With Frederick the Great | Page 4

as
ardent in the cause of the Stuarts as was her husband, and said no single
word to deter him when, an hour after he heard the news of the prince's

landing, he mounted and rode off to meet him, and to assure him that
he would bring every man of his following to the spot where his
adherents were to assemble. From time to time his widow had
continued to write to Keith; though, owing to his being continually
engaged on campaigns against the Turks and Tartars, he received but
two or three of her letters, so long as he remained in the service of
Russia. When, however, he displeased the Empress Elizabeth, and at
once left the service and entered that of Prussia, her letters again
reached him.
The connection between France and Scotland had always been close,
and French was a language familiar to most of the upper class; and
since the civil troubles began, such numbers of Scottish gentlemen
were forced either to shelter in France, or to take service in the French
or other foreign armies, that a knowledge of the language became
almost a matter of necessity. In one of his short letters Keith had told
her that, of all things, it was necessary that the lad should speak French
with perfect fluency, and master as much German as possible. And it
was to these points that his education had been almost entirely directed.
As to French there was no difficulty and, when she recovered a portion
of the estate, Maggie Drummond was lucky in hearing of a Hanoverian
trooper who, having been wounded and left behind in Glasgow, his
term of service having expired, had on his recovery married the
daughter of the woman who had nursed him. He was earning a
somewhat precarious living by giving lessons in the use of the rapier,
and in teaching German; and gladly accepted the offer to move out to
Kilgowrie, where he was established in a cottage close to the house,
where his wife aided in the housework. He became a companion of
Fergus in his walks and rambles and, being an honest and pleasant
fellow, the lad took to him; and after a few months their conversation,
at first somewhat disjointed, became easy and animated. He learned,
too, much from him as to the use of his sword. The Scotch clansmen
used their claymores chiefly for striking; but under Rudolph's tuition
the lad came to be as apt with the point as he had before been with the
edge, and fully recognized the great advantages of the former. By the
time he reached the age of sixteen, his skill with the weapon was fully

recognized by the young clansmen who, on occasions of festive
gatherings, sometimes came up to try their skill with the young laird.
From Rudolph, too, he came to know a great deal of the affairs of
Europe, as to which he had hitherto been profoundly ignorant. He
learned how, by the capture of the province of Silesia from the Empress
of Austria, the King of Prussia had, from a minor principality, raised
his country to a considerable power, and was regarded with hostility
and jealousy by all his neighbours.
"But it is only a small territory now, Rudolph," Fergus said.
"'Tis small, Master Fergus, but the position is a very strong one. Silesia
cannot well be invaded, save by an army forcing its way through very
formidable defiles; while on the other hand, the Prussian forces can
suddenly pour out into Saxony or Hanover. Prussia has perhaps the
best-drilled army in Europe, and though its numbers are small in
proportion to those which Austria can put in the field, they are a
compact force; while the Austrian army is made up of many peoples,
and could not be gathered with the speed with which Frederick could
place his force in the field.
"The king, too, is himself, above all things, a soldier. He has good
generals, and his troops are devoted to him, though the discipline is
terribly strict. It is a pity that he and the King of England are not good
friends. They are natural allies, both countries being Protestant; and to
say the truth, we in Hanover should be well pleased to see them make
common cause together, and should feel much more comfortable with
Prussia as our friend than as a possible enemy.
"However, 'tis not likely that, at present, Prussia will turn her hand
against us. I hear, by letters from home, that it is said that the Empress
of Russia, as well as the Empress of Austria, both hate Frederick; the
latter because he has stolen Silesia from her; the former because he has
openly said things about her such as a woman never forgives. Saxony