History of Friedrich II of Prussia V 11 [49]
hour after
hour, getting steadily done.
For the Manifestoes printed beforehand, dated Wesel, 11th
September, were not the only thing ready at Wesel; waiting, as on
the slip, for the contingency of No-answer. Major-General Borck,
with the due Battalions, squadrons and equipments, was also ready.
Major-General Borck, the same who was with us at Baireuth lately,
had just returned from that journey, when he got orders to collect
2,000 men, horse and foot, with the due proportion of artillery,
from the Prussian Garrisons in these parts; and to be ready for
marching with them, the instant the contingency of No-answer
arrives,--Sunday, 11th, as can be foreseen. Borck knows his route:
To Maaseyk, a respectable Town of the Bishop's, the handiest
for Wesel; to occupy Maaseyk and the adjoining "Counties of Lotz
and Horn;" and lie there at the Bishop's charge till his
Reverence's mind alter.
Borck is ready, to the last pontoon, the last munition-loaf;
and no sooner is signal given of the No-answer come, than Borck,
that same "Sunday, 11th," gets under way; marches, steady as
clock-work, towards Maaseyk (fifty miles southwest of him,
distance now lessening every hour); crosses the Maas, by help of
his pontoons; is now in the Bishop's Territory, and enters
Maaseyk, evening of "Wednesday, 14th,"--that very day Voltaire and
his Majesty had parted, going different ways from Moyland; and
probably about the same hour while Rambonet was "taking act at the
Gate of Liege," by nail-hammer or otherwise. All goes punctual,
swift, cog hitting pinion far and near, in this small Herstal
Business; and there is no mistake made, and a minimum of
time spent.
Borck's management was throughout good: punctual, quietly exact,
polite, mildly inflexible. Fain would the Maaseyk Town-Baths have
shut their gates on him; desperately conjuring him, "Respite for a
few hours, till we send to Liege for instructions!" But it was to
no purpose. "Unbolt, IHR HERREN; swift, or the petard will have to
do it!" Borck publishes his Proclamation, a mild-spoken rigorous
Piece; signifies to the Maaseyk Authorities, That he has to exact
a Contribution of 20,000 thalers (3,000 pounds) here, Contribution
payable in three days; that he furthermore, while he continues in
these parts, will need such and such rations, accommodations,
allowances,--"fifty LOUIS (say guineas) daily for his own private
expenses," one item;--and, in mild rhadamanthine language, waves
aside all remonstrance, refusal or delay, as superfluous
considerations: Unless said Contribution and required supplies
come in, it will be his painful duty to bring them in.
[ Helden-Geschichte, i. 427; ii. 113.]
The high-flying Bishop, much astonished, does now eagerly answer
his Prussian Majesty, "Was from home, was ill, thought he had
answered; is the most ill-used of Bishops;" and other things of a
hysteric character. [Ib. ii. 85, 86 (date, 16th September).]
And there came forth, as natural to the situation, multitudinous
complainings, manifestoings, applications to the Kaiser, to the
French, to the Dutch, of a very shrieky character on the Bishop of
Liege's part; sparingly, if at all noticed on Friedrich's:
the whole of which we shall consider ourselves free to leave
undisturbed in the rubbish-abysses, as henceforth conceivable to
the reader. "SED SPEM STUPENDE FEFELLIT EVENTUS," shrieks the poor
old Bishop, making moan to the Kaiser: "ECCE ENIM, PRAEMISSA
DUNTAXAT UNA LITERA, one Letter," and little more, "the said King
of Borussia has, with about 2,000 horse and foot, and warlike
engines, in this month of September, entered the Territory of
Liege;" [ Helden-Geschichte, ii. 88.] which
is an undeniable truth, but an unavailing. Borck is there, and
"2,000 good arguments with him," as Voltaire defines the
phenomenon. Friedrich, except to explain pertinently what my
readers already know, does not write or speak farther on the
subject; and readers and he may consider the Herstal Affair, thus
set agoing under Borck's
hour, getting steadily done.
For the Manifestoes printed beforehand, dated Wesel, 11th
September, were not the only thing ready at Wesel; waiting, as on
the slip, for the contingency of No-answer. Major-General Borck,
with the due Battalions, squadrons and equipments, was also ready.
Major-General Borck, the same who was with us at Baireuth lately,
had just returned from that journey, when he got orders to collect
2,000 men, horse and foot, with the due proportion of artillery,
from the Prussian Garrisons in these parts; and to be ready for
marching with them, the instant the contingency of No-answer
arrives,--Sunday, 11th, as can be foreseen. Borck knows his route:
To Maaseyk, a respectable Town of the Bishop's, the handiest
for Wesel; to occupy Maaseyk and the adjoining "Counties of Lotz
and Horn;" and lie there at the Bishop's charge till his
Reverence's mind alter.
Borck is ready, to the last pontoon, the last munition-loaf;
and no sooner is signal given of the No-answer come, than Borck,
that same "Sunday, 11th," gets under way; marches, steady as
clock-work, towards Maaseyk (fifty miles southwest of him,
distance now lessening every hour); crosses the Maas, by help of
his pontoons; is now in the Bishop's Territory, and enters
Maaseyk, evening of "Wednesday, 14th,"--that very day Voltaire and
his Majesty had parted, going different ways from Moyland; and
probably about the same hour while Rambonet was "taking act at the
Gate of Liege," by nail-hammer or otherwise. All goes punctual,
swift, cog hitting pinion far and near, in this small Herstal
Business; and there is no mistake made, and a minimum of
time spent.
Borck's management was throughout good: punctual, quietly exact,
polite, mildly inflexible. Fain would the Maaseyk Town-Baths have
shut their gates on him; desperately conjuring him, "Respite for a
few hours, till we send to Liege for instructions!" But it was to
no purpose. "Unbolt, IHR HERREN; swift, or the petard will have to
do it!" Borck publishes his Proclamation, a mild-spoken rigorous
Piece; signifies to the Maaseyk Authorities, That he has to exact
a Contribution of 20,000 thalers (3,000 pounds) here, Contribution
payable in three days; that he furthermore, while he continues in
these parts, will need such and such rations, accommodations,
allowances,--"fifty LOUIS (say guineas) daily for his own private
expenses," one item;--and, in mild rhadamanthine language, waves
aside all remonstrance, refusal or delay, as superfluous
considerations: Unless said Contribution and required supplies
come in, it will be his painful duty to bring them in.
[
The high-flying Bishop, much astonished, does now eagerly answer
his Prussian Majesty, "Was from home, was ill, thought he had
answered; is the most ill-used of Bishops;" and other things of a
hysteric character. [Ib. ii. 85, 86 (date, 16th September).]
And there came forth, as natural to the situation, multitudinous
complainings, manifestoings, applications to the Kaiser, to the
French, to the Dutch, of a very shrieky character on the Bishop of
Liege's part; sparingly, if at all noticed on Friedrich's:
the whole of which we shall consider ourselves free to leave
undisturbed in the rubbish-abysses, as henceforth conceivable to
the reader. "SED SPEM STUPENDE FEFELLIT EVENTUS," shrieks the poor
old Bishop, making moan to the Kaiser: "ECCE ENIM, PRAEMISSA
DUNTAXAT UNA LITERA, one Letter," and little more, "the said King
of Borussia has, with about 2,000 horse and foot, and warlike
engines, in this month of September, entered the Territory of
Liege;" [
is an undeniable truth, but an unavailing. Borck is there, and
"2,000 good arguments with him," as Voltaire defines the
phenomenon. Friedrich, except to explain pertinently what my
readers already know, does not write or speak farther on the
subject; and readers and he may consider the Herstal Affair, thus
set agoing under Borck's