess oncemore!]--'Ah!' said she (the Improper Duchess, at sight of me), 'will theKing of Prussia be a tyrant, then? To pay me for intrusting my Boys tohim, and giving him two Regiments [for money down], will he force me toimplore justice against him from the whole world? I must have my Child!He shall not go to Vienna; it is in his own Country that I will have himbrought up beside me. To put my Son in Austrian hands? [unless, indeed, your Highness were driven into Financial or other straits?] You know ifI love France;--if my design is not to pass the rest of my days there, so soon as my Son comes to majority!' Ohone, ohoo!

"In fine, the quarrel was appeased. The King of Prussia told me he wouldbe gentler with the Mother; would restore the Son if they absolutelywished it; but that he hoped the young Prince would of himself likebetter to stay where he was. ". . . --"I trust your Lordship will allow meto draw for those 300 ducats, for a new carriage. I have spent all Ihad, running about these four months. I leave this for Brunswick andhomewards, on the evening of the 12th. " [Voltaire, lxxiii. 105-109. ]. . . 

And so the curtain drops on the Baireuth Journey, on the Berlin Visit;and indeed, if that were anything, on Voltaire's Diplomatic careeraltogether. The insignificant Accidents, the dull Powers that be, sayNo. Curious to reflect, had they happened to say Yes:--"Go into theDiplomatic line, then, you sharp climbing creature, and become great bythat method; WRITE no more, you; write only Despatches and Spy-Lettershenceforth!"--how different a world for us, and for all mortals thatread and that do not read, there had now been!

Voltaire fancies he has done his Diplomacy well, not without fruit;and, at Brunswick, --cheered by the grand welcome he found there, --hasdelightful outlooks (might I dare to suggest them, Monseigneur?) oftouring about in the German Courts, with some Circular HORTATORIUM, orsublime Begging-Letter from the Kaiser, in his hand; and, by witcheryof tongue, urging Wurtemberg, Brunswick, Baireuth, Anspach, Berlin, to compliance with the Imperial Majesty and France. [Ib. Lxxiii. 133. ]Would not that be sublime! But that, like the rest, in spite of one'stalent, came to nothing. Talent? Success? Madame de Chateauroux had, in the interim, taken a dislike to M. Amelot; "could not bearhis stammering, " the fastidious Improper Female; flung Amelotoverboard, --Amelot, and his luggage after him, Voltaire's diplomatichopes included; and there was an end. 

How ravishing the thing had been while it lasted, judge by theseother stray symptoms; hastily picked up, partly at Berlin, partly atBrunswick; which show us the bright meridian, and also the blaze, almoststill more radiant, which proved to be sunset. Readers have heard ofVoltaire's Madrigals to certain Princesses; and must read these Threeagain, --which are really incomparable in their kind; not equalled ingraceful felicity even by Goethe, and by him alone of Poets approachedin that respect. At Berlin, Autumn 1743, Three consummate Madrigals:--

 1. TO PRINCESS ULRIQUE. 

 "Souvent un peu de verite Se mele au plus grossier mensonge: Cette nuit, dans l'erreur d'un songe, Au rang des rois j'etais monte. Je vous aimais, Princesse, et j'osais vous le dire! Les dieux a mon reveil ne m'ont pas tout ote, Je n'ai perdu que mon empire. "

 2. TO PRINCESSES ULRIQUE AND AMELIA. 

 "Si Paris venait sur la terre Pour juger entre vos beaux yeux, Il couperait la pomme en deux, Et ne produirait pas de guerre. "

 3. TO PRINCESSES ULRIQUE, AMELIA AND WILHELMINA. 

 "Pardon, charmante Ulrique; pardon, belle Amelie; J'ai cru n'aimer que vous la reste de ma vie, Et ne servir que sous vos lois; Mais enfin j'entends et je vois Cette adorable Soeur dont l'Amour suit les traces: Ah, ce n'est pas outrager les Trois Graces Que de les aimer toutes trois!"

[1. "A grain of truth is often mingled with the stupidest delusion. Yesternight, in the error of a dream, I had risen to the rank of king;I loved you, Princess, and had the audacity to say so! The gods, at myawakening, did not strip me wholly; my kingdom was all they took fromme. " 2. "If Paris [of Troy] came back to decide on the charms of youTwo, he would halve the Apple, and produce no War. " 3. "Pardon, charmingUlrique; beautiful Amelia, pardon: I thought I should love only you forthe rest of my life, and serve under your laws only: but at last I hearand see this adorable Sister, whom Love follows as Page:--Ah, it is notoffending the Three Graces to love them all three!" --In _Oeuvres deVoltaire, _ xviii. : No. 1 is, p. 292 (in _OEuvres de Frederic, _ xiv. 90-92, the ANSWERS to it); No. 2 is, p. 320; No. 3, p. 321. ]

BRUNSWICK, 16th October (blazing sunset, as it proved, but brighteralmost than meridian), a LETTER FROM VOLTAIRE TO MAUPERTUIS (still inFrance since that horrible Mollwitz-Pandour Business). 

"In my wanderings I received the Letter where my dear Flattener of thisGlobe deigns to remember me with so much friendship. Is it possiblethat--. . . I made your compliments to all your friends at Berlin; thatis, to all the Court. " "Saw Dr. Eller decomposing water into elasticair [or thinking he did so, 1743]; saw the Opera of TITUS, which is amasterpiece of music [by Friedrich himself, with the important aid ofGraun]: it was, without vanity, a treat the King gave me, or rather gavehimself; he wished I should see him in his glory. 

"His Opera-House is the finest in Europe. Charlottenburg is a deliciousabode: Friedrich does the honors there, the King knowing nothing ofit. . . . One lives at Potsdam as in the Chateau of a French Seigneur whohad culture and genius, --in spite of that big Battalion of Guards, whichseems to me the terriblest Battalion in this world. 

"Jordan is still the same, --BON GARCON ET DISCRET; has his oddities, his1, 600 crowns (240 pounds) of pension. D'Argens is Chamberlain, with agold key at his breast-pocket, and 100 louis inside, payable monthly. Chasot [whom readers made acquaintance with at Philipsburg long since], instead of cursing his destiny, must have taken to bless it: he is Majorof Horse, with income enough. And he has well earned it, having savedthe King's Baggage at the last Battle of Chotusitz, "--what we did notnotice, in the horse-charges and grand tumults of that scene. 

"I passed some days [a fortnight in all] at Baireuth. Her RoyalHighness, of course, spoke to me of you. Baireuth is a delightfulretreat, where one enjoys whatever there is agreeable in a Court, without the bother of grandeur. Brunswick, where I am, has anotherspecies of charm. 'Tis a celestial Voyage this of mine, where I passfrom Planet to Planet, "--to tumultuous Paris; and, I do hope, tomy unique Maupertuis awaiting me there at last. [Voltaire, lxxiii. 122-125. ]'

We have only to remark farther, that Friedrich had again pressedVoltaire to come and live with him, and choose his own terms; and thatVoltaire (as a second string to his bow, should this fine Diplomaticone fail) had provisionally accepted. Provisionally; and with one mostremarkable clause: that of leaving out Madame, --"imagining it would beless agreeable to you if I came with others (AVEC D'AUTRES); and I own, that belonging to your Majesty alone, I should have my mind more atease:" [_OEuvres de Voltaire, _ lxxiii. 112, 116 (Proposal and Response, both of them "7th October, " five days before leaving Berlin). ]--whew!And then to add a third thing: That Madame, driven half delirious, bythese delays, and gyratings from Planet to Planet, especially by thatlast Fortnight at Baireuth, had rushed off from Paris, to seek hervagabond, and see into him with her own eyes: "Could n't help it, myangels!" writes she to the D'Argentals (excellent guardian angels, Monsieur and Madame; and, I am sure, PATIENT both of them, as onlyMONSIEUR Job was, in the old case): "A whole fortnight [perhaps withmadrigals to Princesses], and only four lines to me!"--and is now inbed, or lately was, at Lille, ill of slow fever (PETITE FIEVRE); pantingto be upon the road again. [_Lettres inedites de Madame du Chastelet aM. Le Comte d'Argental_ (Paris, 1806) p. 253. A curiously elucidativeLetter this ("Brussels, 15th October, 1743"); a curious little Bookaltogether. ]

Fancy what a greeting for M. De Voltaire, from those eyes HAGARDES ETLOUCHES; and whether he mentioned that pretty little clause of going toBerlin "WITHOUT others, " or durst for the life of him whisper of goingat all! After pause in the Brussels region, they came back to Paris"in December;" resigned, I hope, to inexorable Fate, --though with suchDiplomatic and other fine prospects flung to the fishes, and little butGREDINS and confusions waiting you, as formerly. 

Chapter VII. --FRIEDRICH MAKES TREATY WITH FRANCE; AND SILENTLY GETSREADY. 

Though Friedrich went upon the bantering tone with Voltaire, his privatethoughts in regard to the surrounding scene of things were extremelyserious; and already it had begun to be apparent, from thoseBritannic-Austrian procedures, that some new alliance with France mightwell lie ahead for him. During Voltaire's visit, that extraordinaryPaper from Vienna, that the Kaiser was no Kaiser, and that there must be"compensation" and satisfactory "assurance, " had come into full glare offirst-reading; and the DICTATUR-SACHE, and denunciation of an evidentlypartial Kur-Mainz, was awakening everywhere. Voltaire had not gone, when, --through Podewils Junior (probably with help of the improperDutch female of rank), --Friedrich got to wit of another thing, not lessmomentous to him; and throwing fearful light on that of "compensation"and "assurance. " This was the Treaty of Worms, --done by Carteret andGeorge, September 13th, during those languid Rhine operations; Treatyitself not languid, but a very lively thing, to Friedrich and to all theworld! Concerning which a few words now. 

We have said, according to promise, and will say, next to nothing ofMaria Theresa's Italian War; but hope always the reader keeps it inmind. Big war-clouds waltzing hither and thither, occasionallyclashing into bloody conflict; Sardinian Majesty and Infant Philip bothpersonally in the field, fierce men both: Traun, Browne, Lobkowitz, Lichtenstein, Austrians of mark, successively distinguishing themselves;Spain, too, and France very diligent;--Conti off thither, then in theirturns Maillebois, Noailles:--high military figures, but remote; shadowy, thundering INaudibly on this side and that; whom we must not mentionfarther. 

"The notable figure to us, " says one of my Notes, "is Charles Emanuel, second King of Sardinia; who is at the old trade of his Family, andshifts from side to side, making the war-balance vibrate at a greatrate, now this scale now that kicking the beam. For he holds the door ofthe Alps, Bully Bourbon on one side of it, Bully Hapsburg on the other;and inquires sharply, "You, what will you give me? And you?" To MariaTheresa's affairs he has been superlatively useful, for these Two Yearspast; and truly she is not too punctual in the returns covenanted for. It appears to Charles Emanuel that the Queen of Hungary, elated in herhigh thought, under-rates his services, of late; that she practicallymeans to give him very little of those promised slices from the Lombardparts; and that, in the mean while, much too big a share of the War hasfallen upon his poor hands, who should be doorholder only. 

"Accordingly he grumbles, threatens: he has been listening to France, 'Bourbon, how much will you give me, then?' and the answer is suchthat he informs the Queen of Hungary and the Britannic Majesty, ofhis intention to close with Bourbon, since they on their side willdo nothing considerable. George and his Carteret, not to mention theHungarian Majesty at all, are thunder-struck at such a prospect; bendall their energies towards this essential point of retaining CharlesEmanuel, which is more urgent even than getting Elsass. 'Madam, ' theysay to her Majesty, (we cannot save Italy for you on other terms:Vigevanesco, Finale [which is Genoa's], part of Piacenza [when oncegot]: there must be some slice of the Lombard parts to this CharlesEmanuel justly angry!) Whereat the high Queen storms, and in herhigh manner scolds little George, as if he were the blamableparty, --pretending friendship, and yet abetting mere highway robberyor little better. And his cash paid Madam, and his Dettingen mouse-trapfought? 'Well, he has plenty of cash:--is it my Cause, then, or hisMajesty's and Liberty's?' Posterity, in modern England, vainly endeavorsto conceive this phenomenon; yet sees it to be undeniable. 

"And so there is a Treaty of Worms got concocted, after infinite efforton the part of Carteret, Robinson too laboring and steaming in Viennawith boilers like to burst; and George gets it signed 13th September[already signed while Friedrich was looking into Seckendorf andWembdingen, if Friedrich had known it]: to this effect, That CharlesEmanuel should have annually, down on the nail, a handsome increase ofSubsidy (200, 000 pounds instead of 150, 000 pounds) from England, andultimately beyond doubt some thinnish specified slices from the Lombardparts; and shall proceed fighting for, not against; English Fleetco-operating, English Purse ditto, regardless of expense; with otherfit particulars, as formerly. [Scholl, ii. 330-335; Adelung, iii. B, 222-226; Coxe, iii. 296. ] Maria Theresa, very angry, looks upon herselfas a martyr, nobly complying to suffer for the whim of England; andRobinson has had such labors and endurances, a steam-engine on the pointof bursting is but an emblem of him. It was a necessary Treaty for theCause of Liberty, as George and Carteret, and all English Ministriesand Ministers (Diana of Newcastle very specially, in spite of Pitt anda junior Opposition Party) viewed Liberty. It was Love's lastshift, --Diana having intervened upon those magnificent 'Conferencesof Hanau' lately! Nevertheless Carteret was thrown out, next year, onaccount of it. And Posterity is unable to conceive it; and asks alwaysof little George, What, in the name of wonder, had he to do there, fighting for or against, and hiring everybody he met to fight againsteverybody? A King with eyes somewhat A FLEUR-DE-TETE: yes; and let ussay, his Nation, too, --which has sat down quietly, for almost a centuryback, under mountains of nonsense, inwardly nothing but dim Scepticism[except in the stomachic regions], and outwardly such a Trinacria ofHypocrisy [unconscious, for most part] as never lay on an honest giantNation before, was itself grown much of a fool, and could expect noother kind of Kings. 

"But the point intensely interesting to Friedrich in this Treaty ofWorms was, That, in enumerating punctually the other Treaties, old andrecent, which it is to guarantee, and stand upon the basis of, thereis nowhere the least mention of Friedrich's BRESLAU-AND-BERLIN TREATY;thrice-important Treaty with her Hungarian Majesty on the Silesianmatter! In settling all manner of adjoining and preceding matters, thereis nothing said of Silesia at all. Singular indeed. Treaties enough, from that of Utrecht downward, are wearisomely mentioned here; but ofthe Berlin Treaty, Breslau Treaty, or any Treaty settling Silesia, --muchless, of any Westminster Treaty, guaranteeing it to the King ofPrussia, --there is not the faintest mention! Silesia, then, is notconsidered settled, by the high contracting parties? Little Georgehimself, who guaranteed it, in the hour of need, little more than a yearago, considers it fallen loose again in the new whirl of contingencies?'Patience, Madam: what was good to give is good to take!' On whatprecise day or month Friedrich got notice of this expressive silence inthe Treaty of Worms, we do not know; but from that day--!"

Friedrich recollects another thing, one of many others: that of those"ulterior mountains, " which Austria had bargained for as Boundary toSchlesien. Wild bare mountains; good for what? For invading Schlesienfrom the Austrian side; if for nothing else conceivable! The smallriddle reads itself to him so, with a painful flash of light. [_OEuvresde Frederic, _ iii. 34. ] Looking intensely into this matter, and puttingthings together, Friedrich gets more and more the alarming assurance ofthe fate intended him; and that he will verily have to draw sword again, and fight for Silesia, and as if for life. From about the end of 1743(as I strive to compute), there was in Friedrich himself no doubtleft of it; though his Ministers, when he consulted them a good whileafterwards, were quite incredulous, and spent all their strength indissuading a new War; now when the only question was, How to do saidWar? "How to do it, to make ready for doing it? We must silently selectthe ways, the methods: silent, wary, --then at last swift; and the morelike a lion-spring, like a bolt from the blue, it will be the better!"That is Friedrich's fixed thought. 

The Problem was complicated, almost beyond example. The Reich, witha Kaiser reduced to such a pass, has its potentialities of help or ofhindrance, --its thousand-fold formulas, inane mostly, yet not inanewholly, which interlace this matter everywhere, as with real threads, and with gossamer or apparent threads, --which it is essential to attendto. Wise head, that could discriminate the dead Formulas of such animbroglio, from the not-dead; and plant himself upon the Living Factsthat do lie in the centre there! "We cannot have a Reichs Mediation-Army, then? Nor a Swabian-Franconian Army, to defend their own frontier?"No; it is evident, none. "And there is no Union of Princes possible; noParty, anywhere, that will rise to support the Kaiser whom all Germanyelected; whom Austria and foreign England have insulted, ruined andofficially designated as non-extant?" Well, not quite No, none; YESperhaps, in some small degree, --if Prussia will step out, with drawnsword, and give signal. The Reich has its potentialities, its formulasnot quite dead; but is a sad imbroglio. 

Definite facts again are mainly twofold, and of a much more centralnature. Fact FIRST: A France which sees itself lamentably trodden intothe mud by such disappointments and disgraces; which, on proposingpeace, has met insult and invasion;--France will be under the necessityof getting to its feet, and striking for itself; and indeed is visiblyrising into something of determination to do it:--there, if Prussia andthe Kaiser are to be helped at all, there lies the one real help. FactSECOND: Friedrich's feelings for the poor Kaiser and the poor insultedReich, of which Friedrich is a member. Feelings, these, which are not"feigned" (as the English say), but real, and even indignant; andabout these he can speak and plead freely. For himself and his Silesia, THROUGH the Kaiser, Friedrich's feelings are pungently real;--and theyare withal completely adjunct to the other set of feelings, and gowholly to intensifying of them; the evident truth being, That neither henor his Silesia would be in danger, were the Kaiser safe. 

Friedrich's abstruse diplomacies, and delicate motions and handlingswith the Reich, that is to say, with the Kaiser and the Kaiser's fewfriends in the Reich, and then again with the French, --which lasted foreight or nine months before closure (October, 1743 to June, 1744), --areconsidered to have been a fine piece of steering in difficult waters;but would only weary the reader, who is impatient for results andarrivals. Ingenious Herr Professor Ranke, --whose HISTORY OF FRIEDRICHconsists mainly of such matter excellently done, and offers mankind awondrously distilled "ASTRAL SPIRIT, " or ghost-like fac-simile (elegantgray ghost, with stars dim-twinkling through), of Friedrich's and otherpeople's Diplomatizings in this World, --will satisfy the strongestdiplomatic appetite; and to him we refer such as are given that way. [Ranke, _Neun Bucher Preussischer Geschichte, _ iii. 74-137. ]' "Franceand oneself, as SUBSTANCE of help; but, for many reasons, give itcarefully a legal German FORM or coat:" that is Friedrich's method asto finding help. And he diligently prosecutes it;--and, what is stillluckier, strives to be himself at all points ready, and capable of doingwith a minimum of help from others. 

Before the Year 1743 was out, Friedrich had got into serious DiplomaticColloquy with France; suggesting, urging, proposing, hypotheticallypromising. "February 21st, 1744, " he secretly despatched Rothenburg toParis; who, in a shining manner, consults not only with the Amelots, Belleisles, but with the Chateauroux herself (who always likedFriedrich), and with Louis XV. In person: and triumphantly bringsmatters to a bearing. Ready here, on the French side; so soon as yourReich Interests are made the most of; so soon as your Patriotic "Unionof Reich's Princes" is ready! In March, 1744, the Reich side of theAffair was likewise getting well forward ("we keep it mostly secret fromthe poor Kaiser, who is apt to blab"):--and on May 22d, 1744, Friedrich, with the Kaiser and Two other well-affected Parties (only two as yet, but we hope for more, and invite all and sundry), sign solemnlytheir "UNION OF FRANKFURT;" famous little Fourfold outcome of so muchdiplomatizing. [Ranke, ubi supra (Treaty is in Adelung, iv. 103-105). ]For the well-affected Parties, besides Friedrich, and the Kaiserhimself, were as yet Two only: Landgraf Wilhelm of Hessen-Cassel, disgusted with the late Carteret astucities at Hanau, he is one (andhires, by and by, his poor 6, 000 Hessians to the French and Kaiser, instead of to the English; which is all the help HE can give); LandgrafWilhelm, and for sole second to him the new Kur-Pfalz, who also has mento hire. New Kur-Pfalz: our poor OLD friend is dead; but here is anew one, Karl Philip Theodor by name, of whom we shall hear again longafterwards; who was wedded (in the Frankfurt-Coronation time, as readersmight have noted) to a Grand-daughter of the old, and who is, like theold, a Hereditary Cousin of the Kaiser's, and already helps him all hecan. 

Only these Two as yet, though the whole Reich is invited to join; these, along with Friedrich and the Kaiser himself, do now, in their generalPatriotic "Union, " which as yet consists only of Four, covenant, in SixArticles, To, --in brief, to support Teutschland's oppressed Kaiser inhis just rights and dignities; and to do, with the House of Austria, "all imaginable good offices" (not the least whisper of fighting)towards inducing said high House to restore to the Kaiser hisReichs-Archives, his Hereditary Countries, his necessary ImperialFurnishings, called for by every law human and divine:--in whichendeavor, or innocently otherwise, if any of the contracting partiesbe attacked, the others will guarantee him, and strenuously help. "Allimaginable good offices;" nothing about fighting anywhere, --still lessis there the least mention of France; total silence on that head, byFriedrich's express desire. But in a Secret Article (to which France, you may be sure, will accede), it is intimated, "That the way of goodoffices having some unlikelihoods, it MAY become necessary to take arms. In which tragic case, they will, besides Hereditary Baiern (which isINalienable, fixed as the rocks, by Reichs-Law), endeavor to conquer, to reconquer for the Kaiser, his Kingdom of Bohmen withal, as a properOutfit for Teutschland's Chief: and that, if so, his Prussian Majesty(who will have to do said conquest) shall, in addition to his Schlesien, have from it the Circles of Konigsgratz, Bunzlau and Leitmeritz for histrouble. " This is the Treaty of Union, Secret-Article and all; done atFrankfurt-on-Mayn, 22d May, 1744. 

Done then and there; but no part of it made public, till Augustfollowing, ["22d August 1744, by the Kaiser" (Adelung, iv. 154. )] (whenthe upshot had come); and the Secret Bohemian Article NOT then madepublic, nor ever afterwards, --much the contrary; though it was trueenough, but inconvenient to confess, especially as it came to nothing. "A hypothetical thing, that, " says Friedrich carelessly; "wages moderateenough, and proper to be settled beforehand, though the work was neverdone. " To reach down quite over the Mountains, and have the Elbe forSilesian Frontier: this, as an occasional vague thought, or day-dreamin high moments, was probably not new to Friedrich; and would have beenvery welcome to him, --had it proved realizable, which it did not. Thatthis was "Friedrich's real end in going to War again, " was at one timethe opinion loudly current in England and other uninformed quarters;"but it is not now credible to anybody, " says Herr Ranke; nor indeedworth talking of, except as a memento of the angry eclipses, andtemporary dust-clouds, which rise between Nations, in an irritateduninformed condition. 

Rapidly progressive in the rear of all this, which was its legalizingGerman COAT, the French Treaty, which was the interior SUBSTANCE, ormuscular tissue, perfected itself under Rothenburg; and was signed June5th, 1774 (anniversary, by accident, of that First Treaty of all, "June 5th, 1741");--sanctioning, by France, that Bohemian Adventure, ifneedful; minutely setting forth How, and under what contingencies, whatefforts made and what successes arrived at, on the part of France, hisPrussian Majesty shall take the field; and try Austria, not "with allimaginable good offices" longer, but with harder medicine. Of whichTreaty we shall only say farther, commiserating our poor readers, ThatFriedrich considerably MORE than kept his side of it; and France veryconsiderably LESS than hers. So that, had not there been punctualpreparation at all points, and good self-help in Friedrich, Friedrichhad come out of this new Adventure worse than he did!

Long months ago, the French--as preliminary and rigorous SINE QUA NON tothese Friedrich Negotiations--had actually started work, by "declaringWar on Austria, and declaring War on England:"--Not yet at War, then, after so much killing? Oh no, reader; mere "Allies" of Belligerents, hitherto. These "Declarations" the French had made; [War on England, 15th March, 1744; on Austria, 27th April (Adelung, iv. 78, 90). ] and theFrench were really pushing forward, in an attitude of indignantenergy, to execute the same. As shall be noticed by and by. Andthrough Rothenburg, through Schmettau, by many channels, Friedrich isassiduously in communication with them; encouraging, advising, urging;their affairs being in a sort his, ever since the signing of thosemutual Engagements, May 22d, June 5th. And now enough of that hypotheticDiplomatic stuff. 

War lies ahead, inevitable to Friedrich. He has gradually increased hisArmy by 18, 000; inspection more minute and diligent than ever, has beenquietly customary of late; Walrave's fortification works, impregnable ornearly so, the work at Neisse most of all, Friedrich had resolved to SEEcompleted, --before that French Treaty were signed. A cautious young man, though a rapid; vividly awake on all sides. And so the French-Austrian, French-English game shall go on; the big bowls bounding and rolling(with velocities, on courses, partly computable to a quick eye);--and atthe right instant, and juncture of hits, not till that nor after that, aquick hand shall bowl in; with effect, as he ventures to hope. Heknows well, it is a terrible game. But it is a necessary one, not tobe despaired of; it is to be waited for with closed lips, and played toone's utmost!--

Chapter VIII. --PERFECT PEACE AT BERLIN, WAR ALL ROUND. 

Friedrich, with the Spectre of inevitable War daily advancing on him, tohim privately evident and certain if as yet to him only, neglects in nosort the Arts and business of Peace, but is present, always with vividactivity, in the common movement, serious or gay and festive, as the daybrings it. During these Winter months of 1743, and still more throughSummer 1744, there are important War-movements going on, --the Frenchvehemently active again, the Austrians nothing behindhand, --which willrequire some slight notice from us soon. But in Berlin, alongside ofall this, it is mere common business, diligent as ever, alternating withCarnival gayeties, with marryings, givings in marriage; in Berlin theregoes on, under halcyon weather, the peaceable tide of things, sometimesin a high fashion, as if Berlin and its King had no concern with theforeign War. 

The Plauen Canal, an important navigation-work, canal of some thirtymiles, joining Havel to Elbe in a convenient manner, or even joiningOder to Elbe, is at its busiest:--"it was begun June 1st, 1743 [allhands diligently digging there, June 27th, while some others of us wereemployed at Dettingen, --think of it!], and was finished June 5th, 1745. "[Busching, _Erdbeschreibung, _ vi. 2192. ] This is one of several suchworks now afoot. Take another miscellaneous item or two. 

January, 1744, Friedrich appoints, and briefly informs all his People ofit, That any Prussian subject who thinks himself aggrieved, may come andtell his story to the King's own self: ["January, 1744" (Rodenbeck, i. 98). ]--better have his story in firm succinct state, I should imagine, and such that it will hold water, in telling it to the King! But theKing is ready to hear him; heartily eager to get justice done him. Asuitable boon, such Permission, till Law-Reform take effect. And afterLaw-Reform had finished, it was a thing found suitable; and continued tothe end, --curious to a British reader to consider!

Again: on Friedrich's birthday, 24th January, 1744, the new Academyof Sciences had, in the Schloss of Berlin, its first Session. But ofthis, --in the absence of Maupertuis, Flattener of the Earth, who isstill in France, since that Mollwitz adventure; by and for behoof ofwhom, when he did return, and become "Perpetual First President, " manychanges were made, --I will not speak at present. Nor indeed afterwards, except on good chance rising;--the new Academy, with its Perpetual FirstPresident, being nothing like so sublime an object now, to readers andme, as it then was to itself and Perpetual President and Royal Patron!Vapid Formey is Perpetual Secretary; more power to him, as the Irishsay. Poor Goldstick Pollnitz is an Honorary Member;--absent at this timein Baireuth, where those giggling Marwitzes of Wilhelmina's have beencontriving a marriage for the old fool. Of which another word soon: ifwe have time. Time cannot be spent on those dim small objects: but thereare two Marriages of a high order, of purport somewhat Historical; thereis Barberina the Dancer, throwing a flash through the Operatic and someother provinces: let us restrict ourselves to these, and the like ofthese, and be brief upon them. 

THE SUCCESSION IN RUSSIA, AND ALSO IN SWEDEN, SHALL NOT BE HOSTILE TOUS: TWO ROYAL MARRIAGES, A RUSSIAN AND A SWEDISH, ARE ACCOMPLISHED ATBERLIN, WITH SUCH VIEW. 

Marriage First, of an eminently Historical nature, is altogetherRussian, or German become Russian, though Friedrich is much concerned init. We heard of the mad Swedish-Russian War; and how Czarina Elizabethwas kind enough to choose a Successor to the old childless SwedishKing, --Landgraf of Hessen-Cassel by nature; who has had a sorry time inSweden, but kept merry and did not mind it much, poor old soul. CzarinaElizabeth's one care was, That the Prince of Denmark should not bechosen to succeed, as there was talk of his being: Sweden, Denmark, Norway, all grasped in one firm hand (as in the old "Union-of-Calmar"times, only with better management), might be dangerous to Russia. "Don't choose him of Denmark!" said Elizabeth, the victorious Czarina;and made it a condition of granting Peace, and mostly restoring Finland, to the infatuated Swedes. The person they did choose, --satisfactoryto the Czarina, and who ultimately did become King of Sweden, --wasone Adolf Friedrich; a Holstein-Gottorp Prince, come of Royal kin, andcousinry to Karl XII. : he is "Bishop of Lubeck" or of Eutin, so styled;now in his thirty-third year; and at least drawing the revenues of thatSee, though I think, not ecclesiastically given, but living oftener inHamburg, the then fashionable resort of those Northern Grandees. On thewhole, a likely young gentleman; accepted by parties concerned;--andsurely good enough for the Office as it now is. Of whom, for a reasoncoming, let readers take note, in this place. 

Above a year before this time, Czarina Elizabeth, a provident female, and determined not to wed, had pitched upon her own Successor: [7thNovember, 1742 (Michaelis, ii. 627). ] one Karl Peter Ulrich; who wasalso of the same Holstein-Gottorp set, though with Russian blood in him. His Grandfather was full cousin, and chosen comrade, to Karl XII. ; gotkilled in Karl's Russian Wars; and left a poor Son dependent on RussianPeter the Great, --who gave him one of his Daughters; whence this KarlPeter Ulrich, an orphan, dear to his Aunt the Czarina. A Karl PeterUlrich, who became tragically famous as Czar Peter Federowitz, or CzarPeter III. , in the course of twenty years! His Father and Motherare both dead; loving Aunt has snatched the poor boy out ofHolstein-Gottorp, which is a narrow sphere, into Russia, which is wideenough; she has had him converted to the Greek Church, named him PeterFederowitz, Heir and Successor;--and now, wishing to see him married, has earnestly consulted Friedrich upon it. 

Friedrich is decidedly interested; would grudge much to see anAnti-Prussian Princess, for instance a Saxon Princess (one of whom issaid to Be trying), put into this important station! After a littlethought, he fixes, --does the reader know upon whom? Readers perhaps, here and there, have some recollection of a Prussian General, whois Titular Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst on his own score; and is actualCommandant of Stettin in Friedrich's service, and has done a great dealof good fortification there and other good work. Instead of Titular, he has now lately, by decease of an Elder Brother, become Actual orSemi-Actual (a Brother joined with him in the poor Heirship); livesoccasionally in the Schloss of Zerbst; but is glad to retain Stettin asa solid supplement. His Wife, let the reader note farther, is Sisterto the above-mentioned Adolf Friedrich, "Bishop of Lubeck, " nowHeir-Apparent to Sweden, --in whom, as will soon appear, we are otherwiseinterested. Wife seems to me an airy flighty kind of lady, high-paced, not too sure-paced, --weak evidently in French grammar, and perhaps inhuman sense withal:--but they have a Daughter, Sophie-Frederike, nownear fifteen, and very forward for her age; comely to look upon, wise tolisten to: "Is not she the suitable one?" thinks Friedrich, in regard tothis matter. "Her kindred is of the oldest, old as Albert the Bear;she has been frugally brought up, Spartan-like, though as a Princessby birth: let her cease skipping ropes on the ramparts yonder, withher young Stettin playmates; and prepare for being a Czarina of theRussias, " thinks he. And communicates his mind to the Czarina; whoanswers, "Excellent! How did I never think of that myself?"

And so, on or about New-year's day, 1744, while the Commandant ofStettin and his airy Spouse are doing Christmas at their old Schlossof Zerbst, there suddenly come Estafettes; Expresses from Petersburg, heralded by Express from Friedrich:--with the astonishing proposal, "Czarina wishing the honor of a visit from Madam and Daughter; no doubt, with such and such intentions in the rear. " [Friedrich's Letters toMadam of Zerbst (date of the first of them, 30th December, 1743), in_OEuvres, _ xxv. 579-589. ] Madam, nor Daughter, is nothing loath;--theold Commandant grumbles in his beard, not positively forbidding: andin this manner, after a Letter or two in imperfect grammar, Madam andDaughter appear in Carnival society at Berlin, charming objectsboth; but do not stay long; in fact, stay only till their moneys andarrangements are furnished them. Upon which, in all silence, they makefor Petersburg, for Moscow; travel rapidly, arrive successfully, inspite of the grim season. ["At Moscow, 7th (18th) February, 1744. "]Conversion to the Greek Religion, change of name from Sophie-Frederiketo Catherine-Alexiewna ("Let it be Catherine, " said Elizabeth, "my dearmother's name!"--little brown Czarina's, whom we have seen):--all thiswas completed by the 12th of July following. And, in fine, nextyear (September 1st, 1745), Peter Federowitz and this sameCatherine-Alexiewna, second-cousins by blood, were vouchsafed theNuptial Benediction, and, with invocation of the Russian Heavenand Russian Earth, were declared to be one flesh, [Ranke, iii. 129;_Memoires de Catherine II. _ (Catherine's own very curious bitof Autobiography;--published by Mr. Herzen, London, 1859), pp. 7-46. ]--though at last they turned out to be TWO FLESHES, as my readerwell knows! Some eighteen or nineteen years hence, we may look in uponthem again, if there be a moment to spare. This is Marriage first; apurely Russian one; built together and launched on its course, so tosay, by Friedrich at Berlin, who had his own interest in it. 

Marriage Second, done at Berlin in the same months, was of still moreinteresting sort to Friedrich and us: that of Princess Ulrique to theabove-named Adolf Friedrich, future King of Sweden. Marriage which wenton preparing itself by the side of the other; and was of twin importancewith it in regard to the Russian Question. The Swedish Marriage was notheard of, except in important whispers, during the Carnival time; but aSwedish Minister had already come to Berlin on it, and was busy first ina silent and examining, then in a speaking and proposing way. It seems, the Czarina herself had suggested the thing, as a counter-politenessto Friedrich; so content with him at this time. A thing welcome toFriedrich. And, in due course ("June, 1744"), there comes expressSwedish Embassy, some Rodenskjold or Tessin, with a very shining trainof Swedes, "To demand Princess Ulrique in marriage for our Future King. "

To which there is assent, by no means denial, in the proper quarter. Whereupon, after the wide-spread necessary fuglings and preliminaries, there occurs (all by Procuration, Brother August Wilhelm doing theBridegroom's part), "July 17th, 1744, " the Marriage itself: all done, this last act, and the foregoing ones and the following, with a grandeurand a splendor--unspeakable, we may say, in short. [_Helden-Geschichte, _ii. 1045-1051. ] Fantastic Bielfeld taxes his poor rouged Muse to theutmost, on this occasion; and becomes positively wearisome, chantingthe upholsteries of life;--foolish fellow, spoiling his bits of factswithal, by misrecollections, and even by express fictions thrown in asgarnish. So that, beyond the general impression, given in a high-rougedstate, there is nothing to be depended on. One Scene out of his many, which represents to us on those terms the finale, or actual Departureof Princess Ulrique, we shall offer, --with corrections (a few, notALL);--having nothing better or other on the subject:--

"But, in fine, the day of departure did arrive, "--eve of it did: 25thJuly, 1744; hour of starting to be 2 A. M. To-morrow. "The King hadnominated Grand-Marshal Graf van Gotter [same Gotter whom we saw atVienna once: King had appointed Gotter and two others; not to saythat two of the Princess's Brothers, with her Sister the Margravine ofSchwedt, were to accompany as far as Schwedt: six in all; though one'spoor memory fails one on some occasions!]--to escort the Princess toStralsund, where two Swedish Senators and different high Lords andLadies awaited her. Her Majesty the Queen-Mother, judging by themovements of her own heart that the moment of separation would producea scene difficult to bear, had ordered an Opera to divert ourchagrin; and, instead of supper, a superb collation EN AMBIGU [kindof supper-breakfast, I suppose], in the great Hall of the Palace. HerMajesty's plan was, The Princess, on coming from the Opera, should, almost on flight, taste a morsel; take her travelling equipment, embraceher kinsfolk, dash into her carriage, and go off like lightning. Herr Graf von Gotter was charged with executing this design, and withhurrying the departure. 

"But all these precautions were vain. The incomparable Ulrique wastoo dear to her Family and to her Country, to be parted with forever, without her meed of tears from them in those cruel instants. On enteringthe Opera-Hall, I noticed everywhere prevalent an air of sorrow, ofsombre melancholy. The Princess appeared in Amazon-dress [riding-habit, say], of rose-color trimmed with silver; the little vest, turned up withgreen-blue (CELADON), and collar of the same; a little bonnet, Englishfashion, of black velvet, with a white plume to it; her hair floating, and tied with a rose-colored ribbon. She was beautiful as Love: but thisdress, so elegant, and so well setting off her charms, only the moresensibly awakened our regrets to lose her; and announced that the hourwas come, in which all this appeared among us for the last time. At thesecond act, young Prince Ferdinand [Youngest Brother, Father of the JENAFerdinand] entered the Royal Box; and flinging himself on the Princess'sneck with a burst of tears, said, 'Ah, my dear Ulrique, it is over, then; and I shall never see you more!' These words were a signal givento the grief which was shut in all hearts, to burst forth with thegreatest vehemence. The Princess replied only with sobs; holding herBrother in her arms. The Two Queens could not restrain their tears; thePrinces and Princesses followed the example: grief is epidemical; itgained directly all the Boxes of the first rank, where the Court andNobility were. Each had his own causes of regret, and each melted intotears. Nobody paid the least attention farther to the Opera; and for myown share, I was glad to see it end. 

"An involuntary movement took me towards the Palace. I entered theKing's Apartments, and found the Royal Family and part of the Courtassembled. Grief had reached its height; everybody had his handkerchiefout; and I witnessed emotions quite otherwise affecting than those thatTheatric Art can produce. The King had composed an Ode on the Princess'sdeparture; bidding her his last adieus in the most tender and touchingmanner. It begins with these words:--

 'Partez, ma Soeur, partez; La Suede vous attend, la Suede vous desire, ' 'Go, my Sister, go;

 Sweden waits you, Sweden wishes you. [Does not now exist (see OEuvres de Frederic, xiv. 88, and ib. PREFACE p. Xv). ]

His Majesty gave it her at the moment when she was about to take leaveof the Two Queens. [No, Monsieur, not then; it came to her hand thesecond evening hence, at Schwedt; [Her own Letter to Friedrich (_OEuvresde Frederic, _ xxvii. 372; "Schwedt, 28th July, 1744"). ] most likely notyet written at the time you fabulously give;--you foolish fantast, and"artist" of the SHAM-kind!]--The Princess threw her eyes on it, and fellinto a faint [No, you Sham, not for IT]: the King had almost done thelike. His tears flowed abundantly. The Princes and Princesses wereovercome with sorrow. At last, Gotter judged it time to put an end tothis tragic scene. He entered the Hall, almost like Boreas in theBallet of THE ROSE; that is to say, with a crash. He made one or twowhirlwinds; clove the press, and snatched away the Princess from thearms of the Queen-Mother, took her in his own, and whisked her out ofthe Hall. All the world followed; the carriages were waiting in thecourt; and the Princess in a moment found herself in hers. I was in sucha state, I know not how we got down stairs; I remember only that it wasin a concert of lamentable sobbings. Madam the Margrafin von Schwedt, who had been named to attend the Princess to Stralsund [read Schwedt] onthe Swedish frontier, this high Lady and the two Dames d'Atours who werefor Sweden itself, having sprung into the same carriage, the door ofit was shut with a slam; the postillions cracked, the carriage shotaway, --and hid the adorable Ulrique from the eyes of King and Court, who remained motionless for some minutes, overcome by their feelings. "[Bielfeld, ii. 107-110. ]

We said this Marriage was like the other, important for Public Affairs. In fact, security on the Russian and Swedish side is always an objectwith Friedrich when undertaking war. "That the French bring about, helpme to bring about, a Triple Alliance of Prussia, Russia, Sweden:" thiswas a thing Friedrich had bargained to see done, before joining in theWar ahead: but by these Two Espousals Friedrich hopes he has himself asgood as done it. Of poor Princess Ulrique and her glorious receptionin Sweden (after near miss of shipwreck, in the Swedish Frigate fromStralsund), we shall say nothing more at present: except that herglories, all along, were much dashed by chagrins, and dangerousimminencies of shipwreck, --which latter did not quite overtake HER, but did her sons and grandsons, being inevitable or nearly so, in thatelement, in the course of time. 

Sister Amelia, whom some thought disappointed, as perhaps, in herfoolish thought, she might a little be, was made Abbess of Quedlinburg, which opulent benefice had fallen vacant; and, there or at Berlin, liveda respectable Spinster-life, doubtless on easier terms than Ulrique's. Always much loved by her Brother, and loving him (and "taking care ofhis shirts, " in the final times); noted in society, for her sharp tongueand ways. Concerning whom Thiebault and his Trenck romances are worthno notice, --if it be not with horsewhips on opportunity. SCANDALUMMAGNATUM, where your Magnates are NOT fallen quite counterfeit, was andis always (though few now reflect on it) a most punishable crime. 

GLANCE AT THE BELLIGERENT POWERS; BRITANNIC MAJESTY NARROWLY MISSES ANINVASION THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN DANGEROUS

Princess Ulrique was hardly yet home in Sweden, when her Brother hadactually gone forth upon the Wars again! So different is outside frominterior, now and then. "While the dancing and the marriage-festivitieswent on at Court, we, in private, were busily completing thepreparations for a Campaign, " dreamed of by no mortal, "which was on thepoint of being opened. " [_OEuvres de Frederic, _ iii. 41. ] July 2d, threeweeks before Princess Ulrique left, a certain Adventure of PrinceKarl's in the Rhine Countries had accomplished itself (of which in thefollowing Book); and Friedrich could discern clearly that the momentdrew rapidly nigh. 

On the French side of the War, there has been visible--since those highattempts of Britannic George and the Hungarian Majesty, contumeliouslyspurning the Peace offered them, and grasping evidently at one'sLorraines, Alsaces, and Three Bishoprics--a marked change; comfortableto look at from Friedrich's side. Most Christian Majesty, from thesad bent attitude of insulted repentance, has started up into theperpendicular one of indignation: "Come on, then!"--and really makesefforts, this Year, quite beyond expectation. "Oriflamme enterprises, private intentions of cutting Germany in Four; well, have not I smartedfor them; as good as owned they were rather mad? But to have my apologyspit upon; but to be myself publicly cut in pieces for them?"

March 15th, 1744, Most Christian Majesty did, as we saw, duly declare Waragainst England; against Austria, April 26th: "England, " he says, "brokeits Convention of Neutrality (signed 27th September, 1741); broke saidConvention [as was very natural, no term being set] directly afterMaillebois was gone; England, by its Mediterranean Admirals and thelike, has, to a degree beyond enduring, insulted the French coasts, harbors and royal Navy: We declare War on England. " And then, six weekshence, in regard to Austria: "Austria, refusing to make Peace witha virtuous Kaiser, whom we, for the sake of peace, had magnanimouslyhelped, and then magnanimously ceased to help;--Austria refuses peacewith him or us; on the contrary, Austria attempts, and has attempted, to invade France itself: We therefore, on and from this 26th of April, 1744, let the world note it, are at War with Austria. " [In _Adelung, _iv. 78, 90, the two Manifestoes given. ] Both these promises to Friedrichare punctually performed. 

Nor, what is far more important, have the necessary preparationsbeen neglected; but are on a quite unheard-of scale. Such taxing andfinanciering there has been, last Winter:--tax on your street-lamp, onyour fire-wood, increased excise on meat and eatables of all kinds: Bepatient, ye poor; consider GLOIRE, and an ORIFLAMME so trampled on bythe Austrian Heathen! Eatables, street-lamps, do I say? There is 36, 000pounds, raised by a tax on--well, on GARDEROBES (not translated)!A small help, but a help: NON OLET, NON OLEAT. To what depths hasOriflamme come down!--The result is, this Spring of 1744, indignantFrance does, by land, and even by sea, make an appearance calculatedto astonish Gazetteers and men. Land-forces 160, 000 actually on foot:80, 000 (grows at last into 100, 000, for a little while) as "Army of theNetherlands, "--to prick into Austria, and astonish England and the DutchBarrier, in that quarter. Of the rest, 20, 000 under Conti are forItaly; 60, 000 (by degrees 40, 000) under Coigny for defence of the RhineCountries, should Prince Karl, as is surmisable, make new attemptsthere. [Adelung, iv. 78; Espagnac, ii. 3. ]

And besides all this, there are Two strong Fleets, got actuallylaunched, not yet into the deep sea, but ready for it: one in ToulonHarbor, to avenge those Mediterranean insults; and burst out, in concertwith an impatient Spanish Fleet (which has lain blockaded here for ayear past), on the insolent blockading English: which was in some sortdone. ["19th February, 1744, " French and Spanish Fleets run out; 22dFeb. Are attacked by Matthews and Lestock; are rather beaten, not beatennearly enough (Matthews and Lestock blaming one another, Spaniards andFrench ditto, ditto: Adelung, iv. 32-35); with the endless janglings, correspondings, court-martialings that ensue (Beatson, _Naval andMilitary Memoirs, _ i. 197 et seqq. ; _Gentleman's Magazine, _ and OldNewspapers, for 1744; &c. &c. ). ] The other strong Fleet, twenty sail ofthe line, under Admiral Roquefeuille, is in Brest Harbor, --intended fora still more delicate operation; of which anon. Surely King Friedrichought to admit that these are fine symptoms? King Friedrich has freelydone so, all along; intending to strike in at the right moment. Let ussee, a little, how things have gone; and how the right moment has beenadvancing in late months. 

JANUARY 17th, 1744, There landed at Antibes on French soil a younggentleman, by name "Conte di Spinelli, " direct from Genoa, from Rome;young gentleman seemingly of small importance, but intrinsicallyof considerable; who hastened off for Paris, and there disappeared. Disappeared into subterranean consultations with the highest Officialpeople; intending reappearance with emphasis at Dunkirk, a few weekshence, in much more emphatic posture. And all through February thereis observable a brisk diligence of War-preparation, at Dunkirk:transport-ships in quantity, finally four war-ships; 15, 000 chosentroops, gradually marching in; nearly all on board, with theirequipments, by the end of the month. 

Clearly an Invading Army intended somewhither, England judges too wellwhither. Anti-English Armament; to be led by, whom thinks the reader?That same "Conte di Spinelli, " who is Charles Edward the YoungPretender, --Comte de Saxe commanding under him! This is no fable; it isa fact, somewhat formidable; brought about, they say, by one CardinalTencin, an Official Person of celebrity in the then Versailles world;who owes his red hat (whatever such debt really be) to old Jacobiteinfluence, exerted for him at Rome; and takes this method of payinghis debt and his court at once. Gets, namely, his proposal, of aCharles-Edward Invasion of England, to dovetail in with the other wideartilleries now bent on little George in the way we see. Had not littleGeorge better have stayed at home out of these Pragmatic Wars? Fifteenthousand, aided by the native Jacobite hosts, under command of Saxe, --aSaxe against a Wade is fearful odds, --may make some figure in England!We hope always they will not be able to land. Imagination may conceivethe flurry, if not of Britannic mankind, at least of Britannic Majestyand his Official People, and what a stir and din they made:--of whichthis is the compressed upshot. 

"SATURDAY, 1st MARCH, 1744. For nearly a week past, there has been seenhanging about in the Channel, and dangerously hovering to and fro [hadentered by the Land's-End, was first noticed on Sunday last "nigh theEddistone"] a considerable French Fleet, sixteen great ships; with fouror five more, probably belonging to it, which now lie off Dunkirk: theintention of which is too well known in high quarters. This is the grandBrest Fleet, Admiral Roquefeuille's; which believes it can command theChannel, in present circumstances, the English Channel-Fleets being ina disjoined condition, --till Comte de Saxe, with his Charles-Edwardand 15, 000, do ship themselves across! Great alarm in consequence; ourWar-forces, 40, 000 of them, all in Germany; not the least preparationto receive an Invasive Armament. Comte de Saxe is veritably at Dunkirk, since Saturday, March 1st: busy shipping his 15, 000; equipmentsmostly shipped, and about 10, 000 of the men: all is activity there;Roquefeuille hanging about Dungeness, with four of his twenty greatships detached for more immediate protection of Saxe and those Dunkirkindustries. To meet which, old Admiral Norris, off and on towards theNore and the Forelands, has been doing his best to rally force abouthim; hopes he will now be match for Roquefeuille:--but if he should not?

"THURSDAY, 6th MARCH. Afternoon of March 5th, old Admiral Norris, hopinghe was at length in something like equality, 'tided it round theSouth Foreland;' saw Roquefeuille hanging, in full tale, within fewmiles;--and at once plunged into him? No, reader; not at once, norindeed at all. A great sea-fight was expected; but our old Norristhought it late in the day;--and, in effect, no fight proved needful. Daylight was not yet sunk, when there rose from the north-eastward aheavy gale; blew all night, and by six next morning was a raging storm;had blown Roquefeuille quite away out of those waters (fractions ofhim upon the rocks of Guernsey); had tumbled Comte de Saxe's Transportsbottom uppermost (so to speak), in Dunkirk Roads;--and, in fact, had blown the Enterprise over the horizon, and relieved the OfficialBritannic mind in the usual miraculous manner. 

"M. Le Comte de Saxe--who had, by superhuman activity, saved nearlyall his men, in that hideous topsy-turvy of the Transports andmunitions--returned straightway, and much more M. Le Comte de Spinelliwith him, to Paris. Comte de Saxe was directly thereupon made Marechalde France; appointed to be Colleague of Noailles in the ensuingNetherlands Campaign. 'Comte de Spinelli went to lodge with hisUncle, the Cardinal Grand-Almoner Fitz-James' [a zealous gentleman, of influence with the Holy Father], and there in privacy to wait otherchances that might rise. 'The 1, 500 silver medals, that had been struckfor distribution in Great Britain, ' fell, for this time, into themelting-pot again. [Tindal, xxi. 22 (mostly a puddle of inaccuracies, as usual); Espagnac, i. 213; _ Gentleman's Magazine, _ xiv. 106, &c. ;Barbier, ii. 382, 385, 388. ]

"Great stir, in British Parliament and Public, there had latterly beenon this matter: Arrestment of suspected persons, banishment of allCatholics ten miles from London; likewise registering of horses (togallop with cannon whither wanted); likewise improvising of cavalryregiments by persons of condition, 'Set our plush people on ourcoach-horses; there!' [Yes, THERE will be a Cavalry, --inferior toGeneral Ziethen's!]; and were actually drilling them in several places, when that fortunate blast of storm (March 6th) blew everything toquiet again. Field-marshal Earl of Stair, in regard to the Scottishpopulations, had shown a noble magnanimity; which was recognized: and aGeneral Sir John Cope rode off, post-haste, to take the chief commandin that Country;--where, in about eighteen months hence, he made avery shining thing of it!"--Take this other Cutting from the OldNewspapers:--

"FRIDAY, 31st (20th) MARCH, 1744, A general press began for recruitinghis Majesty's regiments, and manning the Fleet; when upwards of 1, 000men were secured in the jails of London and Westminster; being allowedsixpence a head per diem, by the Commissioners of the Land-tax, whoexamine them, and send those away that are found fit for his Majesty'sservice. The same method was taken in each County. " Press ceases;enough being got, --press no more till farther order: 5th (16th) June. [_Gentleman's Magazine_ for 1744, pp. 226, 333. ]

Britannic Majesty shaken by such omens, does not in person visit Germanyat all this Year; nor, by his Deputies, at all shine on the fields ofWar as lately. He, his English and he, did indeed come down with theircash in a prompt and manful manner, but showed little other activitythis year. Their troops were already in the Netherlands, since Winterlast; led now by a Field-marshal Wade, of whom one has heard; to whomjoined themselves certain Austrians, under Duc d'Ahremberg, and certainDutch, under some other man in cocked-hat: the whole of whom, underMarshal Wade's chief guidance, did as good as nothing whatever. "Inferior in force!" cried Marshal Wade; an indolent incompetent oldgentleman, frightful to see in command of troops: "inferior in force!"cried he, which was not at first quite the case. And when, by additionsto himself, and deductions (of a most unexpected nature) from his Enemy, he had become nearly double in force, it was all the same: Marshal Wade(against whom indeed was Marechal de Saxe, now in sole command, as weshall see) took shelter in safe places, witnessing therefrom the swiftdestruction of the Netherlands, and would attempt nothing. Which indeedwas perhaps prudent on the Marshal's part. Much money was spent, and menenough did puddle themselves to death on the clay roads, or bivouackingin the safe swamps; but not the least stroke of battle was got out ofthem under this old Marshal. Had perhaps "a divided command, thoughnominal Chief, " poor old gentleman;--yes, and a head that understoodnothing of his business withal. One of those same astonishing "Generals"of the English, now becoming known in Natural History; the like of whom, till within these hundred and fifty years, were not heard of among saneNations. Saxe VERSUS Wade is fearful odds. To judge by the way Saxehas of handling Wade, may not we thank Heaven that it was not HEREin England the trial came on! Lift up both your hands, and bless--notGeneral Wade, quite yet. 

THE YOUNG DUKE OF WURTEMBERG GETS A VALEDICTORY ADVICE; AND POLLNITZ ADITTO TESTIMONIAL (February 6th; April 1st, 1744). 

February 7th, 1744, Karl Eugen, the young Duke of Wurtemberg, --Friedrichhaving got, from the Kaiser, due Dispensation (VENIA AETATIS) forthe young gentleman, and had him declared Duke Regnant, though onlysixteen, --quitted Berlin with great pomp, for his own Country, on thaterrand. Friedrich had hoped hereby to settle the Wurtemberg matters ona good footing, and be sure of a friend in Wurtemberg to the Kaiser andhimself. Which hope, like everybody's hopes about this young gentleman, was entirely disappointed; said young gentleman having got intoperverse, haughty, sulky, ill-conditioned ways, and made a bad Life andReign of it, --better to lie mostly hidden from us henceforth, at leastfor many years to come. The excellent Parting Letter which Friedrichgave him got abroad into the world; was christened the MIRROR OFPRINCES, and greatly admired by mankind. It is indeed an almostfaultless Piece of its kind; comprising, in a flowing yet precise way, with admirable frankness, sincerity, sagacity, succinctness, a WholeDuty of Regnant Man; [In _OEuvres de Frederic, _ ix. 4-7. ]--but I fear itwould only weary the reader; perfect ADVICE having become so plentifulin our Epoch, with little but "pavement" to a certain Locality theconsequence!--There is, of the same months, a TESTIMONIAL TO POLLNITZ, which also got abroad and had its celebrity: this, as specimen ofFriedrich on the comic side, will perhaps be less afflicting; and itwill rid us of Pollnitz, poor soul, on handsome terms. 

Goldstick Pollnitz is at Baireuth in these months; fallen quitedisconsolate since we last heard of him. His fine marriage wentawry, --rich lady, very wisely, drawing back;--and the foolish oldcreature has decided on REchanging his religion; which he has changedalready thrice or so, in his vagabond straits; for the purpose of"retiring to a convent" this time. Friedrich, in candid brief manner, rough but wise, and not without some kindness for an old dog one isused to, has answered, "Nonsense; that will never do!" But Pollnitzpersisting; formally demanding leave to demit, and lay down thegoldstick, with that view, --Friedrich does at length send himCertificate of Leave; "which is drawn out with all the forms, and wasdespatched through Eichel to the proper Board;" but which bearsdate APRIL FIRST, and though officially valid, is of quizzicalnature:---perhaps already known to some readers; having got into theNewspapers, and widely abroad, at a subsequent time. As authentic sampleof Friedrich in that kind, here it accurately is, with only one or twoslight abridgments, which are indicated:--

"Whereas the Baron de Pollnitz, born at Berlin [at Koln, if it made anymatter], of honest parents so far as We know, --after having servedOur Grandfather as Gentleman of the Chamber, Madam d'Orleans [wickedRegent's Mother, a famed German Lady] in the same rank, the King ofSpain in quality of Colonel, the deceased Kaiser in that of Captain ofHorse, the Pope as Chamberlain, the Duke of Brunswick as Chamberlain, Duke of Weimar as Ensign, our Father as Chamberlain, and, in fine, Us asGrand Master of the Ceremonies, "--has, in spite of such accumulationof honors, become disgusted with the world; and requests a PartingTestimony, to support his good reputation, --

"We, remembering his important services to the House, in diverting fornine years long the late King our Father, and doing the honors of ourCourt during the now Reign, cannot refuse such request; but do herebycertify, That the said Baron has never assassinated, robbed on thehighway, poisoned, forcibly cut purses, or done other atrocity or legalcrime at our Court; but has always maintained gentlemanly behavior, making not more than honest use of the industry and talents he hasbeen endowed with at birth; imitating the object of the Drama, thatis, correcting mankind by gentle quizzing; following, in the matterof sobriety, Boerhaave's counsels; pushing Christian charity so far asoften to make the rich understand that it is more blessed to give thanto receive;--possessing perfectly the anecdotes of our various Mansions, especially of our worn-out Furnitures; rendering himself, by his merits, necessary to those who know him; and, with a very bad head, having avery good heart. 

"Our anger the said Baron never kindled but once, "--in atrociouslyviolating the grave of an Ancestress (or Step Ancestress) of ours. [Step-Ancestress was Dorothea, the Great Elector's second Wife; of whomPollnitz, in his _Memoirs and Letters, _ repeats the rumor that once she, perhaps, tried to poison her Stepson Friedrich, First King. (See supra, vol. V. P. 47). ] "But as the loveliest countries have their barrenspots, the beautifulest forms their imperfections, pictures by thegreatest masters their faults, We are willing to cover with the veil ofoblivion those of the said Baron; do hereby grant him, with regret, theCongee he requires;--and abolish his Office altogether, to blot itfrom men's memory, not judging that anybody after the said Baron can beworthy to fill it. " "Done at Potsdam, this 1st of April, 1744. FREDERIC. "[_OEuvres, _ xv. 193. ]

The Office of Grand Master of the Ceremonies was, accordingly, abolishedaltogether. But Pollnitz, left loose in this manner, did not gallopdirect, or go at all, into monkhood, as he had expected; but, in fact, by degrees, crept home to Berlin again; took the subaltern post ofChamberlain; and there, in the old fashion (straitened in finance, making loans, retailing anecdotes, not witty but the cause of wit), woreout life's gray evening; till, about thirty years hence, he died; "diedas he had lived, swindling the very night before his decease, "writes Friedrich; [Letter to Voltaire, 13th August, 1775 (_OEuvres deFrederic, _ xxiii. 344). See Preuss, v. 241 (URKUNDENBUCH), the Lettersof Friedrich to Pollnitz. ] who was always rather kind to the poor olddog, though bantering him a good deal. 

TWO CONQUESTS FOR PRUSSIA, A GASEOUS AND A SOLID: CONQUEST FIRST, BARBERINA THE DANCER. 

Early in May, the Berlin public first saw its Barberina dance, andwrote ecstatic Latin Epigrams about that miracle of nature and art;[Rodenbeck, pp. 111, 190. ]--miracle, alas, not entirely omissible by us. Here is her Story, as the Books give it; slightly mythical, I judge, insome of its non-essential parts; but good enough for the subject:--

Barberina the Dancer had cost Friedrich some trouble; the pains he tookwith her elegant pirouettings and poussettings, and the heavy salary hegave her, are an unexpected item in his history. He wished to favor theArts, yes; but did he reckon Opera-dancing a chief one among them? Hehad indeed built an Opera-House, and gave free admissions, supportingthe cost himself; and among his other governings, governed the dancerand singer troops of that establishment. Took no little trouble abouthis Opera:--yet perhaps he privately knew its place, after all. "Wishedto encourage strangers of opulent condition to visit his Capital, " saythe cunning ones. It may be so; and, at any rate, he probably wished toact the King in such matters, and not grudge a little money. He reallyloved music, even opera music, and knew that his people loved it; tothe rough natural man, all rhythm, even of a Barberina's feet, may bedidactic, beneficial: do not higgle, let us do what is to be done in aliberal style. His agent at Venice--for he has agents everywhere onthe outlook for him--reports that here is a Female Dancer of the firstquality, who has shone in London, Paris and the Capital Cities, andmight answer well, but whose terms will probably be dear. "Engage her, "answers Friedrich. And she is engaged on pretty terms; she will befree in a month or two, and then start. [Zimmermann, _Fragmente uberFriedrich den Grossen_ (Leipzig, 1790), i. 88-92; Collini, ubi infra;Denina; &c. : compare Rodenbeck, p. 191. ]

Well;--but Barberina had, as is usual, subsidiary trades to her dancing:in particular, a young English Gentleman had followed her up and down, says Zimmermann, and was still here in Venice passionately attached toher. Which fact, especially which young English gentleman, should havebeen extremely indifferent to me, but for a circumstance soon to bementioned. The young English gentleman, clear against Barberina'sPrussian scheme, passionately opposes the same, passionately renews hisown offers;--induces Barberina to inform the Prussian agent that sherenounces her engagement in that quarter. Prussian agent answers that itis not renounceable; that he has legal writing on it, and that it mustbe kept. Barberina rises into contumacy, will laugh at all writing andcompulsion. Prussian agent applies to Doge and Senate on the subject, in his King's name; who answer politely, but do nothing: "How happyto oblige so great a King; but--" And so it lasts for certain months;Barberina and the young English gentleman contumacious in Venice, andDoge and Senate merely wishing we may get her. 

Meanwhile a Venetian Ambassador happens to be passing through Berlin, in his way to or from some Hyperborean State; arrives at some hotel, in Berlin;--finds, on the morrow, that his luggage is arrested by RoyalOrder; that he, or at least IT, cannot get farther, neither advancenor return, till Barberina do come. "Impossible, Signor: a bargain isa bargain; and States ought to have law-courts that enforce contractsentered into in their territories. " The Venetian Doge and Senate do nowlay hold of Barberina; pack her into post-chaises, off towards Berlin, under the charge of armed men, with the proper transit-papers, --asit were under the address, "For his Majesty of Prussia, this sideuppermost, "--and thus she actually is conveyed, date or month uncertain, by Innspruck or the Splugen, I cannot say which, over mountain, overvalley, from country to country, and from stage to stage, till shearrives at Berlin; Ambassador with baggage having been let go, so soonas the affair was seen to be safe. 

As for the young English gentleman passionately attached, he followed, it is understood; faithful, constant as shadow to the sun, always astage behind; arrived in Berlin two hours after his Barberina, stillpassionately attached; and now, as the rumor goes, was threateningeven to marry her, and so save the matter. Supremely indifferent tomy readers and me. But here now is the circumstance that makes itmentionable. The young English is properly a young Scotch gentleman;James Mackenzie the name of him, --a grandson of the celebrated Advocate, Sir George Mackenzie; and younger Brother of a personage who, as Earl ofBute, became extremely conspicuous in this Kingdom in after years. Thatmakes it mentionable, --if only in the shape of MYTH. For Friedrich, according to rumor, being still like to lose his Dancer in that manner, warned the young gentleman's friends; and had him peremptorily summonedhome, and the light fantastic toe left free in that respect. Whichprocedure the indignant young gentleman (thinks my Author) neverforgave; continuing a hater of Friedrich all his days; and instillingthe same sentiment into the Earl of Bute at a period which was verycritical, as we shall see. This is my Author's, the often fallaciousthough not mendacious Dr. Zimmermann's, rather deliberate account; aman not given to mendacity, though filled with much vague wind, whichrenders him fallacious in historical points. 

Readers of Walpole's _George the Third_ know enough of this Mackenzie, "Earl's Brother, MACKINSY, " and the sorrowful difficulties about hisScotch law-office or benefice; in which matter "Mackinsy" behavesalways in a high way, and only the Ministerial Outs and Inns higglepedler-like, vigilant of the Liberties of England, as they call them. Inthe end, Mackinsy kept his law-office or got it restored to him;3, 000 pounds a year without excess of work; a man much the gentleman, according to the rule then current: in contemplative rare moments, theman, looking back through the dim posterns of the mind, might see afaroff a certain pirouetting Figure, once far from indifferent, and not yetquite melted into cheerless gray smoke, as so much of the rest is--toMr. Mackinsy and us. I have made, in the Scotch Mackenzie circles, whatinquiry was due; find no evidence, but various likelihoods, that this ofthe Barberina and him is fact, and a piece of his biography. As to theinference deduced from it, in regard to Friedrich and the Earl of Bute, on a critical occasion, --that rests entirely with Zimmermann; andthe candid mind inclines to admit that, probably, it is but rumor andconjecture; street-dust sticking to the Doctor's shoes, and demandingmerely to be well swept out again. Heigho!--

Barberina, though a dancer, did not want for more essential graces. Very sprightly, very pretty and intelligent; not without piquancy andpungency: the King himself has been known to take tea with her in mixedsociety, though nothing more; and with passionate young gentlemen shewas very successful. Not long after her coming to Berlin, she madeconquest of Cocceji, the celebrated Chancellor's Son; who finding noother resource, at length privately married her. Voltaire's Collini, when he came to Berlin, in 1750, recommended by a Signora Sister of theBarberina's, found the Barberina and her Mother dining daily with thisCocceji as their guest: [Collini, _Mon Sejour aupres de Voltaire_ (aParis, 1807), pp. 13-19. ] Signora Barberina privately informed Collinihow the matter was; Signorina still dancing all the same, --thoughshe had money in the English funds withal; and Friedrich had been sogenerous as give her the fixing of her own salary, when she came tohim, this-side-uppermost, in the way we described. She had fixed, toomodestly thinks Collini, on 5, 000 thalers (about 750 pounds) a year;having heart and head as well as heels, poor little soul. Perhaps hernotablest feat in History, after all, was her leading this Collini, asshe now did, into the service of Voltaire, to be Voltaire's Secretary. As will be seen. Whereby we have obtained a loyal little Book, morecredible than most others, about that notable man. 

At a subsequent period, Barberina decided on declaring her marriage withCocceji; she drew her money from the English funds, purchased a finemansion, and went to live with the said Cocceji there, giving up theOpera and public pirouettes. But this did not answer either. Cocceji'sMother scorned irreconcilably the Opera alliance; Friedrich, who did nothimself like it in his Chancellor's Son, promoted the young man tosome higher post in the distant Silesian region. But there, alas, theythemselves quarrelled; divorced one another; and rumor again was busy. "You, Cocceji yourself, are but a schoolmaster's grandson [Barberina, one easily supposes, might have a temper withal]; and it is I, if youwill recollect, that drew money from the English funds!" Barberinamarried again; and to a nobleman of sixteen quarters this time, andwith whom at least there was no divorce. Successful with passionategentlemen; having money from the English funds. Her last name wasGrafinn--I really know not what. Her descendants probably stilllive, with sixteen quarters, in those parts. It was thus she did herlife-journey, waltzing and walking; successfully holding her own againstthe world. History declares itself ashamed of spending so many words onsuch a subject. But the Dancer of Friedrich, and the authoress, primeor proximate, of _Collini's Voltaire, _ claims a passing remembrance. Letus, if we can easily help it, never speak of her more. 

CONQUEST SECOND IS OST-FRIESLAND, OF A SOLID NATURE. 

May 25th, 1744, just while Barberina began her pirouettings at Berlin, poor Karl Edzard, Prince of East Friesland, long a weak malingeringcreature, died, rather suddenly; childless, and the last of his House, which had endured there about 300 years. Our clever Wilhelmina atBaireuth, though readers have forgotten the small circumstance, hadmarried a superfluous Sister-in-law of hers to this Karl Edward;and, they say, it was some fond hope of progeny, suddenly dashed intonothingness, that finished the poor man, that night of May 25th. Inany case, his Territory falls to Prussia, by Reich's Settlement of longstanding (1683-1694); which had been confirmed anew to the late King, Friedrich Wilhelm:--we remember how he returned with it, honest man, from that KLADRUP JOURNEY in 1732, and was sniffed at for bringingnothing better. And in the interim, his royal Hanover Cousins, covetingEast Friesland, had clapt up an ERBVERBRUDERUNG with the poor Princethere (Father, I think, of the one just dead): "A thing ULTRA VIRES, "argued Lawyers; "private, quasi-clandestine; and posterior (in a sense)to Reich's CONCLUSUM, 1694. "

On which ground, however, George II. Now sued Fricdrich at Reich'sLaw, --Friedrich, we need not say, having instantly taken possession ofOst-Friesland. And there ensued arguing enough between them, for yearscoming; very great expenditure of parchment, and of mutual barkingat the moon (done always by proxy, and easy to do); which doubtlessincreased the mutual ill-feeling, but had no other effect. Friedrich, who had been well awake to Ost-Friesland for some time back, and hadgiven his Official people (Cocceji his Minister of Justice, Chancellorby and by, and one or two subordinates) their precise Instructions, laidhold of it, with a maximum of promptitude; thereby quashing a great dealof much more dangerous litigation than Uncle George's. 

"In all Germany, not excepting even Mecklenburg, there had been no moreanarchic spot than Ost-Friesland for the last sixty or seventy years. ACountry with parliamentary-life in extraordinary vivacity (rising indeedto the suicidal or internecine pitch, in two or three directions), andnext to no regent-life at all. A Country that had loved Freedom, notwisely but too well! Ritter Party, Prince's Party, Towns' Party;--alwaystwo or more internecine Parties: 'False Parliament you: traitors!' 'We?False YOU, traitors!'--The Parish Constable, by general consent, kept walking; but for Government there was this of the ParliamentaryEloquences (three at once), and Freedom's battle, fancy it, bequeathedfrom sire to son! 'The late Karl Edzard never once was in Embden, hischief Town, though he lived within a dozen miles of it. '--And then, still more questionable, all these energetic little Parties hadapplied to the Neighboring Governments, and had each its smallForeign Battalion, 'To protect US and our just franchises!'Imperial Reich's-Safeguard Battalion, Dutch Battalion, DanishBattalion, --Prussian, it first of all was (year 1683, Town of Embdeninviting the Great Elector), but it is not so now. The Prussians hadneeded to be quietly swift, on that 25th day of May, 1744. 

"And truly they were so; Cocceji having all things ready; leadingparty-men already secured to him, troops within call, and the like. The Prussians--Embden Town-Councils inviting their astonished DutchBattalion not to be at home--marched quietly into Embden 'next day, ' andtook possession of the guns. Marched to Aurich (official metropolis), Danes and Imperial Safeguard saying nothing; and, in short, withina week had, in their usual exact fashion, got firm hold of chaoticOst-Friesland. And proceeded to manage it, in like sort, --with effectssoon sensible, and steadily continuing. Their Parliamentary-lifeFriedrich left in its full vigor: 'Tax yourselves; what revenue youlike; and see to the outlay of it yourselves. Allow me, as LANDES-HERR, some trifle of overplus: how much, then? Furthermore a few recruits, --orrecruit-money in lieu, if you like better!' And it was astonishing howthe Parliamentary vitality, not shortened of its least franchise, orcoerced in any particular, but merely stroked the right way of thehair, by a gently formidable hand, with good head guiding, sank almoststraightway into dove-life, and never gave Friedrich any trouble, whatever else it might do. The management was good; the opportunityalso was good. 'In one sitting, the Prussian Agent, arbitrating betweenEmbden and the Ritters, settled their controversy, which had lastedfifty years. ' The poor Country felt grateful, which it might well do;as if for the laying of goblins, for the ending of long-continued localtyphoon! Friedrich's first Visit, in 1751, was welcomed with universaljubilation; and poor Ost-Friesland thanked him in still more solid ways, when occasion rose. [Ranke, iii. 370-382. ]

"It is not an important Country:--only about the size of Cheshire; wetlike it, and much inferior to it in cheese, in resources for leatherand live-stock, though it perhaps excels, again, in clover-seeds, rape-seeds, Flanders horses, and the flax products. The 'clear overplus'it yielded to Friedrich, as Sovereign Administrator and Defender, wasonly 3, 200 pounds; for recruit-MONEY, 6, 000 pounds (no recruits inCORPORE); in all, little more than 9, 000 pounds a year. But it had itsuses too. Embden, bigger than Chester, and with a better harbor, wasa place of good trade; and brought Friedrich into contact withsea-matters; in which, as we shall find, he did make some creditableincipiencies, raising expectations in the world; and might havecarried it farther, had not new Wars, far worse than this now at hand, interrupted him. "

Friedrich was at Pyrmont, taking the waters, while this of Frieslandfell out; he had gone thither May 20th; was just arrived there, four days before the death of Karl Edzard. [Rodenbeck, p. 102. ] HisOfficials, well pre-instructed, managed the Ost-Friesland Questionmainly themselves. Friedrich was taking the waters; ostensibly nothingmore. But he was withal, and still more earnestly, consulting with aFrench Excellency (who also had felt a need of the waters), about theFrench Campaign for this Season: Whether Coigny was strong enough in theMiddle-Rhine Countries; how their Grand Army of the Netherlands shapedto prosper; and other the like interesting points. [Ranke, iii. 165, 166. ] Frankfurt Union is just signed (May 22d). Most Christian Majestyis himself under way to the Netherlands, himself going to command there, as we shall see. "Good!" answers Friedrich: "But don't weaken Coigny, think of Prince Karl on that side; don't detach from Coigny, and reducehis 60, 000 to 40, 000!"

Plenty of mutual consulting, as they walk in the woods there. And howprofoundly obscure, to certain Official parties much concerned, judgefrom the following small Document, preserved by accident:--

LYTTELTON (our old Soissons Friend, now an Official in Prince Fred'sHousehold, friend of Pitt, and much else) TO HIS FATHER AT HAGLEY. 

ARGYLE STREET, LONDON, "May 5th [16th], 1744. "DEAR SIR, --Mr. West[Gilbert West, of whom there is still some memory] comes with us toHagley; and, if you give me leave, I will bring our friend Thomsontoo"--oh Jamie Thamson, Jamie Thamson, oh! "His SEASONS will bepublished in about a week's time, and a most noble work they will be. 

"I have no public news to tell you, which you have not had in theGazettes, except what is said in Private Letters from Germany, of theKing of Prussia's having drunk himself into direct madness, and beingconfined on that account; which, if true, may have a great effect uponthe fate of Europe at this critical time. " Yes indeed, if true. "ThoseLetters say, that, at a review, he caused two men to be taken out of theline, and shot, without any cause assigned for it, and ordered athird to be murdered in the same manner; but the Major of the regimentventuring to intercede for him, his Majesty drew his sword, and wouldhave killed the Officer too, if he, perceiving his madness, had nottaken the liberty to save himself, by disarming the King; who wasimmediately shut up; and the Queen, his Mother, has taken the Regencyupon herself till his recovery. " PAPAE! I do not give you this news forcertain; but it is generally believed in town. Lord Chesterfield says, 'He is only thought to be MAD in Germany, because he has MORE WIT thanother Germans. '

"The King of Sardinia's Retreat from his lines at Villa Franca, and theloss of that Town [20th April, one of those furious tussles, French andSpaniard VERSUS Sardinian Majesty, in the COULISSES or side-scenes ofthe Italian War-Theatre, neither stage nor side-scenes of which shallconcern us in this place], certainly bear a very ill aspect; but it isnot considered as"--anything to speak of; nor was it. "We expect withimpatience to know what will be the effect of the Dutch Ambassadorto Paris, --[to Valenciennes, as it turns out, King Louis, on his higherrand to the Netherlands, being got so far; and the "effect" was noeffect at all, except good words on his part, and persistence in thebattering down of Menin and the Dutch Barrier, of which we shall hearere long]. 

"I pray God the Summer may be happy to us, by being more easy than usualto you, "--dear Father, much suffering by incurable ailments. "It is theonly thing wanting to make Hagley Park a Paradise. 

"Poor Pope is, I am afraid, going to resign all that can die of him todeath;"--did actually die, 30th May (10th June): a world-tragedythat too, though in small compass, and acting itself next door, at Twickenham, without noise; a star of the firmament goingout;--twin-star, Swift (Carteret's old friend), likewise going out, sunk in the socket, "a driveller and a show. ". . . "I am, with the truestrespect and affection, dear Sir, your most dutiful Son, --

"GEORGE LYTTELTON. " [Ayscough, _Lord Lyttelton's Miscellaneous Works, _(Lond. , 1776), iii. 318. ]

Friedrich returned from Pyrmont, 11th June; saw, with a grief of hisown, with many thoughts well hidden, his Sister Ulrique whirled awayfrom him, 26th July, in the gray of the summer dawn. In Berlin, inPrussia, nobody but one is aware of worse just coming. And now theWar-drums suddenly awaken again; and poor readers--not to speak of poorPrussia and its King!--must return to that uncomfortable sphere, tillthings mend.