第 39 节
作者:上访不如上网      更新:2021-02-18 21:08      字数:9281
  would now think of reading。'
  Monday; 17th; at seven; his Majesty pushed off accordingly; cheery he in the prospect of work; whatever his friends in the distance be。 Here; from Eilenburg; his first stage Torgau…way; are a Pair of Letters in notable contrast。
  WILHELMINA TO THE KING (on rumor of Haddick; swoln into a Triple Invasion; Austrian; Swedish; French)。
  BAIREUTH; 〃15th October; 1757。
  〃MY DEAREST BROTHER;Death and a thousand torments could not equal the frightful state I am in。 There run reports that make me shudder。 Some say you are wounded; others; dangerously ill。 In vain have I tormented myself to have news of you; I can get none。 Oh; my dear Brother; come what may; I will not survive you。 If I am to continue in this frightful uncertainty; I cannot stand it; I shall sink under it; and then I shall be happy。 I have been on the point of sending you a courier; but 'environed as we are' I durst not。 In the name of God; bid somebody write me one word。
  〃I know not what I have written; my heart is torn in pieces; I feel that by dint of disquietude and alarms I am losing my wits。 Oh; my dear; adorable Brother; have pity on me。 Heaven grant I be mistaken; and that you may scold me; but the least thing that concerns you pierces me to the heart; and alarms my affection too much。 Might I die a thousand times; provided you lived and were happy!
  〃I can say no more。 Grief chokes me; and I can only repeat that your fate shall be mine; being; my dear Brother; your
  〃WILHELMINA。〃
  What a shrill penetrating tone; like the wildly weeping voice of Rachel; tragical; painful; gone quite to falsetto and above pitch; but with a melody in its dissonance like the singing of the stars。 My poor shrill Wilhelmina!
  KING TO WILHELMINA (has not yet received the Above)。
  〃EILENBURG; 17th October; 1757。
  〃MY DEAREST SISTER;What is the good of philosophy unless one employ it in the disagreeable moments of life? It is then; my dear Sister; that courage and firmness avail us。
  〃I am now in motion; and having once got into that; you may calculate I shall not think of sitting down again; except under improved omens。 If outrage irritates even cowards; what will it do to hearts that have courage?
  〃I foresee I shall not be able to write again for perhaps six weeks: which fails not to be a sorrow to me: but I entreat you to be calm during these turbulent affairs; and to wait with patience the month of December; paying no regard to the Nurnberg Newspapers nor to those of the Reich; which are totally Austrian。
  〃I am tired as a dog (COMME UN CHIEN)。 I embrace you with my whole heart; being with the most perfect affection (TENDRESSE); my dearest Sister; your〃           FRIEDRICH。
  。。。 (AT SOME OTHER HOUR; SAME PLACE AND DAY。) 〃'No possibility of Peace;' say your accounts 'Letter lost'; 'the French won't hear my name mentioned。' Well; from me they shall not farther。 The way will be; to speak to them by action; so that they may repent their impertinences and pride。〃 ' OEuvres de Frederic;  xxvii。 i。 308; 309; 310。''
  The Haddick affair; after all the rumor about it; proved to be a very small matter。 No Swede or Richelieu had dreamt of co…operating; Haddick; in the end; was scarce 4;000 with four cannon; General Rochow; Commandant of Berlin; with his small garrison; had not Haddick skilfully slidden through woods; and been so magnified by rumor; might have marched out; and beaten a couple of Haddicks。 As it was; Haddick skilfully emerging; at the Silesian Gate of Berlin; 16th October; about eleven in the morning; demanded ransom of 300;000 thalers (45;000 pounds); was refused; began shooting on the poor palisades; on the poor drawbridge there; 〃at the third shot brought down the drawbridge;〃 rushed into the suburb; and was not to be pushed out again by the weak party Rochow sent to try it。 Rochow; ignorant of Haddick's force; marched off thereupon for Spandau with the Royal Family and effects; leaving Haddick master of the suburb; and Berlin to make its own bargain with him。 Haddick; his Croats not to be quite kept from mischief; remained master of the suburb; minatory upon Berlin; for twelve hours or more: and after a good deal of bargaining;ransom of 45;000 pounds; of 90;000 pounds; finally of 27;000 pounds and 〃two dozen pair of gloves to the Empress Queen;〃made off about five in the morning; wind of Moritz's advance adding wings to the speed of Haddick。 ' Helden…Geschichte;  iv。 715…723 (Haddick's own Account; and the Berlin one)。'
  Moritz did arrive next evening (18th); but with his tired troops there was no catching of Haddick; now three marches ahead。 Royal Family and effects returned from Spandau the day following; but in a day or two more; removed to Magdeburg till the Capital were safe from such affronts。 Much grumbling against Rochow。 〃What could I do? How could I know?〃 answered Rochow; whose eyesight indeed had been none of the best。 Berlin smarts to the length of 27;000 pounds and an alarm; but asserts (not quite mythically; thinks Retzow); that 〃the two dozen pair of gloves were all gloves for the left hand;〃Berlin having wit; and a touch of ABSINTHE in it; capable of such things! Friedrich heard the news at Annaburg; a march beyond Torgau; and there paused; again uncertain; for about a week coming; after which; he discovered that Leipzig would be the place; and returned thither; appointing a general rendezvous and concentration there。
  SCENE AT REGENSBURG IN THE INTERIM。
  Just while Haddick was sliding swiftly through the woods; Berlin now nigh; there occurred a thing at Regensburg; tragic thing; but ending in farce;Finale of REICHS…ACHT; in short;about which all Regensburg was loud; wailing or haha…ing according to humor; while Berlin was paying its ransom and left…hand gloves。 One moment's pause upon this; though our haste is great。
  〃Reichs Diet had got its Ban of the Reich ready for Friedrich; CITATIO (solemn Summons) and all else complete; nothing now wanted but to serve Citatio on him; or 'insinuate' it into him; as their phrase is;which latter essential point occasions some shaking of wigs。 Dangerous; serving Citatio in that quarter: and by what art try to smuggle it into the hands of such a one? 'Insinuate it here into his; Plotho's; hand; that is the method; and that will suffice!' say the wigs; and choose an unfortunate Reichs Notary; Dr。 Aprill; to do it; who; in ponderous Chancery…style; gives the following affecting report;wonderful; but intelligible (when abridged):
  〃Citatio〃 to come and receive your Ban;a very solemn…sounding Document; commencing (or perhaps it is Aprill himself that so commences; no matter which); 〃'In the Name of the Most High God; the Father; Son and Holy Ghost; Amen;'was given; Wednesday; 12th October; in the Year after Christ our dear Lord and Saviour's Birth; 1757 Years; To me Georgius Mathias Josephus Aprill; sworn Kaiserlich Notarius Publicus; In my Lodging; first…floor fronting south; in Jacob Virnrohr the Innkeeper's House here at Regensburg; called the Red…Star;〃 for insinuation into Plotho:
  With which solemn Piece; Aprill proceeded next day; Thursday; half…past 2 P。M。; to Plotho's dwelling…place; described with equal irrefragability; and; continues Aprill; 〃did there; by a servant of the Herr Ambassador von Plotho's; announce myself; adding that I had something to say to his Excellency; if he would please to admit me。 To which the Herr Ambassador by the same servant sent answer; that he was ill with a cold; and that I might speak to his Secretarius what I had to say。 But; as I replied that my message was to his Excellenz in person; the same servant came back with intimation that I might call again to…morrow at noon。〃
  To…morrow; at the stroke of noon; Friday; 14th October; Aprill punctually appears again; with recapitulation of the pledge given him yesterday; and is informed that he can walk up…stairs。 〃I proceeded thereupon; the servant going before; up one pair of stairs; or with the appurtenances (GEZEUGEN) rather more than one pair; into the Herr Ambassador Freiherr von Plotho's Anteroom; who; just as we were entering; stept in himself; through a side… door; in his dressing…gown; and with the words; 'Speak now what you have to say。'
  〃I thereupon slipt into his hand CITATIO FISCALIS; and said〃said at first nothing; Plotho avers; merely mumbled; looked like some poor caitiff; come with Law…papers on a trifling Suit we happen to have in the Courts here;and only by degrees said (let us abridge; SCENE; Aprill and Plotho; Anteroom in Regensburg; first…floor and rather higher):
  APTILL。 〃'I have to give your Excellenz this Writing;'which privately; could your Excellenz guess it; is' CITATIO FISCALIS from the Reichstag; summoning his Majesty to show cause why Ban of the Reich should not pass upon him!' His Excellenz at first took the CITATIO and adjuncts from me; and looking into them to see what they were; his Excellenz's face began to color; and soon after to color a little more; and on his looking attentively at CITATIO FISCALIS; he broke into violent anger and rage; so that he could not stand still any longer; but with burning face; and both arms held aloft; rushed close to me; CITATIO and adjuncts in his right hand;