17th-31st Oct., 1741. Fantastic Bielfeld, in his semi-fabulous style, has a Letter on this bombardment, attractive to Lovers of the Picturesque (written long afterward, and dated, &c., wrong). As Bielfeld is a rapid, clever creature of the coxcomb sort, and doubtless did see Neisse Siege, and entertained seemingly a blazing incorrect recollection of it, his Pseudo-Neisse Letter may be worth giving, to represent approximately what kind of scene it was there at Neisse in the October nights : "Maréchal Schwerin was lodged in a Village about three quarters of a mile from Head-Quarters. One day he did me the honor to invite me to dinner, and even offered me a horse to ride thither with him. I found excellent company; a superb repast, and wine of the gods. Host and guests were in high spirits; and the pleasures of the table were kept up so late, that it was midnight when we rose. I was obliged to return to Head-Quarters, having still to wait upon the King as usual. The Maréchal was kind enough to lend me another horse; but the groom mischievously gave me the charger which the Maréchal rode at the Battle of Mollwitz-a very powerful animal, and which, from that day, had grown very skittish. I was I was made aware of this circumstance before we were fairly out of the Village; and the night being of the darkest, I twenty times ran the risk of breaking my neck. We had to pass over a hill to get to Head-Quarters. When I reached the top, a shudder came over me, and my hair stood on end. I had nobody with me but a strange groom. The country all around was infested with troops and marauders, mounted on an unmanageable horse. Under my feet, so to say, I saw the bombardment of the Town of Neisse. I heard the roar of cannon and doleful shrieks. Above our batteries the whole atmosphere was inflamed; and, to complete the calamity, I missed the way, and got lost in the darkness. Finally, in descending the hill, my horse, frightened, made a terrible swerve or side-jump. I did not know the cause; but, after having, with difficulty, got him into the road again, I found myself opposite to a deserter who had been hanged that day! I was horribly disgusted by the sight; the gallows being very low, and the head of the malefactor almost parallel with mine. I spurred on, and galloped away from such unpleasant night-company. At last I arrived at Head-Quarters, all in a perspiration. I sent my horse back, and went in to the King, who asked me at once why I was so heated. I made his Majesty a faithful report of all my disasters. He laughed much, and advised me seriously not again to go out by night, and alone, beyond the circuit of Head-Quarters."12 12 Bielfeld, ii., 31, 32. 1st Nov., 1741. After four days and nights of this sublime Playhouse thunder (with real bullets in it, which killed some men and burned considerable property), the Neisse Commandant (not Roth this time: Roth is now in Brünn)—his “fortnight of siege," October 17th to October 31st, being accomplished or nearly so-beat chamade, and was, after grave enough treatying, allowed to march away. Marched, accordingly, on the correct Klein-Schnellendorf terms, most of his poor garrison deserting, and taking Prussian service. Ever since which moment, Neisse, captured in this curious manner, has been Friedrich's and his Prussia's. November 1st, the Prussian soldiers entered the place; and Friedrich, after diligent inspection and what orders were necessary, left for Brieg on the following day, where general illuminating and demonstrating awaited him amid more serious business. After strict examinations, and approval of Walrave and his works at Brieg, he again takes the road; enters Breslau in considerable state (November 4th), where many Persons of Quality are waiting, and the general Homaging is straightway to be —or, indeed, should have been some days ago, but has fallen behind by delays in the Neisse affair. The Breslau Huldigung-Friedrich sworn-to and homaged with the due solemnities as "Sovereign Duke of Lower Silesia" -was an event to throw into fine temporary frenzy the descriptive Gazetteers, and Breslau City, overflowing with Quality people come to act and to see on the occasion-event which can be left to the reader's fancy at this date. There were Corporations out in quantity, "all in cloaks," and with sublime Addresses, partly in poetry, happily rather brief. There were beautiful Prussian Life-guards ("First Battalion," admirable to the softer sex, not to speak of the harder); much military resonance and splendor. Friedrich drove about in carriages-and-six, "nay, carriage-and-eight, horses cream-color:" a very high King indeed, and a very busy one, for those four days (November 4th8th, 1741), but full of grace and condescension. The Huldigung itself took effect on the 7th in the fine old Rathhaus, which Tourists still know, the surrounding Apple-women sweeping themselves clear away for one day. Ancient Ducal throne and proper apparatus there was; state-sword unluckily wanting: 11th Nov., 1741. Schwerin, who was to act Grand-Marshal, could find no statesword till Friedrich drew his own and gave it him.13 Podewils, the Minister, said something, not too much; to which one Prittwitz, head of a Silesian Family of which we shall know individuals, made pithy and pretty response before swearing. "There were above Four Hundred of Quality present, all in gala." The customary Free-Gift of the Stände Friedrich magnanimously refused: "Impossible to be a burden to our Silesia in such harassed war-circumstances, instead of benefactor and protector, as we intended and intend!" The Ceremony, swearing and all, was over in two hours; hundreds of silver medals, not to speak of the gold ones, flying about; and Breslau giving itself up joyfully to dinner and festivities; and, after dinner, that evening, to Illumination, followed by balls and jubilations for days after, in a highly harmonious key. Of the lamps-festoons, astonishing transparencies, and glad symbolic devices, I could say a great deal, but will mention only two, both of comfortably edible or quasi-edible tendency: 1o. That of David Schulze, Flesher by profession, who had a Transparency, large as life, representing his own fat Person in the act of felling a fat Ox, to which was appended this epigraph: And then, "Wer mir wird den König in Preussen verachten, Den will ich wie diesen Ochsen schlachten.” "Who dares me the King of Prussia insult, Signed, "DAVID SCHULZE, A BRANDenburger. 2°. How, in another quarter, there was set aloft in re, by some Pastry-cook of patriotic turn, “An actual Ox roasted whole, filled with pheasants, partridges, grouse, hares, and geese; Prussian Eagle atop, made of roasted fowls, larks, and the like"-unattainable, I doubt, except for money down.14 On the fifth morning, 9th November-after much work done during this short visit, much ceremonial audiencing, latterly, and raising to the peerage-Friedrich rolled on to Glogau; took accurate survey of the engineering and other interests there for a couple of days; thence to Berlin (noon of the 11th), joyfully re13 Helden-Geschichte, i., 1022, 1025; ii., 349. 14 Ibid., ii., 359. 4th Dec., 1741. ceived by Royal Family and all the world; and, as we might fancy, asking himself, "Am I actually home, then; out of the enchanted jungles and their devilries; safe here, and listening, I alone in Peace, to the universal din of War?" Alas! no; that was a beautiful hypothesis-too beautiful to be long credible! Before reaching Berlin-or even Breslau, as appears-Friedrich, vigilantly scanning and discerning, had seen that fine hope as good as vanish, and was silently busy upon the opposite one. In a fortnight hence, Hyndford, who had followed to Berlin, got transient sight of the King one morning, hastening through some apartment or other: "My Lord,' said the King, 'the Court of Vienna has entirely divulged our secret. Dowager Empress Amelia' (Kaiser Joseph's widow, mother of Karl Albert's wife) 'has acquainted the Court of Bavaria with it; Wasner' (Austrian Minister at Paris) 'has told Fleury; Sinzendorf' (ditto at Petersburg) 'has told the Court of Russia; Robinson, through Mr. Villiers' (your Saxon Minister), 'has told the Court of Dresden; and several members of your Government in England have talked publicly about it!' And, with a shrug of the shoulders, he left me," standing somewhat agape there.15 CHAPTER VI. NEW MAYOR OF LANDSHUT MAKES AN INSTALLATION SPEECH. THE late general Homaging at Breslau, and solemn Taking Possession of the Country by King Friedrich under such peaceable omens, had straightway, as we gather, brought about, over Silesia at large, or at least where pressingly needful, various little alterations-rectifications by the Prussian model and new rule now introduced; of which, as it is better that the reader have some dim notion, if easily procurable, than none at all, I will offer him one example, itself dim enough, but coming at firsthand, in the actual or concrete form, and beyond disputing in whatever light or twilight it may yield us. At Landshut, a pleasant little Mountain Town in the Princi Hyndford, Dispatch, Berlin, 28th November, 1741; Breslau, 28th October (secret already known). 4th Dec., 1741. pality of Schweidnitz, high up on the infant River Bober, near the Bohemian Frontier-(English readers may see Quincy Adams's description of it, and of the long wooden spouts which throw cataracts on you if walking the streets in rain1)—at Landshut, as in some other Towns, it had been found good to remodel the Town Magistracy a little; to make it partly Protestant, for one thing, instead of Catholic (and Austrian), which it had formerly been. Details about the "high controversies and discrepancies" which had risen there we have absolutely none; nor have the special functions of the Magistracy, what powers they had, what work they did, in the least become distinct to us: we gather only that a certain nameless Bürgermeister (probably Austrian and Catholic) had, by "Most gracious Royal Special-Order," been at length relieved from his labors, and therewith "the much by him persecuted and afflicted Herr Theodorus Spener" been named Bürgermeister instead; which respectable Herr Theodorus Spener, and along with him Herr Johann David Fischer as Raths-Senior, and Herr Johann Caspar Rüffer, and also Herr Johann Jacob Umminger, as new Raths (how many of the old being left I can not say), were accordingly, on the 4th of December, 1741, publicly installed, and with proper solemnity took their places; all Landshut looking on, with the conceivable interest and astonishment, almost as at a change in the obliquity of the ecliptic-change probably for the better. Respectable Herr Theodorus Spener (we hope it is Spener, for they print him Speer in one of the two places, and we have to go by guess) is ready with an Installation Speech on the occasion, and his Speech was judged so excellent that they have preserved it in print. Us it by no means strikes by its Demosthenic or other qualities; meanwhile we listen to it with the closest attention, hoping, in our great ignorance, to gather from it some glimmerings of instruction as to the affairs, humors, disposition, and general outlook and condition of Landshut, and Silesia in that juncture; and, though a good deal disappointed, have made an Abstract of it in the English language, which perhaps the 1 John Quincy Adams (afterward President of the United States), Letters on Silesia (London, 1804). "The wooden spouts are now gone" (Note of 1858). |