A Siege of Colberg, however, there is
actually
to be:
Second Siege, -- if perhaps it will prove luckier than
the First was, two years since?
Second Siege, -- if perhaps it will prove luckier than
the First was, two years since?
Thomas Carlyle
328 FRIEDRICH LIKE TO BE OVERWHELMED.
[book XIX.
Nov. 1759--March 1760.
ness of his own, as he sauntered on. Did not arrive,
I think, till Summer was at hand, and his dear Old
Friend coming out in vigour.
August 10th, 1759, Ferdinand died; and the same
day Carlos became King of Spain. But, instead of
giving Naples to Don Philip, Carlos gave it to a junior
son of his own; and left poor Philip to content himself
with Parma and Piacenza, as heretofore. Clear against
the rights of Austria; Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle is
perfectly explicit on that point! Will not Austria vindi-
cate its claim? Politicians say, Austria might have
recovered not only Parma and Piacenza, but the king-
dom of Naples itself, -- no France at present able to
hinder it, no Spain ever able. But Austria, contrary
to expectation, would not: a Country tenacious enough
of its rights, real and imaginary; greedy enough of
Italy, but of Silesia much more! The matter was de-
liberated in Council at Vienna; but the result was
magnanimously, No. "Finish this Friedrich first; finish
this Silesia. Nothing else till that! "
The Marischal's legationary function, therefore,
proved a sinecure; no Carlos needing Anti-Austrian
assistance from Friedrich or another; Austria magnan-
imously having let him alone. Doubtless a consider-
able disappointment to Friedrich. Industrious Fried-
rich had tried, on the other side of this affair, Whether the King of Sardinia, once an adventurous fighting
kind of man, could not be stirred up, having interests
involved? But no; he too, grown old, devotional,
apprehensive, held by his rosaries, and answered, No.
Here is again a hope reasonable to look at, but which
proves fallacious.
Marischal continued in Spain, corresponding, send-
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? CHAP. Vm. l MISCELLANEA IN WINTER-QUARTERS. 329
Nov. 1759 --March 1760.
ing news (the Prussian Archives alone know what),
for nearly a couple of years. * His Embassy had one
effect, which is of interest to us here. On his way
out, he had gone by London, with a view of getting
legal absolution for his Jacobitism, -- so far, at least,
as to be able to inherit the Earldom of Kintore, which
is likely to fall vacant soon. By blood it is his, were
the Jacobite incapacities withdrawn. Kintore is a cadet
branch of the Keiths; "John, younger Son of William
Sixth Lord Marischal," was the first Kintore. William
Sixth's younger Son, yes; -- and William's Father, a
man always venerable to me, had (A. d. 1593) founded
Marischal College, Aberdeen, -- where, for a few, in
those stern granite Countries, the Diviner Pursuits are
still possible (thank God and this Keith) on frugal
oatmeal. Marischal-College Keith, or Fifth Lord Mari-
schal, was grandfather's grandfather of our Potsdam
Friend, who is tenth and last. ** Honour to the brave
and noble, now fallen silent under foot not of the
nobler! In a word, the fourth Kintore was about
dying childless; and Marischal had come by London
on that heritage business.
He carried, naturally, the best recommendations.
Britannic Majesty, Pitt, and everybody met him with
welcome and furtherance; what he wished was done,
and in such a style of promptness and cordiality, Pitt
pushing it through, as quite gained the heart of old
Marischal. And it is not doubted, though particulars
have not been published, That he sent important
Spanish notices to Pitt, in these years; -- and espe-
* Returned "April 1762" (Friedrich's Letter to him, "10th April 1762:"
In (Entires de Frederic, xx. 285).
** Douglas's Scotch Peerage, pp. 448 et seq. , 387 et seq.
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? 330 FKIEDRICH LIKE TO BE OVERWHELMED. [book XIX.
Nov. 1759-- March 1760.
cially informed him that King Carlos and the French
Bourbon had signed a Family Compact (15th August
1761), or solemn covenant, to stand by one another as
brothers. Which was thenceforth, to Pitt privately,
an important fact, as perhaps we shall see; though to
other men it was still only a painful rumour and
dubiety. Whether the old Marischal informed him,
That King Carlos hated the English; that he never
had, in his royal mind, forgiven that insult of Com-
modore Martin's (watch laid on the table, in the Bay
of Naples, long ago), I do not know; but that also
was a fact. A diligent, indignant kind of man, this
Carlos, I am told; by no means an undeserving King
of Spain, though his Portraits declare him an ugly:
we will leave him in the discreet Marischal's hands,
with the dear Old Friend shining equally on both. .
Singular to see how, in so veracious an intellect as
Friedrich's, so many fallacies of hope are constantly
entertained. War in Italy, on quarrel with King Carlos;
Peace with France and the Pompadour, by help of
Edelsheim and the Bailli de Froulay; Peace with Rus-
sia and the in fame Catin, by help of English briberies
(Friedrich sent an agent this,winter with plenty of Eng-
lish guineas, but he got no farther than the Frontier, not
allowed even to try): sometimes, as again this winter,
it is hope of Denmark joining him (in alarm against
the Russian views on Holstein; but that, too, comes to
nothing); above all, there is perennially, budding out
yearly, the brighter after every disappointment, a hope
in the Grand Turk and his adherencies. Grand Turk,
or failing him, the Cham of Tartary, -- for certain,
some of these will be got to fasten on the heels of Aus-
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? CHAP. VIII. ] MISCELLANEA IN WINTER-QUARTERS. 331
Nov. 1759--March 1760.
tria, of Russia; and create a favourable diversion?
Friedrich took an immense deal of trouble about this
latter hope. It is almost pathetic to see with what a
fond tenacity he clings to it; and hopes it over again,
every new Spring and Summer. *
The hope that an infdme Catin might die some day
(for she is now deep in chaotic ailments, deepish even
in brandy), seems never to have struck him; at least
there is nowhere any articulate hint of it, -- the eagle-
flight of one's imagination soaring far above such a
pettiness! Hope is very beautiful; and even fallacious
hope, in such a Friedrich. The one hope that did not
deceive him, was hope in his own best exertion to the
very death; and no fallacy ever for a moment slackened
him in that. Stand to thyself: in the wide domain of
Imagination, there is no other certainty of help. No
other certainty; -- and yet who knows through what
pettinesses Heaven may send help!
* Preuss, ii. 121 et seq. , 292 &c. ; Schflning, n. m. passim.
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? 332 FRIEDRICH LIKE TO BE OVERWHELMED. [book XIX.
, Jan. --April 1760.
CHAPTER IX.
PRELIMINARIES TO A FIFTH CAMPAIGN.
It was April 25th before Friedrich quitted Frey-
berg, and took Camp; not till the middle of June that
anything of serious Movement came. Much discourage-
ment prevails in his Army, we hear: and indeed, it
must be owned, the horoscope of these Campaigns
grows yearly darker. Only Friedrich himself must not
be discouraged! Nor is; -- though there seldom lay
ahead of any man a more dangerous-looking Year than
this that is now dimly shaping itself to Friedrich. His
fortune seems to have quitted him; his enemies are
more confident than ever.
This Year, it seems, they have bethought them of
a new device against him. "We have 90 million Po-
pulation," count they; "he has hardly 5; in the end,
he must run out of men! Let us cease exchanging pri-
soners with him. " At Jagerndorf, in April 1758 (just
before our march to Olmiitz), there had been exchange;
not without haggles; but this was the last on Aus-
tria's part. Cartel of the usual kind, values punctually
settled: aFieldmarshal is worth 3,000 common men, or
1,500/. ; Colonel worth 130 men, or 65/. ; common man
is worth lO. s. sterling, not a high figure. * The Rus-
sians haggled still more, no keeping of them to their
word; but they tried it a second time, last year (October
1759); and by careful urging and guiding, were got
dragged through it, and the prisoners on both sides
sent to' their colours again. After which, it was a settled
linejof policy, "No more exchanging or cartelling;
* Archennoltz, u. 53.
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? CHAP. IX. ] PRELIMINARIES TO A FIFTH CAMPAIGN. 333
Jan. --April 1760.
we will starve him out in that article! " And had
Friedrich had nothing but his own 5 millions to go
upon, though these contributed liberally, he had in
truth been starved out. Nor could Saxony, with
Mecklenburg, Anhalt, Erfurt, and their 10,000 men a
year, have supplied him, -- "had not there," says
Archenholtz (a man rather fond of superlatives), --
"Had not there risen a Recruiting system," or Crimping
system, "the like of which for kind and degree was never seen
"in the Earth before. Prisoners, captive soldiers, if at all
"likely fellows, were by every means persuaded, and even
"compelled, to take Prussian service. Compelled, cudgel in
"hand," says Archenholtz (who is too indiscriminating, I can
see, -- for there were Pfalzers, Wiirtembergers, Reichsfolk,
who had first been compelled the other way): "not asked if
"they wished to serve, but dragged to the Prussian colours,
"obliged to swear there, and fight against their countrymen. "
Say at least, against their countrymen's Governors, con-
tumacious Serene Highnesses of Wiirtemberg, Mecklenburg
and the like. Wiirtemberg, we mentioned lately, had to shoot
a good few of his first levy against the Protestant Champion,
before they would march at all! -- I am sorry for these poor
men; and wish the Reich had been what it once was, a Vera-
city and Practical Reality, not an Imaginary Entity and
hideously contemptible Wiggery, as it now is! Contemptible,
and hideous as well; -- setting itself up on that fundamental
mendacity; which is eternally tragical, though little regarded
in these days, and which entails mendacities without end on
parties concerned! -- But, apart from all this, certain it is.
"The whole German Reich was deluged with secret
"PrussianEnlisters. The greater part of these werenot actual
"Officers at all, but hungry Adventurers, who had been
"bargained with, and who, for their own profit, allowed them-
"selves every imaginable art to pick up men. Head and
"centre of them was the Prussian Colonel Colignon," one of
the Free-Corps people; "a man formed by nature for this
"business" (what a beautiful man! ) -- "who gave all the
"others their directions, and taught them by his own example.
"Colignon himself," in winter-time, "travelled about in all
"manner of costumes and characters; persuading hundreds
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? 334 FRIEDRICH LIKE TO BE OVERWHELMED. [book XIX.
Jan. --April 1760.
"of people into the Prussian service. He not only promised
"Commissions, but gave such, --nominating loose young
"fellows (Laffen), students, merchants' clerks and the lite, to
"Lieutenantcies and Captaincies in the Prussian Army"
(about as likely as in the Seraphim and Cherubim, had they
known it): "in the Infantry, in the Cuirassiers, in the Hussars,
"-- it is all one, you have only to choose. The renown of the
"Prussian arms was so universal, and combined with the
"notion of rich booty, that Colignon's Commission-manu-
"factory was continually busy. No need to provide marching-
"money, hand-money (shillings for earnest); "Colignons
"recruits travelled mostly of will, and at their own charge. In
"Franken, in Schwaben, in the Rhine Countries, a dissolute
"son would rob his father, -- as shopmen their masters' tills,
"and managers their cash-boxes, -- and hie off to those
"magnanimous Prussian Officials, who gave away companies
"like kreutzers, and had a value for young fellows of spirit.
"They hastened to Magdeburg with their Commissions; where
"they were received as common recruits, and put by force
"into the regiments suitable. No use in resisting: thecudgel
"and the drill-sergeant," -- who doubts it? -- "till complete
"submission. By this and other methodes, Colignon and his
"helpers are reckoned to have raised for the King, in the
"course of this War, about 60,000 recruits. "*
This Year, Daun, though his reputation is on the
decline lately, is to have the chief command, as usual;
the Grand Army, with Saxony for field of conquest,
and the Reichsfolk to assist, is to be Daun's. But,
what is reckoned an important improvement, Loudon
is to have a separate command, and Army of his own.
Loudon, hot of temper, melancholic, shy, is not a man
to recommend himself to Kriegshofrath people; but no
doubt Imperial Majesty has had her own wise eye on
him. His merits are so undeniable; the need of some
Commander not of the Cunctator type is become so
very pressing. "Army of Silesia, 50,000;" that is to
be Loudon's, 'with 40,000 Russians to cooperate and
* Archenholtz, n. |53.
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? CHAP. IX. ] PRELIMINARIES TO A FIFTH CAMPAIGN. 335
Jan. --April 1760.
unite themselves with Loudon; and try actually for
conquest of Silesia, this Year; while Daun, conquering
Saxony, keeps the King busy.
At Petersburg, Versailles, Vienna, much planning
there has been, and arduous consulting: first at Peters-
burg, in time and in importance, where Montalembert
has again been very urgent in regard to those poor
Swedish people, and the getting of them turned to some
kind of use: "Stettin in conjunction with the Swedes;
oh, listen to reason, and take Stettin! " "Would not
Dantzig by ourselves be the advisable thing? " answers
Soltikof: "Dantzig is an important Town, and the
grand Baltic Haven; and would be so convenient for
our Preussen, since we have determined to maintain
that fine Conquest. " So thinks Czarish Majesty, as
well as Soltikof, privately, though there are difficulties
as to Dantzig; and, in fine, except Colberg over again,
there can be nothing attempted of sieging thereabouts.
A Siege of Colberg, however, there is actually to be:
Second Siege, -- if perhaps it will prove luckier than
the First was, two years since? Naval Armament
Swedish-Russian, specific Land Armament wholly
Russian, are to do this Second Siege, at a favour-
able time; except by wishes, Soltikof will not be con-
cerned in it; nor, it is to be hoped, shall we, -- in
such pressure of haste as is probably ahead for us.
"Silesia would be the place for sieges! " say the
Vienna people always; and Imperial Majesty is very
urgent; and tries all methods, -- eloquence, flatteries,
bribes, -- to bring Petersburg to that view. Which
is at last adopted; heartily by Czarish Majesty, ever
ready for revenge on Friedrich, the more fatal and the
more direct, the better. Heartily by her; not so heartily
by Soltikof and her Army people, who know the Aus-
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? 336 FRIEDRICH LIKE TO BE OVERWHELMED. [book XIX.
21sl Feb. 1760.
trian habits; and privately decide on not picking chest-
nuts from the fire, while the other party's paws keep
idle, and only his jaws are ready.
Of Small-War there is nothing or little to be said;
indeed there occurs almost none. Roving Cossack-
Parties, under one Tottleben, whom we shall hear of
otherwise, infest Pommern, bickering with the Prussian
posts there; not ravaging as formerly, Tottleben being
a civilised kind of man. One of these called at the
Castle of Schwedt, one day; found Prince Eugen of
Wiirtemberg there (nearly recovered of his Kunersdorf
wounds), who is a Son-in-law of the House, married to
a Daughter of Schwedt; -- ancestor of the now Russian
Czars too, had anybody then known it Him, these
Cossacks carried off with them, a march or two; then,
taking his bond for a certain ransom, let him go.
Bond and bond-holder being soon after captured by
the Prussians, Eugen paid no ransom; so that to us
his adventure is without moment, though it then made
some noise among the Gazetteers.
Two other little passages, and only two, we will
mention; which have in themselves a kind of memora-
bility. First, that of General Czetteritz and the Ma-
nuscript he lost. Of posts across the Elbe, I find none
mentionable here, and believe there is none, except
only Czetteritz's; who stands at Cosdorf, well up to-
wards Torgau Country, as sentry over Torgau and the
Towns there. On Czetteritz there was, in February,
an attempt made by the active General Beck, whom
Daun had detached for that object. Extremely success-
ful, according to the Austrian Gazetteers; but in real-
ity amounting to as good as nothing: -- Surprisal of
Czetteritz's first vedette, in the dawn of a misty Fe-
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? CliAP. IX. ] PRELIMINARIES TO A FIFTll CAMPAIGN. 337
21st Feb. 1760.
bruary morning (February 21st, 1760); non-surprisal of
his second, which did give fire and alarm, whereupon debate; and Czetteritz springing into his saddle; retreat of
his people to rearward, with loss of 7 Officers, and 200
prisoners; -- but ending in re-advance, with fresh force,
a few hours after;* in repulse of Beck, in recovery of
Cosdorf, and a general state of As-you-were in that part.
A sputter of Post-War, not now worth mentioning at all,
-- except only for one small circumstance: That in
the careering and swift ordering, such as there was, on
the rearguard especially, Major-General Czetteritz's
horse happened to fall; whereby not only was the Gen-
eral taken prisoner, but his quarters got plundered,
and in his luggage, -- what is the notable circumstance,
-- there was found a small Manuscript, Militairische In-
strukzion fur die Generate, such as every Prussian Gen-
eral has, and is bound to keep religiously secret. **
This, carried to Daun's headquarters, was duly prized,
copied; and in the course of a year came to print, in
many shapes and places; was translated into English,
under the Title, Military Instructions by the King of
Prussia, in 1762 (and again, hardly so well, in 1797);
and still languidly circulates among the studious of our
soldiers. Not a little admired by some of them; and
unfortunately nearly all they seem to know of this
greatest of modern Soldiers. ***
Next, about a month after, we have something to
* Seyfarth, II. 655.
** Stands now in (Euvres deFredeiic, xxvm. 3 et seq. ; 'was finished (the
revisal of it was), by the King, "2d April 1748:" see Preuss, I. 478-480;
and (Euvres de Frederic, xxvm. Preface, for endless indistinct details about
the translations and editions of it. London Edition, 1818, calls itself the
Fifth.
*** See, for example, in Life of General Sir Charles Napier, by his Brother
(London, 1857), Hi. 365 and elsewhere, -- one of the best judges in the world
expressing his joy and admiration on discovery of Friedrich; discovery, if
you read well, which amounts to these Instructions, and no more.
Carlyle, Frederick the Great. XI. 22
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? 338 FRIEDRICH LIKE TO BE OVERWHELMED. [book XIX.
15th March 1760.
report of Loudon from Silesia, or rather of the Enemies
he meets there; for it is not a victorious thing. But it
means a starting of the Campaign by an Austrian in-
vasion of Silesia; long before sieging time, while all
these Montalembert-Soltikof pleadings and counter-
pleadings hang dubious at Petersburg, and Loudon's
"Silesian Army" is still only in a nascent or theoretic
state, and only Loudon himself is in a practical one.
Friedrich has always Fouquet at Landshut, in
charge of the Silesian Frontier; whose outposts, under
Goltz as head of these, stretch, by Neisse, far east-
ward, through the Hills to utmost Mahren; Fouquet's
own headquarter being generally Landshut, the main
gate of the Country. Fouquet, long since, rooted him-
self rather firmly into that important post; has a
beautiful ring of fortified Hills around Landshut;
battery crossing battery, girdling it with sure destruc-
tion, under an expert Fouquet, -- but would require
30,000 men to keep it, instead of 13,000, which is
Fouquet's allotment. Upon whom Loudon is fully in-
tending a stroke this Year. Fouquet, as we know, has
strenuously managed to keep ward there for a twelve-
month past; in spite, often enough, of new violent in-
vadings and attemptings (violent, miscellaneous, but
intermittent) by the Devilles and others; -- and always
under many difficulties of his own, and vicissitudes in
his employment: a Fouquet coming and going, waxing
and waning, according to the King's necessities, and to
the intermittency or constancy of pressures on Landshut.
Under Loudon, this Year, Fouquet will have harder
times than ever; -- in the end, too hard! But will re-
sist, judge how, by the following small sample:
"Besides Fouquet and his 13,000," says my Note, "the
"Silesian Garrisons are all vigilant, are or ought to be; and
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? CUAP. IX. ] PRELIMINARIES TO A FIFTH CAMPAIGN. 339
15th March 1760.
"there are far eastward of him, for guarding of the Jiigern-
"dorf-Troppau Border, some 4 or 6,000, scattered about,
"under Lieutenant-General Goltz, in various Hills Posts, --
"the chief Post of which, Goltz's own, is the little Town of
"Neustadt, northward of Jagerndorf" (where we have, bil-
letted in the Old Silesian Wars): "Goltz's Neustadt is the
"chief; and Leobschutz, south-westward of it, under' General
"Le Grand'" (once the Major Grant of KolinBattle, if readers
remember him, 'Your Majesty and I cannot take the Battery
ourselves! '), "is probably the second in importance. Loudon,
"cantoned along the Moravian side of the Border, perceives
"that he can assemble 32,000 foot and horse; that the Prus-
"sians are 13,000 plus 6,000; that Silesia can be invaded with
"advantage, were the weather come. And that, in any kind
"of weather, Goltz and his straggle of posts might be swept
"into the interior, perhaps picked up and pocketted alto-
"gether, if Loudon were sharp enough. Swept into the in-
"terior Goltz was; by no means pocketted altogether, as he
"ought to have been!
"March 13th, 1760, Loudon orders general muster here-
"abouts for the 15th, everybody to have two-days bread and
"forage; and warns Goltz, as bound in honour: 'Excellenz,
"tomorrow is March 14th; tomorrow our pleasant time of
"Truce is out,--the more the pity for both of us! ' 'Yea, my
"esteemed neighbour Excellenz! ' answers Goltz, with the
"proper compliments; but judges that his esteemed neigh-
. 'bour is intending mischief almost immediately. Goltz in-
"stantly sends orders to all his posts: 'You, Herr General
"Grant, you at Leobschutz, and all the rest of you, make
"your packages; march without delay; rendezvous at
"Steinau, and Upper-Glogau' (far different from Great-
"Glogau), 'Neisse-ward; swift! ' And would have himself
"gone on the 14th, but could not, -- his poor little Bakery not
"being here, nor wagons for his baggages quite to be col-
lected in a moment, -- and it was Saturday 15th, 5 A. m. , that
"Goltz appointed himself to march.
"The last time we saw General Goltz was on the Green of
"Bautzen, above two years ago, -- when he delivered that
"hard Message to the King's Brother and his party, 'You
"deserve to be tried by Court-martial, and have your heads
"cut off! ' He was of that sad Zittau business of the late
22*
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? 340 FRIEDRICH LIKE TO BE OVERWHELMED. [book XIX.
15th March 17U0.
'Prince of Prussia's, -- Goltz, Winterfeld, Ziethen, Schmet-
"tau and others. Winterfeld and the Prince are both dead;
Schmettau is fallen into disaster; Goltz is still in good
"esteem with the King. A stalwart, swift, flinty kind of
"man, to judge by the Portraits of him; considerable ob-
'stinacy, of a tacitly intelligent kind, in that steady eye, in
"that droop of the eyebrows towards the strong cheek-bones;
'plenty of sleeping fire in Lieutenant-GeneralGoltz.
"His principal force, on this occasion, is one Infantry
"Regiment; Regiment Manteuffel: -- readers perhaps re-
'collect that stout Pommern-Regiment, Manteuffel of Foot,
"and the little Dialogue it had with the King himself, on the
"eve ofLeuthen: 'Good night, then, Fritz! Tomorrow all
'dead, or else the Enemy beaten. ' Their conduct, I have
"heard, was very shining at Leuthen, where everybody
"shone; and since then they have been plunging about
"through the death-element in their old rugged way, -- and
"reemerge here into definite view again, under Lieutenant-
"General Goltz, issuing from the north end of Neustadt, in
"the dim dawn of a cold spring morning, March 15th, 5 A. m. ;
"weather latterly very wet, as I learn. They intend Neisse-
"way, with their considerable stock of baggage-wagons; a
"company of Dragoons is to help in escorting: party perhaps
"about 2,000 in all. Goltz will have his difficulties this day;
"andhas calculated on them. And, indeed, at the first is-
'suing, here they already are.
"Loudon, with about 5,000 horse, -- four Regiments
"drawn up here, and by and by with a fifth (happily not with
"the grenadiers, as he had calculated, who are detained by
"broken bridges, waters all in flood from the rain), -- is
"waiting for him, at the very environs of Neustadt. Loudon,
"by a trumpet, politely invites him to surrender, being so
'outnumbered; Goltz, politely thanking, disregards it, and
"marches on: Loudon escorting, in an ominous way; till, at
"Buchelsdorf,the fifthRegiment (best in the Austrian service)
"isseen drawn out across the highway, plainly intimating,
"No thoroughfare to Goltz andPommern. Loudon sends a
"second trumpet: 'Surrender prisoners; honourablest terms;
"keep all your baggage: refuse, and you are cut down every
"man. ' 'You shall yourself hear the answer,' said Goitz.
'Goltz leads this second trumpet to the front; and', in Pom-
'mern dialect, makes known what GeneralLoudon's proposal
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? CHAP. IX. ] PRELIMINARIES TO A FIFTH CAMPAIGN. 341
15th March 1760.
"is. The Pommerners answer, as one man, a No of such
"emphasis as I have never heard; in terms which are in-
"tensely vernacular, it seems, and which do at this day
"astonish the foreign mind: 'We will for him something,
"Wir wollen ihm was --' But the powers of translation and
"even of typography fail; and feeble paraphrase must give
"it: 'We will for him something ineffable concoct' of a sur-
"prisingly contrary kind! 'Wir wollen ihm was' (with in-
"effable dissyllabic verb governing it)! growled one in-
dignant Pommerner; 'and it ran like file-fire along the
"ranks," says Archenholtz; everybody growling it, andbel-
"lowing it, in fierce bass chorus, as the indubitable vote of
"Pommern in those circumstances.
"Loudon's trumpet withdrew. Pommern formed square
"roundits baggage; Loudon's 5,000 came thundering in, fit
"to break adamant; but met such a storm of bullets from
"Pommern, they stopped about ten paces short, in con-
siderable amazement, and wheeled back. Tried it again,
"stillmore amazement; the like a third time; every time in
"vain. After which, Pommern took the road again, with
"vanguard, rearguard; and had peace for certain miles, --
"Loudon gloomily following, for a new chance. How many
"times Loudon tried again, and ever again, at good places,
"I forget, -- say six times in all. Between Siebenhufen and
"Steinau, in a dirty defile, the jewel of the road for Loudon,
"who tried his very best there, one of our wagons broke
"down; the few to rear of it, eighteen wagons and some
"country carts, had to be left standing. Nothing more of
"Pommern was left there or anywhere. Near Steinau there,
"Loudon gave it up as desperate, and went his way. His
"loss, they say, was 300 killed, 500 wounded; Pommern's
"was 35 killed, and above 100 left wounded or prisoners.
"One of the stiffest day's works I have known: some twelve
"miles of march, in every two an attack. Pommern has
"really concocted something surprising, and kept its pro-
"mise to Loudon! 'Thou knowest what the Pommerners
"can do,' said they once to their own King. An obstinate,
"strong-boned, heavy-browed people; not so stupid as you
"think. More or less of Jutish or Anglish type; highly
"deficient in the graces of speech, and, I should judge, with
"little call to Parliamentary Eloquence. " *
* Preuss, ii. 241 (incorrect in some small points); Archenholtz, n. 61;
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? 342 FRIEDRICH LIKE TO BE OVERWHELMED, [book XIX.
Jan. --April 1700.
Friedrich is, this Year, considered by the generality
of mankind to be ruined: "Lost 60,000 men last Cam-
paign; was beaten twice; his luck is done; what is to
become of him? " say his enemies, and even the im-
partial Gazetteer, with joy or sorrow. Among his own
people there is gloom or censure; hard commentaries
on Maxen: "So self-willed, high, and deaf to counsel
from Prince Henri! " Henri himself, they say, is sullen;
threatening, as he often does, to resign "for want of
health;" and as he quite did, for a while, in the end
of this Campaign, or interval between this and next.
Friedrich has, with incredible diligence, got to-
gether his finance (copper in larger dose than ever,
Jew Ephraim presiding as usual); and, as if by art-
magic, has on their feet 100,000 men against his
enemy's 280,000. Some higher Officers are secretly
in bad spirits; but the men know nothing of discou-
ragement. Friedrich proclaims to them at marching,
"For every cannon you capture, 100 ducats; for every
flag, 50; for every standard (cavalry flag), 40;" --
which sums, as they fell due, were accordingly paid
thenceforth. * But Friedrich, too, is abundantly gloomy,
if that could help him; which he knows well it cannot,
and strictly hides it from all but a few; -- or all but
D'Argens almost alone, to whom it can do no harm.
Read carefully by the light of contemporary occur-
rences, not vaguely, in the vacant haze, as the Editors
give it, his correspondence with D'Argens becomes
interesting almost to a painful degree: an unaffected
picture of one of the bravest human souls, weighed
down with dispiriting labours and chagrins, such as
Seyfarth, n. MO, and Reylagen, n. 657-660; Tompelhof, lv. 8-10; in Anony-
mous of Hamburg (lv. OS), tho Austrian account.
* Stenzel, v. 230, 237; ib. 213.
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? CHAP. IX. ] PRELIMINARIES TO A FIFTH CAMPAIGN. . '543
Jan. --April 1670.
were seldom laid on any man; almost beyond bearing,
but incurable, and demanding to be borne. Wilhel-
mina is away, away; to D'Argens alone of mortals
does he whisper of these things; and to him not weari-
somely, or with the least prolixity, but in short sharp
gusts, seldom now with any indignation, oftenest with
a touch of humour in them, not soliciting any sym-
pathy, nor expecting nearly as much as he will get
from the faithful D'Argens. /
"I am unfortunate and old, dear Marquis; that is
"why they persecute me: God knows what my future is
"to be this Year!
Nov. 1759--March 1760.
ness of his own, as he sauntered on. Did not arrive,
I think, till Summer was at hand, and his dear Old
Friend coming out in vigour.
August 10th, 1759, Ferdinand died; and the same
day Carlos became King of Spain. But, instead of
giving Naples to Don Philip, Carlos gave it to a junior
son of his own; and left poor Philip to content himself
with Parma and Piacenza, as heretofore. Clear against
the rights of Austria; Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle is
perfectly explicit on that point! Will not Austria vindi-
cate its claim? Politicians say, Austria might have
recovered not only Parma and Piacenza, but the king-
dom of Naples itself, -- no France at present able to
hinder it, no Spain ever able. But Austria, contrary
to expectation, would not: a Country tenacious enough
of its rights, real and imaginary; greedy enough of
Italy, but of Silesia much more! The matter was de-
liberated in Council at Vienna; but the result was
magnanimously, No. "Finish this Friedrich first; finish
this Silesia. Nothing else till that! "
The Marischal's legationary function, therefore,
proved a sinecure; no Carlos needing Anti-Austrian
assistance from Friedrich or another; Austria magnan-
imously having let him alone. Doubtless a consider-
able disappointment to Friedrich. Industrious Fried-
rich had tried, on the other side of this affair, Whether the King of Sardinia, once an adventurous fighting
kind of man, could not be stirred up, having interests
involved? But no; he too, grown old, devotional,
apprehensive, held by his rosaries, and answered, No.
Here is again a hope reasonable to look at, but which
proves fallacious.
Marischal continued in Spain, corresponding, send-
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? CHAP. Vm. l MISCELLANEA IN WINTER-QUARTERS. 329
Nov. 1759 --March 1760.
ing news (the Prussian Archives alone know what),
for nearly a couple of years. * His Embassy had one
effect, which is of interest to us here. On his way
out, he had gone by London, with a view of getting
legal absolution for his Jacobitism, -- so far, at least,
as to be able to inherit the Earldom of Kintore, which
is likely to fall vacant soon. By blood it is his, were
the Jacobite incapacities withdrawn. Kintore is a cadet
branch of the Keiths; "John, younger Son of William
Sixth Lord Marischal," was the first Kintore. William
Sixth's younger Son, yes; -- and William's Father, a
man always venerable to me, had (A. d. 1593) founded
Marischal College, Aberdeen, -- where, for a few, in
those stern granite Countries, the Diviner Pursuits are
still possible (thank God and this Keith) on frugal
oatmeal. Marischal-College Keith, or Fifth Lord Mari-
schal, was grandfather's grandfather of our Potsdam
Friend, who is tenth and last. ** Honour to the brave
and noble, now fallen silent under foot not of the
nobler! In a word, the fourth Kintore was about
dying childless; and Marischal had come by London
on that heritage business.
He carried, naturally, the best recommendations.
Britannic Majesty, Pitt, and everybody met him with
welcome and furtherance; what he wished was done,
and in such a style of promptness and cordiality, Pitt
pushing it through, as quite gained the heart of old
Marischal. And it is not doubted, though particulars
have not been published, That he sent important
Spanish notices to Pitt, in these years; -- and espe-
* Returned "April 1762" (Friedrich's Letter to him, "10th April 1762:"
In (Entires de Frederic, xx. 285).
** Douglas's Scotch Peerage, pp. 448 et seq. , 387 et seq.
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? 330 FKIEDRICH LIKE TO BE OVERWHELMED. [book XIX.
Nov. 1759-- March 1760.
cially informed him that King Carlos and the French
Bourbon had signed a Family Compact (15th August
1761), or solemn covenant, to stand by one another as
brothers. Which was thenceforth, to Pitt privately,
an important fact, as perhaps we shall see; though to
other men it was still only a painful rumour and
dubiety. Whether the old Marischal informed him,
That King Carlos hated the English; that he never
had, in his royal mind, forgiven that insult of Com-
modore Martin's (watch laid on the table, in the Bay
of Naples, long ago), I do not know; but that also
was a fact. A diligent, indignant kind of man, this
Carlos, I am told; by no means an undeserving King
of Spain, though his Portraits declare him an ugly:
we will leave him in the discreet Marischal's hands,
with the dear Old Friend shining equally on both. .
Singular to see how, in so veracious an intellect as
Friedrich's, so many fallacies of hope are constantly
entertained. War in Italy, on quarrel with King Carlos;
Peace with France and the Pompadour, by help of
Edelsheim and the Bailli de Froulay; Peace with Rus-
sia and the in fame Catin, by help of English briberies
(Friedrich sent an agent this,winter with plenty of Eng-
lish guineas, but he got no farther than the Frontier, not
allowed even to try): sometimes, as again this winter,
it is hope of Denmark joining him (in alarm against
the Russian views on Holstein; but that, too, comes to
nothing); above all, there is perennially, budding out
yearly, the brighter after every disappointment, a hope
in the Grand Turk and his adherencies. Grand Turk,
or failing him, the Cham of Tartary, -- for certain,
some of these will be got to fasten on the heels of Aus-
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? CHAP. VIII. ] MISCELLANEA IN WINTER-QUARTERS. 331
Nov. 1759--March 1760.
tria, of Russia; and create a favourable diversion?
Friedrich took an immense deal of trouble about this
latter hope. It is almost pathetic to see with what a
fond tenacity he clings to it; and hopes it over again,
every new Spring and Summer. *
The hope that an infdme Catin might die some day
(for she is now deep in chaotic ailments, deepish even
in brandy), seems never to have struck him; at least
there is nowhere any articulate hint of it, -- the eagle-
flight of one's imagination soaring far above such a
pettiness! Hope is very beautiful; and even fallacious
hope, in such a Friedrich. The one hope that did not
deceive him, was hope in his own best exertion to the
very death; and no fallacy ever for a moment slackened
him in that. Stand to thyself: in the wide domain of
Imagination, there is no other certainty of help. No
other certainty; -- and yet who knows through what
pettinesses Heaven may send help!
* Preuss, ii. 121 et seq. , 292 &c. ; Schflning, n. m. passim.
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? 332 FRIEDRICH LIKE TO BE OVERWHELMED. [book XIX.
, Jan. --April 1760.
CHAPTER IX.
PRELIMINARIES TO A FIFTH CAMPAIGN.
It was April 25th before Friedrich quitted Frey-
berg, and took Camp; not till the middle of June that
anything of serious Movement came. Much discourage-
ment prevails in his Army, we hear: and indeed, it
must be owned, the horoscope of these Campaigns
grows yearly darker. Only Friedrich himself must not
be discouraged! Nor is; -- though there seldom lay
ahead of any man a more dangerous-looking Year than
this that is now dimly shaping itself to Friedrich. His
fortune seems to have quitted him; his enemies are
more confident than ever.
This Year, it seems, they have bethought them of
a new device against him. "We have 90 million Po-
pulation," count they; "he has hardly 5; in the end,
he must run out of men! Let us cease exchanging pri-
soners with him. " At Jagerndorf, in April 1758 (just
before our march to Olmiitz), there had been exchange;
not without haggles; but this was the last on Aus-
tria's part. Cartel of the usual kind, values punctually
settled: aFieldmarshal is worth 3,000 common men, or
1,500/. ; Colonel worth 130 men, or 65/. ; common man
is worth lO. s. sterling, not a high figure. * The Rus-
sians haggled still more, no keeping of them to their
word; but they tried it a second time, last year (October
1759); and by careful urging and guiding, were got
dragged through it, and the prisoners on both sides
sent to' their colours again. After which, it was a settled
linejof policy, "No more exchanging or cartelling;
* Archennoltz, u. 53.
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? CHAP. IX. ] PRELIMINARIES TO A FIFTH CAMPAIGN. 333
Jan. --April 1760.
we will starve him out in that article! " And had
Friedrich had nothing but his own 5 millions to go
upon, though these contributed liberally, he had in
truth been starved out. Nor could Saxony, with
Mecklenburg, Anhalt, Erfurt, and their 10,000 men a
year, have supplied him, -- "had not there," says
Archenholtz (a man rather fond of superlatives), --
"Had not there risen a Recruiting system," or Crimping
system, "the like of which for kind and degree was never seen
"in the Earth before. Prisoners, captive soldiers, if at all
"likely fellows, were by every means persuaded, and even
"compelled, to take Prussian service. Compelled, cudgel in
"hand," says Archenholtz (who is too indiscriminating, I can
see, -- for there were Pfalzers, Wiirtembergers, Reichsfolk,
who had first been compelled the other way): "not asked if
"they wished to serve, but dragged to the Prussian colours,
"obliged to swear there, and fight against their countrymen. "
Say at least, against their countrymen's Governors, con-
tumacious Serene Highnesses of Wiirtemberg, Mecklenburg
and the like. Wiirtemberg, we mentioned lately, had to shoot
a good few of his first levy against the Protestant Champion,
before they would march at all! -- I am sorry for these poor
men; and wish the Reich had been what it once was, a Vera-
city and Practical Reality, not an Imaginary Entity and
hideously contemptible Wiggery, as it now is! Contemptible,
and hideous as well; -- setting itself up on that fundamental
mendacity; which is eternally tragical, though little regarded
in these days, and which entails mendacities without end on
parties concerned! -- But, apart from all this, certain it is.
"The whole German Reich was deluged with secret
"PrussianEnlisters. The greater part of these werenot actual
"Officers at all, but hungry Adventurers, who had been
"bargained with, and who, for their own profit, allowed them-
"selves every imaginable art to pick up men. Head and
"centre of them was the Prussian Colonel Colignon," one of
the Free-Corps people; "a man formed by nature for this
"business" (what a beautiful man! ) -- "who gave all the
"others their directions, and taught them by his own example.
"Colignon himself," in winter-time, "travelled about in all
"manner of costumes and characters; persuading hundreds
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? 334 FRIEDRICH LIKE TO BE OVERWHELMED. [book XIX.
Jan. --April 1760.
"of people into the Prussian service. He not only promised
"Commissions, but gave such, --nominating loose young
"fellows (Laffen), students, merchants' clerks and the lite, to
"Lieutenantcies and Captaincies in the Prussian Army"
(about as likely as in the Seraphim and Cherubim, had they
known it): "in the Infantry, in the Cuirassiers, in the Hussars,
"-- it is all one, you have only to choose. The renown of the
"Prussian arms was so universal, and combined with the
"notion of rich booty, that Colignon's Commission-manu-
"factory was continually busy. No need to provide marching-
"money, hand-money (shillings for earnest); "Colignons
"recruits travelled mostly of will, and at their own charge. In
"Franken, in Schwaben, in the Rhine Countries, a dissolute
"son would rob his father, -- as shopmen their masters' tills,
"and managers their cash-boxes, -- and hie off to those
"magnanimous Prussian Officials, who gave away companies
"like kreutzers, and had a value for young fellows of spirit.
"They hastened to Magdeburg with their Commissions; where
"they were received as common recruits, and put by force
"into the regiments suitable. No use in resisting: thecudgel
"and the drill-sergeant," -- who doubts it? -- "till complete
"submission. By this and other methodes, Colignon and his
"helpers are reckoned to have raised for the King, in the
"course of this War, about 60,000 recruits. "*
This Year, Daun, though his reputation is on the
decline lately, is to have the chief command, as usual;
the Grand Army, with Saxony for field of conquest,
and the Reichsfolk to assist, is to be Daun's. But,
what is reckoned an important improvement, Loudon
is to have a separate command, and Army of his own.
Loudon, hot of temper, melancholic, shy, is not a man
to recommend himself to Kriegshofrath people; but no
doubt Imperial Majesty has had her own wise eye on
him. His merits are so undeniable; the need of some
Commander not of the Cunctator type is become so
very pressing. "Army of Silesia, 50,000;" that is to
be Loudon's, 'with 40,000 Russians to cooperate and
* Archenholtz, n. |53.
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? CHAP. IX. ] PRELIMINARIES TO A FIFTH CAMPAIGN. 335
Jan. --April 1760.
unite themselves with Loudon; and try actually for
conquest of Silesia, this Year; while Daun, conquering
Saxony, keeps the King busy.
At Petersburg, Versailles, Vienna, much planning
there has been, and arduous consulting: first at Peters-
burg, in time and in importance, where Montalembert
has again been very urgent in regard to those poor
Swedish people, and the getting of them turned to some
kind of use: "Stettin in conjunction with the Swedes;
oh, listen to reason, and take Stettin! " "Would not
Dantzig by ourselves be the advisable thing? " answers
Soltikof: "Dantzig is an important Town, and the
grand Baltic Haven; and would be so convenient for
our Preussen, since we have determined to maintain
that fine Conquest. " So thinks Czarish Majesty, as
well as Soltikof, privately, though there are difficulties
as to Dantzig; and, in fine, except Colberg over again,
there can be nothing attempted of sieging thereabouts.
A Siege of Colberg, however, there is actually to be:
Second Siege, -- if perhaps it will prove luckier than
the First was, two years since? Naval Armament
Swedish-Russian, specific Land Armament wholly
Russian, are to do this Second Siege, at a favour-
able time; except by wishes, Soltikof will not be con-
cerned in it; nor, it is to be hoped, shall we, -- in
such pressure of haste as is probably ahead for us.
"Silesia would be the place for sieges! " say the
Vienna people always; and Imperial Majesty is very
urgent; and tries all methods, -- eloquence, flatteries,
bribes, -- to bring Petersburg to that view. Which
is at last adopted; heartily by Czarish Majesty, ever
ready for revenge on Friedrich, the more fatal and the
more direct, the better. Heartily by her; not so heartily
by Soltikof and her Army people, who know the Aus-
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? 336 FRIEDRICH LIKE TO BE OVERWHELMED. [book XIX.
21sl Feb. 1760.
trian habits; and privately decide on not picking chest-
nuts from the fire, while the other party's paws keep
idle, and only his jaws are ready.
Of Small-War there is nothing or little to be said;
indeed there occurs almost none. Roving Cossack-
Parties, under one Tottleben, whom we shall hear of
otherwise, infest Pommern, bickering with the Prussian
posts there; not ravaging as formerly, Tottleben being
a civilised kind of man. One of these called at the
Castle of Schwedt, one day; found Prince Eugen of
Wiirtemberg there (nearly recovered of his Kunersdorf
wounds), who is a Son-in-law of the House, married to
a Daughter of Schwedt; -- ancestor of the now Russian
Czars too, had anybody then known it Him, these
Cossacks carried off with them, a march or two; then,
taking his bond for a certain ransom, let him go.
Bond and bond-holder being soon after captured by
the Prussians, Eugen paid no ransom; so that to us
his adventure is without moment, though it then made
some noise among the Gazetteers.
Two other little passages, and only two, we will
mention; which have in themselves a kind of memora-
bility. First, that of General Czetteritz and the Ma-
nuscript he lost. Of posts across the Elbe, I find none
mentionable here, and believe there is none, except
only Czetteritz's; who stands at Cosdorf, well up to-
wards Torgau Country, as sentry over Torgau and the
Towns there. On Czetteritz there was, in February,
an attempt made by the active General Beck, whom
Daun had detached for that object. Extremely success-
ful, according to the Austrian Gazetteers; but in real-
ity amounting to as good as nothing: -- Surprisal of
Czetteritz's first vedette, in the dawn of a misty Fe-
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? CliAP. IX. ] PRELIMINARIES TO A FIFTll CAMPAIGN. 337
21st Feb. 1760.
bruary morning (February 21st, 1760); non-surprisal of
his second, which did give fire and alarm, whereupon debate; and Czetteritz springing into his saddle; retreat of
his people to rearward, with loss of 7 Officers, and 200
prisoners; -- but ending in re-advance, with fresh force,
a few hours after;* in repulse of Beck, in recovery of
Cosdorf, and a general state of As-you-were in that part.
A sputter of Post-War, not now worth mentioning at all,
-- except only for one small circumstance: That in
the careering and swift ordering, such as there was, on
the rearguard especially, Major-General Czetteritz's
horse happened to fall; whereby not only was the Gen-
eral taken prisoner, but his quarters got plundered,
and in his luggage, -- what is the notable circumstance,
-- there was found a small Manuscript, Militairische In-
strukzion fur die Generate, such as every Prussian Gen-
eral has, and is bound to keep religiously secret. **
This, carried to Daun's headquarters, was duly prized,
copied; and in the course of a year came to print, in
many shapes and places; was translated into English,
under the Title, Military Instructions by the King of
Prussia, in 1762 (and again, hardly so well, in 1797);
and still languidly circulates among the studious of our
soldiers. Not a little admired by some of them; and
unfortunately nearly all they seem to know of this
greatest of modern Soldiers. ***
Next, about a month after, we have something to
* Seyfarth, II. 655.
** Stands now in (Euvres deFredeiic, xxvm. 3 et seq. ; 'was finished (the
revisal of it was), by the King, "2d April 1748:" see Preuss, I. 478-480;
and (Euvres de Frederic, xxvm. Preface, for endless indistinct details about
the translations and editions of it. London Edition, 1818, calls itself the
Fifth.
*** See, for example, in Life of General Sir Charles Napier, by his Brother
(London, 1857), Hi. 365 and elsewhere, -- one of the best judges in the world
expressing his joy and admiration on discovery of Friedrich; discovery, if
you read well, which amounts to these Instructions, and no more.
Carlyle, Frederick the Great. XI. 22
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? 338 FRIEDRICH LIKE TO BE OVERWHELMED. [book XIX.
15th March 1760.
report of Loudon from Silesia, or rather of the Enemies
he meets there; for it is not a victorious thing. But it
means a starting of the Campaign by an Austrian in-
vasion of Silesia; long before sieging time, while all
these Montalembert-Soltikof pleadings and counter-
pleadings hang dubious at Petersburg, and Loudon's
"Silesian Army" is still only in a nascent or theoretic
state, and only Loudon himself is in a practical one.
Friedrich has always Fouquet at Landshut, in
charge of the Silesian Frontier; whose outposts, under
Goltz as head of these, stretch, by Neisse, far east-
ward, through the Hills to utmost Mahren; Fouquet's
own headquarter being generally Landshut, the main
gate of the Country. Fouquet, long since, rooted him-
self rather firmly into that important post; has a
beautiful ring of fortified Hills around Landshut;
battery crossing battery, girdling it with sure destruc-
tion, under an expert Fouquet, -- but would require
30,000 men to keep it, instead of 13,000, which is
Fouquet's allotment. Upon whom Loudon is fully in-
tending a stroke this Year. Fouquet, as we know, has
strenuously managed to keep ward there for a twelve-
month past; in spite, often enough, of new violent in-
vadings and attemptings (violent, miscellaneous, but
intermittent) by the Devilles and others; -- and always
under many difficulties of his own, and vicissitudes in
his employment: a Fouquet coming and going, waxing
and waning, according to the King's necessities, and to
the intermittency or constancy of pressures on Landshut.
Under Loudon, this Year, Fouquet will have harder
times than ever; -- in the end, too hard! But will re-
sist, judge how, by the following small sample:
"Besides Fouquet and his 13,000," says my Note, "the
"Silesian Garrisons are all vigilant, are or ought to be; and
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? CUAP. IX. ] PRELIMINARIES TO A FIFTH CAMPAIGN. 339
15th March 1760.
"there are far eastward of him, for guarding of the Jiigern-
"dorf-Troppau Border, some 4 or 6,000, scattered about,
"under Lieutenant-General Goltz, in various Hills Posts, --
"the chief Post of which, Goltz's own, is the little Town of
"Neustadt, northward of Jagerndorf" (where we have, bil-
letted in the Old Silesian Wars): "Goltz's Neustadt is the
"chief; and Leobschutz, south-westward of it, under' General
"Le Grand'" (once the Major Grant of KolinBattle, if readers
remember him, 'Your Majesty and I cannot take the Battery
ourselves! '), "is probably the second in importance. Loudon,
"cantoned along the Moravian side of the Border, perceives
"that he can assemble 32,000 foot and horse; that the Prus-
"sians are 13,000 plus 6,000; that Silesia can be invaded with
"advantage, were the weather come. And that, in any kind
"of weather, Goltz and his straggle of posts might be swept
"into the interior, perhaps picked up and pocketted alto-
"gether, if Loudon were sharp enough. Swept into the in-
"terior Goltz was; by no means pocketted altogether, as he
"ought to have been!
"March 13th, 1760, Loudon orders general muster here-
"abouts for the 15th, everybody to have two-days bread and
"forage; and warns Goltz, as bound in honour: 'Excellenz,
"tomorrow is March 14th; tomorrow our pleasant time of
"Truce is out,--the more the pity for both of us! ' 'Yea, my
"esteemed neighbour Excellenz! ' answers Goltz, with the
"proper compliments; but judges that his esteemed neigh-
. 'bour is intending mischief almost immediately. Goltz in-
"stantly sends orders to all his posts: 'You, Herr General
"Grant, you at Leobschutz, and all the rest of you, make
"your packages; march without delay; rendezvous at
"Steinau, and Upper-Glogau' (far different from Great-
"Glogau), 'Neisse-ward; swift! ' And would have himself
"gone on the 14th, but could not, -- his poor little Bakery not
"being here, nor wagons for his baggages quite to be col-
lected in a moment, -- and it was Saturday 15th, 5 A. m. , that
"Goltz appointed himself to march.
"The last time we saw General Goltz was on the Green of
"Bautzen, above two years ago, -- when he delivered that
"hard Message to the King's Brother and his party, 'You
"deserve to be tried by Court-martial, and have your heads
"cut off! ' He was of that sad Zittau business of the late
22*
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? 340 FRIEDRICH LIKE TO BE OVERWHELMED. [book XIX.
15th March 17U0.
'Prince of Prussia's, -- Goltz, Winterfeld, Ziethen, Schmet-
"tau and others. Winterfeld and the Prince are both dead;
Schmettau is fallen into disaster; Goltz is still in good
"esteem with the King. A stalwart, swift, flinty kind of
"man, to judge by the Portraits of him; considerable ob-
'stinacy, of a tacitly intelligent kind, in that steady eye, in
"that droop of the eyebrows towards the strong cheek-bones;
'plenty of sleeping fire in Lieutenant-GeneralGoltz.
"His principal force, on this occasion, is one Infantry
"Regiment; Regiment Manteuffel: -- readers perhaps re-
'collect that stout Pommern-Regiment, Manteuffel of Foot,
"and the little Dialogue it had with the King himself, on the
"eve ofLeuthen: 'Good night, then, Fritz! Tomorrow all
'dead, or else the Enemy beaten. ' Their conduct, I have
"heard, was very shining at Leuthen, where everybody
"shone; and since then they have been plunging about
"through the death-element in their old rugged way, -- and
"reemerge here into definite view again, under Lieutenant-
"General Goltz, issuing from the north end of Neustadt, in
"the dim dawn of a cold spring morning, March 15th, 5 A. m. ;
"weather latterly very wet, as I learn. They intend Neisse-
"way, with their considerable stock of baggage-wagons; a
"company of Dragoons is to help in escorting: party perhaps
"about 2,000 in all. Goltz will have his difficulties this day;
"andhas calculated on them. And, indeed, at the first is-
'suing, here they already are.
"Loudon, with about 5,000 horse, -- four Regiments
"drawn up here, and by and by with a fifth (happily not with
"the grenadiers, as he had calculated, who are detained by
"broken bridges, waters all in flood from the rain), -- is
"waiting for him, at the very environs of Neustadt. Loudon,
"by a trumpet, politely invites him to surrender, being so
'outnumbered; Goltz, politely thanking, disregards it, and
"marches on: Loudon escorting, in an ominous way; till, at
"Buchelsdorf,the fifthRegiment (best in the Austrian service)
"isseen drawn out across the highway, plainly intimating,
"No thoroughfare to Goltz andPommern. Loudon sends a
"second trumpet: 'Surrender prisoners; honourablest terms;
"keep all your baggage: refuse, and you are cut down every
"man. ' 'You shall yourself hear the answer,' said Goitz.
'Goltz leads this second trumpet to the front; and', in Pom-
'mern dialect, makes known what GeneralLoudon's proposal
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? CHAP. IX. ] PRELIMINARIES TO A FIFTH CAMPAIGN. 341
15th March 1760.
"is. The Pommerners answer, as one man, a No of such
"emphasis as I have never heard; in terms which are in-
"tensely vernacular, it seems, and which do at this day
"astonish the foreign mind: 'We will for him something,
"Wir wollen ihm was --' But the powers of translation and
"even of typography fail; and feeble paraphrase must give
"it: 'We will for him something ineffable concoct' of a sur-
"prisingly contrary kind! 'Wir wollen ihm was' (with in-
"effable dissyllabic verb governing it)! growled one in-
dignant Pommerner; 'and it ran like file-fire along the
"ranks," says Archenholtz; everybody growling it, andbel-
"lowing it, in fierce bass chorus, as the indubitable vote of
"Pommern in those circumstances.
"Loudon's trumpet withdrew. Pommern formed square
"roundits baggage; Loudon's 5,000 came thundering in, fit
"to break adamant; but met such a storm of bullets from
"Pommern, they stopped about ten paces short, in con-
siderable amazement, and wheeled back. Tried it again,
"stillmore amazement; the like a third time; every time in
"vain. After which, Pommern took the road again, with
"vanguard, rearguard; and had peace for certain miles, --
"Loudon gloomily following, for a new chance. How many
"times Loudon tried again, and ever again, at good places,
"I forget, -- say six times in all. Between Siebenhufen and
"Steinau, in a dirty defile, the jewel of the road for Loudon,
"who tried his very best there, one of our wagons broke
"down; the few to rear of it, eighteen wagons and some
"country carts, had to be left standing. Nothing more of
"Pommern was left there or anywhere. Near Steinau there,
"Loudon gave it up as desperate, and went his way. His
"loss, they say, was 300 killed, 500 wounded; Pommern's
"was 35 killed, and above 100 left wounded or prisoners.
"One of the stiffest day's works I have known: some twelve
"miles of march, in every two an attack. Pommern has
"really concocted something surprising, and kept its pro-
"mise to Loudon! 'Thou knowest what the Pommerners
"can do,' said they once to their own King. An obstinate,
"strong-boned, heavy-browed people; not so stupid as you
"think. More or less of Jutish or Anglish type; highly
"deficient in the graces of speech, and, I should judge, with
"little call to Parliamentary Eloquence. " *
* Preuss, ii. 241 (incorrect in some small points); Archenholtz, n. 61;
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? 342 FRIEDRICH LIKE TO BE OVERWHELMED, [book XIX.
Jan. --April 1700.
Friedrich is, this Year, considered by the generality
of mankind to be ruined: "Lost 60,000 men last Cam-
paign; was beaten twice; his luck is done; what is to
become of him? " say his enemies, and even the im-
partial Gazetteer, with joy or sorrow. Among his own
people there is gloom or censure; hard commentaries
on Maxen: "So self-willed, high, and deaf to counsel
from Prince Henri! " Henri himself, they say, is sullen;
threatening, as he often does, to resign "for want of
health;" and as he quite did, for a while, in the end
of this Campaign, or interval between this and next.
Friedrich has, with incredible diligence, got to-
gether his finance (copper in larger dose than ever,
Jew Ephraim presiding as usual); and, as if by art-
magic, has on their feet 100,000 men against his
enemy's 280,000. Some higher Officers are secretly
in bad spirits; but the men know nothing of discou-
ragement. Friedrich proclaims to them at marching,
"For every cannon you capture, 100 ducats; for every
flag, 50; for every standard (cavalry flag), 40;" --
which sums, as they fell due, were accordingly paid
thenceforth. * But Friedrich, too, is abundantly gloomy,
if that could help him; which he knows well it cannot,
and strictly hides it from all but a few; -- or all but
D'Argens almost alone, to whom it can do no harm.
Read carefully by the light of contemporary occur-
rences, not vaguely, in the vacant haze, as the Editors
give it, his correspondence with D'Argens becomes
interesting almost to a painful degree: an unaffected
picture of one of the bravest human souls, weighed
down with dispiriting labours and chagrins, such as
Seyfarth, n. MO, and Reylagen, n. 657-660; Tompelhof, lv. 8-10; in Anony-
mous of Hamburg (lv. OS), tho Austrian account.
* Stenzel, v. 230, 237; ib. 213.
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? CHAP. IX. ] PRELIMINARIES TO A FIFTH CAMPAIGN. . '543
Jan. --April 1670.
were seldom laid on any man; almost beyond bearing,
but incurable, and demanding to be borne. Wilhel-
mina is away, away; to D'Argens alone of mortals
does he whisper of these things; and to him not weari-
somely, or with the least prolixity, but in short sharp
gusts, seldom now with any indignation, oftenest with
a touch of humour in them, not soliciting any sym-
pathy, nor expecting nearly as much as he will get
from the faithful D'Argens. /
"I am unfortunate and old, dear Marquis; that is
"why they persecute me: God knows what my future is
"to be this Year!
