下载辰思小说免费APP
"AndIpledgeyourmajestymywordofhonorthatneithertheempressnorCountStadioneverintimatedtome，directlyorindirectly，thattheysharemyviews，andhaveadvocatedthemalreadybeforeyourmajesty。"
"Thenyouhavecomequiteindependently，andofyourownaccord，totheconclusionthatweoughttoformanalliancewithPrussia？"
"Yes，yourmajesty;Ibelievethatthishasnowbecomeanecessityforus。"
"ButPrussiaisahumiliatedandexhaustedstate，whichexistsonlybyBonaparte\'sgraceandtheintercessionoftheEmperorofRussia。"
"YourmajestyspeaksofPrussiaasitwasin1807，"saidCountStadion，"afterthedefeatsofJena，Eylau，andFriedland。Butsincethentwoyearshaveelapsed，andPrussiahasrisenagainfromherprostration;shehasarmedsecretly，renderedherresourcesavailable，andfoundsagaciousandenergeticmen，whoareatworksilently，butwithunflaggingzeal，uponthereorganizationofthearmy，andpreparingeverythingforthedayofvengeance。"
"LetusallyourselveswithregeneratedPrussia，whichislongingforvengeance！"criedJohn，ardently;"letusunitewithherinthestruggleagainstourcommonfoe。PrussiaandAustriashouldbeharmonious，andjointlyprotectGermany。"
"No，"saidtheemperor，almostangrily，"PrussiaandAustriaarenaturalenemies;theyhavebeenenemieseversincePrussiaexisted，forPrussia，insteadofcontentingherselfwithherinferiorposition，daredtobeAustria\'srival;and，moreover，AustriacanneverforgivehertherapaciousconquestofSilesia。"
"Oh，yourmajesty，"exclaimedJohn，impetuously，"letusforgetthepast，andfixoureyesonthepresentandfutureFranceisthecommonenemyofallEurope;allEuropeoughttouniteinsubduingher，andwewillnotevensolicitthecooperationofourneighbor！
ButanalliancebetweenAustriaandPrussiawillrenderallGermanyunited，andGermanywillthenbe，asitwere，athreateningrock，andFrancewillshrinkfromherimpregnablebulwarks，andretirewithinhernaturalborders。"
"Words，words！"saidtheemperor，shrugginghisshoulders。"YouenthusiastsalwaystalkofaunitedGermany，butinrealityithasneverexistedyet。"
"ButitwillexistwhenPrussiaandAustriaareallied;onlythisalliancemustbeconcludedsoon，forwehavenotimetolose。andeverydelayisfraughtwithgreatdanger。Franceisintentonestablishingauniversalmonarchy;Napoleondoesnotconcealitanylonger。IfFrancereallysucceedsinkeepingtheGermanpowersatvarianceandenmity，andunitingwithRussiaagainstthem，ourlasthourwillstrike;forthesetwopowers，ifunited，willeasilycometoanunderstandingastothedivisionofEurope;andeventhoughRussiadidnotentertainsuchanintention，Francewouldcommunicateittoher。[Footnote:Thearchduke\'sownwords。——See"LettersfromtheArchdukeJohntoJohannesvonMueller，"p。81。]Hence，Russia。
shouldlikewisebegained，anditsalliance，byRussia\'sintercession，besecured，sothatGermany，indaysofadversity，mightcountuponher。"
"Youbelievethen，archduke，thatdaysofadversityareyetinstoreforus？"askedtheemperor。
"Yourmajesty，Iamafraidtheyare，ifwestandalone。Allisatstakenow，andallmustberisked。Wearenolongerfightingforprovinces，butforourfutureexistence。Weshallfightwell;buteventhebeststrengthisexhaustedinthelongrun，andhewhoholdsoutlongestremainsvictorious。Whichsidehasbetterchances？
Austria，solongassheopposesFrancesingle—handed，hasnot;butAustriaandPrussia，ifunited，assuredlyhave。IfAustriafallsnow，thebestadversaryofFrancefalls，andwithherfallsPrussia，andGermanyislost。"
"Andwhatwouldyoudo，archduke，ifAustria，asyousay，werelost？"
"Yourmajesty，ifAustriashouldsinkintoruin，Ishouldknowhowtodie！"
"Youwould，likeBrutusofold，throwyourselfuponyoursword，wouldyounot？Well，Ihopeweshallnotfaresobadlyasthat，foryouhavepointedouttomeawayofsavingthecountry。YouhaveprovedtomethatAustriacanbesavedbyanalliancewithPrussia。
Fortunately，Ihavesometimesideasofmyown，andevenaheadofmyown。IhadthismorningalonginterviewwiththePrinceofOrange，whohasjustarrivedfromKoenigsberg，wherehesawtheKingofPrussia。Helaidbeforemeadetailedreportofwhathehadseenthere，andImadeupmymindbeforeIhadheardyouradvice。——CountStadion，besokindastotakethepaperlyingonthedesk。Doyouknowthehandwriting？"
"Ibelieveitisyourmajesty\'shandwriting，"saidCountStadion，who，inaccordancewiththeemperor\'sorder，hadtakenthepaperfromthedesk。
"Yes，itismyhandwriting;for，thoughnotaslearnedasmybrotherJohn，Iamatleastable，ifneedbe，towritealetter。Besokind，minister，astoreadmyletteraloud。"
CountStadionbowed，andreadasfollows:
"Tohismajesty，KingFrederickWilliamofPrussia:"Headquarters，Wolkersdorf，June8，1809。
"SIR，MYBROTHER:ThePrinceofOrange，whohasarrivedatmyheadquartershere，hastoldmeunreservedly，andwithfullconfidence，oftherepeatedconversationshehadwithyourmajestyduringhisrecentsojournatKoenigsberg。YouleftnodoubtinhismindastoyourfirmconvictionthattheexistenceofourtwomonarchiescanbeprotectedfromtherapacioussystemoftheEmperorNapoleononlybyanactiveandcordialalliance。Foralongtimepast，awareoftheopinionsandwisdomofyourmajesty，Icouldforeseethatyourmajestywouldnotrefusetotakeastep，justifiednotlessbythelogicofeventsthantheloyaltyofthenationswhichProvidencehasconfidedtoourcare。"
"Thebearer，ColonelBaronSteigentesch，adistinguishedstaff—
officerofmyarmy，willconferwithyourmajesty\'sgovernmentastothequestionswhichmayariseinregardtoanalliancebetweenthetwocountries:heisauthorizedtoregulatetheproportionsoftheforcestobeemployedonbothsides，andtheotherarrangementsnotlesssalutarythanindispensableforthesecurityofthetwostates。
ForthesamereasonsIshallspeedilysendinstructionstomyambassadoratBerlininconformitywiththeoverturesmadebyCountvonderGoltz。"
"YourmajestywillpermitmetoassureyouthatIremainasever，Yourmostobedient，FRANCIS，EmperorofAustria。"[Footnote:
"Lebensbilder，"vol，iii。，p。266。]
WhileCountStadionwasreadingtheletter，theemperorcloselywatchedtheeffectitproduceduponthearchduke。HesawthatJohnwasatfirstsurprised，thathiseyesgraduallybrightened，thathisfacecrimsonedwithjoy，andthatasmileplayedroundhislips。
WhenCountStadionwasthrough，thearchdukesteppeduptotheemperorwithanexpressionofprofoundemotionandintensegratitude。
"YourMajesty，"hecried，"youhavefilledmebothwithshameandecstasy。Oh，givemeyourhand，letmepressittomylips;letmethankyouforthisgraciouspunishment！Iamgrateful，too，forthegraciousconfidencewithwhichyouinitiatemeintoyourplans。"
"Thatisunnecessary，"saidtheemperor，withoutgivinghimhishand;"youneednotthankme。Norwasitmyintentiontogiveyouaspecialproofofmyconfidence。Ididnotcausethelettertobereadtoyouinordertohaveyouparticipateinmyplans，butonlytoprovetoyouthatIcanmakeupmymindwithoutyouradvice，andtorequestyounottomolestmehenceforthwithanysuchsuggestions。Now，brother，wehavenothingfurthertosaytoeachother。ReturntoComorn，andcarryoutthegeneralissimo\'sorder，asbehoovesagoodofficer，promptly，carefully，andwithoutgrumbling。
FortifyandholdRaab，defendPresburg，takeAltenburgbyacoupdemain;inshort，doallthatthegeneralissimowantsyoutodo。IfI
shouldneedyouradviceandwisdom，Ishallsendforyou;andwhenBaronSteigenteschreturnsfromhismissiontoPrussia，youshallbeinformedoftheresults。Farewell，brother，andletmesoonhearofnewvictories！"
CHAPTERXXVI。
THEREPLYOFTHEKINGOFPRUSSIA。
TwoweeksafterthisinterviewbetweentheArchdukeJohnandtheemperor，thearchduke，attherequestoftheemperor，repairedagaintotheimperialheadquartersatWolkersdorf，andsentinhisnametohisbrother。
"Youcomejustintime，brother，"saidtheemperor，whenJohnenteredhiscabinet。"IknewthatBaronSteigenteschwouldarrivehereto—day，henceIsentforyou，forIpromisedtoletyouhearthereplyoftheKingofPrussiatomyproposal。Thecoloneldidarriveafewminutesago，andwaitsintheanteroomforanaudience。"
"Beforeadmittinghim，yourmajesty，praylistentome，"saidJohn，inagrave，tremulousvoice。
"Ihopeyoudonotintendtorevealasecrettome？"askedtheemperor。
"No，yourmajesty;unfortunatelythatwhichIhavetosaytoyouwillsoonbeknowntoeverybody，andourenemieswilltakecaretolettheirtriumphantbulletinscirculatethenewsthroughoutEurope。"
"Itisadefeat，then，thatyouhavetoannouncetome？"askedtheemperor，gloomily。
"Yes，yourmajesty，adefeat。ImettheenemyyesterdayatRaab[June14，1809]。Ourmenfoughtbravely;someperformedthemostheroicexploits;buttheoddsoftheenemyweretoooverwhelming。
TheViceroyofItalyattackeduswithhiswell—disciplinedveterantroops，thirty—ninethousandstrong。Intheoutset，we，thatis，theArchdukePalatineandI，wereaboutasstrong，includingtheHungarianvolunteers。Buttheveryfirstattackoftheenemy，thefirstvolleysofmusketry，causedthevolunteerstofallback;theyfledpanic—struck，abandonedthehillwhereIhadpostedthem，andrushedinwilddisorderfromthefieldofbattle。Theenemythenoccupiedthehill，andthisdecidedthefateofthedayagainstus，shortlyafterthecommencementofthebattle。However，wemighthaveheldoutandgainedavictory，ifallhadcarriedoutmyordersprom
