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
"Pitt, when the news of Rossbach came, awakening the bonfires and
steeple-bells of England to such a pitch, had resolved on an emphatic
measure: that of sending English Troops to reinforce our Allied Army,
and its new General;--such an Ally as that Rossbach one being rare in
the eyes of Pitt. 'Postpone the meeting of Parliament, yet a few days,
your Majesty,' said Pitt, 'till I get the estimates ready!' [Thackeray,
i. 310.] To which Majesty assented, and all England with him: 'England's
own Cause,' thinks Pitt, with confidence: 'our way of Conquering
America,--and, in the circumstances, our one way!' English did land,
accordingly; first instalment of them, a 12,000 (in August next),
increased gradually to 20,000; with no end of furnishings to them and
everybody; with results again satisfactory to Pitt; and very famous in
the England that then was, dim as they are now grown."
The effect of all which was, that Pitt, with his Ferdinands and
reinforcements, found work for the French ever onwards from Rossbach;
French also turning as if exclusively upon perfidious Albion: and the
thing became, in Teutschland, as elsewhere, a duel of life and
death between these natural enemies,--Teutschland the centre of
it,--Teutschland and the accessible French Sea-Towns,--but the
circumference of it going round from Manilla and Madras to Havana and
Quebec again. Wide-spread furious duel; prize, America and life. By land
and sea; handsomely done by Pitt on both elements. Land part, we say,
was always mainly in Germany, under Ferdinand,--in Hessen and
the Westphalian Countries, as far west as Minden, as far east as
Frankfurt-on-Mayn, generally well north of Rhine, well south of Elbe:
that was, for five years coming, the cockpit or place of deadly fence
between France and England. Friedrich's arena lies eastward of that,
occasionally playing into it a little, and played into by it, and always
in lively sympathy and consultation with it: but, except the French
subsidizings, diplomatizings. and great diligenae against him in foreign
Courts, Friedrich is, in practical respects, free of the French;
and ever after Rossbach, Ferdinand and the English keep them in full
work,--growing yearly too full. A heavy Business for England and
Ferdinand; which is happily kept extraneous to Friedrich thenceforth; to
him and us; which is not on the stage of his affairs and ours, but is
to be conceived always as vigorously proceeding alongside of it, close
beyond the scenes, and liable at any time to make tragic entry on him
again:--of which we shall have to notice the louder occurrences and
cardinal phases, but, for the future, nothing more.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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