History of Friedrich II of Prussia — Volume 18Carlyle, Thomas
History
History of Friedrich II of Prussia — Volume 18
Carlyle, Thomas
Frederick II, King of Prussia, 1712-1786; Prussia (Germany) -- History -- Frederick II, 1740-1786; Social problems
October 11th, express arrived, important express from General Finck (who
is in Dresden, convalescent from Kolin, and is even Commandant there, of
anything there is to command), "That the considerable Austrian Brigade
or Outpost, which was left at Stolpen when the others went for Silesia,
is all on march for Berlin." Here is news! "The whole 15,000 of
them," report adds;--though it proved to be only a Detachment, picked
Tolpatches mostly, and of nothing like that strength; shot off, under a
swift General Haddick, on this errand. Between them and Berlin is not
a vestige of force; and Berlin itself has nothing but palisades, and
perhaps a poor 4,000 of garrison. "March instantly, you Moritz, who lie
nearest; cross Elbe at Torgau; I follow instantly!" orders Friedrich;
[His Message to Moritz, ORLICH, p. 73; Rodenbeck, p. 322 (dubious, or
wrong).]--and that same night is on march, or has cavalry pushed ahead
for reinforcement of Moritz.
Friedrich, not doubting but there would be captaincy and scheme among
his Enemies, considered that the Swedes, and perhaps the Richelieu
French, were in concert with this Austrian movement,--from east,
from north, from west, three Invasions coming on the core of his
Dominions;--and that here at last was work ahead, and plenty of it!
That was Friedrich's opinion, and most other people's, when the Austrian
inroad was first heard of: "mere triple ruin coming to this King," as
the Gazetteers judged;--great alarm prevailing among the King's friends;
in Berlin, very great. Friedrich, glad, at any rate, to have done with
that dismal lingering at Buttelstadt, hastens to arrange himself for
the new contingencies; to post his Keiths, his Ferdinands, with their
handfuls of force, to best advantage; and push ahead after Moritz, by
Leipzig, Torgau, Berlin-wards, with all his might. At Leipzig, in such
press of business and interest,--judge by the following phenomenon, what
a clear-going soul this is, and how completely on a level with whatever
it may be that he is marching towards:--
"LEIPZIG, 15th OCTOBER, 1757 (Interview with Gottsched).--At 11 this
morning, Majesty came marching into Leipzig; multitudes of things to
settle there; things ready, things not yet ready, in view of the great
events ahead. Seeing that he would have time after dinner, he at once
sent for Professor Gottsched, a gigantic gentleman, Reigning King of
German Literature for the time being, to come to him at 3 P.M. Reigning
King at that time; since gone wholly to the Dustbins,--'Popular
Delusion,' as old Samuel defines it, having since awakened to itself,
with scornful ha-ha's upon its poor Gottsched, and rushed into other
roads worse and better; its poor Gottsched become a name now signifying
Pedantry, Stupidity, learned Inanity and the Worship of Colored Water,
to every German mind.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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