THE MAP OF POLAND.
"HERE, your majesty, is Zips," said Kaunitz, as he passed his delicate
white finger over the lower part of the map.
The king leaned over, and looked thoughtfully at the moving finger. For
some time he kept silence. Then he raised his head, and suet the gaze of
the prince.
"A very pretty piece of land which Austria takes from her neighbor," said
he, with a piercing glance at Kaunitz. "Austria takes nothing from her
neighbor, sire, except that which belongs to her," replied Kaunitz,
quietly.
"How very fortunate it is that this particular piece of land should
belong to Austria!" said the king; with a slight sneer. "You see that
Poland, who for so many centuries had supposed herself to be the
rightful owner of the Zips, has, in virtue of such ownership, projected
beyond the Carpathian Mountains quite to the interior of Hungary. Now a
wedge of that sort is inconvenient, perhaps dangerous, and it is lucky
for Austria that she has found out her right of possession in that
quarter. It not only contracts her neighbor's domains, but essentially
increases her own. It now concerns Austria to prove to Europe her right
to this annexation, for Europe is somewhat astonished to hear of it. "
"In the court-chancery, at Vienna, are the documents to prove that the
Zips was mortgaged by the Emperor Sigismund to his brother-in-law
Wladislaw, in the year 1412, for the sum of thirty-seven thousand
groschen."
"Since 1412!" cried Frederick. "Three hundred and fifty-five years'
possession on the part of Poland has not invalidated the title of
Austria to the Zips! My lawful claim to Silesia was of more modern date
than this, and yet Austria would have made it appear that it was
superannuated."
"Your majesty has proved, conclusively, that it was not so," replied
Kaunitz, with a slight inclination of the head.
"Will Austria take the course which I pursued to vindicate my right?"
asked the king, quickly.
"Stanislaus will not allow us to proceed to extremities," replied the
Prince. "True, he complained at first, and wrote to the empress-queen to
demand what he called justice."
"And will your highness inform me what the empress-queen replied in
answer to these demands?"
"She wrote to the King of Poland that the time had arrived when it
became incumbent upon her to derive the boundaries of her empire. That,
in her annexation of the Zips to Austria, she was actuated, not by any
lust of territorial aggrandizement, but by a conviction of her just and
inalienable rights. She was prepared, not only to assert, but to defend
them; and she took this opportunity to define the lines of her frontier,
for the reason that Poland was in a state of internal warfare, the end
of which no man could foresee." [Footnote: Ferrand, i., p. 94.]
"If I were King of Poland, such plain language as this would put me on
my guard."
"Sire, if you were King of Poland, no foreign power would employ such
language toward you," said Kaunitz, with a half smile.
"That is true," replied the king, shaking his head. "The King of Poland
is a weak, good-natured fellow. He cannot forget that he has been the
lover of Catharine of Russia, and I verily believe, that if she were to
make a sign, he would lay, not only himself, but all Poland, at her
feet."
"Austria would never suffer her to accept it," cried Kauuitz.
The king shrugged his shoulders. "And yet, it would appear that when
Zips lay at her feet, the Empress of Austria was ready to embrace it.
But everybody grows eccentric when Poland is in question. My brother
Henry, who is in St. Petersburg, was one day discussing this matter of
the annexation of Zips with the empress. As Catharine, like myself, has
never had the privilege of examining the records in the court of
chancery at Vienna, she expressed some doubt as to the justice of
Austria's appropriation in that quarter. 'It seems,' said she, 'as if
one had noting to do but stoop down to pick up something in
Poland.'[Footnote: Ruthfore's "History of Poland," vol. iv., p. 210.]
Now, when proud Austria and her lofty Kaunitz condescend to stoop and
pick up, why shall not other people follow their example? I, too, shall
be obliged to march my troops into Poland, for every misfortune seems
about to visit this unhappy land. Who knows that in the archives at
Berlin there may not be some document to prove that I, also, have a
right to extend the lines of my frontier?"
While Frederick spoke, he kept his eyes fixed upon the face of Prince
Kaunitz, as though he would have read to the very bottom of his soul.
The latter pretended not to be aware of it; he looked perfectly blank,
while he affected to be still interested in examining the map.
"It would be fortunate if your majesty could discover such documents in
YOUR archives," replied he, coolly. "I have been told that you have,
heretofore, sought for them in Warsaw; unhappily, without being able to
find any."
The king could not repress a slight start as he heard this revelation of
his own machinations. Kaunitz again affected to see nothing, although he
was looking directly in the king's eyes.
"I say," continued Kaunitz, "that it would be most fortunate if, JUST AT
THIS TIME, your majesty could recover your titles to that portion of
Poland which lies contiguous to Russia. Austria, I assure you, will
place no difficulties in the way."
"Really," replied the king, "I must say that these lines form a better
natural frontier than my present boundaries." Here he passed his hand
somewhere through the north-western provinces of Poland, while he
continued: "Would my word suffice if I were to say to Austria that the
documents, proving my right to this territory, are to be found in the
archives at Berlin?"
"Your majesty's word, as regards this question, is worth more than the
documents," said Kaunitz, deliberately.
"But what would Catharine say?--she who looks upon Poland as her own?"
"If she says any thing, it is high time she were undeceived in that
respect," said Kaunitz, hastily. "She must be satisfied to share equally
with others. Your majesty was pleased to relate to me a portion of the
conversation between the empress and Prince Henry. The empress said, 'It
seems as if one had nothing to do but stoop down to pick up something in
Poland.' But you forgot the sequel. She added these words: 'If the court
of Vienna begins the dismemberment of Poland I think that her neighbors
have a right to continue it.'" [Footnote: La Roche Aymon "Vie du Prince
Henry" p. 171.]
"Vraiment, your highness has trusty reporters, and your agents serve you
admirably!" exclaimed the king.
Kaunitz bowed haughtily.
"We are your majesty's imitators," replied he. "First during the
Silesian war, then at the court of Dresden, we learned from you the
value of secret information. [Footnote: Through his ambassador at
Dresden, Frederick had bribed the keeper of the Saxon archives to send
him copies of the secret treaties between Austria and Saxony. He did
even worse, for the attache of the Austrian embassy at Berlin was in his
pay, and he sent the king copies of all the Austrian dispatches.--L.
Muhlbach, "Life of Frederick the Great."] Having been apprised of the
remarkable words of the empress, I began to fear that she might encroach
upon Poland without regard to the claims of Austria. Your majesty is
aware that the Russian army occupy Warsaw, and that a cordon of Russian
troops extend as far as the frontiers of Turkey."
"And if I draw my cordon beyond the district of Netz," cried the king,
drawing his finger across the map as if it had been a sword, "and
Austria extends her frontier beyond Galicia and the Zips, the republic
of Poland will occupy but a small space on the map of Europe."
"The smaller the better; the fewer Poles there are in the world the less
strife there will be. The cradle of the Poles is that apple of discord
which Eris once threw upon the table of the gods; they were born of its
seeds, and dissension is their native element. As long as there lives a
Pole on the earth, that Pole will breed trouble among his neighbors."
"Ah!" said the king, taking a pinch of snuff, "and yet your highness was
indignant at Catharine because she would force the Poles to keep the
peace. She appears to ME to be entirely of one mind with yourself. She,
too, looks upon Poland as the apple of Eris, and she has found it so
over-ripe that it is in danger of falling from the tree. She has
stationed her gardener, Stanislaus, to guard it. Let him watch over it.
It belongs to him, and if it come to the ground, he has nobody to blame
but himself. Meanwhile, should it burst, we will find means to prevent
it from soiling US. Now let us speak of Turkey. That unlucky Porte must
have something done for him, and while we mediate in his behalf, I hope
to bring about a good understanding between Austria and Russia. Let us
do our best to promote a general peace. Europe is bleeding at every
pore; let us bind up her wounds, and restore her to health."
"Austria is willing to promote the general welfare," replied Kaunitz,
following the king's example and rising from his chair, "but first
Russia must conclude an honorable peace with Turkey, and she must
abandon her rapacious designs upon the rest of Europe. But should the
Empress of Russia compel us to war with her on this question we will not
have recourse to arms until we have found means to alienate from her the
most formidable of her allies."
The king laughed. "I approve your policy," said he, "but I am curious to
know how you would manage to prevent me from keeping my word. I am
certainly pledged to Russia, but I hope that the negotiations into which
we are about to enter will end in peace. I shall send a resume of our
conference to the empress, and use every effort to establish friendly
relations between you."
"Will your majesty communicate her reply to me?" asked Kaunitz.
"I certainly will; for I am a soldier, not a diplomatist, and I am so
much in love with truth that I shall be her devotee until the last
moment of my life."
"Ah, sire, a man must be a hero like yourself to have the courage to
love so dangerous a mistress. Truth is a rose with a thousand thorns. He
who plucks it will be wounded, and woe to the head of him who wears it
in his crown!"
"You and I have fought and bled too often on the field of diplomacy to
be tender about our heads. Let us, then, wear the crown of truth, and
bear with its thorns."
So saying, the king reached out his hand, and Kaunitz took his leave.
After the prince had left the room, Frederick remained for a few minutes
listening, until he heard the door of the farther anteroom closed.
"Now, Hertzberg," cried he, "come out--the coast is clear."
A gigantic screen, which divided the room in two, began to move, and
forth came Count Herizberg, the king's prime minister.
"Did you hear it all?" asked Frederick, laughing.
"I did, so please your majesty."
"Did you write it down, so that I can send its resume to the Empress
Catharine?"
"Yes, your majesty, as far as it was possible to do so, I have written
down every word of your conference," said Hertzberg, with a dissatisfied
expression of countenance.
The king raised his large eyes with an inquiring look at the face of his
trusty minister. "Are you not satisfied, Hertzberg? Why do you shake
your head? You have three wrinkles in your forehead, and the corners of
your mouth turn down as they always do when something has displeased
you. Speak out, man. Of what do you complain?"
"First, I complain that your majesty has allowed the old fox to perceive
that you, as well as himself, entertain designs upon Poland, and that in
a manner you are willing to guarantee to Austria her theft of the Zips.
I also complain that you have consented to induce Russia, through the
intervention of Austria, to make peace with Turkey."
"Is that all?" asked the king.
"Yes, your majesty; that is all."
"Well, then, hear my defence. As regards your first complaint, I allowed
the old fox (as you call him) to scent my desire for Polish game,
because I wished to find out exactly how far I could venture to go in
the matter."
"Yes, sire, and the consequences will be, that Austria, who has already
appropriated the Zips, will stoop down to pick up something else. She
has already had her share of the booty, why should she divide with your
majesty?"
"Let Austria have her second share," cried the king, laughing. "It will
earn for her a double amount of the world's censure. [Footnote: The
king's own words. Coxe, "History of Austria," vol. v., p. 20.] As regards
your second complaint, let me tell you, that at this moment peace is
indispensable to us all, and for this reason I desire to bring Russia
and Austria into friendly relations with one another. I think it not
only wiser but more honorable to pacify Europe than to light the torch
of war a second time. It is not an easy matter to secure a general
peace, and we must all make some concessions to achieve a result so
desirable. Do you suppose that it is as easy to conciliate unfriendly
powers as it is to write bad verses? I assure you, Hertzberg, that I
would rather sit down to render the whole Jewish history into madrigals,
than undertake to fuse into unanimity the conflicting interests of three
sovereigns, when two out of the three are women! But I will do my best.
When your neighbor's house is on fire, help to put it out, or it may
communicate and burn down your own." [Footnote: The king's own
words. "Ceuvres Posthumes," vol. ii., p. 187]