31st Jan.-12th Feb., 1742.

never do, except for the Queen-Mother's parties ;" and rang for her maids. So that you are led out to the Anteroom, and go grinning about till a new and still more charming deshabille be completed, and her most Serene Highness can receive you again: "Now, Messieurs! Pshaw! one is always stupid; no esprit at all except by candle-light!" After which, such a dinner, unmatchable for elegance, for exquisite gastronomy, for Attic-Paphian brilliancy and charm! And, indeed, there followed hereupon, for weeks on weeks, a series of such unmatchable little dinners; chief parts, under that charming Presidency, being done by "Grand Chamberlain Baron de" Something-or-other, "by your humble servant Bielfeld, M. Jordan, and a Marquis D'Argens, famous Provençal gentleman now in the suite of her Highness"14 feasts of the Barmecide, I much doubt, poor Bielfeld being in this Chapter very fantastic, misdateful to a mad extent, and otherwise, except as to general effect, worth little serious belief.

We shall meet this Paphian Dowager again (Crucifix and Myrtle joined); meet especially her D'Argens, and her Three little Princes more or less; wherefore, mark slightly (besides the D'Argens as above):

“1°. The Eldest little Prince, Karl Eugen, made 'Reigning-Duke' within three years hence" (Mamma falling into trouble with the Stände): "a man still gloomily famous in Germany" (Poet Schiller's Duke of Würtemberg)," of inarticulate, extremely arbitrary turn-married Wilhelmina's Daughter by-and-by" (with horrible usage of her)," and otherwise gave Friedrich and the world cause to think of him.

66

"2°. The Second little Prince, Friedrich Eugen, Prussian General of some mark, who will incidentally turn up again. He was afterward Successor to the Dukedom" (Karl Eugen dying childless)," and married his Daughter to Paul of Russia, from whom descend the Autocrats there to this day.

"3°. Youngest little Prince, Ludwig Eugen, a respectable Prussian Officer, and later a French one: he is that 'Duc de Wirtemberg' who corresponds with Voltaire" (inscrutable to readers in most of the Editions),“ and need not be mentioned farther.”15

But enough of all this. It is time we were in Mähren, where the Expedition must be blazing well ahead, if things have gone as expected.

14 Bielfeld, ii., 74-78.

15 See Michaelis, iii., 449; Preuss, i., 476: &c., &c.

5th Feb.-5th April, 1742.

CHAPTER X.

FRIEDRICH DOES HIS MORAVIAN EXPEDITION, WHICH PROVES A MERE MORAVIAN FORAY.

WHILE these Coronation splendors had been going on, Friedrich, in the Moravian regions, was making experiences of a rather painful kind, his Expedition prospering there far otherwise. than he had expected. This winter Expedition to Mähren was one of the first Friedrich had ever undertaken on the Joint-stock Principle, and it proved of a kind rather to disgust him with that method in affairs of war.

A deeply disappointing Expedition. The country hereabouts. was in bad posture of defense; nothing between us and Vienna itself, in a manner. Rushing briskly forward, living on the country where needful, on that Iglau Magazine, on one's own Séchelles resources; rushing on, with the Saxons, with the French, emulous on the right hand and the left, a Captain like Friedrich might have gone far; Vienna itself—who knows! not yet quite beyond the reach of him. Here was a way to check Khevenhüller in his Bavarian Operations, and whirl him back, double-quick, for another object nearer home! But, alas! neither the Saxons nor the French would rush on, in the least emulous. The Saxons dragged heavily arear; the French Detachment (a poor 5000 under Polastron, all that a captious Broglio could be persuaded to grant) would not rush at all, but paused on the very frontier of Moravia, Broglio so ordering, and there hung supine, or indeed went home.

Friedrich remonstrated, argued, turned back to encourage, but it was in vain. The Saxon Bastard Princes "lived for days in any Schloss they found comfortable," complaining always that there was no victual for their Troops; that the Prussians, always ahead, had eaten the country. No end to haggling; and, except on Friedrich's part, no hearty beginning to real business. "If you wish at all to be 'King of Moravia,' what is this!" thinks Friedrich justly. Broglio, too, was unmanageable –

5th Feb.-5th April, 1742. piqued that Valori, not Broglio, had started the thing-showed himself captious, dark, hysterically effervescent, now overcautious, and again capable of rushing blindly headlong.

To Broglio, the fact at Linz, which every body saw to be momentous, was overwhelming. Magnanimous Ségur, and his Linz "all wedged with beams," what a road have they gone! Said so valiantly they would make defense; and did it, scarcely for four days-January 24th-before this Expedition could begin! True, M. de Maréchal, too true; and is that a reason for hanging back in this Mähren Business, or for pushing on in it, doublequick, with all one's strength? "But our Conquests on the Donau," thinks Broglio, "what will become of them and of us?” To Broglio, justly apprehensive about his own posture at Prag and on the Donau, there never was such a chance of at once raking back all Austrians homeward, post-haste out of those countries. But Broglio could by no means see it so-headstrong, blusterous, overcautious, and hysterically headlong old gentleman, whose conduct at. Prag here brought Strasburg vividly to Friedrich's memory, upon which, as upon the ghost of Broglio's Breeches, Valori had to hear "incessant sarcasms" at this time.

In a word, from February 5th, when Friedrich, according to bargain, rendezvoused his Prussians at Wischau to begin this Expedition, till April 5th, when he re-rendezvoused them (at the same Wischau, as chanced) for the purpose of ending it and going home-Friedrich, wrestling his utmost with Human Stupidity, "mit der Dummheit" (as Schiller sonorously says), "against which the very gods are unvictorious," had probably two of the most provoking months of his Life, or of this first Silesian War, which was fruitful in such to him. For the common cause he accomplished nearly nothing by this Moravian Expedition; but to his own mind it was rich in experiences as to the Joint-stock Principle, as to the Partners he now had; and it doubtless quickened his steps toward getting personally out of this imbroglio of big French-German Wars-home to Berlin, with Peace and Silesia in his pocket-which had all along been the goal of his endeavors. As a feat of war it is by no means worth detailing in this place, though succinct Stille and bulkier German Books

5th Feb.-5th April, 1742. give lucid account, should any body chance to be curious.1 Only under the other aspect, as Friedrich's experience of Partnership, and especially of his now Partners, are present readers concerned to have, in brief form, some intelligible notion of it.

Iglau is got, but not the Magazine at Iglau.

Friedrich was punctual at Wischau; Head-quarters there (midway between Olmütz and Brünn), Prussians all assembled, 5th February, 1742. Wischau is some eighty miles east or inward of Iglau; the French and Saxons are to meet us about Trebitsch, a couple of marches from that Teutschbrod of theirs, and well within one march of lglau, on our route thither.* The French and Saxons are at Trebitsch accordingly, but their minds and will seem to be far elsewhere. Rutowsky and the Chevalier de Saxe command the Saxons (20.000 strong on paper, 16,000 in reality); Comte de Polastron the French, who are 5000, all Horse. Along with whom, professedly as French Volunteer, has come the Comte de Saxe, capricious Maurice (Maréchal de Saxe that will be), who has always viewed this Expedition with disfavor. Excellency Valori is with the French Detachment, or rather poor Valori is every where; running about, from quarter to quarter, sometimes to Prag itself; assiduous to heal rents every where; clapping cement into manifold cracks from day to day. Through Valori we get some interesting glimpses into the secret humors and manœuvres of Comte Maurice. It is known otherwise Comte Maurice was no friend to Belleisle, but looked for his promotion from the opposite or Noailles party in the French Court at present, as Valori perceives, he has got the ear of Broglio, and put much sad stuff into the loud, foolish mind of him.

:

To these Saxon gentlemen, being Bastard-Royal and important to conciliate, Friedrich has in a highflown way assigned the Schloss of Budischau for quarters, an excellent, superbly magnificent mansion in the neighborhood of Trebitsch, "nothing like it to be seen except in theatres, on the Drop-scene of The Enchanted Island," where they make themselves so comfortable, says Friedrich, there is no getting them roused to do any thing for three days to come. And yet the work is urgent, and plenty of it. Iglau first of all," urges Friedrich, “where the Austrians, 10,000 or so, under Prince Lobkowitz, have posted themselves" (right flank of that long straggle of Winter Cantonments, which goes leftward to Budweis and farther)," and made Magazines: possession of Iglau is the foundation-stone of our affairs. And if we would

'Stille, Campaigns of the King of Prussia, i., 1-55; Helden-Geschichte, ii., 548-611; (Euvres de Frédéric, ii., 110–114; Orlich, ii.; &c., &c. * See Map at p. 452, 2 Stille, Campaigns, p. 14.

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5th Feb.-5th April, 1742. have Iglau with the Magazines and not without, surely there is not a moment to be wasted!" In vain; the Saxon Bastard Princes feel themselves very comfortable It was Sunday, the 11th of February, when our junction with them was completed, and, instead of next morning early, it is Wednesday afternoon before Prince Dietrich of AnhaltDessau, with the Saxon and French party roused to join his Prussians and him, can at last take the road for Iglau. Prince Dietrich makes now the reverse of delay, marches all night, "bivouacks in woods near Iglau," warming himself at stick-fires till the day break; takes Iglau by merely marching into it and scattering 2000 Pandours as soon as day has broken, but finds the Magazines not there. Lobkowitz carted off what he could, then burnt" Seventeen Barns yesterday," and is himself off toward Budweis Head-quarters and the Bohemian bogs again. This comes of lodging Saxon royal gentlemen too well.

The Saxons think Iglau enough; the French go home. Our Saxons Nay, Iglau taken, the affair grows worse than ever. now declare that they understand their orders to be completed; that their Court did not mean them to march farther, but only to hold by Iglau, a solid footing in Moravia, which will suffice for the present. Fancy Friedrich-fancy Valori, and the cracks he will have to fill! Friedrich, in astonishment and indignation, sends a messenger to Dresden: "Would the Polish Majesty be King of Moravia,' then, or not be ?" Remonstrances at Budischau rise higher and higher; Valori, to prevent total explosion, flies over once, in the dead of the night, to deal with Rutowsky and Brothers. Rutowsky himself seems partly persuadable, though dreadfully ill of rheumatism. They rouse Comte Maurice; and "He talked Valori, by this Comte's caprices, is driven out of patience. with a flippant sophistry, almost with an insolence," says Valori; "nay, at last, he made me a gesture in speaking"-what gesture, thumb to nose, or what, the shuddering imagination dare not guess! But Valori, nettled to the quick, "repeated it," and otherwise gave him as good as he brought. "He ended by a gesture which displeased me”—“ and went to bed." This is the night of February 18th; third night after Iglau was had, and the Magazines in it gone to ashes, which the Saxons think is conquest enough.

Poor Polish Majesty-poor Karl Albert above all, now" Kaiser Karl VII.," with nothing but those French for breath to his nostrils! With his fine French Army of the Oriflamme, Karl Albert should have pushed along last Autumn, and not merely "read the Paper" which Friedrich sent him to that effect," and then laid it aside." They will never have

3 Valori, i., 148, 149.