Bruhl and Polish Majesty's Army, still only about 18,000, have their apprehensions of such visit: but what can they do? The Saxon Army draws out into Camp, at sight of this mysterious marching;strong Camp "in the angle of Elbe and Mulde Rivers;"--then draws in again; being too weak for use. And is thinking, Menzel informs us, to take post in the stony labyrinthic Pirna Country: such the advice an Excellency Broglio has given;--French Excellency, now in Dresden; Marechal de Broglio's Son, and of little less explosive nature than his Father was. Bruhl and Polish Majesty, guessing that the hour is come, are infinitely interested. Interested, not flurried. "Austrian-Russian Anti-Prussian Covenant!" say Bruhl and Majesty, rather comfortably to themselves: "We never signed it.
WE never would sign anything; what have we to do with it? Courage;steady; To Pirna, if they come! Are not Excellency Broglio, and France, and Austria, and the whole world at our back?"It was full three weeks before Klinggraf's Message of Answer could arrive at Berlin. Of Friedrich in the interim, launching such a world-adventure, himself silent, in the midst of a buzzing Berlin, take these indications, which are luminous enough. Duke Ferdinand of Brunswick is to head one of the Three "Columns." Duke Ferdinand, Governor of Magdeburg, is now collecting his Column in that neighborhood, chiefly at Halle; whitherward, or on what errand, is profoundly unknown. Unknown even to Ferdinand, except that it is for actual Service in the Field. Here are two Friedrich Letters (ruggedly Official, the first of them, and not quite peculiar to Ferdinand), which are worth reading:--THE KING TO DUKE FERDINAND OF BRUNSWICK.
"POTSDAM, 15th August, 1756.
"For time of Field-Service I have made the arrangement, That for the Subaltern Officers of your regiment, over and above their ordinary Equipage-moneys, there shall, to each Subaltern Officer, and once for all, be Eight Thalers [twenty-four shillings sterling]
advanced. That sum [eight thalers per subaltern] shall be paid to the Captain of every Company; and besides this there shall, monthly, Two Thalers be deducted from the Subaltern's Pay, and be likewise paid over to the Captain:--in return for which, He is to furnish Free Table for the Subalterns throughout the Campaign, and so long as the regiment is in the field.
"Of the Two Baggage-carts per Company, the regiment shall take only One, and leave the other at home. No Officer, let him be who or of what title he will, Generals not excepted, shall take with him the least of Silver Plate, not even a silver spoon. Whoever wants, therefore, to keep table, great or small (TAFEL ODER TISCH), must manage the same with tin utensils;--without exception, be he who he will.
"Each Captain shall take with him a little Cask of Vinegar;of which, as soon as the regiments get to Camp, he must give me reckoning, and I will then have him repaid. This Vinegar shall solely and exclusively be employed for this purpose, That in places where the water is bad, there be poured into it, for the soldiers, a few drops of the vinegar, to correct the water, and thereby preserve them from illnesses.
"So soon as the regiment gets on march, the Women who have permission to follow are put under command of the Profoss;that thereby all plunderings and disorders may the more be guarded against. If the Captains and Officers take Grooms (JAGER) or the like Domestics, there can muskets be given to these, that use may be had of them, in case of an attack in quarters, or on march, when a WAGENBURG (wagon-fortress) is to be formed. ...FRIEDRICH."[Preuss, ii. 6, 7.]
SAME TO SAME (Confidential, this one).
"POTSDAH, 24th August.
... "Make as if you were meaning to go into Camp at Halle.
The reason why I stop you is, that the Courier from Vienna has not yet come. We must therefore reassure the Saxon neighborhood.
... I have been expecting answer from hour to hour; cannot suitably begin a War-Expedition till it come; do therefore apprise Your Dilection, though under the deepest secrecy.
"And it is necessary, and my Will is, That, till farther order, you keep all the regiments and corps belonging to your Column in the places where they are when this arrives. And shall, meanwhile, with your best skill mask all this, both from the Town of Halle, and from the regiments themselves; ******, in conformity with what Isaid yesterday, as if you were a Corps of Observation come to encamp here, and were waiting the last orders to go into camp.
FRIEDRICH." [Ib. ii. 7, 8.]
And in regard to the Vienna Courier, and Friedrich's attitude towards that Phenomenon, read only these Two Notes:--1. FRIEDRICH TO THE PRINCE OF PRUSSIA AND THE PRINCESS AMELIA (at Berlin)POTSDAM, "25th August," 1756.
"MY DEAR BROTHER, MY DEAR SISTER,--I write to you both at once, for want of time. I will follow the advice you are so good as give me;and will take leave of the Queen [our dear Mamma] by Letter.
And that the reading of my Letter may not frighten her, I will send it by my Sister, to be presented in a favorable moment.
"I have yet got no Answer from Vienna; by Klinggraf's account, Ishall not receive it till to-morrow [came this night], But I count myself surer of War than ever; as the Austrians have named Generals, and their Army is ordered to march, from Kolin to Konigsgratz"--Schlesien way. "So that, expecting nothing but a haughty Answer, or a very uncertain one, on which there will be no reliance possible, I have arranged everything for setting out on Saturday next. To-morrow, so soon as the news comes, I will not fail to let you know. Assuring you that I am, with a perfect affection, my dear Brother and my dear Sister,--Yours,--F."[<italic> OEuvres de Frederic, <end italic> xxvi. 155.]
Answer comes from Klinggraf that same night. Once more, an Answer almost worse than could have been expected. "The 'League with Russia against you' is nonextant, a thing of your imagination: