\"FRIEDRICHWILHELM。\"
[Preuss,i。27;fromCramer,pp。33,34。]
DOUBLE—MARRIAGEPROJECTRE—EMERGESINANOFFICIALSHAPE。
ThesearenotfavorableoutlooksfortheDouble—Marriage。
Neverthelessitcomesandgoes;andwithinthreeweekslater,wearetouchedalmostwithakindofpitytoseeitdefinitelyemerginginakindofOfficialstateoncemore。Forthequestionissymbolicalofimportantpoliticalquestions。Thequestionmeanswithal,WhatistobedoneinthesedreadfulCongress—of—Soissonscomplexities,andmadreelingsoftheTerrestrialBalance?
ShallweholdbyadubiousandratherlosingKaiserofthiskind,inspiteofhisdubieties,hishighlyinexplicit,procedures(forwhichhemayhavereasons)aboutthePromiseofJulichandBerg?
OrshallwenotclutchatEngland,afterall,——andperhapsbringhimtoterms?TheSmokingParliamenthadnoHansard;but,weguessitsDebates(mostlydoneindumb—show)werecloudy,abstruseandabundant,atthistime!ThePrussianMinisters,iftheyhadanypower,takedifferentsides;oldIlgen,theoldestandablestofthem,isstrongforEngland。
Enough,inthebeginningofOctober,QueenSophie,\"byexpressdesireofhisMajesty,\"whowillhaveexplicit,YesorNoonthatmatter,writestoEngland,aLetter\"PRIVATEANDOFFICIAL,\"ofsuchpurport,——Letter(nowinvisible)whichDubourgayisproudtotransmit。[Despatch,5thOctober,1728,inState—PaperOffice。]
Dubourgayisproud;andoldIlgen,herMajestyinformedmeonthemorrow,\"weptforjoy,\"sozealouswasheonthatside。Pooroldgentleman,——respectablerustyoldIronSafewithsevenlocks,whichnobodywouldnowcaretopick,——hediedfewweeksafter,athispostaswasproper;andsawnoDouble—Marriage,afterall。
ButDubourgayshakesouthisfeathers;theDouble—Marriagebeingagainevidentlyalive。
ForEnglandanswers,cordiallyenough,ifnot,withallthehurryFriedrichWilhelmwanted,\"Yea,wearewillingforthething;\"——
andmeets,withgreatequanimityandliberality,thenewwhims,difficultiesandmisgivings,whicharoseonFriedrichWilhelm’spart,atawearisomerate,asthenegotiationwenton;andwhicharealwaysfranklysmoothedawayagainbythecoolerparty。
Whydidnotthebargainclose,then?Alas,onefinds,theanswerYEAhadunfortunatelysethisPrussianMajestyonviewing,throughmagnifiers,whatadvantagestheremighthavebeeninNO:thisisadifficultythereisnoclearingaway!Probably,too,theTobacco—Parliamentwasindustrious。FriedrichWilhelm,atlast,triesifHalfwillnotdo;anxious,aswealltoomuchare,\"tosayYesANDNo;\"beingingreatstraits,poorman:——\"YourPrinceofWalestowedWilhelminaatonce;theotherMatchtostandover?\"TowhichtheEnglishGovernmentanswersalwaysbriefly,\"No;boththeMarriagesornone!\"——WillthereaderconsenttoafewcompressedglancesintotheextinctDubourgayCorrespondence;
muchcompressed,andhereandtherearushlightstuckinit,forhisbehoof。Dubourgay,atBerlin,writes;myLordTownshend,inSt。James’sreads,usuallyratherlanguidinanswering:——
BERLIN,9thNOVEMBER,1728。\"PrussianMajestymuchpleasedwithEnglishAnswers\"totheYes—or—Noquestion:\"willsendaMinistertoourCourtaboutthetimehisBritannicMajestymaythinkofcomingovertohisGermanDominions。WouldFinkenstein(HeadTutor),orwouldKnyphausen(distinguishedOfficialhere),betheagreeableman?\"\"Either,\"answertheEnglish;\"eitherisgood。\"
BERLIN,SAMEDATE。\"Queensentformejustnow;ishighlycontentwiththestateofthings。’Ihavenow,’saidherMajesty,’thepleasuretotellyouthatIamfree,Godbeblessed,ofalltheanguishIhavelaboredunderforsometimepast,whichwassogreatthatIhaveseveraltimesbeenonthepointofsendingforyoutoprocuremyBrother’sprotectionformySon,who,Ithought,ranthegreatestdangerfromtheartificesofSeckendorfand’\"——
PoorQueen!
NOV,16th。\"Queentoldme:WhentheCourtwasatWusterhausen,\"
twomonthsago,huntingpartridgesandwildswine,[Fassmann,p。386。]\"SeckendorfandGrumkowintriguedforamatchbetweenWilhelminaandthePrinceofWeissenfels,\"elderlyRoyalHighnessintheAbstract,whomwesawalready,\"therebytopreventacloserunionbetweenthePrussianandEnglishCourts,——andGrumkowhavingwithaltheprivateviewofoustinghisantagonistthePrinceofAnhalt[OldDessauer,whomhehadtomeetinduel,butdidnotfight],asWeissenfels,onceSon—in—law,wouldcertainlybemadeCommander—in—Chief,\"[Dubourgay,inState—PaperOffice(PrussianDespatches,vol。XXXV。)]totheextrusionofAnhaltfromthatoffice。WhichnotablepieceofpolicyherMajesty,byalittleplainspeech,tookheropportunityofputtinganendto,aswesaw。Fortherest,\"theDutchMinisterandalsotheFrenchSecretarieshere,\"greatlyinterestedaboutthepeaceofEurope,andtheCongressofSoissonsintheseweeks,\"havehadacommunicationfromthisCourt,ofthefavorabledispositionoursisinwithrespecttotheDoubleMatch,\"——beneficentfortheTerrestrialBalance,astheyandIhope。Sothatthingslookwell?Alas,——
DECEMBER25th。\"Queensentformeyesterday:HopesshedoesnowrongincomplainingofherHusbandtoherBrother。KingshowsscruplesabouttheMarriages;doesnotrelishtheexpenseofanestablishmentforthePrince;hopes,atallevents,theMarriagewillnottakeplaceforayearyet;——wouldliketoknowwhatDowrytheEnglishPrincessistobring?\"——\"NoDowrywithourPrincess,\"
theEnglishanswer;\"norshallyougiveanywithyours。\"
NEW—YEAR’SDAY,1729。\"Queensentforme:KingisgettingintractableabouttheMarriages;shereasonedwithhimfromtwoo’clocktilleight,\"withouttheleastpermanenteffect。\"Itishiscovetousness,\"IDubourgayprivatelythink!——Knyphausen,whoknowstheKingwell,privatelytellsme,\"Hewillcomeround。\"
\"Itishisavarice,\"thinksKnyphausentoo;\"nayitisalsohisjealousyofthePrince,whoisverypopularwiththeArmy。
Kingdoeseverythingtomortifyhim,useshimlikeachild;
Crown—Princebearsitwithadmirablepatience。\"ThisisKnyphausen’sweaknotion;ratheraweakcreakyofficialgentleman,Ishouldgather,ofacryptospleneticturn。\"Queentoldmesomedayslater,HisMajestyill—usedtheCrown—Prince,becausehedidnotdrinkhardenough;makeshimhuntthoughill;\"isveryharduponthepoorCrown—Prince,——who,fortherest,\"sendslovingmessagestoEngland,\"asusual;[Dubourgay,16thJanuary。]
covertlymeaningthePrincessAmelia,asusual。\"Somewhileago,ImustinformyourLordship,thePrincewasspokento,\"byPapaaswouldappear,\"tosoundhisinclinationastothePrincessCaroline,\"PrincesslikewiseofEngland,andwhoseage,someeighteenmonthslessthanhisown,mightbesuitabler,thePrincessAmeliabeinghalfayearhiselder;[Carolineborn10thJune1713;Amelia,10thJuly,1711。]\"but,\"——markhowtruehestood,——\"hisRoyalHighnessbrokeoutintosuchrapturesofloveandpassionforthePrincessAmelia,andshowedsomuchimpatiencefortheconclusionofthatMatch,asgavetheKingofPrussiaagreatdealofsurprise,andtheQueenasmuchsatisfaction。\"
Truthis,ifanoldBrigadierDiplomatistmaybejudge,\"ThegreatandgoodqualitiesofthatyoungPrince,bothofpersonandmind,deserveadistinctandparticularaccount,withwhichIshalltroubleyourLordshipanotherday;\"[Despatch,25thDecember,1728。]——whichunluckilyIneverdid;hisLordshipTownshendhaving,itwouldseem,toolittlecuriosityonthesubject。
Andsothematterwavers;andinspiteofDubourgay’sandQueenSophie’sindustry,andtheCrown—Prince’swillingmind,therecannothingdefinitebemadeofitatthistime。FriedrichWilhelmgoesonvisits,goesonhuntings;leavesthemattertoitselftomaturealittle。Thusthenegotiationhangsfire;
andwilldoso,——tilldreadfulwaterspoutscome,andperhapsquenchitaltogether?
HISMAJESTYSLAUGHTERS3,602HEADOFWILDSWINE。
HisMajestyisoffforaHuntingVisittotheOldDessauer,——
Crown—Princewithhim,whohateshunting。Then,\"19thJanuary,1729,\"saysthereverentialFassmann,heisoffforagrandhuntatCopenick;thenforagranderinPommern(Crown—Princestillwithhim):suchaslaughterofwildswineaswasseldomheardof,andasneveroccurredagain。Nofewerthan\"1,882head(STUCK)ofwildswine,300ofthemofuncommonmagnitude,\"intheStettinandotherPommernregions;\"togetherwith1,720STUCKintheMarkBrandenburg,once450inaday:inall,3,602STUCK。\"NeverwashisMajestyinbetterspirits:averyNimrodorhuntingCentaur;
tramplingthecobwebsofDiplomacy,andthecaresoflife,underhisvictorioushoofs。Allthisslaughterofswine,3,602STUCKbytale,wasdoneintheseason1729。\"Fromwhich,\"observestheadoringFassmann,[p。387。]\"istobeinferredtheimportance,\"atleastinwildswine,\"ofthoseroyalForestsinPommernandtheMark;\"nottospeakofhisMajesty’ssupremetalentinhunting,asinotherthings。
WhatFriedrichWilhelmdidwithsuchamassofwildpork?Notanounceofitwaswasted,everyounceofitbroughtmoneyin。
ForthereexistOfficialSchedules,listsasforawindow—taxorproperty—tax,drawnupbyhisMajesty’scontrivance,inthechiefLocalities:everyman,accordingtothehousehekeeps,isboundtotake,atajustvaluebyweight,suchandsuchquotitiesofsuddenlyslaughteredwildswine,oneorsomany,——andconsumethemathisleisure,ashamorotherwise,——cashpayableatafixedterm,andnoabatementmade。[Forster,Beneckendorf(iftheyhadanIndexI)。]ForthisisaKingthatcannotstandwasteatall;
thriftyhimself,andtheCauseofthrift。
FALLSILL,INCONSEQUENCE;ANDTHEDOUBLE—MARRIAGECANNOTGETFORWARD。
ThiswasoneofFriedrichWilhelm’sgrandesthunting—bouts,thisofJanuary,1729;atallevents,hewillneverhaveanothersuch。
Bysuchfierceriding,anddefianceofthewinterelementsandrulesofregimen,hisMajestyreturnedtoPotsdamwithillsymptomsofhealth;——symptomsneverseenbefore;excepttransiently,threeyearsago,afterasimilarbout;whentheDoctors,shakingtheirheads,hadmentionedtheword\"Gout。\"——
\"NARREN—POSSEN!\"FriedrichWilhelmhadanswered,\"Gout?\"——Butnow,February,1729,itisgoutinverydeed。HispoorMajestyhastoadmit:\"Iamgouty,then!Shallhavegoutforcompanionhenceforth。Iambreakingup,then?\"Whichisaterriblemessagetoaman。HisMajesty’sageisnotforty—onetillAugustcoming;
buthehashuntedfuriously。
AdoringFassmanngivesaquitetouchingaccountofFriedrichWilhelm’sperformancesundergout,nowandgenerally,whichwerebegunonthisoccasion。Howhesufferedextremely,yetneverneglectedhisroyaldutiesinanypressofpain。Couldseldomgetanysleeptilltowardsfourorfiveinthemorning,andthenhadtobecontentwithanhourortwo;afterwhichhisOfficialSecretariescameinwiththeirPapers,andhesigned,despatched,resolved,withbestjudgment,——thetopofthemorningalwaysdevotedtobusiness。Atnoon,upifpossible;anddines,\"indressing—gown,withQueenandchildren。\"Afterdinner,commonlytobedagain;andwouldpaintinoil;sometimesdolightjoiner—work,chisellingandinlaying;byandbylieinactivewithselectfriendssittinground,someofwhomhadtherightofentry,othersnot,underpenalties。Buddenbrock,Derschau,rougholdMarlboroughstagers,weregenerallythere;these,\"andtwootherpersons,\"——
GrumkowandSeckendorf,whomFassmanndoesnotname,lesthegetintotrouble,——\"sat,wellwithinearshot,roundthebed。
AndalwaysattheheadwasTheirOMajestytheQueen,sometimeswiththeKing’shandlaidinhers,andhisfaceturneduptoher,asifhesoughtassuagement\"——OmydimoldFriend,letusdryourtears!
\"SometimestheCrown—PrincereadaloudinsomeFrenchBook,\"Titlenotgiven;Crown—Prince’svoiceknowntomeasveryfine。
GenerallythePrincessLouisawasintheroom,too;Louisa,whobecameofAnspachshortly;notWilhelmina,wholiesinfeverandrelapseandsmall—pox,andcloseatdeath’sdoor,almostsincethebeginningofthesebaddays。TheCrown—Princereads,wesay,withavoiceofmelodiousclearness,inFrenchmoreorlessinstructive。\"Atothertimestherewentondiscourse,aboutpublicmatters,foreignnews,thingsingeneral;discourseofacheerfulorofaseriousnature,\"alwayswithsomesubstanceofsenseinit,——\"andnottheleastsmutpermitted,asistoomuchthecaseincertainhighercircles!\"saysadoringFassmann;whoprivatelyknowsof\"Courts\"(perhapstheGLORWURDIGSTE,Glory—worthiest,AugusttheGreat’sCourt,forone?)\"withtheirhiredTom—Fools,\"
notyetanextinctspeciesattemptingtogroundwitonthatbadbasis。PrussianMajestycouldnotendureany\"ZOTEN:\"profanityandindecency,bothavaunt。\"Hehadtoholdoutinthisway,awaketillteno’clock,forthechanceofnight’ssleep。\"Earlierintheafternoon,wesaid,heperhapsdoesalittleinoil—painting,havinglearntsomethingofthatartinyoungtimes;——thereisapoorartistinattendance,tomixthecolors,anddothefirstsketchofthething。SpecimensofsuchPicturesstillexist,Portraitsgenerally;allwiththisepigraph,FREDERICUSWILHELMUS
INTORMENTISPINXIT(PaintedbyFriedrichWilhelminhistorments);andareworthytheattentionofthecurious。[Fassmann,p。392;seeForster,&c。]Isnotthisasublimepatient?
Fassmannadmits,\"theremightbespurtsofIMpatiencenowandthen;buthowrichlydidMajestymakeitgoodagainafterreflection!Hewasalsosubjecttowhimsevenaboutpeoplewhomheotherwiseesteemed。Onemeritoriousgentleman,whoshallbenameless,muchthoughtofbytheKing,hisMajesty’snervescouldnotendure,thoughhismindwelldid:’Makesmygoutworsetoseehimdrillingintheesplanadethere;letanotherdoit!’——andvouchsafedanapologeticassurancetothemeritoriousgentlemanafflictedinconsequence。\"——OmydimoldFriend,thesesurelyaresublimitiesofthesick—bed?\"Soitlastedforsomefiveweekslong,\"wellontowardsthesummerofthisbadyear1729。
Wilhelminasays,inbrieferbusinesslanguage,andlookingonlyatthewrongsideofthetapestry,\"ItwasaHell—on—Earthtous,LespeinesduPurgatoirenepouvaientegalercellesqueNOUSendurions;\"[i。157。]andsupportsthestatementbyabundantexamples,duringthoseflamyweeks。
For,intheinterim,withal,theEnglishnegotiationisasgoodasgoneout;naytherearewaterspoutsbrewingaloftyonder,enoughtowashnegotiationfromtheworld。Ofwhichterribleweather—phenomenaweshallhavetospeakbyandby:butmustfirst,bywayofcommentary,giveaglanceatSoissonsandtheTerrestrialLIBRA,sofarasnecessaryforhumanobjects,——notfar,byanymeans。
ChapterV。
CONGRESSOFSOISSONS,SIXTHCRISISINTHESPECTRE—HUNT。
Theso—calledSpanishWar,anddangerousfutileSiegeofGibraltar,hadnotendedatthedeathofGeorgeI。;thoughmeasureshadalreadybeenagreedupon,bytheKaiserandpartiesinterested,toendit,——onlytheKingofSpain(orKing’sWife,weshouldsay)madedifficulties。Difficulties,she;andkeptfiring,withouteffect,attheFortressforaboutayearmore;afterwhich,herhumororherpowderbeingout,SpanishMajestysignedliketheothers。Peaceagainforallandsundryofus:
\"Preliminaries\"ofPeacesignedatParis,31stMay,1727,threeweeksbeforeGeorge’sdeath;\"Peace\"itselffinallyatthePardooratMadrid,theTermaganthavingspentherpowder,6thMarch,1728;[Scholl,ii。212,213。]anda\"Congress\"(blessthemark!)
tosettleonwhattermsineverypoint。
Congress,sayatAix—la—Chapelle;sayatCambraiagain,——fortherearedifficultiesabouttheplace。OrsayfinallyatSoissons;
whereFleurywishedittobe,thathemightgetthereinsofitbetterinhand;andwhereitfinallywas,——andwheretheghostornameofityetis,anemptyenigmainthememoriesofsomemen。
CongressofSoissonsdidmeet,14thJune,1728;openeditself,asaCorporealEntityinthisworld;satforaboveayear;——anddidnothing;FleuryquitedecliningthePragmaticSanction,thoughtheanxiousKaiserwasreadytomakeastonishingsacrifices,giveuphisOstendCOMPANY(PaperShadowofaCompany),orwhatyouwillofthatkind,——ifmenwouldhaveconformed。
TheseDiplomaticgentlemen,——say,aretheyaught?Theyseemtounderstandme,byeachatoncehischoppyfingerlayingonhisskinnylips!PrincesofthePowersoftheAir,Shallwedefinethem?ItiscertainthesolidEarthorherfacts,exceptbeingheldinperpetualterrorbysuchworkingsoftheShadow—world,reapednoeffectfromthoseTwentyYearsofCongressing;
Seckendorfhimselfmightaswellhavelaininbed,asriddenthose25,000miles,anddonesuchquantitiesofdouble—distillations。
Noeffectatall:onlysomefutilegunpowderspentonGibraltar,andsplintersofshotandshells(salableasoldiron)foundabouttherocksthere;whichisnotmuchofaneffectforTwentyYearsofsuchindustry。
ThesublimeCongressofSoissonsmet,aswesay,attheabovedate(justwhilethePolishMajestywasclosinghisBerlinVisit);
butfounditselfnoablerforworkthanthatofCambraihadbeen。
TheDeputiesfromFranceIdonotmention;norfromSpain,norfromAustria。TheDeputiesfromEnglandwereColonelornowproperlyBrigadier—GeneralStanhope,afterwardsLordHarrington;
HoraceWalpole(whoisRobert’sBrother,andwhoseSecretaryisSirThomasRobinson,\"QUOIDONE,CRUSOE?\"whomweshallhearoffarther);andStephenPoyntz,aoncebrightgentleman,nowdimandobsolete,whomthereadersofCoxe’sWalpole
havesomenominalacquaintancewith。Here,forChronology’ssake,isaclippingfromtheoldEnglishnewspaperstoaccompanythem:
\"ThereisrumorthatPOLLYPEACHUMisgonetoattendtheCongressatSoissons;where,itisthought,shewillmakeasgoodafigure,anddohercountryasmuchservice,asseveralothersthatshallbenameless。\"[Mist’sWeeklyJournal,29thJune,1728。]
Theirtaskseemedeasytothesanguinemind。TheKaiserhasagreedwithSpainintheItalian—Apanagematter;withtheSea—PowersinregardtohisOstendCompany,whichisabolishedforever:
whatthenistopreventaspeedyprogress,andgladconclusion?
ThePragmaticSanction。\"AcceptmyPragmaticSanction,\"saidtheKaiser,\"letthatbethepreliminaryofallthings。\"——\"Notthepreliminary,\"answeredFleury;\"wewillseetothataswegoon;
notthepreliminary,byanymeans!\"Therewastherub。TheslyoldCardinalhadhisprivatetreatieswithSardinia;viewsofhisownintheMediterranean,intheRhinequarter;andansweredsteadily,\"Notthepreliminary,byanymeans!\"TheKaiserwasequallyinflexible。Whereuponimmensitiesofprotocolling,arguing,andtheCongress\"fellintocompletelanguor,\"saytheHistories。
[Scholl,ii。215。]Congressateitsdinnerheartily,andwroteimmensely,forthespaceofeighteenmonths;butadvancednohair’s—breadthany—whither;noprospectbeforeit,butthatofdinneronly,forunlimitedperiods。
KaiserwillhavehisPragmaticSanction,ornotbudgefromtheplace;standsmulelikeamidtherainofcudgellingsfromtheby—standers;canbebeatentodeath,butstirhewillnot。——Hints,glancesoftheeye,passbetweenElizabethFarneseandtheotherby—standers;suddenly,9thNovember,1729,itisfoundtheyhaveallmadea\"TREATYOFSEVILLE\"withElizabethFarnese;France,England,Holland,Spain,haveallclosed,——ItalianApanagestobeatoncesecured,Ostendtobeatoncesuppressed,withwhatelsebehooves;——andtheKaiserisleftalone;standinguponhisPragmaticSanctionthere,nobodybiddinghimnowbudge!
AtwhichtheKaiserisnaturallythriceandfourtimeswrothandalarmed;——andSeckendorfintheTABAKS—COLLEGIUMhadneedtobedoublybusy。Asweshallfindheis(thoughwithouteffect),whenthetimecomesround:——butwehavenotyetgottoNovemberofthisYear1729;therearestillsixoreightimportantmonthsbetweenusandthat。Importantmonths;andaPrussian—English\"Waterspout,\"aswehavenamedit,tobeseen,withduewonder,inthepoliticalsky!——
CongressofSoissons,nowfallenmythicaltomankind,andasinaneasthatofCambrai,isperhapsstillmemorableinoneortwoslightpoints。First,ithasinit,asoneoftheAustrianDeputies,thatBaronvonBentenrieder,tallestoflivingDiplomatists,whowaspressedatonetimeforaPrussiansoldier;
——readersrecollectit?WalkingthroughthestreetsofHalberstadt,tostretchhislonglimbstillhiscarriagecameup,thePrussiansentrieslaidholdofhim,\"ExcellentPotsdamgiant,thisone!\"——andhaledhimofftotheirguard—house;tillcarriageandlackeyscame;then,\"Thousandhumblestpardons,yourExcellenz!\"whoforgavethefellows。Barelypossiblesomelighterreadersmightwishtosee,foronemoment,anExcellenzthathasbeenseizedbyaPress—gang?WhichperhapsneverhappenedtoanyotherExcellenz;——thelikeofwhich,Ihavebeentold,mightmerithimasoireefromstrong—mindedwomen,insomeremoterpartsoftheworld。NottosaythatheisthetallestoflivingDiplomatists;anotheruniquecircumstance!——Bentenriedersoondied;andhadhisplaceatSoissonsfilledupbyanExcellenzoftheordinaryheight,whohadneverbeenpressed。ButnothingcanrobtheCongressofthisfact,thatitoncehadBentenriederformember;and,sofar,isentitledtothepluperfectdistinctioninoneparticular。
AnotherpointishumanlyinterestinginthisCongress;butcannotfullybeinvestigatedforwantofdates。Always,weperceive,accordingtothenewsofitthatreachBerlin,——ofEnglandgoingrightfortheKaiserorgoingwrongforhim,——hisPrussianMajesty’streatmentofhischildrenvaries。IfEnglandgorightfortheKaiser,well,andhisMajestyisingood—humorwithQueen,withCrown—PrinceandWilhelmina。IfEnglandgowrongfortheKaiser,darkcloudsgatherontheroyalbrow,intheroyalheart;
explodeinthunder—storms;andatlengthcrockerygoesflyingthroughtherooms,blowsdescendonthepoorPrince’sback;
andherMajestyisintears,mereChaoscomeagain。Forasageneralrule,unlesstheEnglishNegotiationhavesomeprosperingfit,andproduceexceptionalphenomena,FriedrichWilhelm,everloyalinheart,standssteadfastbyhisKaiser;everready\"tostrikeout(LOSZUSCHLAGEN,\"ashecallsit)withhisbeststrengthinbehalfofacausewhich,goodsoul,hethinksisessentiallyGerman;——allthereadierifatanytimeitseemnowexclusivelyGerman,theFrench,Spanish,English,andotherunlovelyForeignworldbeingcleancutloosefromit,orevenstandingrankedagainstit。\"Whenwillitgooff,then(WANNGEHT
ESLOS)?\"asksFriedrichWilhelmoften;diligentlydrillinghissixtythousand,andsnortingcontempton\"Ungermanism(UNDEUTSCHHEIT),\"beitonthepartoffriendsorofenemies。
Goodsoul,andwhetherhewillevergetJulichaudBergoutofit,isdistractinglyproblematical,andtheTobacco—Parliamentisbusywithhim!
Curioustosee,sofarasdatesgo,howFriedrichWilhelmchangeshistunetoWifeandChildreninexactcorrespondencetothenotesgivenoutatSoissonsforaKaiserandhisPragmaticSanction。
PoorPrussianHousehold,poorback,andheart,ofCrown—Prince;
whataconcertitisinthisworld,SmokingParliamentforsouffleur!LetthebigDiplomatistBassoonoftheUniversegothisway,therearecaressesforayoungSoldierandhisbehaviorinthegiantregiment;letthesameBassoonsoundthatway,bangsandknocksdescendonhim;thetwokeeptimetogether,——sobusyistheSmokingParliamentwithhisMajestyofPrussia。Theworldhasseen,withhorrorandwonder,FriedrichWilhelm’sbeatingofhisgrownchildren:butthepairofMEERKATZEN,orenchantedDemon—Apes,disguisedasloyalCouncillors,ridingalongwithhimthelengthofaTerrestrialEquator,havenotbeensofamiliartotheworld。Seckendorf,Grumkow:wehadoftenheardofDevil—Diplomatists;andshudderedoverhorriblepicturesoftheminNovels;hopingitwasallfancy:buthereactuallyisapairofthem,transcendingallNovels;——perhapsthehighestcognizablefacttobemetwithinDevil—Diplomacy。Anditmaybeakindofcomforttoreaders,bothtoknowit,andtodiscerngraduallywhatthejustgodsmakeofitwithal。Devil—Diplomatistsdoexist,atleasthaveexisted,neverdoubtitfarther;andtheirastonishinglydexterousmendacitiesandenchantedspider—webs,——
CANthesegoanyroadbutoneinthisUniverse?
ThattheCongressofCambraiwasnotamyth,weconvincedourselvesbyaletterofVoltaire’s,whoactuallysawitdiningthereintheYear1722,ashepassedthatway。Here,forSoissons,inlikemanner,aretwoLetters,byalesscelebratedbutastillknownEnglishhand;which,asutterancesinpresenceofthefactitself,leavenodoubtonthesubject。Thesetheafflictedreaderwillperhapsconsenttotakeaglanceof。IftheCongressofSoissons,forthesakeofmemorableobjectsconcernedthere,isstilltoberemembered,andbelievedin,foralittlewhile,——thequestionarises,Howtodoit,then?
ThewriteroftheseLettersisaserious,ratherlong—nosedyoungEnglishgentleman,notwithoutintelligence,andofawholesomeandhonestnature;whobecameLordLyttelton,FIRSTofthoseLords,calledalso\"theGoodLord,\"fatherof\"theBad:\"alinealdescendantofthatLytteltonUPONwhomCokesits,orseemstosit,tilltheendofthings:authorbyandbyofaHistoryofHenrytheSecondandotherwell—meantbooks:amanofrealworth,whoattainedtosomenoteintheworld。HeisnowupontheGrandTour,——whichran,atthattime,byLunevilleandLorraine,aswouldappear;atwhichpointweshallfirsttakehimup。HewritestohisFather,SirThomas,atHagleyamongthepleasantHillsofWorcestershire,——dateshortlyaftertheassemblingofthatCongresstorearofhim;——andwestrivetoaddaminimumofcommentary。The\"pieceofnegligence,\"the\"Mr。D。,\"
——noneofmortalsnowknowswhoorwhattheywere:——
TOSIRTHOMASLYTTELTON,BART。,ATHAGLEY。
\"LUNEVILLE21stJuly\"1728。
\"DEARSIR,——IthankyouforsokindlyforgivingthepieceofnegligenceIacquaintedyouofinmylast。Youngfellowsareoftenguiltyofvoluntaryforgetfulnessinthoseaffairs;butIassureyouminewasquiteaccidental:\"——Nevermindit,mySon!
\"Mr。D。tellsyoutruethatIamwearyoflosingmoneyatcards;
butitisnolesscertainthatwithoutthemIshallsoonbewearyofLorraine。Thespiritofquadrille[obsoletegameatcards]haspossessedthelandfrommorningtillmidnight;thereisnothingelseineveryhouseinTown。
\"ThisCourtisfondofstrangers,butwithaprovisothatstrangerslovequadrille。WouldyouwintheheartsoftheMaidsofHonor,youmustloseyourmoneyatquadrille;wouldyoubethoughtawell—bredman,youmustplaygenteellyatquadrille;wouldyougetareputationofgoodsense,showjudgmentatquadrille。
Howeverinsummeronemaypassadaywithoutquadrille;becausethereareagreeablepromenades,andlittlepartiesoutofdoors。
Butinwinteryouarereducedtoplayatit,orsleep,likeafly,tillthereturnofspring。
\"IndeedinthemorningtheDukehunts,\"——markthatDuke,andtwoSonshehas。\"Butmymaliciousstarshavesocontrivedit,thatI
amnomoreasportsmanthanagamester。TherearenomenoflearninginthewholeCountry;onthecontrary,itisacharactertheydespise。Amanofqualitycaughtme,theotherday,readingaLatinAuthor;andaskedme,withanairofcontempt,WhetherIwasdesignedfortheChurch?AllthiswouldbetolerableifIwasnotdoomedtoconversewithasetofEnglish,whoarestillmoreignorantthantheFrench;andfromwhom,withmyutmostendeavors,Icannotbeabsentsixhoursintheday。Lord\"BLANK——Baltimore,orHeaven—knows—who,——\"istheonlyoneamongthemwhohascommonsense;andheissoscandalouslydebauched,inhisprinciplesaswellaspractice,thathisconversationisequallyshockingtomymoralsandmyreason。\"——Couldnotonecontrivetogetawayfromthem;toSoissons,forexample,toseebusinessgoingon;andtheTerrestrialBalancesettlingitselfalittle?
\"MyonlyimprovementhereisinthecompanyoftheDuke,\"whoisatrulydistinguishedDuketohisbadCountry;\"andintheexerciseoftheAcademy,\"——ofHorsemanship,orwhat?\"Ihavebeenabsentfromthelatternearthreeweeks,byreasonofasprainIgotinthesinewsofmyleg。MydutytomydearMother;Ihopeyouandshecontinuewell。Iam,Sir,yourdutifulSon。——G。L。\"
[TheWorksofLordGeorgeLyttelton,byAyscough(London,1776),iii。215。]
ThesepoorLorrainersareinabadway;theirCountryalltrampledtopiecesbyFrance,intheLouis—Fourteenthandstillearliertimes。Indeed,eversincethefutileSiegeofMetz;wherewesawthegreatKaiser,KarlV。,silentlyweepingbecausehecouldnotrecaptureMetz,[Antea,vol。v。p。211。]theFrenchhavebeenbusywiththispoorCountry;——newsectionsofitcliptawaybythem;
\"militaryroadsthroughit,tenmilesbroad,\"bargainedfor;
itsDukesoftenestinexile,especiallytheFatherofthispresentDuke:[AfamedSoldierinhisday;underKaiserLeopold,\"thelittleKaiserinredstockings,\"oneofwhoseDaughtershehadtowife。HewasattheRescueofVienna(Sobieski’s),andinhowmanyfarfiercerservices;hislifewasbutabattleandamarch。
HereishisfamedLettertotheKaiser,whendeathsuddenlycalled,Halt!
\"WELSNEARLINZONTHEDONAU,17thApril,1690。
\"SACREDMAJESTY,——AccordingtoyourOrders,IsetoutfromInnsprucktocometoVienna;butIamstoppedherebyaGreaterMaster。IgotorenderaccounttoHimofalifewhichIhadwhollyconsecratedtoyou。RememberthatIleaveaWifewithwhomyouareconcerned[QUIROUSTOUCHE,——whoisyourlawfulDaughter];
ChildrentowhomIcanbequeathnothingbutmysword;andSubjectswhoareunderOppression。
\"CHARLESOFLORRAINE。\"
(Henault,AbregeChronologique,Paris,1775,p。850)。——Charles\"V。\"theFrenchuniformlycallthisone;
Charles\"IV。\"theGermans,who,Iconclude,knowbetter。]——andtheyarenowwaitingagoodopportunitytoswallowitwhole,whilethepeoplearesobusywithquadrilleparties。ThepresentDuke,returningfromexile,foundhisLandindesolation,muchofit\"runningfasttowildforestagain;\"andhehassignalizedhimselfbyunweariedeffortsineverydirectiontoputnewlifeintoit,whichhavebeenrathersuccessful。Lyttelton,weperceive,findsimprovementinhiscompany。ThenameofthisbraveDukeisLeopold;agenowforty—nine;lifeandreignnotfarfromdone:
amanaboutwhomevenVoltairegetsintoenthusiasm。[SiecledeLouisXIV。(OEuvres,xxvi。95—97);Hubner,t。281。]
TheCourtandCountryofLorraine,underDukeLeopold,willprovetodeservethisbriefglancefromLytteltonandus。TwosonsDukeLeopoldhas:theelder,Franz,nowabouttwenty,isatVienna,withthehighestoutlooksthere:KaiserKarlishisFather’scousin—german;andKaiserKarl’syoungDaughter,highbeautifulMariaTheresa,——thesublimestmaidennowextant,——yes,thisluckyFranzistohaveher:whataprize,evenwithoutPragmaticSanction!Withtheyoungerson,KarlofLorraine,Lytteltonmayhavemadeacquaintance,ifhecared:aladofsixteen;byandbyanAustrianGeneral,ashisfatherhadbeen;Generalmuchnoisedof,——whomweshalloftenseebeaten,inthisworld,attheheadofmen。——ButletusnowgettoSoissonsitself,skippinganintermediateLetterortwo:——
TOSIRTHOMASLYTTELTON,BART。,ATHAGLEY。
\"SOISSONS,28thOctober,\"1728。
\"Ithankyou,mydearSir,forcomplyingsomuchwithmyinclinationsastoletmestaysometimeatSoissons:butasyouhavenotfixedhowlong,Iwaitforfartherorders。
\"OneofmychiefreasonsfordislikingLunevillewasthemultitudeofEnglishthere;who,mostofthem,weresuchworthlessfellowsthattheywereadishonortothenameandNation。WiththeseIwasobligedtodineandsup,andpassagreatpartofmytime。YoumaybesureIavoideditasmuchaspossible;butMALGREMOII
sufferedagreatdeal。Topreventanycomfortfromotherpeople,theyhadmadealawamongthemselves,nottoadmitanyforeignerintotheircompany:sothattherewasnothingbutEnglishtalkedfromJunetoJanuary。——Onthecontrary,mycountrymenatSoissonsaremenofvirtueandgoodsense;theymixperpetuallywiththeFrench,andconverseforthemostpartinthatlanguage。Iwilltroubleyounomoreuponthissubject:butgivemeleavetosaythat,howevercapriciousImayhavebeenonothersubjects,mysentimentsinthisparticulararethestrongestproofsIevergaveyouofmystrongandhereditaryaversiontoviceandfolly。
\"Mr。Stanhope,\"ourMinister,theColonelorBrigadier—General,\"isalwaysatFontainebleau。IwentwithMr。Poyntz,\"Poyntznotyetadimfigure,butabrilliant,whohintsaboutemployingme,\"toParisforfourdays,whentheColonelhimselfwasthere,tomeethim;hereceivedmewithgreatcivilityandkindness。WehavedoneexpectingMr。Walpole,\"fixedheintheCourtregions;
\"whoisobligedtokeepstrictguardovertheCardinal,\"slyoldFleury,\"forfeartheGermanMinistersshouldtakehimfromus。
Theypullandhaulthepooroldgentlemansomanyways,thathedoesnotknowwheretoturn,orintowhosearmstothrowhimself。\"
Neverfearhim!——
\"Ripperda’sescapetoEngland,\"——grandDiplomaticbulldogthatwas,whotookrefugeinColonelStanhope’satMadridtonopurpose,andkindledthesputteringatGibraltar,isnowgotacrosstoEngland,andwillgotoMoroccoandfarther,tonopurpose,——\"willverymuchembroilaffairs;whichdidnotseemtowantanotherobstacletohinderthemfromcomingtoanaccommodation。IftheDevilisnotverymuchwantingtohisowninterestsinthisBusiness,itisimpossiblethatthegoodworkofPeace,shouldgoonmuchlonger。Afterall,mostyoungfellowsareofhisparty;andwishhemaybringmatterstoaWar;fortheymakebutillMinistersataCongress,butwouldmakegoodSoldiersinaCampaign。
\"NonewsfromMadam\"BLANK\"andherbelovedHusband。
Theirunreasonablefondnessforeachothercanneverlast:
theywillsoongrowascoldtooneanotherastheTowntoTheBeggars’Opera。\"Andcannotwarmagain,youthink?\"PrayHeavenImayproveafalseprophet;butMarriedLoveandEnglishMusicaretoodomestictocontinuelonginfavor。\"……
NOVEMBER20th,SOISSONSstill。\"ThisisoneoftheagreeablestTownsinFrance。Thepeopleareinfinitelyobligingtostrangers:
weareofalltheirparties,andperpetuallysharewiththemintheirpleasures。IhavelearntmoreFrenchsinceIcamehither,thanIshouldhavepickedupinatwelvemonthinLorraine……
\"Afoolwithamajorityonhissideisthegreatesttyrantintheworld:\"——howcanIgobacktoloiterinLorraine,honoredFather,wherefoolsareinsuchmajority?\"ThentheextraordinarycivilitiesIreceivefromMr。Poyntz:Hehasinamannertakenmeintohisfamily;\"willevidentlymakeanApprenticeofme。
\"ThefirstPacketthatcomesfromFontainebleau,Iexpecttobeemployed。Whichisnosmallpleasuretome:andwillIhopebeofservice。\"……
DECEMBER20th。\"AsuddenordertoMr。Poyntzhasbrokenallmymeasures。Hegoesto—morrowtoParis,tostaythereintheroomofMessrs。StanhopeandWalpole,whoareontheirreturnforEngland。\"Congressfallingintocompletelanguor,ifweknewit!
ButoughtnotItoaccompanythisfriendlyanddistinguishedMr。Poyntz,\"whohasalreadygivenmepaperstocopy;\"——infactI
amsettingoffwithhim,honoredFather!……
\"PrinceFrederick’sjourney,\"——firstarrivalinEnglandofdissoluteFredfromHanover,whohadNOTbeentoBerlintogetmarriedlastsummer,——\"wasverysecret:Mr。PoyntzdidnothearofittillFridaylast;atleasthehadnopublicnoticeofit。\"
Whyshouldhe?\"Therewillbefinestrugglingforplaces\"inthisPrince’snewHousehold。\"IhopemyBrotherwillcomeinforone。\"
[Ayscough’sLyttelton,iii。200—231。]——
ButherewepullthestringofthecurtainuponLyttelton,anduponhisCongressfallingintocompletelanguor;Congressdestined,afterdiningforaboutayearmore,toexplode,intheTreatyofSeville,andtoleavetheKaisersittinghorror—struck,solitaryamidthewreckofPoliticalNature,——whichlatter,however,piecesitselftogetheragainforhimandothers。
BeneficentTreatyofViennawasatlastachieved;TreatyandTreatiesthere,whichbroughtmatterstotheiroldbearingagain,——AustriaunitedwiththeSea—Powers,PragmaticSanctionacceptedbythem,subsidiesagaintobeexpectedfromthem;BabyCarlosfittedwithhisApanages,insometolerablemanner;andtheProblem,withwhichCreationhadgroanedforsometwentyyearspast,finallyaccomplishedbetterorworse。
LytteltonhimselfwillgetaplaceinPrinceFrederick’sHousehold,andthenloseit;placeinMajesty’sMinistryatlast,butnotforalongwhileyet。HewillbeoneofPrinceFrederick’smen,oftheCarterets,Chesterfields,Pitts,who\"patronizeliterature,\"andareinoppositiontodarkWalpole;oneofthe\"West—Wickhamset;\"——andwillbeoftheOppositionparty,andhavehisadventuresintheworld。MeanwhilelethimgotoPariswithMr。Poyntz;anddohiswisestthereandelsewhere。
\"Who’sdatwhorideastridedepony,Solong,solean,solankandbony?
Oh,hebedegreatorator,Little—ton—y。\"
[Caricatureof1741,onLyttelton’sgettingintotheMinistry,withCarteret,Chesterfield,Argyll,andtherest:
seePhillimore’sLyttelton(London,l845),i。110;Johnson’sLivesofthePoets,?Lyttelton;&c。&c。]
FornowweareroundatFriedrichWilhelm’sPomeranianHuntingagain,intheNew—year’stimeof1729;andmustlookagainintothemagnanimoussick—roomwhichensuedthereon;whereasmallpieceofbusinessisgoingforward。WhatamagnanimouspatientFriedrichWilhelmwas,inFassmann’sjudgment,weknow:but,itwillbegoodtoshowbothsidesofthetapestry,andletWilhelminaalsospeak。Thesmallbusinessisonly,aTreatyofMarriageforoneofourPrincesses:notWilhelmina,butLouisathenextyounger,whohasbeenasked,andwillconsent,asappears。
Fassmannmakesaverytouchingsceneofit。Kingisinbed,illofhisgoutafterthatslaughterofthe3,602wildswine:attendantsaresittingroundhisMajesty,inthewayweknow;QueenSophieathishead,\"Seckendorfandseveralothers\"roundthebed。
Lettersarrive;PrincessFrederikaLouisa,averyyoungLady,hasalsohadaLetter;which,sheseesbytheseal,willbeinteresting,butwhichshemustnotherselfopen。Shestepsinwithit;\"beautifulasanangel,butratherfoolish,andaspoiltchildoffifteen,\"saysWilhelmina:tripssoftlyinwithit;
handsittotheKing。\"GiveittothyMother,letherreadit,\"
saystheKing。Motherreadsit,withaudiblesoftvoice:
FormaldemandinmarriagefromtheSerenityofAnspach,asforeseen。
\"Hearken,Louisa(HORE,LUISE),itisstilltime,\"saidtheKing:
\"Tellus,wouldstthourathergotoAnspach,now,orstaywithme?
Ifthouchoosetostay,thoushaltwant,fornothing,either,totheendofthylife。Speak!\"——\"Atsuchunexpectedquestion,\"saysFassmann,\"thereroseafineblushoverthePrincess’sface,whoseemedtobeatalossforheranswer。However,shesooncollectedherself;kissedhisMajesty’shand,andsaid:’MostgraciousPapa,IwilltoAnspach!’TowhichtheKing:’Verywell,then;Godgivetheeallhappinessandthousandblessings!——But,hearken,Louisa,’
theKing’sMajestywaspleasedatthesametimetoadd,’Wewillmakeabargain,thouandI。Youhaveexcellent,FlouratAnspach(SCHONESMEHL);butinHamsandSmokedSausagesyoudon’t,comeup,eitherinqualityorquantity,tousinthisCountry。NowI,formypart,likegoodpastries。So,fromtimetotime,thoushaltsendmeaboxofniceflour,andIwillkeeptheeinhamsandsausages。Wiltthou,Louisa?’ThatthePrincessansweredYea,\"
sayspoorFassmannwiththetearinhiseye,\"mayreadilybesupposed!\"Nayallthatheardthethingroundtheroyalbedthere——simplehumanitiesofthatkindfromsogreat,aKing——hadalmostoraltogethertearsintheireyes。[Fassmann,pp。393,394。]
Thissurelyisaverytouchingscene。ButnowlistentoWilhelmina’saccountofanotheronthesamesubject,betweenthesameparties。\"Attable;\"nodateindicated,orawrongone,butevidentlyafterthis:infact,wefinditwasaboutthebeginningofMarch,1729;andhadsadconsequencesforWilhelmina。
\"AttablehisMajestytoldtheQueenthathehadLettersfromAnspach;theyoungMargraftobeatBerlininMayforhiswedding;
thatM。BremerhisTutorwasjustcomingwiththeringofbetrothalforLouisa。HeaskedmySister,Ifthatgaveherpleasure?andHowshewouldregulateherhousekeepingwhenmarried?MySisterhadgotintothewayoftellinghimwhatevershethought,andhome—truthssometimes,withouthistakingitill。
Sheansweredwithhercustomaryfrankness,Thatshewouldhaveagoodtable,whichshouldbedelicatelyserved;and,addedshe,’whichshallbebetterthanyours。AndifIhavechildren,Iwillnotmaltreatthemlikeyou,norforcethemtoeatwhattheyhaveanaversionto。’——’Whatdoyoumeanbythat?’repliedtheKing:
’whatistherewantingatmytable?’——’Thereisthiswanting,’shesaid,’thatonecannothaveenough;andthelittlethereisconsistsofcoarsepotherbsthatnobodycaneat。’TheKing,\"aswasnotunnatural,\"hadbeguntogetangryatherfirstanswer:
thislastputhimquiteinafury;butallhisangerfellonmyBrotherandme。HefirstthrewaplateatmyBrother’shead,whoduckedoutoftheway;hethenletflyanotheratme,whichI
avoidedinlikemanner。Ahail—stormofabusefollowedthesefirsthostilities。HeroseintoapassionagainsttheQueen;reproachingherwiththebadtrainingshegaveherchildren;and,addressingmyBrother:’YouhavereasontocurseyourMother,’saidhe,’foritisshethatcausesyourbeinganill—governedfellow(UNMAL
GOUVERNE)。IhadaPreceptor,’continuedhe,’whowasanhonestman。Irememberalwaysastoryhetoldmeinmyyouth。Therewasaman,atCarthage,whohadbeencondemnedtodieformanycrimeshehadcommitted。Whiletheywereleadinghimtoexecution,hedesiredhemightspeaktohisMother。TheybroughthisMother:
hecamenear,asiftowhispersomethingtoher;——andbitawayapieceofherear。Itreatyouthus,saidhe,tomakeyouanexampletoallparentswhotakenoheedtobringuptheirchildreninthepracticeofvirtue!——Maketheapplication,’continuedhe,alwaysaddressingmyBrother:andgettingnoanswerfromhim,heagainsettoabusingustillhecouldspeaknolonger。Werosefromtable。Aswehadtopassnearhimingoingout,heaimedagreatblowatmewithhiscrutch;which,ifIhadnotjerkedawayfromit,wouldhaveendedme。Hechasedmeforawhileinhiswheel—chair,butthepeopledrawingitgavemetimetoescapeintotheQueen’schamber。\"[Wilhelmina,i。159。]
PoorWilhelmina,beatenuponbyPapainthismanner,takestobedinmiserablefeverishpain,isorderedoutbyMammatoeveningparty,allthesame;isevidentlyfallingveryill。\"Ill?Iwillcureyou!\"saysPapanextday,andmakesherswallowagreatdraughtofwine。Whichcompletesthething:\"declaredsmall—pox,\"
sayalltheDoctorsnow。SothatWilhelminaisabsentthenceforth,asFassmannalreadytoldus,fromthemagnanimouspaternalsick—room;andliesbalefullyeclipsed,tillthepaternalgoutandsomeotherthingshaveruntheircourse。\"Small—pox;whatwillPrinceFredthink?Aperfectfright,ifshedolive!\"saytheEnglishCourt—gossipsintheinterim。ButwearenowarrivedataverysingularPrussian—Englishphenomenon;andoughttotakeanewChapter。
ChapterVI。
IMMINENCYOFWARORDUELBETWEENTHEBRITANNICANDPRUSSIANMAJESTIES。
TheDouble—Marriagenegotiationhungfire,intheendof1728;
buteverybodythought,especiallyQueenSophiethought,itwouldcometoperfection;oldIlgen,almostthelastthinghedid,shedtearsofjoyaboutit。ThesefineoutlooksreceivedasadshockintheYearnowcome;whensecretgrudgesburstoutintoopenflame;
andBerlin,insteadofscenicsplendorsforaPolishMajesty,wasclangorouswithnoteofpreparationforimminentWar。
ProbablyQueenSophieneverhadamoreagitatedSummerthanthisof1729。Wearenowarrivedatthatthrice—famousQuarrel,oralmostDuel,ofFriedrichWilhelmandhisBritannicBrother—in—lawlittleGeorgeII。;andmusttrytoriddlefromthosedistractedPaper—massessomenoticeofit,notwhollyunintelligibletothereader。Itisloudlytalkedof,loudly,butalasalsolooselytoadegree,inallmannerofdullBooks;andisatoncethrice—famousandextremelyobscure。Thefactis,Natureintendeditforeternaloblivion;——andthat,sureenough,wouldhavebeenitsfatelongsince,hadnotpersonswhowerethenthoughttobeofnoimportance,butarenowseentobeofsome,stoodconnectedwithitmoreorless。
FriedrichWilhelm,forhisownpart,hadseeninthedeathofGeorgeI。anevilomenfromtheEnglishquarter;andallalong,inspiteoftransientappearancestothecontrary,hadsaidtohimself,\"IftheFirstGeorge,withhissolemnitiesandtacitsublimities,wasoffensivenowandthen,whatwilltheSecondGeorgebe?TheSecondGeorgehasbeenanoffencefromthebeginning!\"InwhichnotionstheSmokingParliament,vitallyinterestedtodoit,intheseperilousSoissonstimes,bigwiththefateoftheEmpireandUniverse,isassiduoustoconfirmhisMajesty。TheSmokingParliament,atPotsdam,atBerlin,inthesolitudesofWusterhausen,hasbeenbusy;andmuchtobacco,muchmeditationandinsinuationhavegoneup,incloudsmoreabstrusethanever,sincethedeathofGeorgeI。
Itiscertain,GeorgeII。wasaproudlittlefellow;veryhighandairyinhisways;notatallthemantoFriedrichWilhelm’sheart,norreciprocally。Amanofsomeworth,too;\"scrupulouslykepthisword,\"saythewitnesses:amanalwaysconscioustohimself,\"AmnotIamanofhonor,then?\"toapunctiliousdegree。Fortherest,courageousasaWelf;andhadsomesensewithal,——thoughtrulynotmuch,andindeed,asitwere,noneatallincomparisontowhathesupposedhehad!——OnecanfancytheaversionofthelittledapperRoyaltytothisheavy—footedPrussianBarbarian,andthePrussianBarbarian’stohim。Thebloodynoseinchildhoodwasbutasymbolofwhatpassedthroughlife。Inreturnforhisbloodynose,littleGeorge,fiveyearstheelder,hadcarriedoffCarolineofAnspach;andleftFriedrichWilhelmsorrowing,aneglectedcub,——poorhonestBeasttragicallyshornofhisBeauty。
Offencescouldnotfail;thesetwoCousinswentonoffendingoneanotherbythemereactoflivingsimultaneously。Anaturalhostility,thatbetweenGeorgeII。andFriedrichWilhelm;anteriortoCarolineofAnspach,andindependentofthecollisionsofinterestthatmightfalloutbetweenthem。Enmityasbetweenaglancingself—satisfiedfop,andaloutishthick—soledmanofparts,whofeelshimselfthebetterthoughthelesssuccessful。
House—Mastiffseeingitselfneglected,driventoitshutch,foratricksyApedressedoutinribbons,whogetsfavorinthedrawing—room。
George,IperceivebytheveryState—Papers,GeorgeandhisEnglishLordshaveaprovokingslightingtonetowardsFriedrichWilhelm;theyanswerhisviolentconvictions,andthoroughgoingrapidproposals,bybriefofficialnegation,withanairofsuperiority,——tracesof,apolitesneerperceptible,occasionally。
AmereClownofaKing,thinksGeorge;ameregesticulatingCoxcomb,thinksFriedrichWilhelm。\"MEINBRUDERDERCOMODIANT,MyBrotherthePlay—actor\"(parti—coloredMerry—Andrew,ofahigh—flyingturn)!wasFriedrichWilhelm’sprivatenameforhim,inafterdays。WhichGeorgerepaidbyoneequaltoit,\"MyBrothertheHead—BeadleoftheHolyRomanEmpire,\"——\"ERZ—SANDSTREUER,\"whosolemnlybringsuptheSANDBOX(noblotting—paperyetinuse)whentheHolyRomanEmpireispleasedtowrite。\"ERZ—SANDSTREUER,Arch—Sandbox—BeadleoftheHEILIGEROMISCHEREICH;\"itisalumberingnickname,butintrinsicallynotwithoutfelicity,andthewittiestthingIknowoflittleGeorge。
Specialcauseofquarreltheyhadnonethatwasoftheleastsignificance;and,atthistime,prudentfriendswerestrivingtounitethemcloserandcloser,asthetruepolicyforboth;
EnglishTownshendhimselfratherwishingit,asthebestPrussianOfficialseagerlydid;QueenSophiepassionateforit;andonlyapurchasedGrumkow,aSeckendorfandtheTobacco—Parliamentsetagainstit。TheTreatyofWusterhausenwasnotknown;butthefactofsomeTreatymadeormaking,someImperialnegotiationalwaysgoingon,wastooevident;andFriedrichWilhelm’spartialitiestotheKaiserandhisSeckendorfcouldbeasecretnowhere。
Negotiationalwaysgoingon,wesay;forsuchindeedwasthecase,——theKaiserstrivingalwaystobelooseagain(havingexcellentreasons,asecretbargaintothecontrary,towit!)inregardtothatJulich—and—BergSuccession;proposing\"substitutesforJulichandBerg;\"andFriedrichWilhelmrefusingtoacceptanyimaginablesubstitute,anythingbutthearticleitself。Sothat,Ibelieve,theTreatyofWusterhausenwasneverperfectlyratified,afterall;buthung,forsomanyyears,alwaysonthepointofbeingso。ThesearetheusesofyourpurchasedGrumkow,andofridingthelengthofaTerrestrialEquatorkeepingaMajestyincompany。If,byaDouble—MarriagewithEngland,thatintricatewebofchicaneryhadbeenoncefairlyslitintwo,andnewcombinationsformed,onabasisnotoffast—and—loose,couldithavebeenofdisadvantagetoeitheroftheCountries,ortoeitheroftheirKings?——Realandgravecausesforagreementwefind;realorgravecausesforquarrelnoneanywhere。Butlightorimaginarycauses,whichbecameatlasteffectual,canbeenumerated,tothelengthofthreeorfour。
CAUSEFIRST:THEHANOVERJOINT—HERITAGES,WHICHARENOTINALIQUIDSTATE。
FIRST,the\"AhldenHeritage\"wasonecauseofdisagreement,whichlastedlong。ThepoorMotherofGeorgeII。andofQueenSophiehadleftconsiderableproperties;\"threemillionTHALERS,\"thatis900,000pounds,saysome;butallwasratherinanunliquidstate,notsomuchasherWillwastobehad。TheWill,witha10,000
poundsorso,wasinthehandsofacertainGrafvonBar,oneofherconfidantsinthatsadimprisonment:\"moneylenthim,\"
Buschingsays,[BeitragezurLebensgeschichtedenkwurdigerPersonen(Halle,1783—l789),i。306,?NUSSLER。SomedistractedfractionsofBusinessCorrespondencewiththisBar,inMemoirsofSophiaDorothea,——unintelligibleasusualthere。]\"tosetupaWax—BleacheryatCassel:\"——andthesaidCountvonBarwasoffwithit,TestamentaryPaperandall;gonetotheREICHSHOFRATHatVienna,supremeJudges,intheEmpire,ofsuchmatters。
Whoaccordinglyissuedhima\"Protection,\"tostartwith:sothatwhentheHanoverpeopleattemptedtolayholdofthequestionablewax—bleachingCount,atFrankfurt—on—Mayn,——secretlysending\"alieutenantandtwelvemen\"forthatobject,——heproducechisProtectionPaper,andthelieutenantandtwelvemenhadtohastenhomeagain。[Ibid。]CountvonBarhadtobetriedatlaw,——neveraskwithwhatresults;——andthisitselfwasalongstory。ThenastotheotherpropertiesofthepoorDuchess,questionarises,AretheyALLODIA,oraretheyFEUDA,——thatistosay,shalltheSonhavethem,ortheDaughter?Inshort,therewasnoendtoquestions。FriedrichWilhelmhasanEnvoyatHanover,oneKannegiesser,laboringatHauover,thesecondofsuchhehasbeenobligedtosend;whofindsplentyofemploymentinthatmatter。
\"MyBrothertheCOMODIANTquietlyputhisFather’sWillinhispocket,Ihaveheard;andpaidnoregardtoit(exceptwhathewascompelledtopay,byChesterfieldandothers):willhedothelikewithhispoorMother’sWill?\"Patience,yourMajesty:heisnotacovetousman,butaself—willedandaproud,——alwaysconscioustohimselfthatheisthesoulofhonor,thispoorBrotherKing!
Naywithal,beforethesetestamentarybickeringsaresettled,herehasanewJoint—Heritagefallen:onwhichmayrisediscussions。
PoorUncleErnstofOsnabruck——towhomGeorgeI。,chasedbyDeath,wentgallopingforshelterthatnight,andwhocouldonlyweepoverhispoorBrotherdead——hasnotsurvivedhimmanymonths。
TheyoungestBrotherofthelotisnowgonetoo。ElectressSophie’sSevenarenowallgone。Shehadsixsons:fourbecameAustriansoldiers,threeofwhomperishedinwarlongsince;
theotherthree,theBishop,theKing,theeldestoftheSoldiers,havealldiedwithintwoyears(1726—1728):[Michaelis,i。153。
SeeFeder,KurfurstinnSophie;Hoppe,GeschichtederStadtHannover;&c。]SophieCharlotte,\"RepublicanQueen\"ofPrussia,FriedrichWilhelm’sMother,whomweknewlongsince,wastheoneDaughter。HeralsoUncleErnstsawdie,inhisyouth,aswemayremember。Theyarealldead。AndnowtheHeritagesaretosettle,atleasttherecentpartofthem。LetKannegiesserkeephiseyesopen。Kannegiesserisanexperthigh—manneredman;butsaidtobesubjecttosharpnessoftemper;andnotinthebestfavorwiththeHanoverpeople。
ThatisCauseFIRST。
CAUSESECOND:THETROUBLESOFMECKLENBURG。
Then,secondly,thereisthebusinessofMecklenburg;deplorableBusinessforMecklenburg,andforeverybodywithinwindofit,——
mypoorreadersincluded。Readersremember——whatreadercaneverforget?——thatextraordinaryDukeofMecklenburg,the\"UniqueofHusbands,\"aswehadtocallhim,whocamEwithhisextraordinaryDuchess,towaitonherUnclePeter,theRussian(sayratherSAMOEIDIC)Czar,atMagdeburg,adozenyearsago?Wefeareditwasinthefateswemightmeetthatmanagain;andsoitturnsout!
TheUniqueofHusbandshasprovedalsotobetheunluckiestofMisgoverningDukesinhisEpoch;andspreadsmeretroubleallroundhim。Mecklenburgisinabadway,thislongwhile,especiallythesetenyearspast。\"OwingtotheCharles—TwelfthWars,\"orwhateveritwasowingto,thisunluckyDukehadfallenintowantofmoremoney;andimpoverishedMecklenburgallegedthatitwasinnoconditiontopaymore。Almostonhisaccession,whilethetar—barrelswerestillblazing,yearsbeforeweeversawhim,hedemandednewsubventionfromhisRITTERS(the\"Squires\"oftheCountry);subventionnewinMecklenburg,thoughcommoninothersovereignGermanStates,andatonetimeinMecklenburgtoo。
TheRitterswouldnotpay;theDukewouldcompelthem:
RittersappealtoKaiserinReichshofrath,whoprovesfavorabletotheRitters。DukestilldeclinesobeyingKaiser;assertsthat\"heishimselfinsuchmatterthesovereign:\"Kaiserfulminateswhatofrustythunderhehasabouthim;towhichtheDuke,flungonhisbackbyit,stillcontinuescontumaciousinmindandtongue:
andsobetweenthunderandcontumacy,asbetweenhammerandstithy,thepoorCountrywrithespainfullyeversince,andisanafflictiontoeverybodynearit。
Fortenyearspast,theunluckiestofMisgoverningDukeshasbeeninuttercontroversywithhisRitters;——atlawwiththembeforetheCourtsoftheEmpire,nayoccasionallytryingcertainofthemhimself,andcuttingofftheirheads;gettingRussianregiments,andthenobligedtorenounceRussianregiments;——inshort,averygreattroubletomankindthereabouts。[Michaelis,ii。416—435。]
SothattheKaiserinReichshofrath,aboutthedateindicated(Year1719),foundgoodtosendmilitarycoerciononhim;
andintrustedthatfunctiontotheHanover—Brunswickpeople,toGeorgeI。moreespecially;towhom,asKREIS—HAUPTMANN\"(\"CaptainoftheCircle,\"CircleofLower—Saxony,wherethecontumacyhadoccurred),suchfunctionnaturallyfell。TheHanoverSovereignty,sending13,000men,horse,footandartilleryintoMecklenburg,soondidtheirfunction,withonlysomeslightflourishesoffightingonthepartofthecontumaciousDuke,——inwhichhischiefCaptain,oneSchwerin,distinguisheshimself:KurtvonSchwerin,whomweshallknowbetterbyandby,forhewentintothePrussianserviceshortlyafter。ColonelvonSchwerindidwellwhatwasinhim;butcouldnotsavearefractoryDuke,againstsuchodds。
ThecontumaciousDukewasobligedtoflyhiscountry;——deposed,or,tobeginwith,suspended,aBrotherofhisbeingputinasinterimDuke:——andtheUniqueofHusbandsandparagonofMismanagingDukeslivesaboutDantzigeversince,onaPensionallowedhimbyhisinterimBrother;contumacioustothelast;
andstillstirringupstrife,thoughnowwithdiminishedmeans,UnclePeterbeingnowdead,andRussianhelpmuchcutoff。
TheHanoverSovereigntiesdidtheirfunctionsoonenough:
buttheir\"expensesforit,\"thesetheyhaveinvaindemandedeversince。NomoneytobegotfromMecklenburg;andMecklenburgowesus\"tentonsofgold,\"——thatistosay,1,000,000thalers,\"tou\"
beingthetenthpartofamillioninthatcoin。Hanover,therefore,holdspossession——andhasheldeversince,withcompetentsmallmilitaryforce——ofcertainDistrictsinMecklenburg:Taxesofthesewillsubsistoursoldieryintheinterim,andyieldinterest;theprincipaloncepaid,weatoncegivethemup;principal,bytheseschedules,ifyoucaretocountthem,isonemillionthalers(tenTONNENGOLDES,asabovesaid),orabout150,000pounds。Andsoithasstoodfortenyearspast;
Mecklenburgthemostanarchicofcountries,owingtothekindofRittersandkindofDukeithas。Poorsouls,itisevidenttheyhavealllosttheirbeatenroad,andgotamongtheIGNESFATUIandpeat—pools:noneknowsthenecessitiesandsorrowsofthispooridleDukehimself!Inhisyoungyears,beforeaccession,heoncetriedsoldiering;servedonecampaignwithCharlesXII。,butwasgladto\"returntoHamburg\"again,tothepeaceablescenesoffashionablelifethere。[SeeGermanSpy
(London,1725,byLediard,BiographerofMarlborough)foralivelypictureofthethenHamburg,——resortofNorthernMoneyedIdleness,aswellasofbetterthings。]ThenhisRussianUniqueofWives:——
hisprobableadventures,priorandsubsequent,inUnclePeter’ssphere,canthesehavebeenpleasanttohim?TheangryRitters,too,theircountryhadgotmuchtrampledtopiecesintheCharles—TwelfthWars,StralsundSieges:moneyseemednecessarytotheDuke,andtheRitterswereveryscarceofit。Add,onbothsides,prideandwantofsense,withmutualangergoingonCRESCENDO;andwehavethesadphenomenonnowvisible:ADukefledtoDantzig,anarchicRittersnonethebetterforhisgoing;
Dukeperhapsthreateningtoreturn,andmuchflurryinghispoorinterimBrother,andstirringuptheAnarchies:——inbrief,Mecklenburgbecomeahouseonfire,forbehoofofneighborsandself。
InthesemiserablebrabblesFriedrichWilhelmdidnothithertoofficiallyinterfere;thoughnotuninterestedinthem;beinganextneighbor,andeven,byknowntreaties,\"eventualheir,\"
shouldtheMecklenburgLinedieout。ButweknowhewasnotinfavorwiththeKaiser,inthoseoldyears;sothemilitarycoercionhadbeendonebyotherhands,andhehadnotsharedinthemanagementatall。Hemerelywatchedthecourseofthings;
alwaysadvisedtheDuketosubmittoLaw,andbepeaceable;
wassometimesrathersorryforhim,too,aswouldappear。
Lastyear,however(1728),——doubtlessitwasoneofSeckendorf’sminormeasures,doneinTobacco—Parliament,——FriedrichWilhelm,nowapetoftheKaiser’s,isdiscoveredtobefairlyconcernedinthatmatter;andisconjoinedwiththeHanover—BrunswickCommissionersforMecklenburg;KaiserspeciallyrequiringthathisPrussianMajestyshall\"helpinexecutingImperialOrders\"intheneighboringAnarchicCountry。WhichratherhuffedlittleGeorge,——
hitherto,since,hisFather’sdeath,theprincipal,orasgoodassoleCommissioner,——ifsobigaBritannicMajestyCOULDbehuffedbypaltryslightsofthatkind!FriedrichWilhelm,whohasmuchmeditatedMecklenburg,strainshisintellect,sometimestoanintensedegree,tofindoutwaysofsettlingit:George,whohasnevercaredtomeditateit,norbeenableifhehad,iscapableofsniffingscornfullyatFriedrichWilhelm’sprojectsonthematter,anddismissingthemasmoonshine。[DubourgayDespatchesandtheAnswerstothem(morethanonce)。]Toawisemuch—meditativeHouse—Mastiff,canthatbepleasant,fromanunthinkingdizenedcreatureoftheApespecies?ThetroublesofMecklenburg,anddiscrepanciesthereupon,arecapableofbecomingaSECONDsourceofquarrel。
CAUSESTHIRDANDFOURTH:——ANDCAUSEFIFTH,WORTHALLTHEOTHERS。
CauseTHIRDistheoldstoryofrecruiting;astandingcausebetweenPrussiaandallitsneighbors。AndtheFOURTHcauseisthetiniestofall:the\"MeadowofClamei。\"MeadowofClamei,somesquareyardsofboggyground;which,afterlongstudy,onedoesfindtoexistintheobscurestmanner,discoverableinthebestMapsofGermany,——sometwentymilessouthoftheElberiver,ontheboundarybetweenHanover—LuneburgandPrussia—Magdeburg,dubiousonwhichsideoftheboundary。LonesomeunknownPatchofMeadow,lyingfaramidpeatywildernessesinthoseSalzwedelregions:unknowntoallwritingmortalsasyet;butwhichthreatens,inthissummerof1729,tobecomefamousasRunnymeadamongtheMeadowsofHistory!AndtheFIFTHcause——Inshort,therewasnoreal\"cause\"oftheleastmagnitude;theeffectwasproducedbythecombinationofmanysmallandimaginaryones。
Forifthereisawilltoquarrel,weknowthereisaway。
AndperhapstheFIFTHnamablecause,inefficiencyworthalltheotherstogether,mightbefoundintheDebatesoftheSmokingParliamentthatseason,weretheJournalofitsProceedingsextant!Wegathersymptoms,indisputableenough,ofverydiligentelaborationsandinsinuationsthere;andconcludethattohavebeenthereallyeffectivecause。CloudshadrisenbetweenthetwoCourts;butexceptfortheTobacco—Parliament,therenevercouldhavethundercomefromthem。
VerysoonafterGeorge’saccessiontherebegancloudstorise;
theperfectlyaccomplishedlittleGeorgeassumingasevereandhighairtowardshisrusticBrother—in—Law。\"WecannotstandthesePrussianenlistmentsandencroachments;rectifythese,inahighandseveremanner!\"saysGeorgetohisHanoverOfficials。
Georgeisnotwarmonhisthronetilltherecomesin,accordingly,fromtheHanoverOfficialsaComplainttothateffect,andevenaListofHanoveriansubjectswhoare,owingtovariousinjustices,nowservinginthePrussianranks:\"YourPrussianMajestyisrequestedtoreturnusthesemen!\"
ThisListisdated22dJanuary,1728;Georgeonlyafewmonthsoldinhisnewauthorityasyet。ThePrussianMajestygrumblespainfullyresponsive:\"Will,witheagerness,dowhateverisjust;
mostsurely!ButishisBritannicMajestyaware?HanoverOfficialsarequitemisinformedastothecircumstances;\"——anddoesnotreturnanyofthemen。Merelyapacificgrumble,andnothingdoneinregardtothecomplaints。ThenthereistheMeadowofClameiwhichwespokeof:\"ThatbelongstoBrandenburg,yousay?
NeverthelessthecontiguouspartsofHanoverhaverightsuponit。
Some’eightcart—loadsofhay,’worthsayalmost5poundsor10
poundssterling:whoistomowthatgrass,Iwonder?\"——