No More Learning

"Perhaps it will attract moneyed strangers to frequent our
Capital? " -- some guess, that was Friedrich's thought. "At
all events, it is a handsome piece of equipage, for a musical
King and People; not to be neglected in the circumstances.
Thalia, in general, -- let us not neglect Thalia, in such a
dearth of worshipable objects. " Nor did he neglect Thalia.
The trouble Friedrich took with his Opera, with his Dancing-
Apparatus, French Comedy, and the rest of that affair, was
very great. Much greater, surely, than this Editor would
have thought of taking; though, on reflection, he does not
presume to blame. The world is dreadfully scant of worship-
able objects: and if your Theatre is your own, to sweep away
intrusive nonsense continually from the gates of it? Friedrich's
Opera costs him heavy sums (surely I once knew approximately
what, but the sibylline leaf is gone again upon the winds! ) --
and he admits gratis a select public, and that only. ** "This
"Winter, 1742-3, was unusually magnificent at Court: balls,
"wirthschaften" (kind of mimic fairs), "sledgeparties, mas-
"querades, and theatricals of all sorts; -- and once even,
* Seyfarth, i. 234'; Nicolai, Beschreibunn von Berlin, i. 169.
** Preuss, i. 277; and Preuss, Buch fur jederwann, i. 100.
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? CHAP. I. ] PEACEABLE PURSUITS RESUMED. 213
85th Aug'. 1742. '*
"December 2d, the new Golden Table-Service" (cost of it
200,000/. ) was in action, when the Two Queens (Queen
Regnant and Queen Mother) "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 in his Domestic History,
makes a visit, for health's sake, to Aachen (Aix-la-
Chapelle so-called), with a view to the waters there.
Intends to try for a little improvement in health, as
the basis of ulterior things. Health has naturally
suffered a little in these War-hardships; and the Doc-
tors recommend Aix. After Wesel, and the West-
phalian Inspections, Friedrich, accordingly, proceeds
to Aix; and for about a fortnight (25th August -- 9th
September) drinks the waters in that old resting-place
of Charlemagne; -- particulars not given in the Books;
except that "he lodged with Bacge" (if any mortal now
knew Bacge), and did an Audience or so to select per-
sons now unknown. He is not entirely incognito, but
is without royal state; the "guard of twenty men, the
escort of 150 men," being no men of his, but pre-
sumably mere Townguard of Aix coming in an honor-
ary way. Aix is proud to see him; he himself is in-
tent on the waters here at old Aix:
Aquisgranum, wbsregalis.
Sedes llegni 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 large Gilt Eagle," ten feet
wide or so, aloft on the Cathedral-steeple there; Eagle
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? 214 EUROPEAN WAR NOT ENDING. [book XIV.
July--Aug. 1742.
turned southward when the Kaiser was in Franken-
land, eastward when he was in Teutsch or Teuton-
land; in fact, pointing out the Kaiser's whereabouts to
loyal mankind. * Eagle which shines on me as a
human fact; luminously gilt, through the dark Dry-
asdustic Ages, gone all spectral under Dryasdust's sad
handling. Friedrich knows farther, that for many cen-
turies after, the "Reich's Insignia (Reichs-Kleinodien)"
used to be here, -- though Maria Theresa has them
now, and will not give them up. The whole of which
points are indifferent to him. The practical, not the
sentimental, is Friedrich's interest; -- not to say that
Werther and the Sentimental were not yet born into our
afflicted Earth. A King thoroughly practical; -- yet
an exquisite player on the flute withal, as we often
notice; whose adagio could draw tears from you. For
in himself, too, there were floods of tears (as when his
Mother died); and he has been heard saying, not bragging
but lamenting, what was truly the fact, that "he had
more feeling than other men. " But it was honest hu-
man feeling always; and was repressed, where not irre-
pressible; -- as it behoved to be.
Friedrich's suite was not considerable, says the
French spy at Aix on this occasion; pomp of Entrance,
-- a thing to be mute upon! "Came driving in with
"the common post-horses of the country; and such a
"set of cariages as your Lordship, intent on the sublime,
"has no idea of. "** Rumour was, His Britannic Ma-
jesty was coming (also on pretext of the waters) to
confer with him; other rumour is, If King George came
in at one gate, King Friedrich would go out at the
* Rohler, Reichs-Uislorie. ^
** Spy-Letter, in Campagnes des Trois Marichavx, i. 222.
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? CHAP. I. ] PEACEABLE PURSUITS RESUMED. 215
July-Aug. 1742.
other. A dubious Friedrich, to the Frencb. spy, at
this moment; nothing like so admirable as he once
was! --
The French emotions (of which we say little), on
Friedrich's making Peace for himself, had naturally
been great. To the French Public it was unexpected,
somewhat sudden even to the Court; and, sure enough,
it was of perilous importance in the circumstances.
Few days ago, Broglio (by order given him) "could
not spare a man," for the Common Cause; -- and now
the Common Cause has become entirely the Broglio
one, and Broglio will have the full use of all his men!
"Defection" (plainly treasonous to your Liege Lord
and Nation)! "horrible to think of! " cried the French
Public; the Court outwardly taking a lofty tragic-
elegiac tone, with some air of hope that his Prussian
Majesty would perhaps come round again, to the side
of his afflicted France! Of which, except in the way
of helping France and the other afflicted parties to a
just Peace if he could, his Prussian Majesty had small
thought at this time.
More affecting to Friedrich were the natural terrors
of the poor Kaiser on this event. The Kaiser has al-
ready had his Messenger at Berlin, in consequence of
it; with urgent inquiries, entreaties; -- an expert
Messenger, who knows Berlin well. No other than our
old friend, the Ordnance-Master Seckendorf, now titular
Feldmarschall, -- whom one is more surprised than
delighted to meet again! Being out with Austria
(clamouring for great sums of "arrears," which they
will not pay), he has been hanging about this new
Kaiser, ever since Election time; and is again getting
into employment, Diplomatic, Strategic, for some years,
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? 216 EUROPEAN WAR NOT ENDING. [bOOKXIV.
July--Aug. 1742.
though we hope mostly to ignore him and it. Fried-
rich's own feeling at sight of him, -- ask not about it,
more than if there had been none! Friedrich gave
him "a distinguished reception;" Friedrich's answer
sent by him to the Kaiser was all kindness; emphatic as-
surance, "That, not 'hostility' by any means, that loyalty,
friendship, and aid wherever possible within the limits,
should always be his rule towards the now Kaiser, law-
ful Head of the Reich, in difficult circumstances. "*
Which was some consolation to the poor man, -- stript
of his old revenues, old Bavarian Dominions, and un-
provided with new; this sublime Headship of the Reich
being moneyless; and one's new "Kingdom of Bohemia"
hanging in so uncertain a state, with nothing but a
Pharsalia-Sahay to show for itself! --
Among Friedrich's "inconsiderable suite," at Aachen,
was Prince Henri (his youngest Brother, age now six-
teen, a small, sensitive, shivering creature, but of un-
common parts); and another young man, Prince Fer-
dinand of Brunswick, his Wife's youngest Brother; a
soldier, as all the Brothers are; soldier in Friedrich's
Army, this one; in whose fine inarticulate eupeptic
character are excellent dispositions and capacities dis-
cernible. Ferdinand goes generally with the King;
much about him in these years. All the Brothers
follow soldiering; it is the one trade of German Prin-
ces. When at home, Friedrich is still occasionally with
his Queen; who lives at Schonhausen, in the environs
of Berlin, but goes with him to Charlottenburg, to old
Reinsberg; and has her share of galas in his com-
* "Audience, 30th July" (Adelung, ill. a. 217).
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? CHAP. I. ] PEACEABLE PURSUITS RESUMED. 217
July-Aug. 1742.
pany, with the Queen Mother and cognate High-
nesses.
Another small fact, still more memorable at present,-
is, That Voltaire now made him a Third Visit, --
privately on Fleury's instance, as is evident this time.
Of which Voltaire Visit readers shall know duly, by
and by, what little is knowable. But, alas, there is
first an immense arrear of War-matters to bring up; to
which, still more than to Voltaire, the afflicted reader
must address himself, if he would understand at all
what Friedrich's Environment, or circumambient Life-
element now was, and how Friedrich, well or ill, com-
ported himself in the same. Brevity, this Editor knows,
is extremely desirable, and that the scissors should be
merciless on those sad Paper-Heaps, intolerable to the
modem mind; but, unless the modern mind chanced to
prefer ease and darkness, what can an Editor do!
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? 218 EUROPEAN WAR NOT ENDING. [book XIV.
Jaly--Dec. 1742.
CHAPTEE II.
AUSTRIAN AFFAIRS ARE ON THE MOUNTING HAND.
Austrian affairs are not now in their nadir-point;
a long while now since they passed that. Austria, to
all appearance dead, started up, and began to strike
for herself, with some success, the instant Walpole's
soup-royal (that first 200,000 Z. , followed since by
abundance more) got to her lips. Touched her poor
pale lips; and went tingling through her, like life and
fiery elasticity, out of death by inanition! Cardinal
moment, which History knows, but can never date,
except vaguely, some time in 1741; among the last
acts of judicious Walpole.
Austria, thanks to its own Khevenhullers and its
English guineas, was already rising in various quarters:
and now when the Prussian Affair is settled, Austria
springs up everywhere like an elastic body with the
pressure taken from it; mounts steadily, month after
month, in practical success, and in height of humour
in a still higher ratio. And in the course of the next
Two Years, rises to a great height indeed. Here, --
snatched, who knows with what difficulty, from that
shoreless, bottomless 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 scan with such intense interest, -- rightly,
at his peril; -- and to interpret as actual "Omens"
for him, as monitions of a most indisputable nature!
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? CHAP. II. ] AUSTRIAN AFFAIRS MOUNTING. 219
July-Dec. 1742.
No Haruspex, I suppose, with or without "white beard,
"and long staff for cutting the Heavenly Vault into
"compartments from the zenith downwards," could, in
Etruria or elsewhere, "watch the flight of birds, now
"into this compartment, now into that," with stricter
scrutiny than, on the new terms, did this young King
from his Potsdam Observatory.
War-Phenomena in the Western Parts: King George tries, a
Second Time, to draw his Sword; tugs at it violently, for
Seven Months (February -- October 1742).
"The first phenomenon, cheering to Austria, is that of the
"Britannic Majesty again clutching sword, with evident intent
"to draw it on her behalf. * Besides his potent soup-royal of
"Half-Millions annually, the Britannic Majesty has a con-
siderable sword, say 40,000, of British and of subsidized; --
"sword which costs him a great deal of money to keep by his
"side: and a great deal of clamour and insolent gibing from
"the Gazetteer species, because he 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 Human Liberty,
"whatever follow. From early Spring there were symptoms:
"Camps on Lexden and other Heaths, much reviewing in
"Hyde-Park and elsewhere; from all corners a universal
"marchingtowards the Kent Coast; the aspects being favour-
"able. 'We can besiege Dunkirk at any rate, cannot we,
"yourHigh Mightinesses? Dunkirk, which by all the Treaties
"in existence, ought to need no besieging; but which, in spite
"of treatyings innumerable, always does? ' The High
"Mightinesses answer nothing articulate, languidly grumble
"something in optative tone;-- 'meaning assent,' thinks the
"sanguine mind. 'Dutch hoistable, after all! ' thinks he:
"Dutch will cooperate, 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, had preceded the Prussian-Austrian Settlement.
"May 20th ,** 'Two regiments of Foot,'first poor instalment
* Tindal, xx. 552; Old Newspapers; &c. &c.
** "9th" by the Old Newspapers; but we always translate their o. s.
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? S20 EUROPEAN WAR NOT ENDING. ' [book XIV.
July--Deo. 1742.
"of British Troops, had actually landed at Ostend;--news
"of the Battle of Chotusitz, much more, of the Austrian-
"Prussian Settlement, or Peace of Breslau, would meet them
"there. But after that latter auspicious event, things start
"into quick and 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 set of wild
swearing fellows, whom Guildford is happy to be quit of)
"'rode through Bromley with their kettle-drums going, and are
'" this day at Gravesend to take ship;'"--or to give one other,
more specific example:
"Yesterday" (3d July 1742), "General Campbell's Regi-
"ment of Scotch Greys arrived in the Borough ofSouthwark,on
"their march to Dover, where they are to embark for Flanders.
"They are fine hardy fellows, that want no seasoning; and
"make an appearance agreeable to all but the innkeepers," --
who have such billeting to do, of late. * "Grey Dragoons," or
Royal Scots Greys, is the title of this fine Regiment; and their
Colonel is Lieutenant-General John Campbell, afterwards
Duke of Argyle (fourth Duke), Cousin of the great second
Duke of Argyle that now is.
** Visibly billeting there, in
Southwark, with such intentions: -- and, by accident, this
Editor knows Twenty of these fine fellows! Twenty or so, who
had gone in one batch as Greys; sons of good Annandale
yeomen, otherwise without a career open: some Two of whom
did get back, and lived to be old men; the rumour of whom,
and of their unheard-of adventures, was still lingering
in the air, when this Editor began existence. Pardon, 0
reader! --
"But, all through those hot days, it is a universal drum-
"ming, kettle-drumming, coast-ward; preparation of transports
"at Gravesend, at the top of one's velocity. 'All the coopers
"' inLondon are in requisition for water casks, so that our very
"' brewers have to pause astonished for want of tubs. ' There is
"pumping-in of water day and night, Sunday not excepted,
"then throwing of it out again" (owing to new circumstances):
"250 saddle-horses, and lOOsumpter ditto, for his Majesty's
"own use, -- these need a deal of water, never to speak of
* Dailu Post, June 23d (o. s. ), 1742.
** Douglas, Scotch Peerage (Edinburg, 1764), p. 44.
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? CHAP. II. ] AUSTRIAH AFFAIRS MOUNTIKG. 221
July--Dec. 1742.
"Ligonier and The Greys. 'For the honour of our Country,
'"his Majesty will make a grander appearance this Campaign
'"than any of his Predecessors ever did; and as to the mag-
"'nificence of his equipage,' -- besides the 350 quadrupeds,
",'there are above 100 rich portmanteaus getting ready with all
'"expedition. "'* "The Fat Boy too" (Royal Highness Duke
of Cumberland, one should say) "is to go; a most brave-
"hearted, flaxen-florid, plump young creature; hopeful Son
"of Mars, could he once get experience, -- which, alas, he
"never could, though trying it for five-and-twenty years to
"come, under huge expense to this Nation! There are to be
"16,000 troops, perhaps more; '1,000 sand-bags'" (empty as
yet); "demolition of Dunkirk the thing aimed at. " If only
the Dutch prove hoistable! --
"And so, from May on to September, it noisily proceeds,
"at multiplex rates, and often with more haste than speed:
"and in such five months (seven, strictly counted) of clangorous
"movement and dead-lift exertion, there were veritably got
"across, of Horse and Foot with their equipments, the sur-
"prising number of '16,334 men. '** May 20th it began, --
"that is, the embarking began; the noise and babble about it,
"which have been incessant ever since, had begun inFebruary
"before; -- and on September 26th, Ostend, now almost
"weary of huzzahing over British glory by instalment, had
"the joy of seeing our final portions of Artillery arrive: Such
"aPark of Siege-and-Field Artillery," exults the Gazetteer,
"as" -- as these poor creatures never dreamt of before.
"Magnanimous Lord Stair, already Plenipotentiary to the
"Dutch, is to be King's General-in-Chief of this fine Enter-
prise; Carteret, another Lord of some real brilliancy, and
"perhaps of still weightier metal, is head of the Cabinet;
"hearty, both of them, for these Anti-French intentions: and
"the Public cannot but think, Surely something will come of
"it this time? More especially now that Maillebois, about the
"middle of August, by a strange turn of fortune, is swept out
"of the way. Maillebois, lying over in Westphalia with his
"30 or 40,000, on Check to your King this year past, had, on
"sight of these Anti-Dunkirk movements, been ordered to
"look Dunkirk way, and at length to move thitherward, for
"protection of Dunkirk. So that Stair, before his Dunkirk
* Daily Post, September 18th (i. e. 26th). ** Adelung, iii. a. 201.
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? 222 EUROPEAN WAR NOT ENDING. [book XIV.
July--Deo. 1742.
'business, will have to fight Maillebois; which Stair doubts
"not may be satisfactorily done. But behold, in August and
'' earlier, come marvellous news from the Prag quarter, tragical
"to France; and Maillebois is off, at his best speed, in the
'' reverse direction; on a far other errand! " -- Of which readers
shall soon hear enough.
"Dunkirk, therefore, is now open. With 16,000 British
"troops, Hanoverians to the like number, and Hessians
"6,000, together near 40,000, not to speak of Dutch at all,
"surely one might manage Dunkirk, if not something still
"better? It is after Maillebois's departure that these dreadful
"exertions, coopering of water-casks, pumping all Sunday,
"go on at Gravesend: 'Swift, O be swift, while time is! '
"And Generalissimo-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 a chance? The Cause of
"Human Liberty may be secured forever! Dunkirk -- or what
"is Dunkirk even? Between us and Paris, there is nothing,
"now that Maillebois is off on such an errand! Why should
"not we play Marlborough again, and teach them a little what
"Invasion means? It is ourselves alone 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 not unlikely, he proposed an Interview
"with Friedrich now at Aachen; would come privately, to
"'take the waters' for a day or two, -- while Maillebois was
"on his new errand, and such a crisis had risen. But Friedrich,
"anxious to be neutral and give no offence, politely waived
"such honour. Lord Stair was thought to be something of a
"General, in fact as well as in costume; -- and perhaps he
"was so. And had there been a proper Countess of Stair, or
"new Sarah Jennings, -- to cover, gently, by art magic, the
"Britannic Majesty and Fat Boy under a tub; and to put
"Britain, and British Parliament and resources, into Stair's
"hand for a few years, -- who knows what Stair too might
"have done! A Marlborough in the War Arts, -- perhaps still
"less in the Peace ones, if we knew the great Marlborough, --
"he could not have been. But there is in him a recognisable
"flash of magnanimity, of heroic enterprise and purpose;
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? CHAP. n. ] AUSTRIAN AFFAIRS MOUNTING. 223
July--Dec. 1742. |
"which is highly peculiar in that sordid element. And it can
"be said of Trim, as of lightning 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 these are 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,
not to mention his imaginary "Upper Austria" and
"Conquests on the Donau," after that Se'gur Adventure,
is plunging headlong. As to his once "Kingdom of
Bohemia," it has already plunged; nay, the Army of
the Oriflamme is itself near plunging, in spite of that
Pharsalia of Sahay! Bavaria itself, we say, is mostly
gone to Khevenhiiller; Segur with his French on march
homeward, and nothing but Bavarians left. The Belle-
isle-Broglio grand Budweis-Expedition is gone totally
heels over head; Belleisle and Broglio are getting,
step by step, shut up in Prag and besieged there:
while Maillebois -- Let us try whether, by snatching
out here a fragment and there a fragment, with chro-
nological and other appliances, it be not possible to
give readers some conceivable notion of what Friedrich
was now looking at with such interest! --
How Due d'Harcourt, advancing to reinforce the Oriflamme, had
to split himself in two; and become an "Army of Bavaria," to
little effect.
The poor Kaiser, who at one time counted "30,000 Ba-
varians of his own," has, all along, been ill served by them
and the bad Generals they had: two Generals; both of whom,
Minuzzi, and old Feldmarschall Thorrine (Prime Minister
withal), came to a bad reputation in this War. Beaten nearly
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? 224 EUROPEAN WAR NOT ENDING. [book XIV.
July--Dec. 1742.
always; Thorring quite always, -- "like a Drum, that
Thorring; never heard of except when beaten," said the wits!
Of such let us not speak. Understand only first, That the
French, reasonably soon after that Linz explosion, did, in
such crisis, get reinforcements on the road; a Due d'Harcourt
with some 25,000 faring forward, in an intermittent manner,
ever since "March 4th. " And secondly, That Khevenhiiller
has fast hold ofPassau, the Austrian-Bavarian Key-City; is
master of nearly all Bavaria (of Miinchen, and all that lies
south of the Donau); and is now across on the north shore,
wrenching and tugging upon Kelheim and the Ingolstadt-
Donauworth regions, with nothing but Thorring people and
small French Garrisons to hinder him; -- where it will be fatal
if he quite prosper; Ingolstadt being our Place-of-Arms, and
House on the Highway, both for Bavaria and Bohemia!
"For months past, there had been a gleam of hope for
"Kaiser Karl, and his new 'Kingdom of Bohemia,' and old
"Electorate of Bavaria, from the rumour of 'D'Harcourt's
"reinforcement,' -- a 20 or30,000 new Frenchmen marching
"into those parts, in a very detached intermittent manner;
"great in the Gazettes. But it proved a gleam only, and
"came to nothing effectual. Poor D'Harcourt, owing to cross
"orders" (Broglio clamorously demanding that the new force
should come to Prag; Karl Albert the Kaiser, nominally
General-in-Chief, demanding that it should go down the
Donau and sweep his Bavaria clear), "was in difficulty. To
"do either of these cross orders might have brought some re-
"sult; but to half-do both of them, as he was enjoined to
"attempt, was not wise! Some half of his force he did detach
"towards Broglio; which got to actual junction, partly be-
"fore, partly after, that Pharsalia-Sahay Affair, and raised
"Broglio to a strength of 24,000, -- still inadequate against
"Prince Karl. Which done, D'Harcourt himself went down
"the Donau, on his original scheme, with the remainder of
"his forces,-- now likewise become inadequate. He is to
"join with Feldmarschall Thorring in the" -- And does it, as
we shall see presently! " * *
Miinchen, 5th May. '' Rumour of D'Harcourt had somewhat
"cleared Bavaria of Austrians; but the reality of him, in a
"divided state, by no means corresponds. Thus Miinchen
"City, in the last days of April, -- D'Harcourt advancing,
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? CHAP. II. ] AUSTRIAN AFFAIRS MOUNTING. 225
Jaly-Dec. 1742.
"terrible as a rumour, -- rejoiced exceedingly to see the
"Austrians march out, at their best pace. And the exultant
"populace even massacred a loitering Tolpatch or two*; who
"well deserve it, think the populace, judging by their ex-
perience for the last three months, since Barenklau and
"Mentzel became King here. -- 'Rumour of D'Harcourt? '
"answers Khevenhiiller from the Kelheim-Passau side of
"things: 'Let us wait for sight 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 the poor City;
"exacts severe vengeance for the Tolpatch business; and will
"give 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 and the
Kaiser's people there. Such an 'Army of Bavaria,' first and
last, as -- as Khevenhiiller could have wished it! Under
D'Harcourt, joined with old Feldmarschall Thorring (him
whom men liken to a Drum, "never heard of except when
beaten "), this is literally the sum of what fighting it did:
"Hilgartsberg (Deggendorf Donau-Country), May 28tfi.
"D'Harcourt and Thorring, after junction at Donauworth
"several weeks ago, and a good deal of futile marching up
"and down in those Donau Countries, -- on the left bank, for
"most part; Khevenhiiller holding stiffly, as usual, by the
"Inn, 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 the Inn across yonder, seriously
"decide to have a stroke at Passau, and to dislodge Kheven-
"hiiller, who is weak in force, though obstinate. They
"perceive that there is, on this left bank, a post in the woods,
"Castle of Hilgartsberg, none of the strongest Castles, rather
"a big Country Mansion than a Castle, which it will be ne-
cessary first to take. They go accordingly to take it (May
"28th, having well laid their heads together the day before);
"march through intricate wet forest country, peat above all
"abundant; see the Castle of Hilgartsberg towering aloft,
"picturesque object in the Donau Valley, left bank; -- are
"met by cannon-shot, case-shot, shot of every kind; like-
wise by Croats apparently innumerable, by cavalry sabrings
"and levelled bayonets; do not^ehave too well, being ex-
Carlyle, Frederick the Great. VII. 15
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? 226 EUROPEAN WAR NOT ENDING. [bookXIV.
July--Deo. 1742.
"cessively astonished; and are glad to get off again, leaving
"one of their guns lodged in the mud, and about a hundred
"unfortunate men. * This quite disgusted D'Harcourt with
"the Passau speculation and these grim*KhevenhiiUer out-
"posts. He straightway took to collecting Magazines;
"lodging himself in the attainable Towns thereabouts, Deg-
"gendorf the chief strength for him; and gave up fighting till
"perhaps better times might arrive. " We will wish him good
success in the victualling department, hope to hear no more
of him in this History; -- and shall say only that Comte de
Saxe, before long, relieves him of this Bavarian Army; and
will be seen at the head of it, on a most important business
that rises.
Kaiser Karl begins to have real thoughts of recalling this
Thorring, who is grown so very audible, altogether home;
and of appointing Seckendorf instead. A course which Belle-
isle has been strongly recommending for some time. Secken-
dorf is at present" gathering meal in the. Ober-Pfalz" (Upper
Palatinate, road from Ingolstadt to Eger, to Bohmen gener-
ally), that is, forming Magazines, on the Kaiser's behalf
there: "Surely a likelier man than your Thorring! " urges
Belleisle always. With whom the Kaiser doos finally comply;
nominates Seckendorf commander, -- recals the invaluable
Thorring "to his services in our Cabinet Council, which more
befit his great age. " In which safe post poor Thorring, like
a Drum not beaten upon, has thenceforth a silent life of it;
Seckendorf fighting in his stead, -- as we shall have to wit-
ness, more or less.
Khevenhiiller's is a changed posture, since he stood
in Vienna, eight or nine months ago; grimly resolute,
drilling his "6,000 of garrison," with the wheelbarrows
all busy! -- But her Hungarian Majesty's chief suc-
cess, which is now opening into outlooks of a quite
triumphant nature, has been that over the New Ori-
flamme itself, the Belleisle-Broglio Army, -- most sweet
? Gnerre de Bohime, 11. 146-8,136, &c.
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? CHAP. II. ] AUSTRIAN AFFAIRS MOUNTING. 227
July--Dec. 1742.
to her Majesty to triumph over! Shortly after Cho-
tusitz, shortly after that Pharsalia of Sahay, readers
remember Belleisle's fine Project, "Conjoined attack
on Budweis and sweeping of Bohemia clear;" -- readers
saw Belleisle, in the Schloss of Maleschau, 5th June
last, rushing out (with violence to his own wig, says
rumour); hurrying off to Dresden for cooperation; equally
in vain. "Cooperation, M. le Mare'chal; attack on
Budweis? " -- Here is another Fragment:
How Belleisle, returning from Dresden without Cooperation,
found the Attack had been done, -- in a fatally reverse way.
Prag expecting Siege. Colloquy with Broglio on that interest-
ing point. Prag besieged.
Budweis, June 4th -- Prag, June 13th. "Broglio, ever since
"thatSahay'" (which had been fought so gloriously on Frauen-
berg's account), "lay in the Castle of Frauenberg,in and around,
"-- hither side of the Moldau river, with his Pisek thirty miles
"to rear, and judicious outposts all about. There lay Broglio,
"meditating the attack on Budweis" (were cooperation once
here), -- "when, contrariwise, altogether on the sudden,
"Budweis made attack on Broglio; tumbled him quite
"topsyturvy, and sent him home to Prag, uncertain which
"end uppermost; rolling like a heap of mown stubble in the
"wind, rather than marching like an Army! " * * Take one
glance at him:
"June 4th, 1742" (day before that of Belleisle's "Wig" at
Maleschau, had Belleisle known it! ) -- "Prince Karl, being
"now free of the Prussians, and ready for new work, issued
"suddenly from Budweis; suddenly stept across the Moldau,
"--by the Bridge of Moldau-Tein, sweeping away the French
"that lay there. Prince Karl swept away this first French
"Post, by the mere sight and sound of him; swept away, in
"like fashion, the second and all following posts; swept
"Broglio himself, almost without shot fired, and in huge
"flurry, home to Prag, double-quick, ,night and day, -- with
"much loss of baggage, artillery, prisoners, and total loss
"of one's presence of mind. 'Poor man, he was born for sur-
15*
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