History of Friedrich II of Prussia — Volume 19Carlyle, Thomas
History
History of Friedrich II of Prussia — Volume 19
Carlyle, Thomas
Frederick II, King of Prussia, 1712-1786; Prussia (Germany) -- History -- Frederick II, 1740-1786; Social problems
"At any rate, Wobersnow punctually looks in upon him: seizes his
considerable stock of Russian proviants; his belligerent force, his high
person itself; and in one luckless hour snuffs him out from the list
of potentates. His belligerent force, about 1,000 Polacks, were all
compelled, 'by the cudgel, say my authorities, to take Prussian service
[in garrison regiments, and well scattered about, I suppose]; his
own high person found itself sitting locked in Glogau, left to its
reflections. Sat thus 'till the War ended,' say some; certainly till
the Sulkowski War had been sufficiently exploded by the laughter of
mankind." Here are, succinctly, the dates of this small memorability:--
"End of February, Wobersnow gathers, at Glogau, a force of about 8,000
horse and foot. Marches, 24th FEBRUARY, over Oder Bridge, straight
into Poland; that same night, to the neighborhood of Lissa and Reisen
(Sulkowski's dominion), about thirty miles northeast of Glogau.
Sulkowski done next day;--part of the capture is 'fifteen small guns.'
Wobersnow goes, next, for Posen; arrives, 28th FEBRUARY; destroys
Russian Magazine, ransoms Jews. Shoots out other detachments on the
Magazine Enterprise;--detaches Platen along the Warta, where are picked
up various items, among others 'eighty tuns of brandy,'--but himself
proceeds no farther than Posen. MARCH 4th, sets out again from Posen,
homewards." [NACHRICHT VON DER UNTERNEHMUNG DES GENERAL-MAJORS VON
WOBERSNOW IN POLEN, IM FEB. UND MARZ. 1759: in Seyfarth, _Beylagen,_ ii.
526-529. _Helden-Geschichte,_ v. 829.] We shall hear again of Wobersnow,
in a much more important way, before long.
To the Polish Republic so called, Friedrich explained politely, not
apologetically: "Since you allow the Russians to march through you in
attack of me, it is evident to your just minds that the attacked party
must have similar privilege." "Truly!" answered they, in their just
minds, generally; and I made no complaint about Sulkowski (though Polish
Majesty and Primate endeavored to be loud about "Invasion" and the
like):--and indeed Polish Republic was lying, for a long while past, as
if broken-backed, on the public highway, a Nation anarchic every fibre
of it, and under the feet and hoofs of travelling Neighbors, especially
of Russian Neighbors; and is not now capable of saying much for itself
in such cases, or of doing anything at all.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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