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NOTES Oft CEUERBQTJIU*. Xfote* on Cherbo...
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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No. 446, October 9 ^ 185^J
I find except Samuel Johnson , no man of equal veracity with Friedrich Wilhelm in that epoch : and Johnson too , with all his tongue-learning , had not logic enough In fact , it depends on how much conviction you have . Blessed be Heaven , there' is here and there a man born who loves truth as truth should be loved , with all his heart and all his soul ; and hates untruth with a corresponding perfect hatred . Such men , in polite circles , which understand that certainly truth is better than untruth , but that you must be polite to both , are liable
to get to the end of their logic . Even Johnson had a bellow in him ; though Johnson could at any time withdraw into silence , his kingdom lying all under his own hat . How much more Friedrich Wilhelm , who had ^ no logic whatever , and whose kingdom lay without him , far and wide , a thing he could not withdraw from- The rugged Orson , he needed to be right . From utmost Memel down to Wesel again , ranked in a straggling manner round the half-circumference of Europe , all manner of things and persons were depending on him , and on his beingtfight , not wrong , in his notion . of
But the ^ Rrration the events occupies by far a larger space ; and , for the most part , the descriptions are not parenthetically introduced , but thrown in by slight touches as the story * proceeds . We hear much of Hanover , closely related by marriage to the Prussian family ; of England , after George ' s migration there ; of the nearly completed marriage which was again designed by queens and diplomatists to cement the connexion ; much too we hear of Austria ' s Kaisers and their ministers , eagerly and fearfully watching the rise of Prussia ' s power , and trying , by every conceivable means , to retard the progress of its dangerous rivalry . At the end
of the second volume we are brought fairly abreast of that portion of Frederick ' s life by which he has been most generally "known—his correspondence with Voltaire and other French male and female philosophers and savans . In Sartor Hesartuf ^ lr . Carlyle puts forward the queer , eccentric Professor Teufelsdrockh , up in his turreted garret overlooking the quaint town of Weissiiichtwo , as his alter ego and mouthpiece . Herr Sauerteig , in this book , performs the same service . We shall only add another quotation , in which the imaginary authority is quoted . It contains an exposition of the relations and the respective representativeness of Yok taire and Frederick : —
On various accounts it will behove us to look a good deal more strictly into this Voltaire ; and , as his relations to Friedrich # nd to the world are so multiplex , endeavour to disengage the real likeness of the man from the circumambient noise , and confusion , which in his in . stance continue very great . " Voltaire was the spiritual complement of Freidrich , " says Sauerteig once : " what little of lasting their poor century produced lies mainly in these two . A very somnambulating century ! But what little it did , we must call Friedrich ; what little it thought , Voltaire . Other fruit we have not from it , to speak of , at this day . Voltaire , and what can be faithfully done on the Voltaire creed ; * Realised Voltairism ;' —admit it , reader , not in a too triumphant humour—is not that pretty much the net historical product of the
eighteenth century ? The rest of its history either pure somnambulism , or a mere controversy , to the effect , 1 Realised Voltairism ? How soon shall it be realised , then ? Not at once , surely I' So that Friedrich and Voltaire are related , not by accident only . They are , they for want of better , the two original men of their century ; the chief , and , in a sense , the solo products of their century . They alone remain to us as still living results from it—such as they are . And the rest , truly , cftght to depart and vanish ( as they are now doing ); being mere ephemera ; contemporary eaters , scramblers for provender , talkers of acceptable hearsay , and related mere l y to the butteries and wiggeries of their time , and not related to the Perennialitiea at all , as these two ¦ were . "—With more of the like sort from Sauerteig .
The second volume conducts us to the death of the father , Frederick William , and the elevation of the hero to the throne , in his twenty-eighth year . We need not say that the portion of this work yet to come will contain that part of the history of Frederick which is most vitally interesting to Englishmen—the record of that great Eleven Years ' War , when England , under the guidance of its greatest foreign Minister , recovered in Europe all that it had lost under the craven policy which had lasted since Blenheim and Malplaquet ; and when Prussia at last reached the culmination of her greatness , in spite of all that Hapsburg and Bourbon houses could do .
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Notes Oft Ceuerbqtjiu*. Xfote* On Cherbo...
NOTES Oft CEUERBQTJIU * . Xfote * on Cherbourg . By Commander Pim , R . N ,, F . R . Gt . S , ¦* * J . D . Potter . Tub Mttle town at the extremity of the poninsula of Cotentin has suddenly attracted to itself a vast deal of attention from this country . The *' apparition of a fortress on the French coast , which
dominates the Channel , and frown ^ JBftentously on our own shores , " naturally creates inquiry and raises public curiosity . Without going quite so far as some of our contemporaries , and . a large portion of the French press , as' to declare tliat Cherbdurg has caused " general alarm" in the mind of the English nation , we may take it for granted that a prudent degree of anxiety has been generally developed io penetrate into the ulterior purposes this vast fortification has to serve , and the why and wherefore it should have been constructed and completed at a time when peaceful relations are presumed to prevail everywhere , and when no visible object can be served except that of creating a standing menace against England , and a ready means of invasion which may be put into operation the moment a
rupture of the fragile entente cordiale shall occur . It is natural , therefore , we should desire to know all about this fortress , its extent , i ts means of ofience * and defence—in short , its belligerent capabilities . We have had ample descriptions in all the leading journals , we have had additional details from members of Parliament who have visited the locality , but we confess we do not place implicit faith either in the " word-painting" of " our special correspondents , " or the criticisms of a Lindsay , who cannily contrives to turn a penny honestly if he can , whether from friend or possible foe , or of a Roebuck , whose propensity for snarling is not
always controlled by the best-regulated judgment . We have here a littl e work more to our taste , because from the pen of a sailor of the true British breed—*> ne who has already sustained England ' s uayal reputation , and who , should the time come , will sustain it again . We take it for granted , that all our readers have heard of Commander Pim , who gallantly led the boats' attack on the Chinese forts ; it is from this practical officer that the work we are noti c ing emanates . The author commences by a brief history of Cherbourg , " which can be traced back into remote antiquity . " Julius Ccesar is supposed to have occupied : the place while preparing for his descent on Albion .
The situation of Cherbourg was certainly well adapted as the base of operations for an attack upon Britain . Within a day ' s easy sail of the opposite coast , possessed of a capacious bay where the Roman galleys could cmbark the invading legions with ease , and protected by heights which could readily be made defensible against the attacks of hos ' tile Gauls , Cherbourg was well suited both as a starting point for an invading army and for a safe retreat in case of a repulse . After narrating the historical vicissitudes of Cherbourg , its connexion with the Norman Kings of England , and its ultimate cession to France , the writer says :- * -
Vauban , the celebrated military engineer , was , in 1686 , employed by the Government of Louis XIV . in strengthening the frontier defences of the kingdom . Ho appears to have been strongly impressed by what he happily terms the " audacious" position of Cherbourg as regards Engl and , and prepared a most elaborate plan of fortification , which would , he supposed , have rendered it impregnable , and at the same time have made it a place of arms , where a fleet and armj'might be collected in the event of an Invasion of England being resolved upon , He accordingly proceeded to demolish the ancient defences , and commenced the execution of his own works , when , from aome unknown cause , probably the exhausted state of the finances , occasioned by the long and qostly wars of Louis XIV ., the enterprise was abandoned , and Cherbourg was left completely defenceless .
Musoir Est de la Digue ... ... 60 „ Musoir Est is intended for a circular casemeut of two tiers , and is about 200 feet in diameter . Fort Central is circular on its seaward face , and elliptical towards the Roadstead ; it is also casemated , and contains barracks and various establishments : it extends over 500 feet , and is completely isolated from the platform by a broad deep moat always full of water . ... ...
The Batterie Intermediate is also casemated , some of its guns are directed seaward , others towards the Roadstead . Fort Ouest is similar to Fort Est , and each , like Fort Central , is surrounded by a broad deep moat . These fortifications have been built with the greatest care of coursed and dressed masonry . Not a gun is yet mounted on the Breakwater , in- fact , hardly an embrasure is in readiness ; nevertheless , a short time would suffice to put each fort on a formidable footing .
Commander Pim corrects the exaggerations of the press with reference to the number of guns of these fortifications . He says :- — Vauban ' s plan of defence has been adopted at Cherbourg , and as early as 1777 the fortifications were commenced . Doubtless , when all the works are completed , it will be as strongly fortified as any place in the world ; at present , _ many of the projected redoubts and batteries have not even been commenced . Beginning from the eastward . Fort Imperial , on lie Pelee , is the first to attract attention , it is bomb-proof , constructed for fifty-six guns and fourteen mortars , and has a furnace for heating shot . .
Next in order is Fort des Flamands , which is casemated , bomb-proof , and armed with sixty guns ; itcon' - tains two large powder magazines , and has a capacious basin attached , easy of access for the powder hoys . Ii > the vicinity of Fort des Flamands is the small Redoubt de Tourlaville , which , though in good repair , is at present unarmed . Fort du Roule , on the summit of the hill of that name , occupies a most commanding position ; and is , in fact , the key to the defences ; its walls are of solid granite immensely thick , but it is still unfinished , and uone of its guns are mounted . line
The ' Port Militaire" is completely enclosed by a of ramparts and bastions , containing four bomb-proof magazines for supplying the guns ; the whole is surrounded by a deep broad moat filled with salt water . Fort du Hornet is built on the rocks of that name , and is joined to the ramparts by a causeway of granite ; it mounts fifty-two heavy guns , and completely comnimws the Roadstead . The fort is as ancient as that on Ha Peltfe , but like it , the old works have given place to modern improvements . The ramparts on the north and east sea-fronts of the " Port Militaire" are earthworks , faced with masonry , and mount about eighty g "" f-Redoubt des Couplets is an old fortification similar to La Tourlaville . _ ' . . . tfowte de
Length . Breadth . Aver . Height Digue ... 12 , 333 feet . 885 feet . 66 feet . Breakwater 5280 „ 360 „ 33 „ THE FORTIFICATIONS ON THE BREAKWATER . Unlike its sturdy little vis-a-vis at Plymouth , the Digue opposes to the sea a perpendicular wall of twenty feet , at which height there is a level platform twenty feet wide extending its entire length , on the seaward side of which a solid masonry parapet eight feet thick and
five feet high is erected , being in fact a continuation of the sea wall ; this forms an admirable cover for riflemen , but the platform is not adapted for artillery . Three forts and one battery crown the summit and completely command the approaches to the Roadstead . They are named—Musoir Ouest de la Digue ... 60 guns . Batterie I nterme ' diaire ... .... 14 „ Fort Central 40
Midway between the Port Batteries and Quorquevillo is Batterio St . Anno , an earthwork niouiiiing very heavy guns ; finally , Fort do Querqucville , a citadel in itself , commands the western cntrancoj it n « s forty-six guns in casemate , besides mortnrs , and contains a powder magazine . . - ' , All these batteries cross-fire with , and support tno forts on the Breakwater , and comprise aUotfctiior « round numbers 3 X 4 guna and 82 morlnrs , a . sufficl ° "I 7 formidable number though not quite amounting to w , which is the generally received estimate . If to the shore batteries of 314 guna , tho number on the Breakwater is added , which it is probable will ho \ bt exceed 100 instoad of 176 , the totul will amount to * i * guns ; and it will therefore bo seen , tliat tho gnrrwon can at any time concentrate a flro of about 200 Kims "P ™» either entrance , sufficient indeed , if well directed , to mn *
Such was the state of tho place when , just one hundred years ago , viz . in 1758 , it was seized upon , by a coup de main , by the English . The place was vacated shortly aftorwards , and Cherbourg remained in a defenceless state until the Ministry of Louis XVI . commenced tho nucleus of the present fortress . The breakwater begun , In due time it showed itself above the sea level , and became a breakwater ; batteries were erected for its pro . tection ; dooks , basins , workshops , & c . & c , wero constructed on the main land ; finally , a railroad connected the port with the capital , and thus completed the " Port Militaire . " Here is a description of this breakwater and fo rts : —
la 1868 this magnificent undertaking ( which , stands unrivalled in the worKl ) was completed . It shelters an area pf about 1900 , acres ; affording anchorage to- at least twenty-five llrio of battle ships , with a proportion of frigates and corvettes . The western entrance is 8875 yards broad j the eastern one , 1187 , through which vessels can come and go in all weathers . The , cost has been about 8 , 000 , 000 ? . sterling , and seventy years have elapsed since its commencement . It may be interesting to compare the relative sizes of the Digue and the Plymouth Breakwater , vis . s—
the finest ships in tho world . . , „ . The description of tho dockynrd , nrsensi , »> . i 9 » n » . railroad , and statue follows . . Wo pass them o oi to come to the conclusion of the gallant Cominnm ei with respect to this fortificution , Conmwndci am » It Is not , however , to Cherbourg plono that Hifl on tire attention of Englishmen must bo directed ; »" «¦ '• ,, any former period of her l » istory , ha 8 1 franco so ill oio * , » 7 and carefully armed herself , or made such pw >| W » n"J " on her seaboard } her harbours hav e been , mid « 14 > , ^ ly fttrlot supervision , and great im provements arc » u W
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Oct. 9, 1858, page 20, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_09101858/page/20/
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