Nov. 1759-March 1760.

Summer was at hand, and his dear Old Friend coming out in vigour.

August 10th, 1759, Ferdinand died; and the same day Carlos became King of Spain. But, instead of giving Naples to Don Philip, Carlos gave it to a junior Son of his own; and left poor Philip to content himself with Parma and Piacenza, as heretofore. Clear against the rights of Austria; Treaty of Aix-laChapelle is perfectly explicit on that point! Will not Austria vindicate its claim? Politicians say, Austria might have recovered not only Parma and Piacenza, but the kingdom of Naples itself,-no France at present able to hinder it, no Spain ever able. But Austria, contrary to expectation, would not: a Country tenacious enough of its rights, real and imaginary; greedy enough of Italy, but of Silesia much more! The matter was deliberated in Council at Vienna; but the result was mag. nanimously, No. "Finish this Friedrich first; finish this Silesia. Nothing else till that!"

The Marischal's legationary function, therefore, proved a sinecure; no Carlos needing Anti-Austrian assistance from Friedrich or another; Austria magnanimously having let him alone. Doubtless a considerable disappointment to Friedrich. Industrious Friedrich had tried, on the other side of this affair, Whether the King of Sardinia, once an adventurous fighting kind of man, could not be stirred up, having interests involved? But no; he too, grown old, devotional, apprehensive, held by his rosaries, and answered, No. Here is again a hope reasonable to look at, but which proves fallacious.

Marischal continued in Spain, corresponding, sending news (the Prussian Archives alone know what), for nearly a couple of years.* 48 His Embassy had one effect, which is of interest

to us here. On his way out, he had gone by London, with a view of getting legal absolution for his Jacobitism,—so far, at least, as to be able to inherit the Earldom of Kintore, which is likely to fall vacant soon. By blood it is his, were the Jacobite incapacities withdrawn. Kintore is a cadet branch of the Keiths; John, younger Son of William Sixth Lord Marischal,' was the first Kintore. William Sixth's younger Son, yes;—and William's Father, a man always venerable to me, had (A.D. 1593) founded Marischal College, Aberdeen,—

48 Returned April 1762' (Friedrich's Letter to him, '10th April 1762 :' in Œuvres de rédéric, xx. 285).

Nov. 1759-March 1760. where, for a few, in those stern granite Countries, the Diviner Pursuits are still possible (thank God and this Keith) on frugal oatmeal. Marischal-College Keith, or Fifth Lord Marischal, was grandfather's grandfather of our Potsdam Friend, who is tenth and last.49 Honour to the brave and noble, now fallen silent under foot not of the nobler! In a word, the fourth Kintore was about dying childless; and Marischal had come by London on that heritage business.

He carried, naturally, the best recommendations. Britannic Majesty, Pitt and everybody met him with welcome and furtherance; what he wished was done, and in such a style of promptness and cordiality, Pitt pushing it through, as quite gained the heart of old Marischal. And it is not doubted, though particulars have not been published, That he sent important Spanish notices to Pitt, in these years;—and especially informed him that King Carlos and the French Bourbon had signed a Family Compact (15th August 1761), or solemn covenant, to stand-by one another as brothers. Which was thenceforth, to Pitt privately, an important fact, as perhaps we shall see; though to other men it was still only a painful rumour and dubiety. Whether the old Marischal informed him, That King Carlos hated the English; that he never had, in his royal mind, forgiven that insult of Commodore Martin's (watch laid on the table, in the Bay of Naples, long ago), I do not know; but that also was a fact. A diligent, indignant kind of man, this Carlos, I am told; by no means an undeserving King of Spain, though his Portraits declare him an ugly we will leave him in the discreet Marischal's hands, with the dear Old Friend shining equally on both.

:

Singular to see how, in so veracious an intellect as Friedrich's, so many fallacies of hope are constantly entertained. War in Italy, on quarrel with King Carlos; Peace with France and the Pompadour, by help of Edelsheim and the Bailli de Froulay; Peace with Russia and the infâme Catin, by help of English briberies (Friedrich sent an agent this winter with plenty of English guineas, but he got no farther than the Frontier, not allowed even to try): sometimes, as again this winter, it is hope of Denmark joining him (in alarm against the Russian views on Holstein; but that, too, comes to no49 Douglas's Scotch Peerage, pp. 448 et seq., 387 et seq.

Jan.-April 1760.

thing); above all, there is perennially, budding-out yearly, the brighter after every disappointment, a hope in the Grand Turk and his adherencies. Grand Turk, or failing him, the Cham of Tartary,—for certain, some of these will be got to fasten on the heels of Austria, of Russia; and create a favourable diversion? Friedrich took an immense deal of trouble about this latter hope. It is almost pathetic to see with what a fond tenacity he clings to it; and hopes it over again, every new Spring and Summer.50

The hope that an infâme Catin might die some day (for she is now deep in chaotic ailments, deepish even in brandy) seems never to have struck him; at least there is nowhere any articulate hint of it, the eagle-flight of one's imagination soaring far above such a pettiness! Hope is very beautiful; and even fallacious hope, in such a Friedrich. The one hope that did not deceive him, was hope in his own best exertion to the very death; and no fallacy ever for a moment slackened him in that. Stand to thyself: in the wide domain of Imagination, there is no other certainty of help. No other certainty; -and yet who knows through what pettinesses Heaven may send help!

CHAPTER IX.

PRELIMINARIES TO A FIFTH CAMPAIGN.

It was April 25th before Friedrich quitted Freyberg, and took Camp; not till the middle of June that anything of serious Movement came. Much discouragement prevails in his Army, we hear and indeed, it must be owned, the horoscope of these Campaigns grows yearly darker. Only Friedrich himself must not be discouraged! Nor is;-though there seldom lay ahead of any man a more dangerous-looking Year than this that is now dimly shaping itself to Friedrich. His fortune seems to have quitted him; his enemies are more confident than ever.

This Year, it seems, they have bethought them of a new device against him. 'We have 90 million Population," count they; "he has hardly 5; in the end, he must run-out of men! Let us cease exchanging prisoners with him." At Jägerndorf, in April 1758 (just before our march to Olmütz), there had been exchange; not without haggles; but this was the last on

50 Preuss, ii. 121 et seq., 292 &c.; Schöning, ii. iii. passim.

Jan.-April 1760. Austria's part. Cartel of the usual kind, values punctually settled: a Fieldmarshal is worth 3,000 common men, or 1, 500%.; Colonel worth 130 men, or 657.; common man is worth Ios. sterling, not a high figure.1 The Russians haggled still more, no keeping of them to their word; but they tried it a second time, last year (October 1759); and by careful urging and guiding, were got dragged through it, and the prisoners on both sides sent to their colours again. After which, it was a settled line of policy, "No more exchanging or cartelling; we will starve him out in that article!" And had Friedrich had nothing but his own 5 millions to go upon, though these contributed liberally, he had in truth been starved out. Nor could Saxony, with Mecklenburg, Anhalt, Erfurt, and their 10,000 men a year, have supplied him,—‘had not there,' says Archenholtz (a man rather fond of superlatives),—

'Had not there risen a Recruiting system,' or Crimping system, 'the like of which for kind and degree was never seen in the Earth 'before. Prisoners, captive soldiers, if at all likely fellows, were by every means persuaded, and even compelled, to take Prussian service. Compelled, cudgel in hand,' says Archenholtz (who is too indiscriminating, I can see,—for there were Pfalzers, Würtembergers, Reichsfolk, who had first been compelled the other way): 'not asked if they wished to serve, but dragged to the Prussian colours, obliged to swear there, ' and fight against their countrymen.' Say at least, against their countrymen's Governors, contumacious Serene Highnesses of Würtemberg, Mecklenburg and the like. Würtemberg, we mentioned lately, had to shoot a good few of his first levy against the Protestant Champion, before they would march at all!—I am sorry for these poor men; and wish the Reich had been what it once was, a Veracity and Practical Reality, not an Imaginary Entity and hideously contemptible Wiggery, as it now is! Contemptible, and hideous as well;-setting itself up on that fundamental mendacity; which is eternally tragical, though little regarded in these days, and which entails mendacities without end on parties concerned !-But, apart from all this, certain it is,

The whole German Reich was deluged with secret Prussian En• listers. The greater part of these were not actual Officers at all, but hungry Adventurers, who had been bargained with, and who, for 'their own profit, allowed themselves every imaginable art to pick-up Head and centre of them was the Prussian Colonel Colignon,' one of the Free-Corps people; 'a man formed by nature for this busi'ness' (what a beautiful man!)-' who gave all the others their direc'tions, and taught them by his own example. Colignon himself,' in winter-time, travelled about in all manner of costumes and characters,

'men.

1 Archenholtz, ii. 53.

Jan.-April 1760.

persuading hundreds of people into the Prussian service.

He not ' only promised Commissions, but gave such,―nominating loose young 'fellows (Laffen), students, merchants' clerks and the like, to Lieu. ⚫tenancies and Captaincies in the Prussian Army' (about as likely as in the Seraphim and Cherubim, had they known it): in the Infantry, ' in the Cuirassiers, in the Hussars,—it is all one, you have only to 'choose. The renown of the Prussian arms was so universal, and com'bined with the notion of rich booty, that Colignon's Commission'manufactory was continually busy. No need to provide marchingmoney, hand-money' (shillings for earnest); 'Colignon's recruits 'travelled mostly of will and at their own charge. In Franken, in Schwaben, in the Rhine Countries, a dissolute son would rob his 'father, -as shopmen their masters' tills, and managers their cash'boxes,—and hie off to those magnanimous Prussian Officials, who gave away companies like kreutzers, and had a value for young fellows of 'spirit. They hastened to Magdeburg with their Commissions; where they were received as common recruits, and put by force into the regiments suitable. No use in resisting: the cudgel and the drill-ser'geant,' ,'-who doubts it ?-'till complete submission. By this and ' other methods Colignon and his helpers are reckoned to have raised 'for the King, in the course of this War, about 60,000 recruits."2

This Year, Daun, though his reputation is on the decline lately, is to have the chief command, as usual; the Grand Army, with Saxony for field of conquest, and the Reichsfolk to assist, is to be Daun's. But, what is reckoned an important improvement, Loudon is to have a separate command, and Army of his own. Loudon, hot of temper, melancholic, shy, is not a man to recommend himself to Kriegshofrath people; but no doubt Imperial Majesty has had her own wise eye on him. His merits are so undeniable; the need of some Commander not of the Cunctator type is become so very pressing. "Army of Silesia, 50,000;" that is to be Loudon's, with 40,000 Russians to coöperate and unite themselves with Loudon; and try actually for conquest of Silesia, this Year; while Daun, conquering Saxony, keeps the King busy.

At Petersburg, Versailles, Vienna, much planning there has been, and arduous consulting: first at Petersburg, in time and in importance, where Montalembert has again been very urgent in regard to those poor Swedish people, and the getting of them turned to some kind of use: "Stettin in conjunction with the Swedes; oh, listen to reason, and take Stettin !" "Would not Dantzig by ourselves be the advisable thing?" Archenholtz, ii. 53.

VOL. VIII.

T