History of Friedrich II of Prussia, vol 14 | Page 9

and darkness, what
can an Editor do!

Chapter II.
AUSTRIAN AFFAIRS ARE ON THE MOUNTING HAND.
Austrian affairs are not now in their nadir-point; a long while now since
they passed that. Austria, to all appearance dead, started up, and began
to strike for herself, with some success, the instant Walpole's
SOUP-ROYAL (that first 200,000 pounds, followed since by
abundance more) got to her lips. Touched her poor pale lips; and went
tingling through her, like life and fiery elasticity, out of death by
inanition! Cardinal moment, which History knows, but can never date,
except vaguely, some time in 1741; among the last acts of judicious
Walpole.
Austria, thanks to its own Khevenhullers and its English guineas, was
already rising in various quarters: and now when the Prussian Affair is
settled, Austria springs up everywhere like an elastic body with the
pressure taken from it; mounts steadily, month after month, in practical
success, and in height of humor in a still higher ratio. And in the course
of the next Two Years rises to a great height indeed. Here--snatched,
who knows with what difficulty, from that shoreless bottomless slough
of an Austrian- Succession War, deservedly forgotten, and avoided by
extant mankind--are some of the more essential phenomena, which
Friedrich had to witness in those months. To witness, to scan with such
intense interest,--rightly, at his peril;--and to interpret as actual
"Omens" for him, as monitions of a most indisputable nature! No
Haruspex, I suppose, with or without "white beard, and long staff for
cutting the Heavenly Vault into compartments from the zenith
downwards," could, in Etruria or elsewhere, "watch the flight of birds,
now into this compartment, now into that," with stricter scrutiny than,
on the new terms, did this young King from his Potsdam Observatory.

WAR-PHENOMENA IN THE WESTERN PARTS: KING GEORGE
TRIES, A SECOND TIME, TO DRAW HIS SWORD; TUGS AT IT
VIOLENTLY, FOR SEVEN MONTHS (February-October, 1742).
"The first phenomenon, cheering to Austria, is that of the Britannic
Majesty again clutching sword, with evident intent to draw it on her
behalf. [Tindal, xx. 552; Old Newspapers; &c. &c.] Besides his potent
soup-royal of Half-Millions annually, the Britannic Majesty has a
considerable sword, say 40,000, of British and of subsidized;--sword
which costs him a great deal of money to keep by his side; and a great
deal of clamor and insolent gibing from the Gazetteer species, because
he is forced to keep it strictly in the scabbard hitherto. This Year, we
observe, he has determined again to draw it, in the Cause of Human
Liberty, whatever follow. From early Spring there were symptoms:
Camps on Lexden and other Heaths, much reviewing in Hyde-Park and
elsewhere; from all corners a universal marching towards the Kent
Coast; the aspects being favorable. 'We can besiege Dunkirk at any rate,
cannot we, your High Mightinesses? Dunkirk, which, by all the
Treaties in existence, ought to need no besieging; but which, in spite of
treatyings innumerable, always does?' The High Mightinesses answer
nothing articulate, languidly grumble something in OPTATIVE
tone;--'meaning assent,' thinks the sanguine mind. 'Dutch hoistable,
after all!' thinks he; 'Dutch will co-operate, if they saw example set!'
And, in England, the work of embarking actually begins.
"Britannic Majesty's purpose, and even fixed resolve to this effect, had
preceded the Prussian-Austrian Settlement. May 20th, ["9th" by the Old
Newspapers; but we always TRANSLATE their o.s.] 'Two regiments
of Foot,' first poor instalment of British Troops, had actually landed at
Ostend;--news of the Battle of Chotusitz, much more, of the
Austrian-Prussian Settlement, or Peace of Breslau, would meet them
THERE. But after that latter auspicious event, things start into quick
and double-quick time; and the Gazetteers get vocal, almost lyrical:
About Howard's regiment, Ponsonby's regiment, all manner of
regiments, off to Flanders, for a stroke of work; how 'Ligonier's
Dragoons [a set of wild swearing fellows, whom Guildford is happy to
be quit of] rode through Bromley with their kettle-drums going, and are

this day at Gravesend to take ship;'"--or to give one other, more specific
example:
"Yesterday [3d July, 1742] General Campbell's Regiment of Scotch
Greys arrived in the Borough of Southwark, on their march to Dover,
where they are to embark for Flanders. They are fine hardy fellows,
that want no seasoning; and make an appearance agreeable to all but
the innkeepers,"--who have such billeting to do, of late. [ Daily
Post, June 23d (o.s.), 1742.] "Grey Dragoons," or Royal
Scots-Greys, is the title of this fine Regiment; and their Colonel is
Lieutenant-General John Campbell, afterwards Duke of Argyle (fourth
Duke), Cousin of the great second Duke of Argyle that now is.
[Douglas, Scotch Peerage (Edinburgh, 1764), p.
44.] Visibly billeting there, in Southwark, with such intentions:--and,
by accident, this Editor knows Twenty of these fine fellows!