第118章
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  FargraverthanthisSpectreofFurst,MinisterZedlitzhesitates,finallyrefuses,topronouncesuchaSentenceastheKingordersonthesemenofLaw!Estimable,able,conscientiousZedlitz;

  zealousonEducationmatters,too;——whomIalwayslikeforcontrivingtoattendaCourseofKant’sLectures,while500milesawayfromhim(actualCourseinKonigsbergUniversity,bytheillustriousKant;everyLecturepunctuallytakeninshort—hand,andtransmittedtoBerlin,postafterpost,forthebusyman)。

  [KunoFischer,Kant’sLeben(Mannheim,1860),pp。34,35。]HereisnowsomepainfulCorrespondencebetweentheKingandhim,——painful,yetpleasant:——

  KINGTOMINISTERVONZEDLITZ,WHOHASALARMINGDOUBTS(Berlin,28thDecember,1779)。——\"YourReportofthe20thinstantinregardtoJudgmentonthearrestedRathshasbeenreceived。ButdoyouthinkIdon’tunderstandyourAdvocatefellowsandtheirquirks;orhowtheycanpolishupabadcause,andbytheirhyperbolesexaggerateorextenuateastheyfindfit?TheGoose—quillclass(FEDERZEUG)

  can’tlookatfacts。WhenSoldierssettoinvestigateanything,onanordergiven,theygothestraightwaytothekernelofthematter;uponwhich,plentyofobjectionsfromtheGoose—quillpeople!——ButyoumayassureyourselfIgivemorebelieftoanhonestOfficer,whohashonorintheheartofhim,thantoallyourAdvocatesandsentences。Iperceivewelltheyarethemselvesafraid,anddon’twanttoseeanyoftheirfellowspunished。

  \"If,therefore,youwillnotobeymyOrder,Ishalltakeanotherinyourplacewhowill;fordepartfromitIwillnot。Youmaytellthemthat。Andknow,foryourpart,thatsuchmiserablejargon(MISERABELSTYL)makesnotthesmallestimpressiononme。

  Hereby,then,youaretoguideyourself;andmerelysaywhetheryouwillfollowmyOrderornot;forIwillinnowisefallawayfromit。Iamyourwell—affectionedKing,——FRIEDRICH。\"

  MARGINALE(inAutograph)。——\"MyGentleman[you,HerrvonZedlitz,withyourdubitatings]won’tmakemebelieveblackiswhite。IknowtheAdvocatesleight—of—hand,andwon’tbetakenin。Anexamplehasbecomenecessaryhere,——thoseScoundrels(CANAILLEN)havingsoenormouslymisusedmyname,topractisearbitraryandunheard—ofinjustices。AJudgethatgoesuponchicaningistobepunishedmoreseverelythanahighwayRobber。Foryouhavetrustedtotheone;

  youareonyourguardagainsttheother。\"

  ZEDLITZTOTHEKING(Berlin,31stDecember,1779)。——\"IhaveatalltimeshadyourRoyalMajesty’sfavorbeforemyeyesasthesupremehappinessofmylife,andhavemostzealouslyendeavoredtomeritthesame:butIshouldrecognizemyselfunworthyofit,wereI

  capableofanundertakingcontrarytomyconviction。Fromthereasonsindicatedbymyself,aswellasbytheCriminal—Senate[Paperofreasonsfortunatelylost],yourMajestywilldeigntoconsiderthatIamunabletodrawupacondemnatorySentenceagainstyourMajesty’sServants—of—JusticenowunderarrestonaccountoftheArnoldAffair。YourMajesty’stilldeath,——

  VONZEDLITZ。\"

  KINGTOZEDLITZ(Berlin,1stJanuary,1780)。——\"MydearState’s—

  MinisterFreiherrvonZedlitz,——Itmuchsurprisesmetosee,fromyourNoteofyesterday,thatyonrefusetopronounceajudgmentonthoseServants—of—JusticearrestedfortheirconductintheArnoldCase,accordingtomyOrder。Ifyou,therefore,willnot,Iwill;

  anddoitasfollows:——

  \"1。TheCustrinRegierungs—RathScheibler,who,itappearsinevidence,wasofanoppositeopiniontohisColleagues,andvotedThatthemanup—streamhadnotarighttocutoffthewaterfromthemandown—stream;andthatthepoint,astoArnold’swantingwater,shouldbemorecloselyandstrictlyinquiredinto,——he,Scheibler,shallbesetfreefromhisarrest,andgobacktohispostatCustrin。Andinlikemanner,Kammergerichts—RathRannsleben——whohasevidentlygivenhimselffaithfultroubleaboutthecause,andhasbroughtforwardwithaquitevisibleimpartialityalltheconsiderationsanddubieties,especiallyabouttheconditionofthewaterandtheallegedhurtfulnessofthePond——isabsolvedfromarrest。

  \"2。AsfortheotherarrestedServants—of—Justice,theyareoneandalldismissedfromoffice(CASSIRT),andcondemnedtooneyear’sFortress—Arrest。Furthermore,theyshallpaytoArnoldthevalueofhisMill,andmakegoodtohim,outoftheirownpocket,allthelossanddamagehehassufferedinthisbusiness;theNeumarkKAMMER(Revenue—Board)totaxandestimatethesame。[Damagecameto1,358thalers,11groschen,1pfennig,——thatis,203pounds14s。

  andsomepenceandfarthings;thelastfarthingofwhichwaspunctuallypaidtoArnold,withinthenexteightmonths;][Preuss,iii。409。]——sothat\"3。TheMillerArnoldshallbecompletelyputashewas(IN

  INTEGRUMRESTITUIRT)。

  \"Andinsuchwaymustthematter,inallbranchesofit,beimmediatelyproceededwith,gotready,andhandedinformyCompletion(VOLLZIEHUNG)bySignature。Whichyou,therefore,willtakechargeof,withoutdelay。Fortherest,Iwilltellyoufarther,thatIamnotillpleasedtoknowyouonthesideyoushowonthisoccasion[asamanthatwillnotgoagainsthisconscience],andshallsee,byandby,whatIcanfartherdowithyou。[Lefthimwherehewas,asthebestthing。]Whereafteryouareaccordinglytoguideyourself。AndIremainotherwiseyourwell—

  affectionedKing,FRIEDRICH。\"

  [Ib。iii。519,520;seeib。405n。]

  This,then,isanimpartialaccountofthecelebratedpassagebetweenFriedrichandtheLawyersknownbythenameof\"theMILLER—

  ARNOLDCASE;\"whichattractedthenoticeofallEurope,——justwhilethedecenniumoftheFrenchRevolutionwasbeginning。InRussia,theCzarinaCatharine,thefriendofPhilosophers,senttoherSenateacopyofFriedrich’sPROTOCOLOFDECEMBER11th,asanoteworthyinstanceofRoyalsupremejudicature。InFrance,Printsincelebrationofit,——\"onePrintbyVangelisti,entitledBALANCE

  DEFREDERIC,\"——wereexhibitedinshop—windows,expoundedinnewspapers,anddiscoursedofindrawing—rooms。TheCasebroughtintotalkagainanoldMillerCaseofFriedrich’s,whichhadbeenfamousabovethirtyyearsago,whenSans—Souciwasgettingbuilt。

  Readersknowit:PotsdamMiller,andhisobstinateWindmill,whichstillgrindsonitsknollinthoselocalities,andwouldnot,atanyprice,becomepartoftheKing’sGardens。\"Notatanyprice?\"

  saidtheKing’sagent:\"CannottheKingtakeitfromyoufornothing,ifhechose?\"\"Haven’twetheKammergerichtatBerlin!\"

  answeredtheMiller。ToFriedrich’sgreatdelight,asappears;——

  whichmightrendertheWindmillitselfakindofornamenttohisGardensthenceforth。TheFrenchadmirationoverthesetwoMillerCasescontinuedtobeverygreat。[Dieulafoi,LEMEUNIERDE

  SANS—SOUCI(Comedyorfarce,ofIknownotwhatyear);Andrieux,LE

  MOULINDESANS—SOUCI(\"Poem,\"atINSTITUTNATIONAL15GERMINAL,AN

  5),&c。&c。:Preuss,iii。412,413。]

  AstoMillerArnoldandhisCause,theunitedvoiceofPrussianSocietycondemnedFriedrich’sprocedure:SuchharshnesstoGrand—

  ChancellorFurstandrespectableoldOfficialGentlemen,amountingtothebarbarousandtyrannous,accordingtoPrussianSociety。

  Tosupportwhichfeeling,andtestifyitopenly,theydroveincrowdstoFurst’s(somehavetoldmetothePrison—doorstoo,butthatseemshypothetic);andleftcardsforoldFurstandCompany。

  InsightofFriedrich,whoinquired,\"Whatisthisstironthestreets,then?\"——and,onlearning,madenottheleastaudibleremark;butcontinuedhissalutarycashiermentofthewiggedGentlemen,andimprisonmenttilltheirfulltermran。

  Myimpressionhasbeenthat,inBerlinSociety,therewasmoresympathyformererespectabilityofwigthaninFriedrich。

  ToFriedrichrespectabilityofwigthatissuesinsolemnlyfailingtodojustice,isamereenormity,greaterthanthemostwiglessconditioncouldbe。Wigless,thethingweretobeendured,athingoneisbornto,moreorless:butinwig,——outuponit!Andthewigwhichscreens,andwouldstrivetodisguiseandeventoembellishsuchathing:Tothegutterswithsuchwig!

  InsupportoftheirfeelingforFurstandCompany,BerlinSocietywasfartherobligedtopronouncetheclaimofMillerArnoldanullity,andthatnoinjusticewhateverhadbeendonehim。

  Merepretencesonhispart,subterfugesforhisidleconduct,forhisinabilitytopayduerent,saidBerlinSociety。AndthatimpartialSoldier—person,whomFriedrichsenttoexaminebythelightofnature,andreport?\"Corruptedhe!\"answerthey:

  \"hadintrigueswith——\"Iforgetwhom;somebodyofthewomankind(perhapsArnold’soldhard—featuredWife,ifyouaredrivenintoacorner!)——\"andwasnottobedependedonatall!\"Inwhichcondemnedstate,BerlinSocietyalmostwhollydisapprovingit,theArnoldProcesswasfoundatFriedrich’sdeath(restorationofhonorstooldFurstandCompany,oneofthefirstactsoftheNewReign,sureofimmediatepopularity);and,Ithink,prettymuchcontinuessostill,fewornoneinBerlinSocietyadmittingMillerArnold’sclaimtoredress,muchlessdefendingthatonslaughtonFurstandthewigs。[HerrPreusshimselfinclinesthatway,rathercondemnatoryofFriedrich;buthisAccount,asusual,isexactandauthentic,——thoughdistressinglyconfused,andscatteredaboutintodifferentcorners(Preuss,iii。381—413;thenagain,ibid。520

  &c。)。Ontheotherhand,thereisoneSegebusch,too,alearnedDoctor,ofAltona,whotakestheKing’sside,——andreallyisratherstupid,argumentativemerely,andunilluminative,ifyoureadhim:

  Segebusch,HistorischrechtlicheWurdigungderEinmischungFriedrich’sdesGrossenindiebekannteRechtssachedesMullersArnold,auchfurNicht—Juristen(Altona,1829)。]

  Who,fromtheremotedistance,wouldventuretocontradict?

  Oncemore,myownpoorimpressionwas,whichIkeepsilentexcepttofriends,thatBerlinSocietywaswrong;thatMillerArnoldhadofatruthlostportionsofhisdam—water,andwasentitledtoabatement;andthatinsuchcase,Friedrich’shorrorattheFurst—

  and—CompanyPhenomenon(horroraggravatedbygout)haditshighlyrespectablesidewithal。

  When,afterFriedrich’sdeath,onVonGersdorf’surgentreclamations,thecasewasreopened,andallowedtobecarried\"intotheSecretTribunal,asthecompetentCourtofAppealinthirdinstance,\"thesaidTribunalfound,Thatthelaw—maximdependeduponbytheLowerCourts,asto\"theabsoluterightofownersofprivatestreams,\"didNOTapplyinthepresentcase;

  butthattheDeedof1566did;andalsothat\"thefactsastopretendeddamage[PRETENCEmerely]fromlossofwater,weresatisfactorilyprovedagainstArnold:\"Gersdorf,therefore,mayhavehisPond;andArnoldmustrefundthemoneypaidtohimfor\"damages\"bythecondemnedJudges;andalsothepurchase—moneyofhisMill,ifhemeanstokeepthelatter。Allwhichmoneys,however,hisMajestyFriedrichWilhelmII。,Friedrich’sSuccessor,tohavedonewiththematter,handsomelypaidoutofhisownpocket:thehandsomewayofendingit。

  InhislastjourneytoWest—Preussen,June,1784,FriedrichsaidtothenewRegierungs—President(ChiefJudge)there:\"IamHeadCommissaryofJustice;andhaveaheavyresponsibilitylyingonme,\"——aswillyouinthisnewOffice。Friedrichatnomomentneglectedthispartofhisfunctions;andhisprocedureinitthroughout,onecannotbutadmittohavebeenfaithful,beautiful,human。VeryimpatientindeedwhenhecomesuponImbecilityandPedantrythreateningtoextinguishEssenceandFact,amonghisLawPeople!ThisisoneMARGINALEofhis,amongmanysuch,someofthemstillmorestinging,whicharecomfortabletoeveryreader。

  TheCaseisthatofamurderer,——murderindisputable;\"butmaynotinsanitybesuspected,yourMajesty,suchtheabsenceofmotive,suchthe——?\"Majestyanswers:\"Thatisnothingbutinanityandstupidpleadingagainstright。Thefellowputachildtodeath;

  ifhewereasoldier,youwouldexecutehimwithoutpriest;

  andbecausethisCANAILLEisacitizen,youmakehim’melancholic’

  togethimoff。Beautifuljustice!\"[Preuss,iii。375。]

  FriedrichhastosignallDeath—Sentences;andhedoesit,whereverIhavenoticed,rigorouslywell。Fortherest,hisCriminalCalendarseemstobelighterthananyotherofhistime;\"inapopulationof5,200,000,\"saysheonce,\"14to15areannuallycondemnedtodeath。\"

  ChapterVIII。

  THEFURSTENBUND:FRIEDRICH’SLASTYEARS。

  AtVienna,onNovember29th,1780,thenobleKaiserinnMariaTheresa,afterashortillness,died。Herendwasbeautifulandexemplary,ashercoursehadbeen。Thedisease,whichseemedatfirstonlyabadcold,provedtohavebeenindurationofthelungs;

  thechiefsymptomthroughout,amoreandmoresuffocatingdifficultytobreathe。Ontheedgeofdeath,theKaiserinn,sittinginachair(bedimpossibleinsuchstruggleforbreath),leantherheadbackasifinclinedtosleep。Oneofherwomenarrangedthecushions,askedinawhisper,\"WillyourMajestysleep,then?\"

  \"No,\"answeredthedyingKaiserinn;\"Icouldsleep,butImustnot;

  Deathistoonear。Hemustnotstealuponme。ThesefifteenyearsI

  havebeenmakingreadyforhim;Iwillmeethimawake。\"

  FifteenyearsagoherbelovedFranzwassnatchedfromher,insuchsuddenmanner:andeversince,shehasgoneinWidow’sdress;

  andhaslookeduponherselfasonewhohaddonewiththeworld。

  The18thofeverymonthhasbeenforheradayofsolitaryprayer;

  18thofeveryAugust(Franz’sdeath—day)shehasgonedownpunctuallytothevaultsintheStephans—Kirche,andsatbyhiscoffinthere;——lastAugust,somethingbrokeintheapparatusasshedescended;andithaseversincebeenanomentoher。[Hormayr,OEsterreichischerPlutarch,iv。(2tes)94;

  Keith,ii。114。]Omennowfulfilled。

  Onherdeath,JosephandKaunitz,nowbecomesupreme,launchedabroadintheirambitiousadventureswithlooserein。Schemesofallkinds;includingBavariastill,inspiteofthelatecheck;

  forwhichlatter,andforvastprospectsinTurkeyaswell,theyoungKaiserisnowuponacunningmethod,fullofpromisetohim,——thatofingratiatinghimselfwiththeCzarina,andcuttingoutFriedrichinthatquarter。Summer,1780,whiletheKaiserinnstilllived,JosephmadehisfamousFirstVisittotheCzarina(May—

  August,1780),[Hermann,vi。132—135。]——notyetforsomeyearshisthrice—famousSecondVisit(thrice—famousCleopatra—voyagewithherdowntheDnieper;dramaturgiccitiesandpopulationskeepingpacewiththemonthebanks,suchthescenicfacultyofRussianOfficials,withPotemkinasstage—manager):——inthecourseofwhichFirstVisit,stillmoreintheSecond,itiswellknowntheCzarinaandJosephcametoanunderstanding。Littlearticulatedofitasyet;butthemeaningalreadycleartoboth。\"Afrankpartnership,highMadam:toyou,fullscopeinyourgloriousnotionofaGreekCapitalandEmpire,Turkquitetrampledaway,ConstantinopleaChristianmetropolisoncemore[andyournextGrandsonaCONSTANTINE,——tobeinreadiness]:whynot,ifImaysharetoo,intheDonauCountries,thatliehandy?Toyou,Isay,anEasternEmpire;tome,aWestern:RevivalofthepooroldRomishReich,sofarasmaybe;andnohindranceuponBavaria,nexttime。HavenotwehadenoughofthatoldFriedrich,whostandsperpetuallyuponSTATUSQUO,andtobothofusisamerestoppageoftheway?\"

  CzarinaCatharinetookthehint;christenedhernextGrandson\"Constantine\"(tobeinreadiness);[ThisistheConstantinewhorenounced,infavorofthelateCzarNicholas;andprovedafailureinregardto\"NewGreekEmpire,\"andotherwise。]andfromthattimestifflyrefusedrenewingherTreatywithFriedrich;——toFriedrich’sgreatgrief,seeingher,onthecontrary,industrioustoforwardeveryGermanschemeofJoseph’s,Bavarianorother,andforeshadowingtohimselfdismalissuesforPrussiawhenthispresenttermofTreatyshouldexpire。AstoJoseph,hewasbusynightandday,——reallyperiloustoFriedrichandtheindependenceoftheGermanReich。HisyoungBrother,Maximilian,hecontrives,Czarinahelping,togetelectedCo—adjutorofKoln;SuccessorofourLankyFriendthere,tobeKur—Kolnindueseason,andmaketheElectorateofKolnabitofAustriahenceforth。[LengthyandminuteaccountofthatTransaction,inallthestepsofit,inDOHM,i。

  295—39。]Thentherecame\"PANIS—BRIEFE,\"[PANIS(Bread)BRIEFisaLetterwithwhich,inancientcenturies,theKaiserusedtofurnishanoldworn—outServant,addressedtosomeMonastery,someAbbotorPriorineasycircumstances:\"BesogoodasprovidethisoldGentlemanwithPanis(Bread,orBoardandLodging)whilehelives。\"

  VeryprettyinBarbarossa’stime;——butnow——!]——whoknowswhat?——

  usurpations,graspingsandpretensionswithoutend:——finally,anopenpretensiontoincorporateBavaria,afterall。Bavaria,notinpartnow,butinwhole:\"You,KarlTheodor,injuredman,cannotwegiveyouTerritoryintheNetherlands;aKingthereyoushallbe,andhaveyourvoteasKur—Pfalzstill;onlythink!Inreturnforwhich,Bavariaoursinfee—simple,andsofinishthat?\"

  KarlTheodorisperfectlywilling,——onlyperhapssomeothersarenot。Thenandthere,thesethreateningcomplexities,nowgonelikeadreamofthenight,werereallylife—perilsfortheKingdomofPrussia;nevertobelostsightofbyaveteranShepherdofthePeople。TheykeptavigilantKingFriedrichcontinuallyonthestretch,andwereastandinglife—problemtohiminthosefinalYears。Problemnearlyinsolubletohumancontrivance;theRussiancardhavingpalpablygoneintotheotherhand。Problemsolved,nevertheless;itisstillrememberedhow。

  OnthedevelopmentofthatprettyBavarianProject,thethingbecamepressing;anditiswellknownbywhatastrokeofgeniusFriedrichcheckmatedit;andproducedinsteada\"FURSTENBUND,\"orgeneral\"ConfederationofGermanPrinces,\"Prussiaatop,toforbidperemptorilythattheLawsoftheReichbeinfringed。FURSTENBUND:

  thisisthevictorioussummitofFriedrich’sPublicHistory,towardswhichallhiseffortstended,duringthesefiveyears:

  Friedrich’slastfeatintheworld。Feat,howobsoletenow,——fallensilenteverywhere,exceptinGermanParish—History,andtothestudentsofFriedrich’scharacterinoldage!HadnoresultwhateverinEuropeanHistory;sounexpectedwastheturnthingstook。AFURSTENBUNDwhichwasswallowedbodilywithinfewyears,inthatWorld—ExplosionofDemocracy,andWaroftheGiants;

  and——unlessNapoleon’s\"ConfederationoftheRhine\"wereperhapssometransitoryghostofit?——leftnotevenaghostbehind。

  AFURSTENBUNDofwhichwemustsaysomething,whenitsYearcomes;

  butobviouslynotmuch。

  NoraretheDomesticities,assetforthbyourPrussianauthorities,anopulenttopicforus。Friedrich’sOldAgeisnotunamiable;onthecontrary,IthinkitwouldhavemadeaprettyPicture,hadtherebeenaLimnertotakeit,withtheleastfelicityorphysiognomiccoherency;——astherewasnot。HisLetters,andallthesymptomswehave,denoteasound—heartedbraveoldman;

  continuallysubduingtohimselfmanyuglytroubles;and,likethestars,alwayssteadyathiswork。Tositgrievingordespondingis,atalltimes,farfromhim:\"Whydespond?Won’titbealldonepresently;isitofmuchmomentwhileitlasts?\"Afine,unaffectedlyvigorous,simpleandmanfuloldage;——ratherserenethanotherwise;inspiteofelectricoutburstsandcloudyweatherthatcouldnotbewanting。

  Ofallwhichthereisnot,inthisplace,muchmoretobesaid。

  Friedrich’selementisitselfwearingdim,sombreofhue;andtherecordsofit,too,seemtogrowdimmer,moreandmoreintermittent。Oldfriends,oftheintellectualkind,arealmostalldead;thenewareoflittlemomenttous,——notworthnamingincomparison,Thechief,perhaps,isacertainyoungMarcheseLucchesini,whocomesaboutthistime,[\"Chamberlain[titular,withPension,&c。],9thMay,1780,agethen28\"(Preuss,iv。

  211);—arrivedwhenorhowisnotsaid。]andcontinuesinmoreandmorefavorbothwithFriedrichandhisSuccessor,——employedeveninDiplomaticsbythelatter。AnaccomplishedyoungGentleman,fromLucca;offineintelligence,and,whatwasnolessessentialtohimhere,aperfectproprietyinbreedingandcarriage。Onemakesnoacquaintancewithhiminthesestragglingrecords,nordesirestomakeany。Itwashethatbroughttheinane,everscribblingDeninahither,ifthatcanbereckonedamerit。InaneDeninacameasAcademician,October,1782;sawFriedrich,[Rodenbeck,iii。285,286。]atleastonce(\"Academician,Pension;yes,yes!\")——andIknownotwhetheranysecondtime。

  Friedrich,onlossoffriends,doesnottakerefugeinsolitude;hetriesalwaysforsomethingofsubstitute;seeshismanonceortwice,——inseveralinstancesonceonly,andleaveshimtohispensioninsinecurethenceforth。CorneliusdePauw,therichCanonofXanten(UncleofAnacharsisKlootz,theafterwardsrenowned),cameonthoseprinciples;hungonforsixmonths,notliked,notliking;andwasthenpermittedtogohomeforgood,hispensionwithhim。Another,aFrenchman,whosenameIforget,satgloomilyinPotsdam,afterhisrejection;silent(notknowingGerman),unclipt,unkempt,roughasNebuchadnezzar,tillhedied。DeCattisstillaresource;steadytillalmosttheend,whensomebody’stongue,itisthought,didhimillwiththeKing。

  Alone,oralmostalone,oftheancientsetisBastiani;atall,black—browedman,withuncommonlybrighteyes,nowhimselfold,andacomfortableAbbotinSilesia;whocomesfromtimetotime,awakeningtheKingintohispristinetopicsandaltitudes。

  Bastiani’shistoryissomethingcurious:asatallVenetianMonk(sonofatailorinVenice),hehadbeencrimpedbyFriedrichWilhelm’speople;FriedrichfoundhimservingasaPotsdamGiant,butdiscernedfarotherfacultiesinthebright—lookingman,farotherknowledges;andgraduallymadehimwhatwesee。BantershimsometimesthathewillrisetobePopeoneday,socunningandcleverishe:\"Whatwillyousaytome,aHeretic,whenyougettobePope;tellmenow;outwithit,Iinsist!\"Bastianiparried,pleaded,butunabletogetoff,madewhatsomecallhisonepieceofwit:\"Iwillsay:ORoyalEagle,screenmewiththywings,butsparemewiththysharpbeak!\"ThisisBastiani’sonerecordedpieceofwit;forhewastacitrather,andpracticallywatchful,anddidnotwastehisfineintellectinthatway。

  ForeignVisitorsthereareinplenty;nowandthensomethingbrilliantgoing。ButtheoldGeneralsseemtobemainlywhattheKinghasforcompany。Dinneralwayshisbrighthour;fromtentosevenguestsdaily。Seidlitz,neverofintelligenceonanypointbutSoldiering,islongsincedead;Ziethencomesrarely,andfallsasleepwhenhedoes;GeneralGortz(brotheroftheWeimar—MunchenGortz);Buddenbrock(theKing’scomradeinyouth,intheReinsbergtimes),whohasgoodfaculty;Prittwitz(whosavedhimatKunersdorf,andislively,thoughstupid);GeneralandHead—EquerrySchwerin,ofheadlongtongue,notwitty,butthecauseofwit;

  MajorGrafvonPinto,amagniloquentEx—Austriandittoditto:theseareamonghischiefdinner—guests。Iffinespeculationdonotsuit,oldpranksofyouth,oldtalesofwar,becomethestapleconversation;alwaysplentyofbanterontheoldKing’spart;——whositsverysnuffy(saystheprivatelyill—humoredBusching)anddoesnotsufficientlyabhorgreaseonhisfingers,orkeephisnailsquiteclean。OccasionallylaughsattheClergy,too;andhaslittleofthereverenceseemlyinanoldKing。Thetruthis,Doctor,hehashadhissufferingsfromHumanStupidity;andwasalwaysfondofhittingobjectsontheraw。Fortherest,asyoumaysee,heartilyanoldStoic,andtakesmattersintherough;avoidinguselessdespondencyaboveall;andintenttohaveacheerfulhouratdinnerifhecan。

  VisitsfromhisKindredarestillprettyfrequent;neverexceptoninvitation。Fortherest,completelyanoldBachelor,anoldMilitaryAbbot;withbusinessforeveryhour。PrincessAmeliatakescareofhislinen,notverywell,thedearoldLady,whoisherselfacripple,suffering,andvoiceless,speakingonlyinhoarsewhisper。IthinkIhaveheardtherewerebuttwelveshirts,notinfirst—rateorder,whentheKingdied。AKingsupremelyindifferenttosmallconcerns;especiallytothatofshirtsandtailoragesnotessential。HoldstoLiterature,almostmorethanever;

  occasionallystillwrites;[Foroneinstance:ThefamousPamphlet,DELALITTERATUREALLEMANDE(containinghisonslaughtonShakspeare,andhisfirstsalutation,withthereverseofwelcome,toGoethe’sGOTZVONBERLICHINGEN);——printed,understupidThiebault’scare,Berlin,1780。StandsnowinOEuvresdeFrederic,vii。89—122。ThelastPiecesofallarechieflyMILITARYINSTRUCTIONSofapracticalorofficialnature。]

  hashisdailyReadings,Concerts,Correspondencesasusual:——

  readerscanconceivethedimHouseholdPicture,dimlyreportedwithal。ThefollowingAnecdotesmaybeaddedascompletionofit,oratleastofallIhavetosayonit:——

  YOUGOONWEDNESDAY,THEN?——\"LossoftimewasoneofthelossesFriedrichcouldleaststand。InvisitsevenfromhisBrothersandSisters,whichwerealwaysbyhisownexpressinvitation,hewouldsaysomemorning(callitTuesdaymorning):’YouaregoingonWednesday,Iamsorrytohear’(whatYOUneverheardbefore)!——

  ’Alas,yourMajesty,wemust!’’Well,Iamsorry:butIwilllaynoconstraintonyou。Pleasantmomentscannotlastforever!’Andsometimes,afterthishadbeenagreedto;hewouldsay:’ButcannotyoustaytillThursday,then?Come,oneotherdayofit!’——’Well,sinceyourMajestydoesgraciouslypress!’AndonThursday,notWednesday,onthosecuriousterms,thevisitwouldterminate。

  ThistraitisintheAnecdote—Books:butitsauthenticitydoesnotrestonthatuncertainbasis;singularlyenough,itcomestome,individually,bytwoclearstages,fromFriedrich’sSistertheDuchessofBrunswick,who,ifanybody,wouldknowitwell!\"

  [MyinformantisSirGeorgeSinclair,Baronet,ofThurso;hiswasthedistinguishedCountessofFinlater,stillrememberedforhergracesofmindandperson,whohadbeenMaid—of—HonortotheDuchess。]

  DINNERWITHTHEQUEEN。——TheQueen,aprudent,simple—minded,worthyperson,ofperfectbehaviorinadifficultposition,seemstohavebeenmuchrespectedinBerlinSocietyandtheCourtCircles。

  NorwastheKingwantinginthesamefeelingtowardsher;ofwhichtherearestillmanyproofs:butastopersonalintercourse,——whatafigurehasthatgraduallytaken!Preusssays,citingthosewhosaw:\"WhentheKing,aftertheSeven—YearsWar,nowandthen,inCarnivalseason,dinedwiththeQueeninherApartments,heusuallysaidnotawordtoher。Hemerely,onentering,onsittingdownattableandonleavingit,madethecustomarybow;andsatoppositetoher。Once,intheSeventies[years1770,yearsnowpast],theQueenwasillofgout;tablewasinherApartments;butsheherselfwasnotthere,shesatinaneasy—chairinthedrawing—room。

  OnthisoccasiontheKingsteppeduptotheQueen,andinquiredaboutherhealth。Thecircumstanceoccasioned,amongthecompanypresent,andalloverTownasthenewsspread,greatwonderandsympathy(VERWUNDERUNGUNDTHEILNAHME)。Thisisprobablythelasttimeheeverspoketoher。\"[Preuss,iv。187。]

  THETWOGRAND—NEPHEWS。——\"TheKingwasfondofchildren;likedtohavehisGrand—Nephewsabouthim。Oneday,whiletheKingsatatworkinhisCabinet,theyoungerofthetwo,aboyofeightornine[whodiedsoonaftertwenty],wasplayingballabouttheroom;

  andknockeditonceandagainintotheKing’swritingoperation;

  whotwiceoroftenerflungitbacktohim,butnexttimeputitinhispocket,andwenton。’PleaseyourMajesty,giveitmeback!’

  beggedtheBoy;andagainbegged:Majestytooknonotice;

  continuedwriting。Tillatlengthcame,inthetoneofindignation,’WillyourMajestygivememyball,then?’TheKinglookedup;

  foundthelittleHohenzollernplantedfirm,handsonhaunches,andwearingquiteaperemptoryair。’Thouartabravelittlefellow;

  theywon’tgetSilesiaoutofthee!’criedhelaughing,andflinginghimhisball。\"[Fischer,ii。445(\"year1780\")。]

  OftheelderPrince,afterwardsFriedrichWilhelmIII。(FatherofthenowKing),thereisamuchmoreinterestingAnecdote,andofhisownreportingtoo,thoughtheprecisetermsareirrecoverable:

  \"HowtheKing,questioninghimabouthisbitsofFrenchstudies,broughtdownaLAFONTAINEfromtheshelves,andsaid,’TranslatemethisFable;’whichtheBoydid,withsuchreadinessandcorrectnessasobtainedtheKing’spraises:praisestoanextentthatwasembarrassing,andmadethehonestlittlecreatureconfess,’IdiditwithmyTutor,afewdayssince!’TotheKing’smuchgreaterdelight;wholedhimouttowalkintheGardens,and,inamoodofdeeperanddeeperseriousness,discoursedandexhortedhimonthesupremelawoftruthandprobitythatliesonallmen,andonallKingsstillmore;oneofhisexpressionsbeing,’Lookatthishighthing[theObelisktheywerepassingintheGardens],itsUPRIGHTnessisitsstrength(SADROITUREFAITSAFORCE);’andhisfinalwords,’Rememberthisevening,mygoodFritz;perhapsthouwiltthinkofit,longafter,whenIamgone。’AsthegoodFriedrichWilhelmIII。declarespiouslyheoftendid,inthestormsoffatethatovertookhim。\"[R。F。Eylert,CharakterzugeundhistorischeFragmenteausdemLebendesKonigsvonPreussenFriedrichWilhelmIII。(Magdeburg,1843),i。450—456。

  Thisisa\"King’sChaplainandBishopEylert:\"undoubtedlyheheardthisAnecdotefromhisMaster,andwasheardrepeatingit;butthedialecthisEditorshaveputitintoisaltogethertawdry,modern,andimpossibletotakeforthatofFriedrich,oreven,Isuppose,ofFriedrichWilhelmIII。]

  Industrialmatters,thatofColoniesespecially,ofdrainages,embankments,andreclaimingofwastelands,arealargeitemintheKing’sbusiness,——readerswouldnotguesshowlarge,orhowincessant。Underthisheadthereisonrecord,andevenliesatmyhandtranslatedintoEnglish,whatmightbecalledaColonialDAY

  WITHFRIEDRICH(DayofJuly23d,1779;whichFriedrich,justcomehomefromtheBavarianWar,spentwholly,from5inthemorningonward,indrivingabout,inearnestsurveyofhisColoniesandLand—ImprovementsinthePotsdam—RuppinCountry);curiousenoughRecord,byacertainBailifforOverseer,whorodeathischariotside,ofallthequestions,criticismsandremarksofFriedrichonpersonsandobjects,tillhelandedatRuppinforthenight。Takendown,withforensic,almostwithreligiousexactitude,bytheBailiffinquestion;aNephewofthePoetGleim,——bywhomitwaspublished,theyearafterFriedrich’sdeath;[Isin

  AnekdotenundKarakterzuge,No。8(Berlin,1787),pp。15—79。]andbymanyotherssince。Itiscuriouslyauthentic,characteristicinparts,thoughinitsbaldforensicstyleratherheavyreading。Luckier,formostreaders,thatinexorablewantofroomhasexcludedit,onthepresentoccasion![Printednow(inEdition1868,forthefirsttime),asAPPENDIXtothisVolume。]

  Noreaderadequatelyfancies,orcouldbyanysingleDocumentbemadetodoso,thecontinualassiduityofFriedrichinregardtotheseinterestsofhis。ThestrictestHusbandmanisnotbusierwithhisFarm,thanFriedrichwithhisKingdomthroughout;——whichisindeedaFARMleasedhimbytheHeavens;inwhichnotagate—barcanbebroken,norastoneorsodrollintothesmallestditch,butitistohistheHusbandman’sdamage,andmustbeinstantlylookedafter。ThereareMeetingswiththeSilesianmanufacturers(inReviewtime),Dialoguesensuing,severalofwhichhavebeenpreserved;strangetoread,howeverdull。Therearemanyscatteredevidences;——andonlyslowlydoes,notthethingindeed,butthedegreeofthething,becomefullycredible。Notcommunicable,onthetermsprescribedusatpresent;andmustbelefttothelanguidfancy,likesomuchelse。

  HereisanOcularView,hereareseveralsuch,whichweyethappilyhave,oftheactualFriedrichashelookedandlived。These,atacheaprate,throwtransientlysomeflareofilluminationoverhisAffairsandhim:theseletmenowgive;andtheseshallbeall。

  PRINCEDELIGNE,AFTERTENYEARS,SEESFRIEDRICHASECONDTIME;

  TIME;ANDREPORTSWHATWASSAID。

  InSummer,1780,aswementioned,KaiserJosephwasonhisfirstVisittotheCzarina。TheymetatMohilowontheDnieper,towardstheendofMay;havebeenrovingabout,asifinmeregalasandamusements(thoughwithagreatdealofbusinessincidentallythrownin),foraboveamonthsince,whenPrincedeLigneissummonedtojointhematPetersburg。HegoesbyBerlin,staysatPotsdamwithFriedrichforaboutaweek;andreportstoPolishMajestythesenewDialoguesof1780,theyearaftersendinghimthoseofMahrisch—Neustadtof1770,whichwereadabove。Thosewerewrittendownfrommemory,in1785;thesein1786,——and\"towardstheendofit,\"asisinternallyevident。Letthesealsobewelcometousonsuchtermsasthereare。

  \"SinceyourMajesty[Quasi—Majesty,ofPoland]iswillingtoloseanotherquarterofanhourofthattime,whichyouemploysowellingainingtheloveofalltowhomyoudeigntomakeyourselfknown,hereismySecondInterview。Itcanbeofinterestonlytoyou,Sire,whohaveknowntheKing,andwhodiscovertraitsofcharacterinwhattoanotherarebutsimplewords。Onefindsinfewothersthatconfidence,oratleastthatkindliness(BONHOMIE),whichcharacterizesyourMajesty。Withyou,onecanindulgeinrest;butwiththeKingofPrussia,onehadalwaystobeunderarms,preparedtoparryandtothrust,andtokeeptheduemiddlebetweenasmallattackandagranddefence。Iproceedtothematterinhand,andshallspeaktoyouofhimforthelasttime。

  \"HehadmademepromisetocometoBerlin。IhastenedthitherdirectlyafterthatlittleWar[Potato—War],whichhecalled’anactionwherehehadcomeasbailifftoperformanexecution。’

  Theresultforhim,asisknown,wasagreatexpenseofmen,ofhorsesandmoney;someappearanceofgoodfaithanddisinterestedness;littlehonorintheWar;alittlehonestyinPolicy,andmuchbitternessagainstusAustrians。TheKingbegan,withoutknowingwhy,toprohibitAustrianOfficersfromenteringhisTerritorieswithoutanexpressorder,signedbyhisownhand。

  Similarprohibition,onthepartofourCourt,againstPrussianOfficersandmutualconstraint,withoutprofitorreason。I,formyownpart,amofconfidenthumor;IthoughtIshouldneednopermission,andIthinkstillIcouldhavedonewithoutone。

  ButthedesireofhavingaLetterfromthegreatFriedrich,ratherthanthefearofbeingill—received,mademewritetohim。

  MyLetterwasallonfirewithmyenthusiasm,myadmiration,andthefervorofmysentimentforthatsublimeandextraordinarybeing;anditbroughtmethreecharmingAnswersfromhim。Hegaveme,indetail,almostwhatIhadgivenhiminthegross;andwhathecouldnotreturnmeinadmiration,——forIdonotremembertohavegainedabattle,——heaccordedmeinfriendship。Forfearofmissing,hehadwrittentomefromPotsdam,toVienna,toDresden,andtoBerlin。[Infine,atPotsdamIwas,SATURDAY,9thJULY,1780,waitingready;——stayedthereaboutaweek。][\"9th(or10th)

  July,1780\"(Rodenbeck,iii。233):\"Stayedtill16th。\"]

  \"Whilewaitingforthehourof12,withmySonCharlesandM。deLille[AbbedeLille,prose—writerofsomethingnowforgotten;

  bynomeanslyricalDELISLE,ofLESJARDINS],tobepresentedtotheKing,IwenttolookattheParade;——and,onitsbreakingup,wassurrounded,andescortedtothePalace,byAustriandeserters,andparticularlyfrommyownregiment,whoalmostcaressedme,andaskedmypardonforhavingleftme。

  \"Thehourofpresentationstruck。TheKingreceivedmewithanunspeakablecharm。ThemilitarycoldnessofaGeneral’sHead—

  quarterschangedintoasoftandkindlywelcome。Hesaidtome,’HedidnotthinkIhadsobigaSon。’

  EGO。\"’Heisevenmarried,Sire;hasbeensothesetwelvemonths。’

  KING。\"’MayI(OSERAIS—JE)askyoutowhom?’Heoftenusedthisexpression,’OSERAIS—JE;’andalsothis:’Ifyoupermitmetohavethehonortotellyou,SIVOUSMEPERMETTESD’AVOIRL’HONNEURDE

  VOUSDIRE。’

  EGO。\"’ToaPolish—Lady,aMassalska。’

  KING(tomySon)。\"’What,aMassalska?DoyouknowwhatherGrandmotherdid?’

  \"’No,Sire,’saidCharles。

  KING。\"’SheputthematchtothecannonattheSiegeofDantzigwithherownhand;[February,1734,inpoorStanislausLeczinski’sSECONDfitofRoyalty:supravi。465。]shefired,andmadeothersfire,anddefendedherself,whenherparty,whohadlosthead,thoughtonlyofsurrendering。’

  EGO。\"’Womenareindeedundefinable;strongandweakbyturns,indiscreet,dissembling,theyarecapableofanything。’’Withoutdoubt,’saidM。deLille,distressedthatnothinghadyetbeensaidtohim,andwithafamiliaritywhichwasnotlikelytosucceed;

  ’Withoutdoubt。Look——’saidhe。TheKinginterruptedhim。Icitedsometraitsinsupportofmyopinion,——asthatofthewomanHachetteattheSiegeofBeauvais。[A。D。1472;Burgundiansstormingthewallhadtheirflagplanted;flagandflag—bearerarehurledintotheditchbyHachetteandotherinspiredwomen,——withthefinestresults。]TheKingmadealittleexcursiontoRomeandtoSparta:helikedtopromenadethere。Afterhalfasecondofsilence,topleaseDeLille,ItoldtheKingthatM。deVoltairediedinDeLille’sarms。ThatcausedtheKingtoaddresssomequestionstohim;heansweredinrathertoolong—drawnamanner,andwentaway。CharlesandIstayeddinner。\"ThisisdayfirstinPotsdam。

  \"Here,forfivehoursdaily,theKing’sencyclopedicalconversationenchantedmecompletely。Finearts,war,medicine,literatureandreligion,philosophy,ethics,historyandlegislation,inturnspassedinreview。ThefinecenturiesofAugustusandofLouisXIV。;

  goodsocietyamongtheRomans,amongtheGreeks,amongtheFrench;

  thechivalryofFrancoisI。;thefranknessandvalorofHenriIV。;

  thenew—birth(RENAISSANCE)ofLettersandtheirrevolutionsinceLeoX。;anecdotesabouttheclevermenofothertimes,andthetroubletheygive;M。deVoltaire’sslips;susceptibilitiesofM。deMaupertuis;Algarotti’sagreeableways;finewitofJordan;

  D’Argens’shypochondria,whomtheKingwouldsendtobedforfour—

  and—twentyhoursbysimplytellinghimthathelookedill;——and,infine,whatnot?Everything,themostvariedandpiquantthatcouldbesaid,camefromhim,——inamostsofttoneofvoice;ratherlowthanotherwise,andnolessagreeablethanwerethemovementsofhislips,whichhadaninexpressiblegrace。

  \"Itwasthis,Ibelieve,whichpreventedone’sobservingthathewas,infact,likeHomer’sheroes,somewhatofatalker(UNPEU

  BABILLARD),thoughasublimeone。Itistotheirvoices,theirnoiseandgestures,thattalkersoftenowetheirreputationassuch;forcertainlyonecouldnotfindagreatertalkerthantheKing;butonewasdelightedathisbeingso。AccustomedtotalktoMarquisLucchesini,inthepresenceofonlyfourorfiveGeneralswhodidnotunderstandFrench,hecompensatedinthiswayforhishoursoflabor,ofstudy,ofmeditationandsolitude。Atleast,saidItomyself,Imustgetinaword。HehadjustmentionedVirgil。Isaid:——

  EGO。\"’WhatagreatPoet,Sire;butwhatabadgardener!’

  KING。\"’Ah,towhomdoyoutellthat!HavenotItriedtoplant,sow,till,dig,withtheGEORGICSinmyhand?\"But,Monsieur,\"saidmyman,\"youareafool(BETE),andyourBooknoless;itisnotinthatwayonegoestowork。\"Ah,MONDIEU,whataclimate!Wouldyoubelieveit,Heaven,ortheSun,refusemeeverything?Lookatmypoororange—trees,myolive—trees,lemon—trees:theyareallstarving。’

  EGO。\"’Itwouldappear,then,nothingbutlaurelsflourishwithyou,Sire。’(TheKinggavemeacharminglook;andtocoveraninaneobservationbyanabsurdone,Iaddedquickly:)’Besides,Sire,therearetoomanyGRENADIERS[means,inFrench,POMEGRANATES

  aswellasGRENADIERS,——pegofone’slittlejoke!]inthisCountry;

  theyeatupeverything!’TheKingburstoutlaughing;foritisonlyabsurditiesthatcauselaughter。

  \"OnedayIhadturnedaplatetoseeofwhat,porcelainitwas。’Wheredoyouthinkitcomesfrom?’askedtheKing。

  EGO。\"’IthoughtitwasSaxon;but,insteadoftwoswords[theSaxonmark],Iseeonlyone,whichiswellworthbothofthem。’

  KING。\"’Itisasceptre。’

  EGO。\"’IbegyourMajesty’spardon;butitissomuchlikeasword,thatonecouldeasilymistakeitforone。’Andsuchwasreallythecase。This,it,isknown,isthemarkoftheBerlinchina。AstheKingsometimesPLAYEDKING,andthoughthimself,sometimes,extremelymagnificentwhiletakingupawalking—stickorsnuffboxwithafewwretchedlittlediamondsrunningafteroneanotheronit,Idon’tquiteknowwhetherhewasinfinitelypleasedwithmylittleallegory。

  \"Oneday,asIenteredhisroom,hecametowardsme,saying,’I

  trembletoannouncebadnewstoyou。IhavejustheardthatPrinceKarlofLorraineisdying。’[Isalreadydead,\"atBrussels,July4th;\"DukeofSachsen—TeschenandWifeChristinesucceededhimasJoint—Governorsinthoseparts。]Helookedatmetoseetheeffectthiswouldhave;andobservingsometearsescapingfrommyeyes,he,bygentlesttransitions,changedtheconversation;talkedofwar,andoftheMarechaldeLacy。HeaskedmenewsaboutLacy;andsaid,’Thatisamanofthegreatestmerit。Informertime,CountMercyamongyourselves[killed,whilecommandinginchief,attheBattleofParmain1733],PuyseguramongtheFrench,hadsomenotionsofmarchesandencampments;oneseesfromHyginus’sBook[ancientBook]ONCASTRAMETATION,thattheGreeksalsoweremuchoccupiedwiththesubject:butyourMarechalsurpassestheAncients,theModernsandallthemostfamousmenwhohavemeddledwithit。Thus,wheneverhewasyourQuartermaster—General,ifyouwillpermitmetomaketheremarktoyou,Ididnotgaintheleastadvantage。RecollectthetwoCampaignsof1758and1759;

  yousucceededineverything。Ioftensaidtomyself,’ShallInevergetridofthatman,then?’Youyourselvesgotmeridofhim;

  and——[someliberalorevenprofuseeulogyofLacy,whoisDeLigne’sfriend;whichwecanomit]。

  \"NextdaytheKing,assoonashesawme,cameup;sayingwiththemostpenetratedair:’Ifyouaretolearnthelossofamanwholovedyou,andwhodidhonortomankind,itwillbebetterthatitbefromsomeonewhofeelsitasdeeplyasIdo。PoorPrinceKarlisnomore。Others,perhaps,aremadetoreplacehiminyourheart;

  butfewPrinceswillreplacehimwithregardtothebeautyofhissoulandtoallhisvirtues。’Insayingthis,hisemotionbecameextreme。Isaid:’YourMajesty’sregretsareaconsolation;andyoudidnotwaitforhisdeathtospeakwellofhim。TherearefineverseswithreferencetohiminthePoem,SURL’ARTDELAGUERRE。’

  Myemotiontroubledmeagainstmywill;however,Irepeatedthemtohim。

  [\"Soutiendemesrivaux,digneappuidetareine,Charles,d’unennemisourdauxcrisdelahaineRecoisl’eloge\"……(forcrossingtheRhinein1744):tenrathernoblelines,stillworthreading;asindeedthewholePoemwellis,especiallytosoldierstudents(L’ARTDELA

  GUERRE,Chantvi。:OEuvresdeFrederic,

  x。273)。]TheManofLettersseemedtoappreciatemyknowingthembyheart。

  KING。\"’HispassageoftheRhinewasaveryfinething;——butthepoorPrincedependeduponsomanypeople!Ineverdependeduponanybodybutmyself;sometimestoomuchsoformyluck。Hewasbadlyserved,nottoowellobeyed:neithertheonenortheothereverwasthecasewithme。——YourGeneralNadastiappearedtomeagreatGeneralofCavalry?’NotsharingtheKing’sopiniononthispoint,Icontentedmyselfwithsaying,thatNadastiwasverybrilliant,veryfineatmusketry,andthathecouldhaveledhishussarstotheworld’sendandfarther(DANSL’ENFER),sowelldidheknowhowtoanimatethem。

  KING。\"’WhathasbecomeofabraveColonelwhoplayedthedevilatRossbach?Ah,itwastheMarquisdeVoghera,Ithink?——Yes,that’sit;forIaskedhisnameaftertheBattle。’

  EGO。\"’HeisGeneralofCavalry。’

  KING。\"’PERDI!Itneededaconsiderablestomachforfight,tochargelikeyourTwoRegimentsofCuirassiersthere,and,I

  believe,yourHussarsalso:fortheBattlewaslostbeforeitbegan。’

  EGO。\"’AproposofM。deVoghera,isyourMajestyawareofalittlethinghedidbeforecharging?Heisaboiling,restless,ever—eagerkindofman;andhassomethingofthegoodoldChivalrystyle。

  SeeingthathisRegimentwouldnotarrivequickenough,hegallopedaheadofit;andcominguptotheCommanderofthePrussianRegimentofCavalrywhichhemeanttoattack,hesalutedhimasonparade;theotherreturnedthesalute;andthen,Haveateachotherlikemadmen。’

  KING。\"’Averygoodstyleitis!Ishouldliketoknowthatman;

  Iwouldthankhimforit。——YourGeneralvonRied,then,hadgotthedevilinhim,thattimeatEilenburg[spurtoffightthere,intheMeissenregions,IthinkinYear1758,whentheD’AhrembergDragoonsgotsocutup],toletthosebraveDragoons,whosolongboreyourNamewithglory,advancebetweenThreeofmyColumns?’——

  HehadaskedmethesamequestionattheCampofNeustadttenyearssince;andinvainhadItoldhimthatitwasnotM。deRied;thatRieddidnotcommandthematall;andthatthefaultwasMarechalDaun’s,whooughtnottohavesentthemintothatWoodofEilenburg,stilllessorderedthemtohalttherewithoutevensendingapatrolforward。TheKingcouldnotbearourGeneralvonRied,whohadmuchdispleasedhimasMinisteratBerlin;anditwashiswaytoputdowneverythingtotheaccountofpeoplehedisliked。

  KING。\"’WhenIthinkofthosedevilsofSaxonCamps[Summer,1760],——theywereunattackablecitadels!If,atTorgau,M。deLacyhadstillbeenQuartermaster—General,Ishouldnothaveattemptedtoattackhim。ButthereIsawatoncetheCampwasillchosen。’

  EGO。\"’ThesuperiorreputationofCampssometimescausesadesiretoattemptthem。Forinstance,IaskyourMajesty’spardon,butI

  havealwaysthoughtyouwouldatlasthaveattemptedthatofPlauen,hadtheWarcontinued。’

  KING。\"’Oh,no,indeed!Therewasnowayoftakingthatone。’

  EGO。\"’Doesn’tyourMajestythink:WithagoodbatteryontheheightsofDolschen,whichcommandedus;withsomebattalions,rankedbehindeachotherintheRavine,attackingaquarterofanhourbeforedaybreak[andsoforth,atsomelength,——excellentforsoldierreaderswhoknowthePlauenChasm],youcouldhaveflungusoutofthatalmostimpregnablePlaceofRefuge?’

  KING。\"’AndyourbatteryontheWindberg,whichwouldhavescourgedmypoorbattalions,allthewhile,inyourRavine?’

  EGO。\"’But,Sire,thenight?’

  KING。\"’Oh,youcouldnotmissusevenbygrope。ThatbighollowthatgoesfromBurg,andevenfromPotschappel,——itwouldhavepouredlikeawater—spout[orfire—spout]overus。Yousee,Iamnotsobraveasyouthink。’

  \"TheKaiserhadsetoutforhisInterview[FirstInterview,andindeeditisnowmorethanhalfdone,agoodsixweeksofitgone]

  withtheCzarinaofRussia。ThatInterviewtheKingdidnotlike[nowonder]:——and,toundothegoodithaddoneus,hedirectly,andveryunskilfully,sentthePrinceRoyaltoPetersburg[whohadnottheleastsuccessthere,loutishfellow,andwasopenlysnubbedbyaCzarinagoneintonewcourses]。HisMajestyalreadydoubtedthattheCourtofRussiawasabouttoescapehim:——andIwasdyingoffearlest,inthemiddleofallhiskindnesses,heshouldrememberthatIwasanAustrian。’What,’saidItomyself,’notasingleepigramonus,oronourMaster?Whatachange!’

  \"Oneday,atdinner,babblingPintosaidtothepersonsittingnexthim,’ThisKaiserisagreattraveller;thereneverwasonewhowentsofar。’’Iaskyourpardon,Monsieur,’saidtheKing;

  ’CharlesFifthwenttoAfrica;hegainedtheBattleofOran。’

  And,turningtowardsme,——whocouldn’tguesswhetheritwasbanteroronlyhistory,——’Thistime,’saidhe,’theKaiserismorefortunatethanCharlesTwelfth;likeCharles,heenteredRussiabyMohilow;butitappearstomehewillarriveatMoscow。’

  \"ThesamePinto,oneday,understandingtheKingwasatalosswhomtosendasForeignMinistersome—whither,saidtohim:’WhydoesnotyourMajestythinkofsendingLucchesini,whoisamanofmuchbrilliancy(HOMMED’ESPRIT)?’’Itisforthatveryreason,’

  answeredtheKing,’thatIwanttokeephim。Ihadrathersendyouthanhim,oradullfellowlikeMonsieur——’Iforgetwhom,butbelieveitisonewhomhedidappointMinistersomewhere。

  \"M。deLucchesini,bythecharmofhisconversation,broughtoutthatoftheKing’s。HeknewwhattopicswereagreeabletotheKing;

  andthen,heknewhowtolisten;whichisnotsoeasyasonethinks,andwhichnostupidmanwasevercapableof。HewasasagreeabletoeverybodyastohisMajesty,byhisseductivemannersandbythegracesofhismind。Pinto,whohadnothingtorisk,permittedhimselfeverything。Sayshe:’AsktheAustrianGeneral,Sire,allhesawmedowhenintheserviceoftheKaiser。’

  EGO。\"’Afire—workatmyWedding,wasn’tthatit,mydearPinto?’

  KING(interrupting)。\"’Domethehonortosaywhetheritwassuccessful?’

  EGO。\"’No,Sire;itevenalarmedallmyrelations,whothoughtitabadomen。MonsieurtheMajorherehadstruckouttheideaofjoiningTwoflamingHearts,averynovelimageofamarriedcouple。

  Butthegroovetheyweretoslideon,andmeet,gaveway:myWife’sheartwent,andmineremained。’

  KING。\"’Yousee,Pinto,youwerenotgoodformuchtothosepeople,anymorethantome。’

  EGO。\"’Oh,Sire,yourMajesty,sincethen,oweshimsomecompensationforthesabre—cutshehadonhishead。’

  KING。\"’Hegetsbuttoomuchcompensation。Pinto,didn’tIsendyouyesterdaysomeofmygoodPreussenhoney?’

  PINTO。\"’Oh,surely;——itwastomakethethingknown。IfyourMajestycouldbringthatintovogue,andsellitall,youwouldbethegreatestKingintheworld。ForyourKingdomproducesonlythat;butofthatthereisplenty。’

  \"’Doyouknow,’saidtheKing,oneday,tome,——’DoyouknowthatthefirstsoldieringIdidwasfortheHouseofAustria?MONDIEU,howthetimepasses!’——Hehadawayofslowlybringinghishandstogether,inejaculatingtheseMON—DIEUS,whichgavehimquiteagood—naturedandextremelymildair。——(DoyouknowthatIsawtheglitteringofthelastraysofPrinceEugen’sgenius?’

  EGO。\"’PerhapsitwasattheseraysthatyourMajesty’sgeniuslititself。’

  KING。\"’EH,MONDIEU!whocouldequalthePrinceEugen?’

  EGO。\"’Hewhoexcelshim;——forinstance,hewhocouldwinTwelveBattles!’——Heputonhismodestair。Ihavealwayssaid,itiseasytobemodest,ifyouareinfunds。Heseemedasthoughhehadnotunderstoodme,andsaid:——

  KING。\"’Whenthecabalwhich,duringfortyyears,thePrincehadalwayshadtostrugglewithinhisArmy,wereplottingmischiefonhim,theyusedtotakeadvantageoftheeveningtime,whenhisspirits,briskenoughinthemorning,werejadedbythefatiguesoftheday。ItwasthustheypersuadedhimtoundertakehisbadMarchonMainz’[Marchnotknowntome]。

  EGO。\"’Regardingyourself,Sire,andtheRhineCampaign,youteachmenothing。IknoweverythingyourMajestydid,andevenwhatyousaid。IcouldrelatetoyouyourJourneystoStrasburg,toHolland,andwhatpassedinacertainBoat。AproposofthisRhineCampaign,oneofouroldGenerals,whomIoftensettalking,asonereadsanoldManuscript,hastoldmehowastonishedhewastoseeayoungPrussianOfficer,whomhedidnotknow,answeringaGeneralofthelateKing,whohadgivenouttheorder,Nottogoa—foraging:

  \"AndI,Sir,Iorderyoutogo;ourArmyneedsit;inshort,Iwillhaveitso(JELEVEUX)!——\"’

  KING。\"’Youlookatmetoomuchfromthefavorableside!AsktheseGentlemenaboutmyhumorsandmycaprices;theywilltellyoufinethingsofme。’

  \"WegottalkingofsomeAnecdoteswhichareconsignedto,orconcealedin,certainobscureBooks。’Ihavebeenmuchamused,saidItotheKing,(withthebigcargoofBooks,trueorfalse,writtenbyFrenchRefugees,whichperhapsareunknowninFranceitself。’

  [Discoursesalittleonthissubject。]

  KING。\"’WheredidyoupickupallthesefineoldPieces?

  Thesewouldamusemeonanevening;betterthantheconversationofmyDoctoroftheSorbonne[onePeyrau,awanderingcreature,nototherwiseoftheleastinteresttous],[Nicolai,

  Anekdoten,ii。133n。]whomIhavehere,andwhomIamtryingtoconvert。’

  EGO。\"’IfoundthemallinaBohemianLibrary,whereIsatdivertingmyselffortwoWinters。’

  KING。\"’How,then?TwoWintersinBohemia?Whatthedevilwereyoudoingthere!Isitlongsince?’

  EGO。\"’No,Sire;onlyayearortwo[Potato—Wartime]!Ihadretiredthithertoreadatmyease。’——Hesmiled,andseemedtoappreciatemynotmentioningthelittleWarof1778,andsavinghimanyspeechaboutit。HesawwellenoughthatmyWinter—quartershadbeeninBohemiaonthatoccasion;andwassatisfiedwithmyreticence。Beinganoldsorcerer,whoguessedeverything,andwhosetactwasthefinesteverknown,hediscoveredthatIdidnotwishtotellhimIfoundBerlinchangedsinceIhadlastbeenthere。

  ItookcarenottoremindhimthatIwasatthecapturingofitin1760,underM。deLacy’sorders[M。deLacy’sindeed!]。——ItwasforhavingspokenofthefirstcaptureofBerlin,byMarshalHaddick[highlytemporaryasitwas,andfollowedbyRossbach],thattheKinghadtakenadisliketoM。deRied。

  \"AproposoftheDoctoroftheSorbonne[uninterestingPeyrau]withwhomhedailydisputed,theKingsaidtomeonce,’GetmeaBishopricforhim。’’Idon’tthink,’answeredI,(thatmyrecommendation,orthatofyourMajesty,couldbeusefultohimwithus。’’Ah,trulyno!’saidtheKing:’Well,IwillwritetotheCzarinaofRussiaforthispoordevil;hedoesbegintoboreme。

  HeholdsoutasJansenist,forsooth。MONDIEU,whatblockheadsthepresentJansenistsare!ButFranceshouldnothaveextinguishedthatnursery(FOYER)oftheirgenius,thatPortRoyal,extravagantasitwas。Indeed,oneoughttodestroynothing!Whyhavetheydestroyed,too,theDepositariesofthegracesofRomeandofAthens,thoseexcellentProfessorsoftheHumanities,andperhapsofHumanity,theEx—JesuitFathers?Educationwillbetheloserbyit。ButasmyBrotherstheKings,mostCatholic,mostChristian,mostFaithfulandApostolic,havetumbledthemout,I,mostHeretical,pickupasmanyasIcan;andperhaps,oneday,Ishallbecourtedforthesakeofthembythosewhowantsome。Ipreservethebreed:Isaid,countingmystocktheotherday,\"ARectorlikeyou,myFather,Icouldeasilysellfor300thalers;you,ReverendFatherProvincial,for600;andsotherest,inproportion。\"Whenoneisnotrich,onemakesspeculations。’

  \"Fromwantofmemory,andofopportunitiestoseeoftenerandlongertheGreatestManthateverexisted[Oh,MONPRINCE!],Iamobligedtostop。Thereisnotawordinallthisbutwashisown;

  andthosewhohaveseenhimwillrecognizehismanner。AllIwantis,tomakehimknowntothosewhohavenothadthehappinesstoseehim。HiseyesaretoohardinthePortraits:byworkintheCabinet,andthehardshipsofWar,theyhadbecomeintense,andofpiercingquality;buttheysoftenedfinelyinhearing,ortelling,sometraitofnoblenessorsensibility。Tillhisdeath,andbutquiteshortlybeforeit,——notwithstandingmanylevitieswhichheknewIhadallowedmyself,bothinspeakingandwriting,andwhichhesurelyattributedonlytomydutyasopposedtomyinterest,——hedeignedtohonormewithmarksofhisremembrance;andhasoftencommissionedhisMinisters,atParisandatVienna,toassuremeofhisgood—will。

  \"InolongerbelieveinearthquakesandeclipsesatCaesar’sdeath,sincetherehasbeennothingofsuchatthatofFriedrichtheGreat。Iknownot,Sire,whethergreatphenomenaofNaturewillannouncethedaywhenyoushallceasetoreign[greatphenomenamustbeveryidleiftheydo,yourHighness!]——butitisaphenomenonintheworld,thatofaKingwhorulesaRepublicbymakinghimselfobeyedandrespectedforhisownsake,asmuchasbyhisrights\"(Hear,hear)。[PrincedeLigne,MemoiresetMelanges,i。22—40。]

  PrincedeLignethereuponhurriesoffforPetersburg,andthefinalSectionofhisKaiser’sVisit。Anerrandofhisown,too,thePrincehad,——abouthisnewDaughter—in—lawMassalska,andclaimsofextensivePolishPropertiesbelongingtoher。HewasthecharmofPetersburgandtheCzarina;butoftheMassalskaPropertiescouldretrievenothingwhatever。ThemunificentCzarinagavehim\"abeautifulTerritoryintheCrim,\"instead;andinvitedhimtocomeandseeitwithher,onhisKaiser’snextVisit(1787,theaquaticVisitandthehighlyscenic)。WhichitiswellknownthePrincedid;andhasputonrecord,inhispleasant,notuntrue,thoughvague,high—coloredandfantasticway,——ifitorheatallconcernedusfarther。

  HOWGENERALVONDERMARWITZ,INEARLYBOYHOOD,SAW

  FRIEDRICHTHEGREATTHREETIMES(1782—1785)。

  GeneralvonderMarwitz,whodiednotmanyyearsago,isoftheoldMarwitzkindred,severalofwhomwehaveknownfortheirruggedhonesties,genialitiesandpeculiarways。ThisGeneral,itappears,hadleftakindofAutobiography;whichfriendsofhisthoughtmightbeusefultothePrussianPublic,afterthoseRadicaldistractionswhichburstoutin1848andonwards;andafirstVolumeoftheMARWITZPOSTHUMOUSPAPERSwasprintedaccordingly,[NACHLASSDESGENERALVONDERMARWITZ(Berlin,1852),1vol。8vo。]

  ——whetheranymoreIhavenotheard;thoughIfoundthisfirstVolumeanexcellentsubstantialbitofreading;andtheAuthorafineoldPrussianGentleman,veryanalogousinhisstructuretothefineoldEnglishditto;whoshowedmethePER—CONTRAsideofthisandtheothermuch—celebratedmodernPrussianpersonandthing,PrinceHardenberg,JohannesvonMullerandthelike;——andyieldedmoreespeciallythefollowingThreeReminiscencesofFriedrich,beautifullittlePictures,bathedinmorninglight,andevidentlytruetothelife:——

  1。JUNE,1782OR1783。\"ThefirsttimeIsawhimwasin1782(oritmightbe1783,inmysixthyear),\"middleofJune,whicheveryear,\"ashewasreturningfromhisAnnualReviewinPreussen[WEST—

  Preussen,neverrevisitstheKonigsbergregion],andstoppedtochangehorsesatDolgelin。\"DolgelinisinMullroseCountry,westwardofFrankfurt—on—Oder;ourMarwitzSchlossnotfarfromit。

  \"IhadbeensentwithMamsellBenezet,\"myFrenchGoverness;

  \"and,alongwiththeClergymanofDolgelin,wewaitedfortheKing。

  \"TheKing,onhisjourneys,generallypreferred,whetheratmiddayorforthenight,tohaltinsomeCountryplace,andattheParsonagesmostofall;probablybecausehewasquietertherethanintheTowns。TotheClergymanthiswasalwaysapieceofluck;

  notonlybecause,ifhepleasedtheKing,hemightchancetogetpromoted;butbecausehewassureofprofitablepayment,atanyrate;theKingalwaysordering50thalers[say10guineas]forhisnoonhalt,andforhisnight’slodging100。ThelittlethattheKingatewaspaidforoverandabove。Itistrue,hisSuiteexpectedtobewelltreated;butthisconsistedonlyofoneortwoindividuals。Now,theKinghadbeenwontalmostalways,onthesejourneyshomewards,topassthelastnightofhisexpeditionwiththeClergymanofDolgelin;andhaddonesolastyear,withthispresentonewhowasthenjustinstalled;withhim,aswithhispredecessor,theKinghadtalkedkindly,andthe100thalersweredulyremembered。OurgoodParsonflatteredhimself,therefore,thatthistimetoothesamewouldhappen;andhehadmadeallpreparationsaccordingly。

  \"Sowewaitedthere,andacrowdofpeoplewithus。Theteamofhorsesstoodallready(peasants’horses,poorlittlecatsofthings,butthebestthatcouldbepicked,fortherewerethennopost—horsesTHATCOULDRUNFAST);——thecountry—fellowsthatweretoridepostilionalldecked,andtenheadofhorsesfortheKing’scoach:wheelers,four,whichthecoachmandrovefromhisbox;

  thentwosuccessivepairsbefore,oneachpairapostilion—peasant;

  anduponthethirdpair,foremostofall,theKing’soutridersweretogo。

  \"Andnow,atlast,cametheFELDJAGER[Chacer,Hunting—groom],withhisbigwhip,onapeasant’s,horse,apeasantwithhimasattendant。Allblazingwithheat,hedismounted;said,TheKingwouldbehereinfiveminutes;lookedattherelays,andthefellowswiththewater—buckets,whoweretosplashthewheels;

  gulpeddownaquartofbeer;andso,hissaddleintheinterimhavingbeenfixedonanotherhorse,sprangupagain,andoffatagallop。TheKing,then,wasNOTtostayinDolgelin!SooncamethePage,mountedinlikestyle;ayouthof17or18;

  utterlyexhausted;hadtobelifteddownfromhishorse,andagainhelpeduponthefreshone,beingscarcelyabletostand;——andcloseontherearofhimarrivedtheKing。Hewassittingaloneinanold—fashionedglass—coach,whattheycallaVIS—A—VIS(anarrowcarriage,twoseatsforeandaft,andoneachofthemroomforonlyoneperson)。Thecoachwasverylong,likealltheoldcarriagesofthattime;betweenthedriver’sboxandthebodyofthecoachwasaspaceofatleastfourfeet;thebodyitselfwasofpear—shape,peakedbelowandbelliedoutabove;hungonstraps,withrolledknuckles[WINDEN],didnotrestonsprings;twobeams,connectingforewheelsandhind,rannotUNDERthebodyofthecoach,butalongthesidesofit,thehind—wheelsfollowingwithagoodlyinterval。

  \"Thecarriagedrewup;andtheKingsaidtohiscoachman[thefar—

  famedPfund]:’IsthisDolgelin?’’Yes,yourMajesty!’——’Istayhere。’’No,’saidPfund;’Thesunisnotdownyet。WecangetonverywelltoMunchebergto—night[tenmilesahead,andaTowntoo,perfidiousPfund!]——andthento—morrowwearemuchearlierinPotsdam。’’NA,HM,——well,ifitmustbeso!’——

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