History　of　Friedrich　II　of　Prussia　V　17
  by　Thomas　Carlyle
  THE　SEVEN…YEARS　WAR：　FIRST　CAMPAIGN。
  1756…1757。
  Chapter　I。
  WHAT　FRIEDRICH　HAD　READ　IN　THE　MENZEL　DOCUMENTS。
  The　ill…informed　world；　entirely　unaware　of　what　Friedrich　had　been　studying　and　ascertaining；　to　his　bitter　sorrow；　for　four　years　past；　was　extremely　astonished　at　the　part　he　took　in　those　French…　English　troubles；　extremely　provoked　at　his　breaking　out　again　into　a　Third　Silesian　War；　greater　than　all　the　others；　and　kindling　all　Europe　in　such　a　way。　The　ill…informed　world　rang　violently；　then　and　long　after；　with　a　Controversy；　〃Was　it　of　his　beginning；　or　Not　of　his　beginning？〃　Controversy；　which　may　in　our　day　be　considered　as　settled　by　unanimous　mankind；　finished　forever；　and　can　now　have　no　interest　for　any　creature。　　　Omitting　that；　our　problem　is　（were　it　possible　in　brief　compass）；　To　set　forth；　by　what　authentic　traits　there　are；not　the　〃ambitious；〃　〃audacious；〃　voracious　and　highly　condemnable　Friedrich　of　the　Gazetteers；but　the　thrice…intricately　situated　Friedrich　of　Fact。　What　the　Facts　privately　known　to　Friedrich　were；　in　what　manner　known；　and　how；　in　a　more　complex　crisis　than　had　yet　been；　Friedrich　demeaned　himself：　upon　which　latter　point；　and　those　cognate　to　it；　readers　ought　not　to　be　ignorant；　if　now　fallen　indifferent　on　so　many　other　points　of　the　Affair。　What　a　loud…roaring；　loose　and　empty　matter　is　this　tornado　of　vociferation　which　men　call　〃Public　Opinion〃！　Tragically　howling　round　a　man；　who　has　to　stand　silent　the　while；　and　scan；　wisely　under　pain　of　death；　the　altogether　inarticulate；　dumb　and　inexorable　matter　which　the　gods　call　Fact！　Friedrich　did　read　his　terrible　Sphinx…riddle；　the　Gazetteer　tornado　did　pipe　and　blow。　King　Friedrich；　in　contrast　with　his　Environment　at　that　time；　will　most　likely　never　be　portrayed　to　modern　men　in　his　real　proportions；　real　aspect　and　attitude　then　and　there；which　are　silently　not　a　little　heroic　and　even　pathetic；　when　well　seen　into；and；　for　certain；　he　is　not　portrayable　at　present；　on　our　side　of　the　Sea。　But　what　hints　and　fractions　of　feature　we　authentically　have；　ought　to　be　given　with　exactitude；　especially　with　brevity；　and　left　to　the　ingenuous　imagination　of　readers。
  The　secret　sources　of　the　Third　Silesian　War；　since　called　〃Seven…　Years　War；〃　go　back　to　1745；　nay；　we　may　say；　to　the　First　Invasion　of　Silesia　in　1740。　For　it　was　in　Maria　Theresa's　incurable　sorrow　at　loss　of　Silesia；　and　her　inextinguishable　hope　to　reconquer　it；　that　this　and　all　Friedrich's　other　Wars　had　their　origin。　Twice　she　had　signed　Peace　with　Friedrich；　and　solemnly　ceded　Silesia　to　him：　but　that　too；　with　the　Imperial　Lady；　was　by　no　means　a　finis　to　the　business。　Not　that　she　meant　to　break　her　Treaties；　far　from　her　such　a　thought；in　the　conscious　form。　Though；　alas；　in　the　unconscious；　again；　it　was　always　rather　near！　practically；　she　reckoned　to　herself；　these　Treaties　would　come　to　be　broken；　as　Treaties　do　not　endure　forever；　and　then；　at　the　good　moment；　she　did　purpose　to　be　ready。　〃Silesia　back　to　us；　Pragmatic　Sanction　complete　in　every　point！　Was　not　that　our　dear　Father's　will；　monition　of　all　our　Fathers　and　their　Patriotisms　and　Traditionary　Heroisms；　and　in　fact；　the　behest　of　gods　and　men？〃　Ten　years　ago；　this　notion　had　been　cut　down　to　apparent　death；　in　a　disastrous　manner；　for　the　second　time。　But　it　did　not　die　in　the　least：　it　never　thinks　of　dying；　starts　always　anew；　passionate　to　produce　itself　again　as　action　valid　at　last；　and　lives　in　the　Imperial　Heart　with　a　tenacity　that　is　strange　to　observe。　Still　stranger；　in　the　envious　Valet…Heart；in　that　of　Bruhl；　who　had　far　less　cause！
  The　Peace　of　Dresden；　Christmas；　1745；　seemed　to　be　an　act　of　considerable　magnanimity　on　Friedrich's　part。　It　was；　at　the　first　blush　of　it；　〃incredible〃　to　Harrach；　the　Austrian　Plenipotentiary；　whose　embarrassed；　astonished　bow　we　remember　on　that　occasion；　with　English　Villiers　shedding　pious　tears。　But　what　is　very　remarkable　withal　is　a　thing　since　discovered：　＇INFRA；　next　Note　（p。　276）。＇　That　Harrach；　magnanimous　signature　hardly　yet　dry；　did　then　straightway；　by　order　of　his　Court；　very　privately　inquire　of　Bruhl；　〃There　is　Peace；　you　see；　what　they　call　Peace：but　our　TREATY　OF　WARSAW；　for　Partition　of　this　magnanimous　man；　stands　all　the　same；　does　n't　it？〃　To　which；　according　to　the　Documents；　Bruhl；　hardly　escaped　from　the　pangs　of　death；　and　still　in　a　very　pale…yellow　condition；　had　answered　in　effect；　〃Hah；　say　you　so？　One's　hatred　is　eternal；but　that　man's　iron　heel！　Wait　a　little；　get　Russia　to　join　in　the　scheme！〃and　hung　back；　the　willing　mind；　but　the　too　terrified！　And　in　this　way；　like　a　famishing　dog　in　sight　of　a　too　dangerous　leg　of　mutton；　Bruhl　has　ever　since　rather　held　back；　would　not　re…engage　at　all；　for　almost　two　years；　even　on　the　Czarina's　engaging；　and　then　only　in　a　cautious；　conditional　and　hypothetic　manner；though　with　famine　increasing　day　by　day　in　sight　of　the　desired　viands。　His　hatred　is　fell；　but　he　would　fain　escape　with　back　unbroken。
  HOW　FRIEDRICH　DISCOVERED　THE　MYSTERY。　CONCERNING　MENZEL　AND　WEINGARTEN。
  Friedrich　has　been　aware　of　this　mystery；　at　least　wide　awake　to　it　and　becoming　ever　more　instructed；　for　almost　four　years。　Traitor　Menzel　the　Saxon　Kanzellistwe；　who　have　prophetically　read　what　he　had　to　confess　when　laid　hold　of；　are　aware；　though　as　yet；　and　on　to　1757；　it　is　a　dead　secret　to　all　mortals　but　himself　and　〃three　others〃has　been　busy　for　Prussia　ever　since　〃the　end　of　1752。〃　Got　admittance　to　the　Presses；　sent　his　first　Excerpt　〃about　the　time　of　Easter…Fair；　1753；〃time　of　Voltaire's　taking　wing。　And　has　been　at　work　ever　since。　Copying　Despatches　from　the　most　secret　Saxon　Repositories；　ready　always　on　Excellency　Mahlzahn's　indicating　the　Piece　wanted；　and　of　late；　I　should　think；　is　busier　than　ever；　as　the　Saxon　Mystery；　which　is　also　an　Austrian　and　Russian　one；　gets　more　light　thrown　into　it；　and　seems　to　be　fast　ripening　towards　action　of　a　perilous　nature。　The　first　Excerpts　furnished　by　Menzel；　readers　can　judge　how　enigmatic　they　were。　These　Menzel　Papers；　copies　mainly　of　Petersburg　or　Vienna　DESPATCHES　to　Bruhl；　with　Bruhl's　ANSWERS；the　principal　of　which　were　subsequently　printed　in　their　best　arrangement　and　liveliest　point　of　vision　＇In　Friedrich's　Manifestoes；　chiefly　in　MEMOIRE　RAISONNE　SUR　LA　CONDUITE　DES　COURS　DE　VIENNE　ET　DE　SAXE　（compiled　from　the　MENZEL　ORIGINALS；　so　soon　as　these　were　got　hold　of：　Berlin；　Autumn；　1756）。　A　solid　and　able　Paper；　rapidly　done；　by　one　Count　Herzberg；　who　rose　high　in　after　times。　Reprinted；　with　many　other　〃Pieces〃　and　〃Passages；〃　in　　Gesammelte　Nachrichten　und　Urkunden；　which　is　a　〃Collection〃　of　such　（2　vols。；　113　Nos。　small　8vo；　no　Place；　1757；　my　Copy　of　it）。＇are　by　no　means　a　luminous　set　of　Documents　to　readers　at　this　day。　Think　what　a　study　they　were　at　Potsdam　in　1753；　while　still　in　the　chaotic　state；　fished　out；　more　or　less　at　random；　as　Menzel　could　lay　hold　of　them；　or　be　directed　to　them；　the　enigma　clearing　itself　only　by　intense　inspection；　and　capability　of　seeing　in　the　dark！
  It　appears；if　you　are　curious　on　the　anecdotic　part；
  〃Winterfeld　was　the　first　that　got　eye　on　this　dangerous　Saxon　Mystery；　some　Ex…Saxon；　about　to　settle　in　Berlin；　giving　hint　of　it　to　Winterfeld；　who　needed　only　a　hint。　So　soon　as　Winterfeld　convinced　himself　that　there　was　weight　in　the　affair；　he　imparted　it　to　Friedrich：　'Scheme　of　partitioning；　your　Majesty；　of　picking　quarrel；　then　overwhelming　and　partitioning；　most　serious　scheme；　Austrian…Russian　as　well　as　Saxon；　going　on　steadily　for　years　past；　and　very　lively　at　this　time！'　If　true；　Friedrich　cannot　but　admit　that　this　is　serious　enough：　important；　thrice　over；　to　discover　whether　it　is　true；and　gives　Winterfeld　authority　to　prosecute　it　to　the　bottom；　in　Dresden　or　wherever　the　secret　may　lie。　Who　thereupon　charged　Mahlzahn；　the　Prussian　Minister　　　at　Dresden；　to　find　some　proper　Menzel；　and　bestir　himself。　How　Mahlzahn　has　found　his　Menzel；　and　has　bestirred　himself；　we　saw。　Thief…keys　were　made　to　pattern　in　Berlin；　first　set　did　not　fit；　second　did；　and　stealthy　Menzel　gains　admittance　to　that　Chamber　of　the　Archives；　can　steal　thither　on　shoes　of　felt　when　occasion　serves；　and　copy　what　you　wish；for　a　consideration。　Intermittently；　since　about　Easter…Fair；　1753。　Three　persons　are　cognizant　of　it；　Winterfeld；　Mahlzahn；　Friedrich；　three；　and　no　more。　Probably　the　abstrusest　study；　and　the　most　intense；　going　on　in　the　world　at　that　epoch。　＇Rotzow；　　Charakteristik　des　Siebenjahrigen　Krieges　　（Berlin；　1802）；　i。　23。＇
  〃At　a　very　early　stage　of　the　Menzel　Excerpts　it　became　manifest　that　certain　synchronous　Austrian　Ditto　would　prove　highly　elucidative；　that；　in　fact；　it　would　be　indispensable　to　get　hold　of　these　as　well。　Which　also　Winterfeld　has　managed　to　do。　A　deep…　headed　man；　who　has　his　eyes　about　him；　and　is　very　apt　to　manage　what　he　undertakes。　One　Weingarten　Junior；　a　Secretary　in　the　Austrian　Embassy　at　Berlin　（Excellency　Peubla's　second　Secretary）；　has　his　acquaintanceships　in　Berlin　Society；　and　for　one　thing；　as　Winterfeld