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? CHAP. W. ] MOLDATJ CONQUESTS'NOT MAINTAINABLE. 65
36th Not 16th Dec. 1744.
the world knows little about it; the world, if it did
know, would be partly in the right! " -- Wise is he
who, when beaten, learns the reasons of it, and alters
these. This wisdom, it must be owned, is Friedrich's;
and much distinguishes him among generals and men.
Veracity of mind, as I say, loyal eyesight superior to
sophistries; noble incapacity of self-delusion, the root
of all good qualities in man. His epilogue to this
Campaign is remarkable; -- too long for quoting here,
except the first word of it and the last:
"No general committed more faults than did the
"King in this Campaign. * * The conduct of M.
"de Traun is a model of perfection, which every soldier
"that loves his business ought to study, and try to
"imitate, if he have the talent. The King has him-
"self admitted that he regarded this Campaign as his
"school in the Art of War, and M. de Traun as his "teacher. " But what shall we say? "Bad is often
"better for Princes than good; -- and instead of in-
"toxicating them with presumption, renders them cir-
"cumspect and modest. "* Let us still hope! --
* (Euvres, m. 76, 77.
Carlyle, Frederick the Great. VIU.
5
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? 66
[book XV. Dec. 1744.
SECOND SILESIAN WAR.
CHAPTER V.
FRIEDRICH, UNDER DD? FICULTD3S, PREPARES FOR A NEW
CAMPAIGN.
To the Court of Vienna, especially to the Hungarian
Majesty, this wonderful reconquest of Bohemia, without
battle fought, -- or any cause assignable but Traun's
excellent manoeuvering and Friedrich's imprudences
and trust in the French, -- was a thing of heavenly
miracle; blessed omen that Providence had vouchsafed
to her prayers the recovery of Silesia itself. All the
world was crowing over Friedrich: but her Majesty of
Hungary's views had risen to a clearly higher pitch of
exultation and triumphant hope, terrestrial and celestial,
than any other living person's. "Silesia back again,"
that was now the hope and resolution of her Majesty's
high heart: "My wicked neighbour shall be driven out,
and smart dear for the ill he has done; Heaven so
wills it! " "Very little uplifts the Austrians," says
Valori; which is true, under such a Queen; "and yet
"there is nothing that can crush them altogether down,"
adds he.
No sooner is Bohemia cleared of Friedrich, than
Maria, winter as it is, orders that there be, through
the Giant-Mountains, vigorous assault upon Silesia.
Highland snows and ices, what are these to Pandour
people, who, at their first entrance on the scene of
History, "crossed the Palus-Mseotis itself" (Father of
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? CHAP, v. ] PREPARING FOR A NEW CAMPAIGN. 67
8d Dec. 1744.
Quagmires, so to speak) "in a frozen state," and were
sufficiently accommodated each in his own dirty sheepskin? "Prosecute the King of Prussia," ordered
she; "take your winter-quarters in Silesia;" -- and
Traun, in spite of the advanced season, and prior
labours and hardships, had to try, from the south-
western Bohemian side, what he could do; while a
new Insurrection, coming through the Jablunka, spread
itself over the south-east and east. Seriously invasive
multitudes; which were an unpleasant surprise to
Friedrich; and did, as we shall see, require to be
smitten back again, and re-smitten; -- making a very
troublesome winter to the Prussians and themselves;
but by no means getting winter-quarters, as they once
hoped.
In a like sense, Maria Theresa had already (De-
cember 2d) sent forth her Manifesto or Patent, so-
lemnly apprising her ever-faithful Silesian Populations,
"That the Treaty of Breslau, not by her fault, is
broken; palpably a Treaty no longer. That they,
accordingly, are absolved from all oaths and allegiance
to the King of Prussia; and shall hold themselves in
readiness to swear anew to her Majesty, which will be
a great comfort to such faithful creatures; suffering,
as her Majesty explains to them that they have done,
under Prussian tyranny for these two years past. Im-
mediate dead-lift effort there shall be; that is certain;
and 'the Almighty God assisting, who does not leave
'such injustices unpunished, We have the fixed Chris-
'tian hope, Omnipotence blessing our arms, of almost
'immediately (ehestens) delivering you from this tem-
'porary Bondage (bisherigen Jock)? You can pray, in
the mean while, for the success of her Majesty's arms;
5*
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? 68
[book XV. Dec. 1744.
SECOND SILESIAN WAR.
good fighting, aided by prayer, in a Cause clearly
Heaven's, will now, to appearance bring matters swiftly
round again, to the astonishment and confusion of bad
men. "*
These are her Majesty's views; intensely true,
I jdoubt not, to her devout heart. Robinson and the
English seem not to be enthusiastic in that direction;
as indeed how can they? They would fain be tender
of Silesia, which they have guaranteed; fain, now and
afterwards, restrain her Majesty from driving at such
a pace down hill: but the declivity is so encouraging,
her Majesty is not to be restrained, and goes faster
and faster for the time being. And indeed, under less
devout forms, the general impression, among Pragmatic
people, Saxon, Austrian, British even, was, That Fried-
rich had pretty much ruined himself, and deserved to
do so; that this of his being mere "Auxiliary" to a
Kaiser in distress was an untenable pretext, now justly
fallen bankrupt upon him. The evident fact, That he
had by his "Frankfurt Union," and struggles about
"union," reopened the door for French tribulations
and rough-ridings in the Reich, was universally dis-
tasteful; all chance of a "general union of German
Princes, in aid of their Kaiser," was extinct for the
present.
Friedrich's rapidity had served him ill with the
Public, in this as in some other instances! Friedrich,
contemplating his situation, not self-delusively, but with
the candour of real remorse, was by no means yet
aware how very bad it was. For six months coming,
partly as existing facts better disclosed themselves,
* In Helden-Geschichte, n. 1194-1198; lb. 1201-1206, is Friedrich's
Answer, "19th December 1744. "
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? CHAP, v. ] PREPARING FOR A NEW CAMPAIGN. 69
Dec. 1744.
as France, Saxony and others showed what spirit they
were of; partly as new sinister events and facts arrived
one after the other, -- his outlook continued to darken
and darken, till it had become very dark indeed.
There is perennially the great comfort, immense if you
can manage it, of making front against misfortune; of
looking it frankly in the face, and doing with a re-
solution, hour by hour, your own utmost against it.
Friedrich never lacked that comfort; and was not heard
complaining. But from December 13th, 1744, when he
hastened home to Berlin, under such aspects, till June
4th, 1745, when aspects suddenly changed, are probably
the worst six months Friedrich had yet had in the world.
During which, his affairs all threatening to break down
about him, he himself, behoving to stand firm if the
worst was not to realise itself, had to draw largely on
what silent courage, or private inexpugnability of mind,
was in him, -- a larger instalment of that royal quality
(as I compute) than the Fates had ever hitherto de-
manded of him. Ever hitherto; though perhaps nothing
like the largest of all, which they had upon their Books
for him, at a farther stage! As will be seen. For he
was greatly drawn upon in that way, in his time. And
he paid always; no man in his Century so well; few
men, in any Century, better. As perhaps readers may
be led to guess or acknowledge, on surveying and con-
sidering. To see, and sympathetically recognise, cannot
be expected of modern readers, in the present great
distance, and changed conditions of men and things.
Friedrich, after despatching Nassau to cut out Ein-
siedel, had delivered the Silesian Army to the Old
Dessauer, who is to command in chief during Winter;
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? 70
SECOND SILESIAN WAR. [book XV.
19th Dec. 1744.
and had then hastened to Berlin, -- many things there
urgently requiring his presence; preparations, repara-
tions, not to speak of diplomacies, and what was the
heaviest item of all, new finance for the coming exer-
tions. In Schweidnitz, on Leopold's appearance, there
had been an interview, due consultings, orderings;
which done, Friedrich at once took the road; and was
at Berlin, Monday December 14th, -- precisely in the
time while Nassau and Einsiedel were marching with
torch-lights in Rubezahl's Country, and near ending
their difficult enterprise better or worse.
Friedrich, fastening eagerly on Home business, is
astonished and provoked to learn that the Austrians,
not content with pushing him out of Bohmen, are them-
selves pushing into Schlesien, -- so Old Leopold reports,
with increasing emphasis day by day; to whom Fried-
rich sends impatient order: Hurl them out again, gather
what force you need, ten thousand, or were it twenty
or thirty thousand, and be immediate about it; "I will
"as soon be pitched (herausgeschmissen) out of the Mark
"of Brandenburg as out of Schlesien:" no delay, I tell
you! And as the Old Dessauer still explains that the
ten or fifteen thousand he needs are actually assembling,
and cannot be got on march quite in a moment, Fried-
rich dashes away his incipient Berlin Operations; will
go himself and do it. Haggle no more, you tedious
Old Dessauer:
Berlin, "19th December" 1744. -- "On the 21st" (Monday,
one week after my arriving), "I leave Berlin, and mean to be
"at Neisse on the 24th at latest. Your Serenity will in the
"interim make out the Order-of-Battle" (which is also Order-
of-March) "for what regiments are come in. For I will, on
"the 25th, without delay, cross the Neisse, and attack those
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? CHAP, v. ] PREPARING FOR A NEW CAMPAIGN. 71
19th Dec. 1744-- 21st Feb. 1745.
"people, cost what it may, -- to chase them out of Schlesien
"andG-latz, and follow them so far as possible. Your Serenity
"will therefore take your measures, and provide everything,
"so far as in this short time you can, that the project may be
"executable the moment I arrive. "*
And rushed off accordingly, in a somewhat flamy
humour; but at Schweidnitz, where the Old Dessauer
met him again, became convinced that the matter was
weightier than he thought; not one of Tolpatchery alone,
but had Traun himself in it. Upon which Friedrich
candidly drew bridle; hastened back, and, with a loss
of four days, was at his Potsdam Affairs again. To
which he stuck henceforth, ardently, and I think rather
with increase of gloom, though without spurt of im-
patience farther, for three months to come. Before his
return, -- nay, had he known, it was the night before
he went away, -- a strange little thing had happened
in the opposite or Western parts: surprising accident
to Mare'chal de Belleisle; which now lies waiting his
immediate consideration. But let us finish Silesia first.
Old Dessauer repels the Silesian Invasion (Winter 1744-5). "
"This Silesian Affair includes due inroad of Pandours; or
"indeed two inroads, south-west and south-east; and in the
"south-west, or Traun quarter, regulars are the main element
"ofit. Traun, 20,000 strong, plus stormy enoughPandour
"accompaniment, is by this time through into Glatz; in three
"columns; -- is master of all Glatz, except the Rock-Fortress
"itself; and has spread himself, right and left, along the
"Neisse River, and from the south-west northwards, in a skil-
"ful and dangerous manner. In concert with whom, far to
"the east, are Pandour whirlwinds on their own footing
"(brand-new 'Insurrection' of them, got thus far), starting
* Friedrich to the Old Dessauer (Orlich, u. 356).
1
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? 72
SECOND SILBSIAN WAR. [book XV.
19th Dec. 1744 --21st Feb. 1745.
"from Olmiitz andBriinn; scouring that eastern country, as
"far as Namslau northward" (a place we were at the taking
of, in old Brieg times); "much more, infesting the Mountains
"of the South. A rather serious thing; with Traun for
"general manager of it. "
With Traun, we say: Poor Prince Karl is off, weeks ago;
on the saddest of errands. His beautiful young Wife, --
Hungarian Majesty's one Sister, Vice-Regents of the Nether-
lands he and she, conspicuous among the bright couples of
the world, -- she had a bad lying-in (child still-born), while
those grand Moldau Operations went on; has been ill, poor
lady, ever since; and, at Brussels, on December 16th, she
herself lies dead, Prince Karl weeping over her and the days
that will not return. Prince Karl's felicities, private and
public, had been at their zenith lately, which was very high
indeed; but go on declining from this day. Never more the
Happiest of Husbands (did not wed again at all); still less the
Greatest of Captains, equal or superior to Oassar in the
Gazetteer judgment, with distracted Eulogies, Biographies,
and such-like, filling the air: before long, a War-Captain of
quite moderate renown; which we shall see sink gradually
into no renown at all, and even (unjustly) into minus quanti-
ties, before all end. A mad world, my masters! --
"Between Traun on the south-west hand, and his Pan-
"dours on the south-east, the small Prussian posts have all
"been driven in upon Troppau-Jagerndorf region; more and
"more narrowed there; -- and, in fine (two days before this
"new Interview of Leopold and the impatient King at
"Schweidnitz), have had to quit the Troppau-Jagerndorf
"position; to quit the Hills altogether, and are now in full
"march towards Brieg. Of which march I should say
"nothing, were it not that Marwitz, Father of Wilhelmina s
"giggling Marwitzes, commanded; -- and came by his death
"in the course of it; though our Wilhelmina is not now there,
"pen in hand, to tell us what the effects at Baireuth were.
"Marwitz had been left for dead on the Field of Mollwitz;
"lay so all night, but was nursed to some kind of strength
"againby those giggling young women; and came back to
"Schlesien, to posts of chief trust, for the last year or two, --
"was guarding the Mountains, and even invading Mahren,
"during the late Campaign; -- but saw himself reduced
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? CHAP, v. ] PREPARING FOR A NEW CAMPAIGN. 73
19th Dec. 1744--Slit Feb. 1745.
"latterly to Jagerndorf and Troppau; and had even to retreat
"outof these. And in the whirlpool of hurries thereupon, --
"how is not very clear; by apoplexy, say some; by accidental
"pistol from a servant of his own; in actual skirmish with
"Pandours, -- too certainly, one way or the other, on Decem-
"ber23d (just during that second Interview at Schweidnitz),
"brave oldMarwitz did suddenly sink dead, and is ended. *
"Even so, ye poor giggling creatures, and your loud weeping
"will not mend it at all!
"Friedrich, looking candidly into these phenomena, could
"not but see that, what with Tolpatcheries, what withTraun's
"20,000 regulars, and the whole Army at their back, his
"Silesian Border is girt in by a very considerable inroad of
"Austrians, -- huge Chain of them, in horse-shoe form, 300
"miles long, pressing in; from beyond Glatz and Landshut,
"round by the southern Mountains, and up eastward again as
"far asNamslau, nothing but war whirlwinds in regular or
"irregular form, in the centre of them Traun; -- and that the
"Old Dessauer really must have time to gird himself for deal-
"ing with Traun and them.
"It was not till January 9th that Old Leopold, 25,000
"strong, equipped to his mind, which was a difficult matter,
"crossed the Neisse River; and marched direct upon Traun,
"with Ziethen charging ahead. Actually marched; after
"which the main wrestle was done in a week. January 16th,
"Old Leopold got to Jagerndorf; found the actual Traun
"concentrated at Jagerndorf; and drew up, to be ready for
"assault tomorrow morning, -- had not Traun, candidly
"computing, judged it better to glide wholly away in the
"night-time, diligently towards Mahren, breaking the bridges
"behind him. And so, in effect, to give up the Silesian In-
"vasion for this time. After which, though there remained a
"good deal of rough tusselling with Pandour details, and
"some rugged exploits of fight, there is, -- except that of
"Lehwald in clearing of Glatz, -- nothing farther that we
"can afford to speak of. Lehwald's exploit, Lehwald versus
"Wallis (same Wallis who defended Glogau long since),
"which came to be talked of, and got name and date, 'Action
? Helden-Geschichte, n. 1201.
? ?
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? 74 SECOND SILESIAN WAR. [book XV.
19th Dec. 1744--21st Feb. 1745.
"'of Habelschwert, February 14th,' something almost like a
"pitched fight on the small scale, is to the following effect:
"Plommtz, near Habelschwert, 14th February 1745. Old
"General Lehwald, marching in the hollow ground near
"Habelschwert (hollow of the young Neisse River, twenty
"miles south of Glatz), with intent to cut that Country free;
"the Enemy, whom he is in search of, appears in great force,
"--posted on the uphill ground ahead, half-frozen difficult
"stream in front of them, cannon on flank, Pandour multitude
"in woods; all things betokening inexpugnability on the
"part of the Enemy. So that Lehwald has to take his
"measures; study well where the vital point is, the root of that
"extensive Austrian junglery, and cut in upon the same. By
"considerable fire of effort, the uphill ground, half-frozen
"stream, sylvan Pandours, cannon-batteries, and what in-
"expugnabilities there maybe, are subdued; Austrian wide
"junglery, the root of it slit asunder, rolls homeward simul-
"taneously, not too fast: nay it halted and re-ranked itself
"twice over, finding woods and quaggy runlets to its mind;
"but was always slit out again, disrooted, and finally tum-
"bledhome, having had enough. 'Wenzel Wallis,' Fried-
"rich asserts with due scorn, 'was all this while in a Chapel;
"'praying ardently,' to St. Vitus, or one knows not whom;
"' without effect; till they shouted to him, ""Beaten,Sir! Off,
"'or you are lost! "" upon which he sprang to saddle, and
"' spurred with both heels (piqua ties deux). '* That was the
"feat of Lehwald, clearing the Glatz Country with one good
"cut: a skilful Captain; now getting decidedly oldish, close
"onsixty; whom we shall meet again a dozen years hence,
"still in harness.
"The old Serene Highness himself, face the colour of
"gunpowder, and bluer in the winter frost, went rushing far
"and wide in an open vehicle, which he called his 'cart;'
"pushing out detachments, supervising everything; wheeling
"hither and thither as needful; sweeping out the Pandour
"world, and keeping it out: not much of fighting needed, but
"'a great deal of marching' (murmurs Friedrich), 'which in
"' winter is as bad, and wears down the force of the battalions. '
Of all which we give no detail: sufficient to fancy, "in this
? (Evvres de Fredenc, in. 79, 80.
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? CHAP. V. ] PREPARING FOR A NEW CAMPAIGN. 75
19th Dec. 1744 -- 21st Feb. 1745.
"manner, the OldDessauer flapping his wide military wings
"in the faces of the Pandour hordes, with here and there a
"hard twitch from beak or claws; tolerably keeping down
"the Pandour interest all Winter. His sons, Leopold and
"Dietrich, were under him, occasionally beside him; the
"Junior Leopold so worn down with feverish gout he could
"hardly sit on horseback at all, while old Papa went tearing
"about in his cart at that rate. " *
There was, on the 21st of February, Te-deum sung
in the Churches of Berlin "for the Deliverance of Sile-
sia from Invasion. " Not that, even yet, the Pandours
would be quite quiet, or allow Old Leopold to quit his
cart; far from it. And they returned in such increased
and tempestuous state, as will again require mention,
with the earliest Spring: -- precursors to a second, far
more serious and deadly "Invasion of Silesia;" for
which it hangs yet on the balance whether there will
be a Te-deum or a Miserere to sing!
Hungarian Majesty, disappointed of Silesia, --
which, it seems, is not to be had "all at once (ehestens),"
in the form of miracle, -- makes amends by a rush
upon Seckendorf and Bavaria; attacks Seckendorf
furiously ("Bathyani pressing up the Donau Valley,
"with Browne on one hand, and Barenklau on the
"other") in mid-winter; and makes a terrible hand of
him; reducing his "Reconquest of Bavaria" to nothing
again, nay to less. Of which in due time.
* Unlernehmung in Ober-Schlesicn, unter ilem Fiirsten Leopold von An-
halt-Dessau, im Januar und Februar 1745 (Seyfarth, Beytrdge, I. 141-152);
Stenzel, it. 282; &c.
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? 76
SECOND SILESIAN WAR. [book XV.
20th Dec. 1744.
The French fully intend to behave better next Season to
Friedrich and their German Allies; -- but are pre-
vented by various Accidents (November 1744 -- April
1745; April -- August 1745).
It is not divine miracle, Friedrich knows well, that
has lost him his late Bohemian Conquests without
battle fought: it was rash choosing of a plan inexecut-
able without French cooperation, -- culpable blindness
to the chance that France would break its promises,
and not cooperate. Had your Majesty forgotten the
Joint-Stock Principle, then? His Majesty has sorrow-
ful cause to remember it, from this time, on a still
larger scale!
Reflections, indignant or exculpatory, on the con-
duct of the French in this Business are useless to
Friedrich, and to us. The performance, on their part,
has been nearly the worst; -- though their intentions,
while the Austrian Dragon had them by the throat,
were doubtless enthusiastically good! But, the big
Austrian Dragon being jerked away from Elsass, by
Friedrich's treading on his tail, 500 miles off, they
were charmed, quite into new enthusiasm, to be rid of
said Dragon: and, instead of chasing him according to
bargain, took to destroying his Den, that he might be
harmless thenceforth. Freyburg is a captured Town,
to the joy and glory of admiring France; and Friedrich's
Campaign has gone the road we see! The Freyburg
Illuminations having burnt out, there might rise, in
the triumphant mind, some thought of Friedrich again,
-- perhaps almost of a remorseful nature? Certain it
is, the French intentions are now again magnanimous,
more so than ever; coupled now with some attempts
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? CHAP, v. ] PREPARING FOR A NEW CAMPAIGN. 77
20th Dec. 1744.
at fulfilment, too; which obliges us to mention them
here. They were still a matter of important hope to
Friedrich; hope which did not quite go out till August
coming. Though, alas, it did then go out, in gusts of
indignation on Friedrich's part! And as the whole of
these magnanimous French intentions, latter like
former, again came to zero, we are interested only in
rendering them conceivable to readers for Friedrich's
sake, -- with the more brevity, the better for every-
body. Two grand French Attempts there were; listen,
on the threshold, a little:
* * "It is certain the French intend gloriously; regard-
"less of expense. They are dismantling Freyburg, to render
"it harmless henceforth. But, withal, in answer to the poor
"Kaiser's shrieks, they have sentSe'gur" (our oldLinzfriend),
"with 12,000, to assist Seckendorf; 'the bravest troops in the
"'world,'" -- who did bravely take one beating (atPfaffen-
hofen, as will be seen), and go home again. "They have
"Coigny guarding those fine Brisgau Conquests. And are
"furthermore diplomatising diligently, not to say truculently,
"in the Rhine Countries; bullying poor little fat Kur-Trier,
"lean Kur-Koln, and others, 'To join the Frankfurt Union'
"(not one of whom would, under menace), -- though 'it is
"'the clear duty of all Reich's-Princes with a Kaiser under
"'oppression:' -- and have marched Maillebois, directly
"after Freyburg, into the Middle-Rhine Countries, toKoln
"Country, to Mainz Country, and to and fro, in support of
"said compulsory diplomacies;--but without the least effect. "
To the "Middle-Rhine Countries," observe, and under
Maillebois, then under Conti, little matter under whom:
only let readers recollect the name of it; -- for it is the First
of the French Attempts to do something of a joint-stock na-
ture; something for self and Allies, instead of for self only.
It caused great alarm in those months, to Britannic George
and others; and brought out poor Due d'Ahremberg with
portions (no English included) of the poor Pragmatic Army,
to go marching about in the winter-slushes, instead of resting
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? 78 SECOND SILESIAN WAR. [book XV.
20th Dec. 1744.
in bed,* -- and is indeed a very loud business in the old
Gazettes and books, till August coming. Business which
almost broke poor D'Ahremberg's heart, Tie says, "till once
I got out of it (was turned out, in fact): Business of Pragma-
tic Army, under D'Ahremberg, versus Middle-Rhine Army
under Maillebois, under Conti; Business now wholly of Zero
versus Zero to us,--except for a few dates and reflex glimmer-
ings upon King Friedrich. Result otherwise -- We shall see
the result!
"Attempt Second was still more important to Friedrich;
"being directed upon the Kaiser and Bavaria. Belleisle is to
"go thither and take survey; Belleisle thither first: you may
"judge if the intention is sincere! Valori is quite eloquent
"upon it. Directly after Freyburg, says he, Sechelles, that
"first of Commissaries, was sent to Miinchen. Se'chelles
"cleared up the chaos of Accounts; which King Louis then
"instantly paid. 'Your Imperial Majesty shallhave Maga-
"'zines also,' said Louis, regardless of expense; 'and your
"'Army, with auxiliaries (Segur and 25,000 of them French),
"'shall be raised to 60,000. ' Belleisle then came: 'We will
"'havelngolstadt, the first thing, in Spring. ' Alas, Belle-
isle "had his Accident in the Harz; and all went aback, from
"that time. "** Aback, too indisputably, all! --'And Belle-
isle's Accident? ' Patience, readers.
"The truth is, Attempt Second, and chief, broke down at
"once" (Bathyani beating it to pieces, as will be seen),--
"the ruins of it painfully reacting on Attempt First; which
"had the like fate some months later; -- and there was no
"Third made. And in fact from the date of that latter down-
"break, August, or end of July; 1745" (and quite especially
from 'September 13th,' by which time several irrevocable
things had happened, which we shall hear of), "the French
"withdrew altogether out of German entanglements; and
"concentrated themselves upon the Netherlands, there to de-
"molish his Britannic Majesty, as the likelier enterprise.
"This was a course to which, ever since the Exit of Broglio
"and the Oriflamme, they had been more and more tending
"and inclining, 'Nothing for us but loss on loss, tobehad in
"Germany! ' and so they at last frankly gave up that bad
? Adelung, iv. 276, 420 ("Dec. 1744 --June 1745"). ** Valori, I. 322-9.
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? CHaP, v. ] PREPARING FOR A NEW CAMPAIGN. 79
20th Dec. 1744.
"Country. They fought well in the Netherlands, with great
"splendour of success, under Saxe versus Cumberland and
"Company. They did also some successful work in Italy; --
"and left Friedrich to bear the brunt in Germany; too glad if
"he or another were there to take Germany off their hand!
"Friedrich's feelings on his arriving at this consummation,
"and during his gradual advance towards it, which was
"pretty steady all along from those first 'drenched-hen
"'(poules mouille'es)' procedures, were amply known to Ex-
cellency Valori, and may be conceived by readers," -- who
are slightly interested in the dates of them at farthest. And
now for the Belleisle Accident, with these faint preliminary
lights.
Strange Accident to Mare'chal de Belleisle in the Harz Mountains (20th December 1744).
Siege of Freyburg being completed, and the River
and most other things (except always the bastions,
which we blow up) being let into their old channels
there, Marshal de Belleisle, who is to have a chief
management henceforth, -- the Most Christian King
recognising him again as his ablest man in war or
peace, -- sets forth on a long tour of supervision, of
diplomacy, and general arrangement, to prepare mat-
ters for the next Campaign. Need enough of a
Belleisle: what a business we have made of it, since
Friedrich trod on the serpent's tail for us! Nothing
but our own Freyburg to show for ourselves; else-
where, mere downrush of every thing whitherward it
liked; -- and King Friedrich got into such a humour!
Friedrich must be put in tune again; something real
and good to be agreed on at Berlin: let that be the
last thing, crown of the whole. The first thing is,
look into Bavaria a little; and how the Kaiser, poor
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? 80 SECOND SILESIAN WAR. [book XV.
20th Dec. 1744.
gentleman, in want of all requisites but goodwill, can
be put into something of fighting posture.
"In the end of November, Marechal Due de Belleisle, with
"his Brother the Chevalier (now properly the Count, there
"having been promotions), and a great retinue more, alights
"atMiinchen; holds council with the poor Kaiser for certain
"days: -- Money wanted; many things wanted; and all
"things, we need not doubt, much fallen out of square.
"'Those Seckendorf troops in their winter-quarters,' say our
"French Inspectors and Sdgur people, as usual, 'Do but
''' look on it, your Excellency! Scattered, along the valleys,
"'into the very edge of Austria; Austria will swallow them,
"'the first thing, next year j they will never rendezvous again
"' except in the Austrian prisons. Surely, Monseigneur, only
"' a man ignorant of war, or with treasonous intention,' -- (or
"ill off for victuals), -- 'could post troops in that way?
"' Seckendorf is not ignorant of war! ' say they. * For, in fact,
"suspicion runs high; and there is no end to the accusations
"just and unjust; and Seckendorf is as ill treated as any of us
"could wish. Poor old soul. Probably nobody in all the
"Earth, but his old Wife in the Schloss of Altenburg, has
"any pity for him,-- if even she, which I hope. He has
"fought and diplomatised and intrigued in many countries,
"very much; and in his old days is hard bested. Monseigneur,
"whose part is rather that of Jove the Cloud-compeller, is
"studious to be himself noiseless amid this noise j and makes
"no alteration in the Seckendorf troops; but it is certain he
'' meant to do it, thinks Valori. "
And indeed Seckendorf, tired of the Bavarian bed-of-
roses, had privately fixed with himself to quit the same; --
and does so, inexorable to the very Kaiser, on New-Year
arriving. ** Succeeded by Thorring (our old friend, Drum
Thorring), if that be an improvement. Marechal de Belleisle
has still a long journey ahead, and infinitely harder problems
than these, -- assuagement of the King of Prussia, for ex-
ample. Let us follow his remarkable steps.
"Wednesday, 9th December 1J44, the Mare'chal leaves
"Miinchen, northwards through Ottingen and the Bamberg-
* Valori, i. 206. ** Seclcniorfs Leben, p. 365.
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? CHAP, v. ] PREPARING FOR A NEW CAMPAIGN. 81
20th Dec. 1744.
"Anspach regions towards Cassel; -- journey of some three
"hundred and fifty miles: with a great retinue of his own;
"with an escort of two hundred horse from the Kaiser; these
"latter to iprevent any outfall or insult in the Ingolstadt
"quarter, where the Austrians have a garrison, not at all
"very tightly blocked by the Seckendorf people thereabouts.
"No insult or outfall occurring, the Mare'chal dismisses his
"escort at Ottingen; fares forward in his twenty coaches
"and fourgons, some score or so of vehicles: -- mere neutral
"Imperial Countries henceforth, where the Kaiser's Agent,
"as Mare'chal de Belleisle can style himself, and Titular
"Prince of the German Empii;e withal, has only to pay his
"way. By Donauworth, by Ottingen; over the Donau ac-
clivities, then down the pleasant Valley of the Mayn. *
"Sunday, 13th December, Mare'chal Belleisle arrives at
"Hanau" (where we have seen Conferences held before now,
and Carteret, Prince Karl and great George our King very
busy), "there to confer with Marshals Coigny, Maillebois,
"and other high men, Commanders in those Rhine parts.
"Who all come accordingly, except Marechal Maillebois, ?
"who is sorry that he absolutely cannot; but will surely do
"himself the honour as Monseigneur returns. " As Mon-
seigneur returns! "And so, on Monday 14th, Monseigneur
"starts for Cassel; say a hundred miles, right north; where
"we shall meet Prince Wilhelm of Hessen-Cassel, a zealous
"Ally; inform him how his Troops, under Seckendorf, are
"posted" (at Vilshofen yonder; hiding how perilous their
post is, or promising alterations); "perhaps rest a day or
"two, consulting as to the common weal: How the King of
"Prussia takes our treatment of him? How to smooth the
"King of Prussia, and turn him to harmony again?
? CHAP. W. ] MOLDATJ CONQUESTS'NOT MAINTAINABLE. 65
36th Not 16th Dec. 1744.
the world knows little about it; the world, if it did
know, would be partly in the right! " -- Wise is he
who, when beaten, learns the reasons of it, and alters
these. This wisdom, it must be owned, is Friedrich's;
and much distinguishes him among generals and men.
Veracity of mind, as I say, loyal eyesight superior to
sophistries; noble incapacity of self-delusion, the root
of all good qualities in man. His epilogue to this
Campaign is remarkable; -- too long for quoting here,
except the first word of it and the last:
"No general committed more faults than did the
"King in this Campaign. * * The conduct of M.
"de Traun is a model of perfection, which every soldier
"that loves his business ought to study, and try to
"imitate, if he have the talent. The King has him-
"self admitted that he regarded this Campaign as his
"school in the Art of War, and M. de Traun as his "teacher. " But what shall we say? "Bad is often
"better for Princes than good; -- and instead of in-
"toxicating them with presumption, renders them cir-
"cumspect and modest. "* Let us still hope! --
* (Euvres, m. 76, 77.
Carlyle, Frederick the Great. VIU.
5
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? 66
[book XV. Dec. 1744.
SECOND SILESIAN WAR.
CHAPTER V.
FRIEDRICH, UNDER DD? FICULTD3S, PREPARES FOR A NEW
CAMPAIGN.
To the Court of Vienna, especially to the Hungarian
Majesty, this wonderful reconquest of Bohemia, without
battle fought, -- or any cause assignable but Traun's
excellent manoeuvering and Friedrich's imprudences
and trust in the French, -- was a thing of heavenly
miracle; blessed omen that Providence had vouchsafed
to her prayers the recovery of Silesia itself. All the
world was crowing over Friedrich: but her Majesty of
Hungary's views had risen to a clearly higher pitch of
exultation and triumphant hope, terrestrial and celestial,
than any other living person's. "Silesia back again,"
that was now the hope and resolution of her Majesty's
high heart: "My wicked neighbour shall be driven out,
and smart dear for the ill he has done; Heaven so
wills it! " "Very little uplifts the Austrians," says
Valori; which is true, under such a Queen; "and yet
"there is nothing that can crush them altogether down,"
adds he.
No sooner is Bohemia cleared of Friedrich, than
Maria, winter as it is, orders that there be, through
the Giant-Mountains, vigorous assault upon Silesia.
Highland snows and ices, what are these to Pandour
people, who, at their first entrance on the scene of
History, "crossed the Palus-Mseotis itself" (Father of
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? CHAP, v. ] PREPARING FOR A NEW CAMPAIGN. 67
8d Dec. 1744.
Quagmires, so to speak) "in a frozen state," and were
sufficiently accommodated each in his own dirty sheepskin? "Prosecute the King of Prussia," ordered
she; "take your winter-quarters in Silesia;" -- and
Traun, in spite of the advanced season, and prior
labours and hardships, had to try, from the south-
western Bohemian side, what he could do; while a
new Insurrection, coming through the Jablunka, spread
itself over the south-east and east. Seriously invasive
multitudes; which were an unpleasant surprise to
Friedrich; and did, as we shall see, require to be
smitten back again, and re-smitten; -- making a very
troublesome winter to the Prussians and themselves;
but by no means getting winter-quarters, as they once
hoped.
In a like sense, Maria Theresa had already (De-
cember 2d) sent forth her Manifesto or Patent, so-
lemnly apprising her ever-faithful Silesian Populations,
"That the Treaty of Breslau, not by her fault, is
broken; palpably a Treaty no longer. That they,
accordingly, are absolved from all oaths and allegiance
to the King of Prussia; and shall hold themselves in
readiness to swear anew to her Majesty, which will be
a great comfort to such faithful creatures; suffering,
as her Majesty explains to them that they have done,
under Prussian tyranny for these two years past. Im-
mediate dead-lift effort there shall be; that is certain;
and 'the Almighty God assisting, who does not leave
'such injustices unpunished, We have the fixed Chris-
'tian hope, Omnipotence blessing our arms, of almost
'immediately (ehestens) delivering you from this tem-
'porary Bondage (bisherigen Jock)? You can pray, in
the mean while, for the success of her Majesty's arms;
5*
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? 68
[book XV. Dec. 1744.
SECOND SILESIAN WAR.
good fighting, aided by prayer, in a Cause clearly
Heaven's, will now, to appearance bring matters swiftly
round again, to the astonishment and confusion of bad
men. "*
These are her Majesty's views; intensely true,
I jdoubt not, to her devout heart. Robinson and the
English seem not to be enthusiastic in that direction;
as indeed how can they? They would fain be tender
of Silesia, which they have guaranteed; fain, now and
afterwards, restrain her Majesty from driving at such
a pace down hill: but the declivity is so encouraging,
her Majesty is not to be restrained, and goes faster
and faster for the time being. And indeed, under less
devout forms, the general impression, among Pragmatic
people, Saxon, Austrian, British even, was, That Fried-
rich had pretty much ruined himself, and deserved to
do so; that this of his being mere "Auxiliary" to a
Kaiser in distress was an untenable pretext, now justly
fallen bankrupt upon him. The evident fact, That he
had by his "Frankfurt Union," and struggles about
"union," reopened the door for French tribulations
and rough-ridings in the Reich, was universally dis-
tasteful; all chance of a "general union of German
Princes, in aid of their Kaiser," was extinct for the
present.
Friedrich's rapidity had served him ill with the
Public, in this as in some other instances! Friedrich,
contemplating his situation, not self-delusively, but with
the candour of real remorse, was by no means yet
aware how very bad it was. For six months coming,
partly as existing facts better disclosed themselves,
* In Helden-Geschichte, n. 1194-1198; lb. 1201-1206, is Friedrich's
Answer, "19th December 1744. "
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? CHAP, v. ] PREPARING FOR A NEW CAMPAIGN. 69
Dec. 1744.
as France, Saxony and others showed what spirit they
were of; partly as new sinister events and facts arrived
one after the other, -- his outlook continued to darken
and darken, till it had become very dark indeed.
There is perennially the great comfort, immense if you
can manage it, of making front against misfortune; of
looking it frankly in the face, and doing with a re-
solution, hour by hour, your own utmost against it.
Friedrich never lacked that comfort; and was not heard
complaining. But from December 13th, 1744, when he
hastened home to Berlin, under such aspects, till June
4th, 1745, when aspects suddenly changed, are probably
the worst six months Friedrich had yet had in the world.
During which, his affairs all threatening to break down
about him, he himself, behoving to stand firm if the
worst was not to realise itself, had to draw largely on
what silent courage, or private inexpugnability of mind,
was in him, -- a larger instalment of that royal quality
(as I compute) than the Fates had ever hitherto de-
manded of him. Ever hitherto; though perhaps nothing
like the largest of all, which they had upon their Books
for him, at a farther stage! As will be seen. For he
was greatly drawn upon in that way, in his time. And
he paid always; no man in his Century so well; few
men, in any Century, better. As perhaps readers may
be led to guess or acknowledge, on surveying and con-
sidering. To see, and sympathetically recognise, cannot
be expected of modern readers, in the present great
distance, and changed conditions of men and things.
Friedrich, after despatching Nassau to cut out Ein-
siedel, had delivered the Silesian Army to the Old
Dessauer, who is to command in chief during Winter;
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? 70
SECOND SILESIAN WAR. [book XV.
19th Dec. 1744.
and had then hastened to Berlin, -- many things there
urgently requiring his presence; preparations, repara-
tions, not to speak of diplomacies, and what was the
heaviest item of all, new finance for the coming exer-
tions. In Schweidnitz, on Leopold's appearance, there
had been an interview, due consultings, orderings;
which done, Friedrich at once took the road; and was
at Berlin, Monday December 14th, -- precisely in the
time while Nassau and Einsiedel were marching with
torch-lights in Rubezahl's Country, and near ending
their difficult enterprise better or worse.
Friedrich, fastening eagerly on Home business, is
astonished and provoked to learn that the Austrians,
not content with pushing him out of Bohmen, are them-
selves pushing into Schlesien, -- so Old Leopold reports,
with increasing emphasis day by day; to whom Fried-
rich sends impatient order: Hurl them out again, gather
what force you need, ten thousand, or were it twenty
or thirty thousand, and be immediate about it; "I will
"as soon be pitched (herausgeschmissen) out of the Mark
"of Brandenburg as out of Schlesien:" no delay, I tell
you! And as the Old Dessauer still explains that the
ten or fifteen thousand he needs are actually assembling,
and cannot be got on march quite in a moment, Fried-
rich dashes away his incipient Berlin Operations; will
go himself and do it. Haggle no more, you tedious
Old Dessauer:
Berlin, "19th December" 1744. -- "On the 21st" (Monday,
one week after my arriving), "I leave Berlin, and mean to be
"at Neisse on the 24th at latest. Your Serenity will in the
"interim make out the Order-of-Battle" (which is also Order-
of-March) "for what regiments are come in. For I will, on
"the 25th, without delay, cross the Neisse, and attack those
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? CHAP, v. ] PREPARING FOR A NEW CAMPAIGN. 71
19th Dec. 1744-- 21st Feb. 1745.
"people, cost what it may, -- to chase them out of Schlesien
"andG-latz, and follow them so far as possible. Your Serenity
"will therefore take your measures, and provide everything,
"so far as in this short time you can, that the project may be
"executable the moment I arrive. "*
And rushed off accordingly, in a somewhat flamy
humour; but at Schweidnitz, where the Old Dessauer
met him again, became convinced that the matter was
weightier than he thought; not one of Tolpatchery alone,
but had Traun himself in it. Upon which Friedrich
candidly drew bridle; hastened back, and, with a loss
of four days, was at his Potsdam Affairs again. To
which he stuck henceforth, ardently, and I think rather
with increase of gloom, though without spurt of im-
patience farther, for three months to come. Before his
return, -- nay, had he known, it was the night before
he went away, -- a strange little thing had happened
in the opposite or Western parts: surprising accident
to Mare'chal de Belleisle; which now lies waiting his
immediate consideration. But let us finish Silesia first.
Old Dessauer repels the Silesian Invasion (Winter 1744-5). "
"This Silesian Affair includes due inroad of Pandours; or
"indeed two inroads, south-west and south-east; and in the
"south-west, or Traun quarter, regulars are the main element
"ofit. Traun, 20,000 strong, plus stormy enoughPandour
"accompaniment, is by this time through into Glatz; in three
"columns; -- is master of all Glatz, except the Rock-Fortress
"itself; and has spread himself, right and left, along the
"Neisse River, and from the south-west northwards, in a skil-
"ful and dangerous manner. In concert with whom, far to
"the east, are Pandour whirlwinds on their own footing
"(brand-new 'Insurrection' of them, got thus far), starting
* Friedrich to the Old Dessauer (Orlich, u. 356).
1
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? 72
SECOND SILBSIAN WAR. [book XV.
19th Dec. 1744 --21st Feb. 1745.
"from Olmiitz andBriinn; scouring that eastern country, as
"far as Namslau northward" (a place we were at the taking
of, in old Brieg times); "much more, infesting the Mountains
"of the South. A rather serious thing; with Traun for
"general manager of it. "
With Traun, we say: Poor Prince Karl is off, weeks ago;
on the saddest of errands. His beautiful young Wife, --
Hungarian Majesty's one Sister, Vice-Regents of the Nether-
lands he and she, conspicuous among the bright couples of
the world, -- she had a bad lying-in (child still-born), while
those grand Moldau Operations went on; has been ill, poor
lady, ever since; and, at Brussels, on December 16th, she
herself lies dead, Prince Karl weeping over her and the days
that will not return. Prince Karl's felicities, private and
public, had been at their zenith lately, which was very high
indeed; but go on declining from this day. Never more the
Happiest of Husbands (did not wed again at all); still less the
Greatest of Captains, equal or superior to Oassar in the
Gazetteer judgment, with distracted Eulogies, Biographies,
and such-like, filling the air: before long, a War-Captain of
quite moderate renown; which we shall see sink gradually
into no renown at all, and even (unjustly) into minus quanti-
ties, before all end. A mad world, my masters! --
"Between Traun on the south-west hand, and his Pan-
"dours on the south-east, the small Prussian posts have all
"been driven in upon Troppau-Jagerndorf region; more and
"more narrowed there; -- and, in fine (two days before this
"new Interview of Leopold and the impatient King at
"Schweidnitz), have had to quit the Troppau-Jagerndorf
"position; to quit the Hills altogether, and are now in full
"march towards Brieg. Of which march I should say
"nothing, were it not that Marwitz, Father of Wilhelmina s
"giggling Marwitzes, commanded; -- and came by his death
"in the course of it; though our Wilhelmina is not now there,
"pen in hand, to tell us what the effects at Baireuth were.
"Marwitz had been left for dead on the Field of Mollwitz;
"lay so all night, but was nursed to some kind of strength
"againby those giggling young women; and came back to
"Schlesien, to posts of chief trust, for the last year or two, --
"was guarding the Mountains, and even invading Mahren,
"during the late Campaign; -- but saw himself reduced
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? CHAP, v. ] PREPARING FOR A NEW CAMPAIGN. 73
19th Dec. 1744--Slit Feb. 1745.
"latterly to Jagerndorf and Troppau; and had even to retreat
"outof these. And in the whirlpool of hurries thereupon, --
"how is not very clear; by apoplexy, say some; by accidental
"pistol from a servant of his own; in actual skirmish with
"Pandours, -- too certainly, one way or the other, on Decem-
"ber23d (just during that second Interview at Schweidnitz),
"brave oldMarwitz did suddenly sink dead, and is ended. *
"Even so, ye poor giggling creatures, and your loud weeping
"will not mend it at all!
"Friedrich, looking candidly into these phenomena, could
"not but see that, what with Tolpatcheries, what withTraun's
"20,000 regulars, and the whole Army at their back, his
"Silesian Border is girt in by a very considerable inroad of
"Austrians, -- huge Chain of them, in horse-shoe form, 300
"miles long, pressing in; from beyond Glatz and Landshut,
"round by the southern Mountains, and up eastward again as
"far asNamslau, nothing but war whirlwinds in regular or
"irregular form, in the centre of them Traun; -- and that the
"Old Dessauer really must have time to gird himself for deal-
"ing with Traun and them.
"It was not till January 9th that Old Leopold, 25,000
"strong, equipped to his mind, which was a difficult matter,
"crossed the Neisse River; and marched direct upon Traun,
"with Ziethen charging ahead. Actually marched; after
"which the main wrestle was done in a week. January 16th,
"Old Leopold got to Jagerndorf; found the actual Traun
"concentrated at Jagerndorf; and drew up, to be ready for
"assault tomorrow morning, -- had not Traun, candidly
"computing, judged it better to glide wholly away in the
"night-time, diligently towards Mahren, breaking the bridges
"behind him. And so, in effect, to give up the Silesian In-
"vasion for this time. After which, though there remained a
"good deal of rough tusselling with Pandour details, and
"some rugged exploits of fight, there is, -- except that of
"Lehwald in clearing of Glatz, -- nothing farther that we
"can afford to speak of. Lehwald's exploit, Lehwald versus
"Wallis (same Wallis who defended Glogau long since),
"which came to be talked of, and got name and date, 'Action
? Helden-Geschichte, n. 1201.
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? 74 SECOND SILESIAN WAR. [book XV.
19th Dec. 1744--21st Feb. 1745.
"'of Habelschwert, February 14th,' something almost like a
"pitched fight on the small scale, is to the following effect:
"Plommtz, near Habelschwert, 14th February 1745. Old
"General Lehwald, marching in the hollow ground near
"Habelschwert (hollow of the young Neisse River, twenty
"miles south of Glatz), with intent to cut that Country free;
"the Enemy, whom he is in search of, appears in great force,
"--posted on the uphill ground ahead, half-frozen difficult
"stream in front of them, cannon on flank, Pandour multitude
"in woods; all things betokening inexpugnability on the
"part of the Enemy. So that Lehwald has to take his
"measures; study well where the vital point is, the root of that
"extensive Austrian junglery, and cut in upon the same. By
"considerable fire of effort, the uphill ground, half-frozen
"stream, sylvan Pandours, cannon-batteries, and what in-
"expugnabilities there maybe, are subdued; Austrian wide
"junglery, the root of it slit asunder, rolls homeward simul-
"taneously, not too fast: nay it halted and re-ranked itself
"twice over, finding woods and quaggy runlets to its mind;
"but was always slit out again, disrooted, and finally tum-
"bledhome, having had enough. 'Wenzel Wallis,' Fried-
"rich asserts with due scorn, 'was all this while in a Chapel;
"'praying ardently,' to St. Vitus, or one knows not whom;
"' without effect; till they shouted to him, ""Beaten,Sir! Off,
"'or you are lost! "" upon which he sprang to saddle, and
"' spurred with both heels (piqua ties deux). '* That was the
"feat of Lehwald, clearing the Glatz Country with one good
"cut: a skilful Captain; now getting decidedly oldish, close
"onsixty; whom we shall meet again a dozen years hence,
"still in harness.
"The old Serene Highness himself, face the colour of
"gunpowder, and bluer in the winter frost, went rushing far
"and wide in an open vehicle, which he called his 'cart;'
"pushing out detachments, supervising everything; wheeling
"hither and thither as needful; sweeping out the Pandour
"world, and keeping it out: not much of fighting needed, but
"'a great deal of marching' (murmurs Friedrich), 'which in
"' winter is as bad, and wears down the force of the battalions. '
Of all which we give no detail: sufficient to fancy, "in this
? (Evvres de Fredenc, in. 79, 80.
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? CHAP. V. ] PREPARING FOR A NEW CAMPAIGN. 75
19th Dec. 1744 -- 21st Feb. 1745.
"manner, the OldDessauer flapping his wide military wings
"in the faces of the Pandour hordes, with here and there a
"hard twitch from beak or claws; tolerably keeping down
"the Pandour interest all Winter. His sons, Leopold and
"Dietrich, were under him, occasionally beside him; the
"Junior Leopold so worn down with feverish gout he could
"hardly sit on horseback at all, while old Papa went tearing
"about in his cart at that rate. " *
There was, on the 21st of February, Te-deum sung
in the Churches of Berlin "for the Deliverance of Sile-
sia from Invasion. " Not that, even yet, the Pandours
would be quite quiet, or allow Old Leopold to quit his
cart; far from it. And they returned in such increased
and tempestuous state, as will again require mention,
with the earliest Spring: -- precursors to a second, far
more serious and deadly "Invasion of Silesia;" for
which it hangs yet on the balance whether there will
be a Te-deum or a Miserere to sing!
Hungarian Majesty, disappointed of Silesia, --
which, it seems, is not to be had "all at once (ehestens),"
in the form of miracle, -- makes amends by a rush
upon Seckendorf and Bavaria; attacks Seckendorf
furiously ("Bathyani pressing up the Donau Valley,
"with Browne on one hand, and Barenklau on the
"other") in mid-winter; and makes a terrible hand of
him; reducing his "Reconquest of Bavaria" to nothing
again, nay to less. Of which in due time.
* Unlernehmung in Ober-Schlesicn, unter ilem Fiirsten Leopold von An-
halt-Dessau, im Januar und Februar 1745 (Seyfarth, Beytrdge, I. 141-152);
Stenzel, it. 282; &c.
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? 76
SECOND SILESIAN WAR. [book XV.
20th Dec. 1744.
The French fully intend to behave better next Season to
Friedrich and their German Allies; -- but are pre-
vented by various Accidents (November 1744 -- April
1745; April -- August 1745).
It is not divine miracle, Friedrich knows well, that
has lost him his late Bohemian Conquests without
battle fought: it was rash choosing of a plan inexecut-
able without French cooperation, -- culpable blindness
to the chance that France would break its promises,
and not cooperate. Had your Majesty forgotten the
Joint-Stock Principle, then? His Majesty has sorrow-
ful cause to remember it, from this time, on a still
larger scale!
Reflections, indignant or exculpatory, on the con-
duct of the French in this Business are useless to
Friedrich, and to us. The performance, on their part,
has been nearly the worst; -- though their intentions,
while the Austrian Dragon had them by the throat,
were doubtless enthusiastically good! But, the big
Austrian Dragon being jerked away from Elsass, by
Friedrich's treading on his tail, 500 miles off, they
were charmed, quite into new enthusiasm, to be rid of
said Dragon: and, instead of chasing him according to
bargain, took to destroying his Den, that he might be
harmless thenceforth. Freyburg is a captured Town,
to the joy and glory of admiring France; and Friedrich's
Campaign has gone the road we see! The Freyburg
Illuminations having burnt out, there might rise, in
the triumphant mind, some thought of Friedrich again,
-- perhaps almost of a remorseful nature? Certain it
is, the French intentions are now again magnanimous,
more so than ever; coupled now with some attempts
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? CHAP, v. ] PREPARING FOR A NEW CAMPAIGN. 77
20th Dec. 1744.
at fulfilment, too; which obliges us to mention them
here. They were still a matter of important hope to
Friedrich; hope which did not quite go out till August
coming. Though, alas, it did then go out, in gusts of
indignation on Friedrich's part! And as the whole of
these magnanimous French intentions, latter like
former, again came to zero, we are interested only in
rendering them conceivable to readers for Friedrich's
sake, -- with the more brevity, the better for every-
body. Two grand French Attempts there were; listen,
on the threshold, a little:
* * "It is certain the French intend gloriously; regard-
"less of expense. They are dismantling Freyburg, to render
"it harmless henceforth. But, withal, in answer to the poor
"Kaiser's shrieks, they have sentSe'gur" (our oldLinzfriend),
"with 12,000, to assist Seckendorf; 'the bravest troops in the
"'world,'" -- who did bravely take one beating (atPfaffen-
hofen, as will be seen), and go home again. "They have
"Coigny guarding those fine Brisgau Conquests. And are
"furthermore diplomatising diligently, not to say truculently,
"in the Rhine Countries; bullying poor little fat Kur-Trier,
"lean Kur-Koln, and others, 'To join the Frankfurt Union'
"(not one of whom would, under menace), -- though 'it is
"'the clear duty of all Reich's-Princes with a Kaiser under
"'oppression:' -- and have marched Maillebois, directly
"after Freyburg, into the Middle-Rhine Countries, toKoln
"Country, to Mainz Country, and to and fro, in support of
"said compulsory diplomacies;--but without the least effect. "
To the "Middle-Rhine Countries," observe, and under
Maillebois, then under Conti, little matter under whom:
only let readers recollect the name of it; -- for it is the First
of the French Attempts to do something of a joint-stock na-
ture; something for self and Allies, instead of for self only.
It caused great alarm in those months, to Britannic George
and others; and brought out poor Due d'Ahremberg with
portions (no English included) of the poor Pragmatic Army,
to go marching about in the winter-slushes, instead of resting
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? 78 SECOND SILESIAN WAR. [book XV.
20th Dec. 1744.
in bed,* -- and is indeed a very loud business in the old
Gazettes and books, till August coming. Business which
almost broke poor D'Ahremberg's heart, Tie says, "till once
I got out of it (was turned out, in fact): Business of Pragma-
tic Army, under D'Ahremberg, versus Middle-Rhine Army
under Maillebois, under Conti; Business now wholly of Zero
versus Zero to us,--except for a few dates and reflex glimmer-
ings upon King Friedrich. Result otherwise -- We shall see
the result!
"Attempt Second was still more important to Friedrich;
"being directed upon the Kaiser and Bavaria. Belleisle is to
"go thither and take survey; Belleisle thither first: you may
"judge if the intention is sincere! Valori is quite eloquent
"upon it. Directly after Freyburg, says he, Sechelles, that
"first of Commissaries, was sent to Miinchen. Se'chelles
"cleared up the chaos of Accounts; which King Louis then
"instantly paid. 'Your Imperial Majesty shallhave Maga-
"'zines also,' said Louis, regardless of expense; 'and your
"'Army, with auxiliaries (Segur and 25,000 of them French),
"'shall be raised to 60,000. ' Belleisle then came: 'We will
"'havelngolstadt, the first thing, in Spring. ' Alas, Belle-
isle "had his Accident in the Harz; and all went aback, from
"that time. "** Aback, too indisputably, all! --'And Belle-
isle's Accident? ' Patience, readers.
"The truth is, Attempt Second, and chief, broke down at
"once" (Bathyani beating it to pieces, as will be seen),--
"the ruins of it painfully reacting on Attempt First; which
"had the like fate some months later; -- and there was no
"Third made. And in fact from the date of that latter down-
"break, August, or end of July; 1745" (and quite especially
from 'September 13th,' by which time several irrevocable
things had happened, which we shall hear of), "the French
"withdrew altogether out of German entanglements; and
"concentrated themselves upon the Netherlands, there to de-
"molish his Britannic Majesty, as the likelier enterprise.
"This was a course to which, ever since the Exit of Broglio
"and the Oriflamme, they had been more and more tending
"and inclining, 'Nothing for us but loss on loss, tobehad in
"Germany! ' and so they at last frankly gave up that bad
? Adelung, iv. 276, 420 ("Dec. 1744 --June 1745"). ** Valori, I. 322-9.
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? CHaP, v. ] PREPARING FOR A NEW CAMPAIGN. 79
20th Dec. 1744.
"Country. They fought well in the Netherlands, with great
"splendour of success, under Saxe versus Cumberland and
"Company. They did also some successful work in Italy; --
"and left Friedrich to bear the brunt in Germany; too glad if
"he or another were there to take Germany off their hand!
"Friedrich's feelings on his arriving at this consummation,
"and during his gradual advance towards it, which was
"pretty steady all along from those first 'drenched-hen
"'(poules mouille'es)' procedures, were amply known to Ex-
cellency Valori, and may be conceived by readers," -- who
are slightly interested in the dates of them at farthest. And
now for the Belleisle Accident, with these faint preliminary
lights.
Strange Accident to Mare'chal de Belleisle in the Harz Mountains (20th December 1744).
Siege of Freyburg being completed, and the River
and most other things (except always the bastions,
which we blow up) being let into their old channels
there, Marshal de Belleisle, who is to have a chief
management henceforth, -- the Most Christian King
recognising him again as his ablest man in war or
peace, -- sets forth on a long tour of supervision, of
diplomacy, and general arrangement, to prepare mat-
ters for the next Campaign. Need enough of a
Belleisle: what a business we have made of it, since
Friedrich trod on the serpent's tail for us! Nothing
but our own Freyburg to show for ourselves; else-
where, mere downrush of every thing whitherward it
liked; -- and King Friedrich got into such a humour!
Friedrich must be put in tune again; something real
and good to be agreed on at Berlin: let that be the
last thing, crown of the whole. The first thing is,
look into Bavaria a little; and how the Kaiser, poor
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? 80 SECOND SILESIAN WAR. [book XV.
20th Dec. 1744.
gentleman, in want of all requisites but goodwill, can
be put into something of fighting posture.
"In the end of November, Marechal Due de Belleisle, with
"his Brother the Chevalier (now properly the Count, there
"having been promotions), and a great retinue more, alights
"atMiinchen; holds council with the poor Kaiser for certain
"days: -- Money wanted; many things wanted; and all
"things, we need not doubt, much fallen out of square.
"'Those Seckendorf troops in their winter-quarters,' say our
"French Inspectors and Sdgur people, as usual, 'Do but
''' look on it, your Excellency! Scattered, along the valleys,
"'into the very edge of Austria; Austria will swallow them,
"'the first thing, next year j they will never rendezvous again
"' except in the Austrian prisons. Surely, Monseigneur, only
"' a man ignorant of war, or with treasonous intention,' -- (or
"ill off for victuals), -- 'could post troops in that way?
"' Seckendorf is not ignorant of war! ' say they. * For, in fact,
"suspicion runs high; and there is no end to the accusations
"just and unjust; and Seckendorf is as ill treated as any of us
"could wish. Poor old soul. Probably nobody in all the
"Earth, but his old Wife in the Schloss of Altenburg, has
"any pity for him,-- if even she, which I hope. He has
"fought and diplomatised and intrigued in many countries,
"very much; and in his old days is hard bested. Monseigneur,
"whose part is rather that of Jove the Cloud-compeller, is
"studious to be himself noiseless amid this noise j and makes
"no alteration in the Seckendorf troops; but it is certain he
'' meant to do it, thinks Valori. "
And indeed Seckendorf, tired of the Bavarian bed-of-
roses, had privately fixed with himself to quit the same; --
and does so, inexorable to the very Kaiser, on New-Year
arriving. ** Succeeded by Thorring (our old friend, Drum
Thorring), if that be an improvement. Marechal de Belleisle
has still a long journey ahead, and infinitely harder problems
than these, -- assuagement of the King of Prussia, for ex-
ample. Let us follow his remarkable steps.
"Wednesday, 9th December 1J44, the Mare'chal leaves
"Miinchen, northwards through Ottingen and the Bamberg-
* Valori, i. 206. ** Seclcniorfs Leben, p. 365.
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? CHAP, v. ] PREPARING FOR A NEW CAMPAIGN. 81
20th Dec. 1744.
"Anspach regions towards Cassel; -- journey of some three
"hundred and fifty miles: with a great retinue of his own;
"with an escort of two hundred horse from the Kaiser; these
"latter to iprevent any outfall or insult in the Ingolstadt
"quarter, where the Austrians have a garrison, not at all
"very tightly blocked by the Seckendorf people thereabouts.
"No insult or outfall occurring, the Mare'chal dismisses his
"escort at Ottingen; fares forward in his twenty coaches
"and fourgons, some score or so of vehicles: -- mere neutral
"Imperial Countries henceforth, where the Kaiser's Agent,
"as Mare'chal de Belleisle can style himself, and Titular
"Prince of the German Empii;e withal, has only to pay his
"way. By Donauworth, by Ottingen; over the Donau ac-
clivities, then down the pleasant Valley of the Mayn. *
"Sunday, 13th December, Mare'chal Belleisle arrives at
"Hanau" (where we have seen Conferences held before now,
and Carteret, Prince Karl and great George our King very
busy), "there to confer with Marshals Coigny, Maillebois,
"and other high men, Commanders in those Rhine parts.
"Who all come accordingly, except Marechal Maillebois, ?
"who is sorry that he absolutely cannot; but will surely do
"himself the honour as Monseigneur returns. " As Mon-
seigneur returns! "And so, on Monday 14th, Monseigneur
"starts for Cassel; say a hundred miles, right north; where
"we shall meet Prince Wilhelm of Hessen-Cassel, a zealous
"Ally; inform him how his Troops, under Seckendorf, are
"posted" (at Vilshofen yonder; hiding how perilous their
post is, or promising alterations); "perhaps rest a day or
"two, consulting as to the common weal: How the King of
"Prussia takes our treatment of him? How to smooth the
"King of Prussia, and turn him to harmony again?
