第24章
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  andtheirtwoorbitsneverintersectedagain。——Someforty—fivemilessouthofAugsburg,uptheWertachRiver,moreproperlyuptheMindelRiver,liesMindelheim,onceanameknowninEnglandandinPrussia;oncetheDukeofMarlborough’s\"Principality:\"

  givenhimbyagratefulKaiserJoseph;takenfromhimbyanecessitousKaiserKarl,Joseph’sBrother,thatnowis。IknownotifhisMajestyremembersthattransaction,nowwhileintheselocalities;butknowwell,ifhedoes,hemustthinkitashabbyone。

  Onthesameday,1stAugust,1730,wequitAugsburg;setoutfairlyhomewardsagain。Theroutebendswestwardthistime;

  towardsFrankfurt—on—Mayn;thereyachtsaretobeready;andmeresailingthenceforth,gallantlydowntheRhine—stream,——suchayacht—voyage,inthesummerweather,withnoTouristsyetinfestingit,——toend,happilywewillhope,atWesel,inthereviewofregiments,andotherbusiness。Firststage,firstpause,istobeatLudwigsburg,andthewickedoldDukeofWurtemberg’s;

  thitherfirstfromAugsburg。WecrosstheDonauatDillingen,atGunzberg,orIknownotwhere;andbyto—morrow’ssunset,beingrapidtravellers,findourselvesatLudwigsburg,——clearthroughCanstatt,Stuttgard,andcertainlynoKattewaitingthere!

  Safeacrosstheintermediateuplands,herearewefairlyintheNeckarCountry,intheBasinoftheRhineagain;andoldDukeEberhardLudwigofWurtembergbiddinguskindlywelcome,pooroldbewilderedcreature,whohasbecomethetalkofGermanyinthosetimes。WillEnglishreadersconsenttoamomentaryglanceintohisaffairsandhim?StrangethingsaregoingonatLndwigsburg;

  naytheoriginofLudwigsburg,andthattheDukeshouldbethereandnotatStuttgard,isitselfstrange。LetustakethisExcerpt,headedLUDWIGSBURGin1730,andthenhastenon:——

  LUDWIGSBURGIN1730。

  \"DukeEberhardLudwig,nowanelderlygentlemanoffifty—four,hasdistinguishedhimselfinhislongreign,notbypoliticalobliquitiesandobstinacies,thoughthosealsowerenotwanting,butbymatrimonialandamatory;whichhaverenderedhimconspicuoustohisfellows—creatures,andstillkeephimmentionableinHistory,brieflyandforasadreason。

  DukeEberhardLudwigwasdulyweddedtoanirreproachablePrincessofBaden—Durlach(JohannaElizabeth)upwardsofthirtyyearsago;

  andhedulyproducedoneSoninconsequence,withothergoodresultstohimselfandher。ButincourseoftimeDukeEberhardLudwigtooktoconsortingwithbadcreatures;took,infact,toswashingaboutatrandominthepoolofamatoryiniquity,asiftherehadbeennolawknown,oroftheleastvalidity,inthatmatter。

  \"Perceivingwhich,acertainyoungfellow,Gravenitzbyname,whohadcometohimfromtheMecklenbnrgregions,bywayofpushingfortune,andhadgotsomepageshiporthelikehereinWurtemberg,recollectedthathehadayoungSisterathome;prettyandartful,whoperhapsmightdoastrokeofworkhere。HesendsfortheyoungSister;veryprettyindeed,andagentlewomanbybirth,thoughpenniless。Heborrowsclothesforher(byonerouscontractwiththehaberdashers,itissaid,beingpoortoadegree);heeasilygetsherintroducedtotheDucalSoirees;bidsher——Sheknowswhattodo?Rightwellsheknowswhat;catches,withherpiquantface,thedulleyeofEberhardLudwig,kindlesEberhardLudwig,andwillnotforsomethingquenchhim。Notsheatall:HowcanSHE;yourSereneHighness,askhernot!Avirtuousyounglady,she,andcomeofastainlessFamily!——Inbrief,shehooks,sheofallthefishesinthepool,thislumberofaDuke;enchantshim,keepshimhooked;andhasmadesuchapennyworthofhim,forthelasttwentyyearsandmore,asGermanycannotmatch。[Michaelis,iii。440。]

  HerbrotherGravenitzthepagehasbecomeCountGravenitztheprimeminister,orchiefoftheGoverningCabal;sheCountessGravenitzandAutocratofWurtemberg。Loadedwithwealth,withso—calledhonors,sheandhers,theregothey,flauntingsky—high;

  noneelseadmittedtomorethanthelibertyofbreathinginsilenceinthisDuchy;——thepoorDukeEberhardLudwigmakingnocomplaint;obedientasachildtothebiddingofhisGravenitz。

  HeisbecomeamereenchantedsimulacrumofaDuke;bewitchedunderworsethanThessalianspells;withoutfacultyofwilling,exceptasshewills;hisPeopleandhetheplaythingofthisCirceorHecate,thathasgotholdofhim。Soithaslastedforabovetwentyyears。GravenitzhasbecomethewonderofGermany;

  andrequires,onthesebadgrounds,aslightmentioninHumanHistoryforsometimetocome。CertainlyitisbytheGravenitzalonethatEberhardLudwigisremembered;andyet,downsinceUlrichwiththeThumb,[UlricusPOLLEX(rightthumbbiggerthanleft);diedA。D。1265(Michaelis,iii。262)。]whichofthosesereneabstruseBeutelsbachers,alwaysanabstruseobstinateset,hassofixedhimselfinyourmemory?——

  \"MostpersonsinWurtemberg,forquiet’ssake,havecompliedwiththeGravenitz;thoughnotwithoutprotest,andsometimesspokenprotest。ThustheRightReverendOsiander(letusnameOsiander,HeadoftheChurchinWurtemberg)flatlyrefusedtohavehernameinsertedinthePublicPrayers;’Isnotshealreadyprayedfor?’

  saidOsiander:’Dowenotsay,DELIVERUSFROMEVIL?’saidtheindignantProtestantman。Andthereisoneotherpersonthatneverwillcomplywithher:thelawfulWifeofEberhardLudwig。

  SereneLady,shehashadasadexistenoeofit;thevoiceofherwrongsaudible,tolittlepurpose,thislongwhile,inHeavenandonEarth。Butitisnotinthepowerofrewardorpunishmenttobendherfemalewillintheessentialpoint:’Divorce,yourHighness?When_I_amfoundguilty,yes。Tillthen,never,yourHighness,never,never,’insteadvCRESCENDOtone:——sothathisHighnessisgladtoescapeagain,anddropthesubject。OnwhichtheSereneLadyagainfallssilent。Gravenitz,infact,hopesalwaystobeweddedwiththeright,naywereitonlywiththelefthand:andthisSereneLadystandslikeafatefulmonumentirremovablyintheway。TheSereneLadysteadilyinhabitsherownwingoftheDucalHouse,wouldnotexchangeitforthePalaceofAladdin;looksoutthereuponthegrandequipages,highdoings,impuresplendorsofherDukeandhisGravenitzwithaclear—eyedsilence,whichseemstosaymoreeloquentlythanwords,’MENE,MENE,YOUareweighed!’InthelandofWurtemberg,orundertheSun,isnorewardorpunishmentthatcanabatethissilence。

  Speakofdivorce,theanswerisasabove:leavedivorcelying,thereissilencelookingforthclear—eyedfromthatparticularwingofthePalace,onthingswhichthegodspermitforatime。

  \"Clear—eyedsilence,which,astherewasnoabatingofit,grewatlastintolerabletothetwosinners。’Letusremove,’saidtheGravenitz,’sinceherSereneHighnesswillnot:buildanewcharmingPalace,——sayatourHuntingSeat,amongthosepleasantHillsintheWaiblingenregion,——andtaketheCourt,outthither。’

  Andtheyhavedoneso,intheselatebadyears;takingoutwiththembydegreesalltheCourtierGentry,alltheRATHS,GovernmentBoards,publicbusinesses;andbuildingnewhousesforthem,there。[\"From1727to1730\"wasthislatterremoval。

  Ahunting—lodge,ofEberhardLudwig’sbuilding,andnamedbyhimLUGWIGSBURG,stoodheresince1705;nucleusofthesubsequentpalace,withits\"Pheasantries,\"its\"Favoritas,\"&c。&c。

  Theplacehadoriginallybeenmonastic(Busching,

  Erdbeschreibung,vi。1519)。]Founding,infact,asecondCapitalforWurtemberg,withwhatdistress,sulkymiseryanddisarrangement,toStuttgardandtheoldCapital,readerscanfancy。Thereitstands,thatLudwigsburg,thesecondCapitalofWurtemberg,sometenortwentymilesfromStuttgardthefirst:

  alastingmemorialofCirceGravenitzandherLudwig。Hasnotshe,byherincantations,madethestonehousesdanceouthither?

  Itremainstothisdayapleasanttown,andoccasionalresidenceofsovereignty。WAIBLINGEN,withinanhour’sride,hasgotmemorabilityonothergrounds;——whatreaderhasnotheardofGHIBELLINES,meaningWaiblingens?AndinanotherhouruptheRiver,youwillcometoBeutelsbachitself,whereUlrichwiththeThumbhadhisabode(betterlucktohim!),andgeneratedthisLoveroftheGravenitz,andmuchothernonsenseloudnowandthenforthelastfourcenturiesintheworld!——

  \"ThereissomethingofabstruseinalltheseBeutelsbachers,fromUlrichwiththeThumbdownwards:amuteennui,aninexorableobstinacy;acertainstreakofnaturalgloomwhichnoilluminationcanabolish。Veracityofallkindsisgreatinthem;sullenpassivecourageplentyofit;activecouragerarer;articulateintellectdefective:henceastrangestiffperversityofconductvisibleamongthem,oftenmarringwhatwisdomtheyhave;——itistheroyalstampofFateputuponthesemen。Whatarecalledfatefulorfatedmen;suchasareoftenseenonthetopplacesoftheworld,makinganindifferentfigurethere。Somethingofthis,Idoubtnot,isconcernedinEberhardLudwig’sfascination;andweshallseeotherinstancesfartherdowninthisHistory。

  \"Butso,fortwentyyears,theabsurdDuke,transformedintoamerePorcusbyhisCirceinthatscandalousmiraculousmanner,haslived;andsohestilllives。AndhisSereneWife,equallyobstinate,islivingatStuttgard,happilyoutofhissightnow。

  OneSon,aweaklyman,whohadoneheir,buthasnownone,isheronlycomfort。HisWifeisaPrussianMargravine(FriedrichWilhelm’sHALF—AUNT),andcultivatesCalvinismintheLutheranCountry:thisHusbandofhers,hetoohasanabstruselife,notlikelytolast。Weneednotdoubt’theFates’arebusy,andtheevildemons,withthosepoorfellow—beings!NayitissaidtheCirceisbecomingmuchofaHecatenow;ifthebewitchedDukecouldseeit。Sheisgettinghaggardbeyondthepowerofrouge;

  hermind,anymindshehas,moreandmorefilledwithspleen,malice,andthedregsofpriderunsour。Adisgustingcreature,testifiesoneEx—Officialgentleman,onceaHofrathunderher,butobligedtorunforlife,andinvokefreepressinhisdefence:

  [ApologiedeMonsieurForstnerdeBreitembourg,&c。(Paris,1716;or\"aLondres,auxdepensdelaCompagnie,1745\"):inSpittler,GeschichteWurtembergs

  (SpittlersWERKE,StuttgardundTubingen,1828;vol。v。),497—539。

  Michaelis,iii。428—439,gives(inabstruseChanceryGerman)aSequeltothisfineaffairofForstner’s。]noendtothefoulthingsshewillsay,ofanunspeakablenature,abouttheveryDukehervictim,testifiesthisEx—Official:maliciousasawitch,sayshe,andasuglyasoneinspiteofpaint,——’TOUJOURSUNLAVEMENTA

  SESTROUSSES。’GoodHeavens!\"

  ButhereistheaugustPrussianTravelling—Party:shoveasideyourbewitchmentsandbewilderments;hangadecentscreenovermanythings!PoorEberhardLudwig,whoisinfinitelythegentleman,bestirshimselfagooddealtowelcomeoldroyalfriends;nordowehearthattheleastthingwentawryduringthistransitoftheroyalties。\"FieldofBlenheim,saysyourMajesty?Ahme!\"——

  ForEberhardLudwigknowsthatground;stoodtheWorld—Battlethere,andsomuchhascomeandgonesincethen:Ahmeindeed!

  FriedrichWilhelmandhehavemetbeforethis,andhavemuchtotelloneanother;TreatyofSevillebynomeanstheironlytopic。

  Naythefloodofcordialitywentatlengthsofar,thatatlastFriedrichWilhelm,theconscientiousKing,cameuponthemostintimatetopics:Gravenitz;theWordofGod;scandaltotheProtestantReligion:nolikelyheirtoyourDukedom;clearperiltoyourownsoul。IsnotherSereneHighnessanunexceptionableLady,heroicundersorewoes;andyourweddedWifeaboveall?——

  ’M—NA,andmightbringHeirstoo:onlyfortycomeOctober:——

  AhDuke,ahFriend!AVISEZLAFIN,EberhardLudwig;considertheendofitall;wearegrowingoldfellowsnow!TheDuke,Iconceive,whowasratherafatlittleman,blushedblue,thenred,andvariouscolors;atlengthsettlingintosteadypale,asitwere,indicatinganthraciticwhite—heat:itiscertainhesaidatlength,withemphasis,\"Iwill!\"Andhedidso,byandby。

  FriedrichWilhelmsentamessengertoStuttgardtodohisreverencetothehighinjuredLadythere,perhapstoshowherafaroffsomerayofhopeifshecouldendure。EberhardLudwig,raisedtoawhite—heat,perceivesthatinfactheisheartilytiredofthisCirce—Hecate;thatinfactshehaslongbeenanintolerablenightmaretohim,couldhebuthaveknownit。

  AndhisRoyalHighnesstheCrown—Princeallthiswhile?Well,yes;

  hisRoyalHighnesshasgotaCourtTailoratLudwigsburg;and,inallprivacy(seenwellbyRochow),hashadtheAugsburgredclothcutintoafineupperwrappage,overcoatorroquelaureforhimself;intendingtousethesamebeforelong。Thustheyseverally,theFatherandtheSon;thesearetheirknownactsatLudwigsburg,ThattheFatherpersuadedEberhardLudwigoftheGravenitzenormity,andthattheSongothisredtop—coatready。

  OnThursday,3dofAugust(lateintheafternoon,asIperceive),they,wellentertained,departtowardsMannheim,Kur—Pfalz(ElectorPalatine)oldKarlPhilipofthePfalz’splace;hopetobethereonthemorrowsometime,ifallgowell。GloomymuchenlightenedEberhardtakesleaveofthem,withabstrusebutgratefulfeelings;willstandbytheKaiser,anddismissthatGravenitznightmarebythefirstopportunity。

  Asaccordinglyhedid。NextSummer,goingonavisitnorthward,speciallytoBerlin,[Thereforsomethreeweeks,\"till9thJune,1731,withasuiteofabovefiftypersons\"(Fassmann,pp。421,422)。]heleftorderthattheGravenitzwastobegotoutofhissight,safestowedaway,beforehisreturn。Whichbytheproperofficers,militarycertainofthem,wasaccomplished,——byfixedbayonetsatlast,andnotwithoutfutiledemuronthepartoftheGravenitz。PoorEberhardLudwig,\"hepublishedinthepulpits,Thathewasnowmindedtoleadabetterlife,\"——hadtimenowbeenlefthim。Sameyear,1731,Novemberbeingcome,gloomyEberhardLudwiglost,notunexpectedly,hisoneSon,——theoneGrandsonwasgonelongsince。TheserenesteadfastDuchessnowhadherDukeagain,whatwasleftofhim:buthewasfallenintothesereandyellowleaf;intwoyearsmore,hediedchildless;[31stOctober,1733:Michaelis,iii。441。]andhisCousin,KarlAlexander,anAustrianFeldmarschallofrepute,succeededinWurtemberg。

  Withwhomwemaytransientlymeet,intimecoming;withwhom,andperhapslesspleasantlywithcertainofhischildren;fortheycontinuetothisday,——withtheoldabstruseelementstilltootraceableinthem。

  OldKarlPhilip,KurfurstofthePfalz,towardswhomFriedrichWilhelmisnowdriving,withintenttobethereto—morrowevening,isnotquiteastrangertoreadershere;andtoFriedrichWilhelmheismuchthereverse,perhapstoomuch。ThisishewhoranawaywithpoorPrinceSobieski’sBridefromBerlin,atstartinginlife;whofelluponhisownpoorProtestantHeidelbergersandtheirChurchoftheHolyGhost(beinghimselfPapist,eversincethatslaponthefacetohisancestor);andwhohasbeeninmanyquarrelswithFriedrichWilhelmandothers。Ahighexpensivesovereigngentleman,thisoldKarlPhilip;not,Ishouldsuppose,thepleasantestofmentolodgewith。Oneapprehends,hecannotbepeculiarlywelldisposedtoFriedrichWilhelm,afterthatsadHeidelbergpassageoffence,twelveorelevenyearsago。NottomentiontheinextricableJulich—and—Bergbusiness,whichisastandingcontroversybetweenthem。

  PooroldKurfurst,heisnowwithinayearofseventy。Hehashadcrossesandlosses;terriblecampaigningsagainsttheTurk,inoldtimes;andalwayssuchastockofquarrels,athome,asmusthavebeenstillworsetobear。Alifeofperpetualarguing,squabblingandbattling,——one’sneighborsbeingsuchanunreasonableset!

  BrabblesaboutHeidelbergCatechism,andChurchoftheHolyGhost,sothatforeignKingsinterfered,shakingtheirwhipsuponus。

  Thenbrabblesaboutboundaries;aboutinheritances,anddetachedpropertiesverymany,——clearlymine,weretheneighborsreasonable!InfactthissovereignoldgentlemanhasbeenintheKaiser’scourts,orevenontheedgeoffight,oftenerthanmostothermen;anditisasifthatfirstadventure,oftheSobieskiweddingturnedtopsy—turvy,hadbeensymbolicalofmuchthatfollowedinhislife。

  WerememberthatunpleasantHeidelbergaffair:howhopefulitoncelooked;factDONE,ChurchoftheHolyGhostfairlyours;

  yourCORPUSEVANGELICORUMfallenquasi—dead;andnothingnowforitbutprotocollingbydiplomatists,pleadingintheDietsbymeninbombazine,neverlikeendingatall;——whenFriedrichWilhelmdidsuddenlyendit;suddenlylockeduphisownCatholicestablishmentsandrevenues,andquietlyinexorableputthekeyinhispocket;asitwere,drewhisownwhip,witha\"WillyouwhipMYJew?\"——andwehadtocoweroutoftheaffair,Kaiserhimselforderingus,inamosthumiliatedmanner!ReaderscanjudgewhetherKur—PfalzwaslikelytohaveakindlynoteofFriedrichWilhelminthatcornerofhismemory。ThepoormanfeltsodisgustedwithHeidelberg,hequitteditsoonafter。HewouldnotgotoDusseldorf(intheBerg—and—Julichquarter),ashisForefathersusedtodo;butsetuphisabodeatMannheim,wherehestillis。FriedrichWilhelm,whowasfarfrommeaningharmorinsolenceinthatHeidelbergaffair,hopesthereisnogrudgeremaining。Butsostandthefacts:itistowardsMannheim,nottowardsHeidelbergthatwearenowtravelling!——Fortherest,thisschemeofreprisals,orwhippingyourJewifyouwhipmine,answeredsowell,FriedrichWilhelmhasusedit,orthreatenedtouse,astherealmethod,eversince,whereneedful;andhassavedtherebymuchbombazineeloquence,andconfusiontomankind,onseveraloccasions。

  ButtheworstbetweenthesetwoHighGentlemenisthatJulich—and—Bergcontroversy;whichisasorestillrunning,andbeyondreachofprobablesurgery。OldKarlPhiliphasnomaleHeir;andisliketobe(whatheindeedproved)thelastoftheNEUBERGElectorsPalatine。Whattroublethererosewiththefirstofthem,aboutthatsadbusiness;andhowthethenBrandenburger,muchwroughtupon,smotethethenNeuburgeracrosstheveryface,anddrovehimintoCatholicism,wehavenotforgotten;howcanweever?——Itisonehundredandsixteenyearssincethatafter—dinnerscene;and,OHeavens,whatbickeringandbrabblingandconfusednegotiationtherehasbeen;lawyers’pensgoingalmostcontinuallyeversince,shadowingoutthemutualdarknessofsovereignties;

  andfromtimetotimethemilitaryimplementsbrandishingthemselves,thoughloathgenerallytodrawblood!Forahundredandsixteenyears:——buttheFinalBargain,lyingonparchmentinthearchivesofbothparties,andalwaysacknowledgedasfinal,wastothiseffect:\"YousereneNeuburgkeepwhatyouhavegot;

  wesereneBrandenburgthelike:Clevewithdetachedpertinentsours;Julich—and—Bergmainlyyours。Andletusliveinperpetualamityonthatfooting。And,noteonlyfurthermore,whenourLinefails,thewholeofthesefineDuchiesshallbeyours:ifyourLinefail,ours。\"Thatwastheplainbargain,donesolemnlyin1624,andagainmoresolemnlyandbroughttoparchmentwithsignaturein1666,asFriedrichWilhelmknowstoowell。Andnowtheverycaseisabouttooccur;thisoldman,childlessatseventy,isthelastoftheNeuburgs。Maynotonereasonablypretendthatabargainshouldbekept?

  \"Tush,\"answersoldKarlPhilipalways:\"Bargain?\"Andwillnothearreasonagainsthimselfonthesubject;notevenwhentheKaiseraskshim,——astheKaiserreallydid,afterthatWusterhausenTreaty,butcouldgetonlynegatives。KarlPhiliphasnoromanticideasofjustice,orofoldparchmentstyingupaman。

  KarlPhiliphadoneDaughterbythatdearRadzivilPrincess,Sobieski’sstolenBride;andhenever,bythedearRadzivilorherdearsuccessor,[SeeBuchholz,i。61n。]hadanyson,orotherdaughterthatlivedtowed。OneDaughter,wesay;afirst—born,extremelyprecioustohim。HerhemarriedtotheyoungfortunateSulzbachCousin,KarlJosephHeir—ApparentofSulzbach,who,byalllaws,wastosucceedinthePfalzaswell,——KarlPhilipthinkingfurthermore,\"Heandshe,pleaseHeaven,shallholdfastbyDusseldorftoo,andthatfineJulich—and—BergTerritory,whichismine。Bargains?\"Suchwas,andis,theoldman’sinflexiblenotion。Alas,thisoneDaughterdiedlately,andherHusbandlately;[Shein1728;hein1729:theireldestDaughterwasborn1721(Hubner,t。140;Michaelis,ii。101,123)。]againleavingonlyDaughters;willnotthischangethenotion?Notawhit,——

  thoughFriedrichWilhelmmayhavefondlyhopeditbypossibilitymight,Notawhit:KarlPhilipcherisheshislittleGrand—daughter,nowachildofnine,ashedidherMotherandherMother’sMother;hopesonedaytoseeherwedded(ashedid)toanewHeir—ApparentofthePfalzandSulzbach;and,forherbehoof,willholdfastbyBergandJulich,andpartwithnosquareinchofitforanyparchment。

  WhatisFriedrichWilhelmtodo?Seekjusticeforhimselfbyhis80,000menandtheironramrods?Apparentlyhewillnotgetitotherwise。Heisloathtobeginthatterriblegame。IfindeedEuropedotakefire,asislikelyatSevilleorelsewhere——Butinthemeanwhilehowhappyifnegotiationwouldbutserve!Alas,andiftheKaiser,England;Hollandandtheothers,couldbebroughttoguaranteeme,——asindeedtheyshould(toavoidaCASUSBELLI),andsomeofthemhavesaidtheywill!FriedrichWilhelmtriedthisJulich—and—BergProblembythepacificmethod,allhislife;

  strenuously,andwithouteffect。Resultperhapswascomingnevertheless;atthedistanceofanotherhundredyears!——OnethingIknow:whateverrectitudeandpatience,whatevercourage,perseverance,orotherhumanvirtuehehasputintothisoranothermatter,isnotlost;notitnoranyfractionofit,toFriedrichWilhelmandhissons’sons;butwillwellavailhimandthem,ifnotsoon,thenlater,ifnotinBergandJulich,theninsomeotherquarteroftheUniverse,whichisawideEntityandalong—lived!Courage,yourMajesty!

  SostandmattersasFriedrichWilhelmjourneystowardsMannheim:

  humanpolitenesswillhavetocloakwell,andkeepwelldown,agoodmanypricklypointsinthevisitahead。Alas,poorFriedrichWilhelmhasgotothermattertothinkof,bythetimewearriveinMannheim。

  CATASTROPHEONJOURNEYHOMEWARDS。

  TheRoyalParty,quittingLudwigsburg,——onThursday,3dAugust,1730,somehoursafterdinner,asIcalculateit,——hadbutarathershortjourneybeforethem:journeytoaplacecalledSinzheim,somefiftyorsixtymiles;alongwayshortofHeidelberg;theKing’spurposebeingtolodgeinthatdilapidatedsilentTownofSinzheim,andleavebothHeidelbergandMannheim,withtheircivicnoises,forthenextday’swork。Sinzheim,suchwastheprogram,asthePrinceandothersunderstoodit;butbysomeaccident,oronbettercalculation,itwasotherwisedecidedintheroyalmind:notatSinzheim,intricatedecayedoldTown,shallwelodgeto—night,butfiveorsixmilesshortofit,inthenaturallysilentVillageofSteinfurth,wheregoodcleanemptyBarnsaretobefound。WhichlatterisafavoritemethodofhisMajesty,fondalwaysoffreeairandtheabsenceoffuss。

  Shake—downs,atemporarycookingapparatus,plentyoftobacco,andatubtowashin:thisiswhatmanrequires,andthiswithoutdifficultycanbegot。HisMajesty’stastesaresimple;

  simple,andyetgoodandhuman。HereisasmallRoyalOrder,whichIreadonce,andeversinceremember,——thoughthereferenceisnowblownaway,andlostinthoseunindexedSibyllineFarragos,theterrorofhumannature;——letuscopyitfrommemory,tillsomedelivererarisewithfingeronpage。[ProbablyinRodenbeck’sBeitrage,——butlongsadsearchingthere,andelsewhere,provesunavailingatpresent。HistoricalFarragoswithoutINDEX;ahundred,orseveralhundred,blindsacksofHistoricalclippings,generallyauthentictooifuseless,andnottheleastscrapofLABELonthem:——arenottheseahandyarticle!]

  \"AtMagdeburg,onthisReview—Journey,havedinnerforme,underacertainTreeyouknowof,outsidetheramparts。\"Dinnerofonesoundportionsolid,onedittoliquid,oftheduequality;readiedhonestly,——andtobeeatenunderashadyTree;ontheReview—grounditself,withthesummerskyoverone’shead。

  CouldJupiterTonans,hadhebeentravellingonbusinessinthoseparts,havedonebetterwithhisdinner?——

  \"AtSinzheim?\"thinkshisRoyalHighness;andhasspokenprivilytothePageKeith。Toglideoutoftheirquartersthere,inthatwastenegligentoldTown(wherepost—horsescanbehad),inthegrayofthesummer’sdawn?AcrosstheRhinetoSpeyerisbutthreehoursriding;thencetoLandau,intoFrance,into——?Enough,PageKeithhasundertakentogethorses,andtheflightshallatlastbe。Husht,husht。To—morrowmorning,beforethesparrowwake,itisourdeterminationtobeupontheroad!

  RuinsoftheTowerofStauffen,HOHENorHighSTAUFFEN,whereKaiserBarbarossalivedonce,youngandruddy,andwasnotyetaMYTH,\"winkingandnoddingundertheHillatSalzburg,\"——yes,itisbutafewmilestotherightthere,werethisadeliberatetouringparty。Butthisisarapiddrivingone;knowsnothingaboutStauffen,caresnothing。——WecannotfancyFriedrichrememberedBarbarossaatall;ormuchregardedHeilbronnitself,theprincipalandonlyfamousTowntheypassthisday。TheSt。

  Kilian’sChurch,yourHighness,andbigstonegiantatthetopofthesteepleyonder,——adventurousmasonsandslaterpeoplegetuponthecrownofhishead,sometimes,andstandwavingflags。

  [Buddaus,Lexicon,ii。?Heilbronn。]

  TheTownhousetoo(RATHHAUS),withitsamazingoldClock?

  AndGotzvonBerlichingen,theTown—Councillorsoncehadhiminprisonforonenight,inthe\"Gotz’sTower\"here;yourHighnesshasheardof\"GotzwiththeIronHand\"?BerlichingensstillliveatJaxthausen,fartherdowntheNeckarValley,intheseparts;

  andshowtheoldHAND,considerablyrustednow。Heilbronn,themostfamousCityontheNeckar;anditsoldmiraculousHolyWell——?WhatcareshisHighness!Weinsbergagain,whichisbutafewmilestotherightofus,——thereitwasthattheBesiegedWivesdidthatastonishingfeat,600yearsago;comingout,asthecapitulationbore,\"withtheirmostvaluableproperty,\"eachbroughtherHusbandonherback(werenotthefactalittleuncertain!)——wherebytheoldCastlehas,tothisday,thename\"WEIBERTREUE,FaithfulnessofWomen。\"Welf’sDuchess,Husbandonback,wasattheheadofthosewomen;aHohenzollernancestorofyours,IthinkIhaveheard,wasofthebesiegingparty。[Siegeisnotoriousenough;A。D。1140:KohlerReichshistorie,p。167,whodoesnotmentionthestoryofthewomen;

  Menzel(Wolfgang),GeschichtederDeutschen,

  p。287,whotakesnonoticethatitisahighlymythicalstory,——

  supportedonlybythetestimonyofonepoorMonkinKoln,vaguelychroniclingfiftyyearsafterdateandatthatgooddistance。]

  Alas,thinkshisRoyalHighness,istherenotaflowerofWelfdomnowinEngland;andI,unluckiestofHohenzollerns,stillfarawayfromherhere!ItisatWindsor,notinWeinsberg,oramongtheruinsofWEIBERTREUE,thathisHighnesswishestobe。

  AtHeilbronnourroadbranchesofftotheleft;andwerolldiligentlytowardsSinzheim,calculatingtobetherebeforenightfall。Whew!SomethinghasgoneawryatSinzheim:norightlodginginthewasteInnsthere;orgoodcleanBarns,ofapromisingcharacter,aretobehadnearerthanthere:

  weabsolutelydonotgotoSinzheimto—night;wearetostopatSteinfurth,asmallquietHamletwithBarns,fourorfivemilesshortofthat!ThiswasagreatdisappointmenttothePrince,——andsomesay,ahighlymomentouscircumstanceinhisHistory:[\"MightperhapshavesucceededatSinzheim\"(Seckendorf’s

  RelationoftheCrown—Prince’smeditatedFlight,

  p。2;——addressedtoPrinceEugenefewdaysafterwards;giveninForster,iii。1—13)。]——however,heralliesinthecourseoftheevening;speaksagaintoPageKeith。\"Steinfurth[STONY—FORD,overtheBrookhere];beitatSteinfurth,allthesame!\"PageKeithwillmanagetogethorsesforushere,noless。AndSpeyerandtheFerryoftheRhinearewithinthreehours。Favorus,Silenceandallyegoodgenii!——

  OnFridaymorning,4thAugust,1730,\"usualhourofstarting,3A。M。,\"notbeingyetcame,theRoyalPartyliesasleepintwocleanairyBarns,facingoneanother,intheVillageofSteinfurth;Barnsfacingoneanother,withtheHeidelbergHighwayandVillageGreenasleepinfrontbetweenthem;[CompareWilhelmina,i。259(herAccountoftheFlight:\"HearditfrommyBrother,\"——andreportitlooselyafteradozenyears!)。]foritislittleaftertwointhemorning,thedawnhardlybeginningtobreak。PrinceFriedrich,withhisTrioofVigilance,Buddenbrock,Waldau,Rochow,liesinoneBarn;Majesty,withhisSeckendorfandparty,isintheother:apparentlyallstilllockedinsleep?

  Notall:PrinceFriedrich,forexample,isawake;——theTrioisindeedaudiblyasleep;unlessotherswatchforthem,theirsixeyesareclosed。Friedrichcautiouslyrises;dresses;takeshismoney,hisnewredroquelaure,unboltstheBarn—door,andwalksout。TrioofVigilanceissoundasleep,andknowsnothing:

  alas,TrioofVigilance,whileitsownsixeyesareclosed,hasappointedanotherpairtowatch。

  GummersbachtheValetcomestoRochow’sbolster:\"Hst,HerrOberst—Lieutenant,pleaseawaken!PrinceRoyalisup,hasonhistop—coat,andisgoneoutofdoors!\"Rochowstartstohishabiliments,orperhapshasthemreadyon;inaminuteortwo,Rochowalsoisforthintothegrayofthemorning;——findstheyoungPrinceactuallyontheGreenthere;inhisredroquelaure,leaningpensivelyononeofthetravellingcarriages。

  \"GutenMorgen,IhroKoniglicheHoheit!\"[Ranke,1。305。]

  ——Fancysuchasalutationtotheyoungman!PageKeith,atthismoment,comeswithapairofhorses,too:\"Whitherwiththenags,Sirrah?\"Rochowaskedwithsomesharpness。Keith,seeinghowitwas,answeredwithoutvisibleembarrassment,\"Herr,theyaremineandKunzthePage’shorses\"(which,Isuppose,istrue);\"readyattheusualhour!\"Keithmightadd。——\"HisMajestydoesnotgotillfivethismorning;——backtothestables!\"beckonedRochow;

  and,accordingtothebestaccounts,didnotsuspectanything,oraffectednottodoso。

  PageKeithreturned,tremblinginhissaddle。FriedrichstrolledtowardstheotherBarn,——atleasttobeoutofRochow’scompany。

  SeckendorfemergesfromtheotherBarn;awakeatthecommonhour:

  \"HowdoyoulikehisRoyalHighnessintheredroquelaure?\"asksRochow,asifnothinghadhappened。WasthereeversuchabaffledRoyalHighness;oryoungbrightspiritchainedintheBear’sDeninthismanner?OurSteinfurthprojecthasgonetowater;anditisnotto—dayweshallgetacrosstheRhine!——Notto—day;noranyotherday,onthaterrand,strongasourresolutionsare!Fornewlight,inafewhoursafterwards,poursinupontheproject;

  andhumanfinesse,orulteriorschemes,availnothinghenceforth。

  \"TheCrown—Prince’smeditatedFlight\"hastrieditself,andfailed。HereandsothatlongmeditationENDS;thisatSteinfurthwasalltheover—actitcouldevercometo。Infewhoursmoreitwillmeltintoair;andonlytheterribleconsequenceswillremain!——

  Bylastnight’sarrangement,thePrincewithhisTriowastosetoutanhourbeforehisFather,whichcircumstancehadhelpedPageKeithinhisexcuses。NaturallythePrincehadnownowishtolingerontheGreenofSteinfurth,insuchapostureofaffairs:

  \"TowardsHeidelberg,then;letusseethebigTunthere:ALLONS!\"

  HowtheyoungPrinceandhisTriodidthisday’sjourney;whereheloitered,whathesaw,saidorthought,wehavenoaccount:itiscertainonlythathisFather,whosetoutfromSteinfurthanhourafterhim,arrivedinMannheimseveralhoursbeforehim;and,inspiteofKurfurstKarlPhilip’swelcome,testifiedtheliveliestinquietudeonthatunaccountablecircumstance。

  BeautifulRhine—stream,thrice—beautifultrimMannheim;——yes,allisbeautifulindeed,yourSerenity!ButwherecanthePrincebe?

  hekeptejaculating。AndKarlPhiliphadtoanswerwhathecould。

  OfcoursethePrincemaybelingeringaboutHeidelberg,lookingatthebigTunandothermiracles:——\"Ihadthepleasuretorepairthatworld—famousTuborTun,asyourMajestyknows;whichhadlainhalfburnt,eversinceLouisXIV。withhisfirebrandrobberieslayuponus,andburntthePfalzinwhole,smallhonortohim!IrepairedtheTun:[Kohler,Munzbelustigungen(viii。418—424;145—152),whogivesaviewoftheworld’swonder,lyinghorizontalwithstairsrunninguptoit。

  BigTunsofthatkindwerenotuncommoninGermany;andhaduses,ifmultiplexduesofwineweretobepaidINNATURA:

  theHeidelberg,thebiggestofthem,issmalltotheWhitbread—and—Company,forporter’s—ale,inourtime。]itisprobablythesuccessfulestfeatIdidhitherto;andwellworthlookingat,hadyourMajestyhadtime!\"——\"JAWOHL;——buthecameawayanhourbeforeme!\"——ThepoliteKarlPhilip,atlength,sentoffoneofhisownEquerriestoridetowardsHeidelberg,oreventoSteinfurthifneedful,andseewhatwasbecomeofthePrince。

  ThisOfficialpersonmetthePrince,allinorder,atnogreatdistance;andbroughthimsafetoPapa’spresenceagain。

  WhyPapawasinsuchafussaboutthislittlecircumstance?

  TrulytherehassomethingcometoPapa’sknowledgesincehestarted,perhapssincehearrivedatMannheim。PageKeith,whoridesalwaysbehindtheKing’scoach,hasriddenthisdayinanagonyofremorseandterror;andatlength(probablyinMannheim,oncehisMajestyisgottohisApartments,ornowthathefindshisMajestysoanxiousthere)hasfallenonhisknees,and,withtearsandobtestations,madeacleanbreast。PageKeithhasconfessedthattheCrown—PrinceandheweretohavebeeninSpeyer,orfarther,atthistimeoftheday;flyingrapidlyintoFrance。\"God’sProvidencealonepreventedit!Pardon,pardon:

  slayme,yourMajesty;butthereisthenakedtruth,andthewholeofit,andIhavenothingmoretosay!\"HereuponensuesdespatchoftheEquerry;andhereupon,aswemayconjecture,theEquerry’sreturnwithFritzandtheTrioisanunspeakablerelieftoFriedrichWilhelm。

  FriedrichWilhelmnowsummonsBuddenbrockandCompanystraightway;

  shows,inasuppressed—volcanicmanner,withquestionsandstatements,——obligedtoSUPPRESSoneselfinforeignhospitableSereneHouses,——whatatrocityofscandalandterrorhasbeenontheedgeofhappening:\"Andyouthree,Rochow,Waldau,Buddenbrock,markit,youthreeareresponsible;andshallanswer,Inowtellyou,withyourheads。Deaththepenalty,unlessyoubringHIMtoourownCountryagain,——’livingordead,’\"addedtheSuppressed—Volcano,inlowmetallictone;andthesparklingeyesofhim,theredtint,andrustlinggestures,makethewordstoocredibletous。[Ranke,i。307。]

  WhatFriedrichWilhelmgottospeakaboutwiththeoldKur—Pfalz,duringtheirserenepsssagesofhospitalityatMannheim,isnotverycleartome;hisPrussianMajestyisprivatelyinsuchadesperatehumor,andtheoldKur—Pfalzprivatelysodiscrepantonallmannerofpoints,especiallyontheJulich—and—Bergpoint。

  TheycouldtalkfreelyabouttheoldTurkCampaigns,BattleofZentha,[11thSeptember,1697;Eugene’scrowningfeat;——breakingoftheGrandTurk’sbackinthisworld;whohasstaggeredabout,lessandlessofaterrorandoutrage,moreandmoreofanuisancegrowingunbearable,eversincethatday。SeeHormayr(iii。97—101)

  forsomedescriptionofthisusefulbitofHeroism。]andPrinceEugene;veryfreelyabouttheHeidelbergTun。ButitisknownoldKarlPhiliphadhisagentsattheCongressofSoissons,tosecurethatBerg—and—JulichinterestfortheSulzbachsandhim:

  directlyintheteethofFriedrichWilhelm。Howthatmayhavegone,sincetheTreatyofSevillebrokeouttoastonishmankind,——

  willbeunsafetotalkabout。Fortherest,oldKarlPhiliphasfranklyadoptedthePragmaticSanction;butthenhehas,likewise,privatelymadeleaguewithFrancetosecurehiminthatJulich—and—Bergmatter,shouldtheKaiserbreakpromise;——leaguewhichmaymuchobstructsaidSanction。NayprivatelyheiscastingglancesonhisBavarianCousin,elegantambitiousKarlAlbert。

  KurfurstofBaiern,——arenotweallfromthesameWittelsbachstock,Cousinsfromofold?——andwillundertake,forthesameJulich—and—Bergobject,tosecureBavariainitsclaimsontheAustrianHeritagesindefectofHeirsMaleinAustria。[Michaelis,ii。99—101。]WhichrunsdirectlyintothethroatofsaidPragmaticSanction;andengagestomakeit,merewastesheepskin,sotospeak!TrulyoldKarlPhiliphashisabstruseoutlooks,thisway,thatway;mostabstrusepoliticsaltogether:——andinfactwehadbetterspeakoftheBattleofZenthaandtheHeidelbergTun,whilethisVisitlasts。

  Onthemorrow,Saturday,August5th,certainFrenchmenfromtheGarrisonofLandaucomeacrosstopaytheircourtanddine。

  WhichraceofmenFriedrichWilhelmdoesnotlove;andnowlessthanever,gloomilysuspicioustheymaybecomeonparricideFritz’sscore,——youRochowandCompanykeepaneye!Bynightandbydayaneyeuponhim!FriedrichWilhelmwas,nodoubt,gladtogetawayonthemorrowafternoon;fairlyoutintotheBerg—Strasse,intothesummerbreezesandumbrageouswoods,withallhispertinentsstillsafeabouthim;rushingtowardsDarmstadtthroughtheSundaystillness,wherehewillarriveintheevening,timeenough。[\"SundayEveningarriveatDarmstadt,\"saysSeckendorf(inForster,iii。3),butbymistakecallsitthe\"7th\"

  insteadof\"6th。\"]

  TheoldPrinceofDarmstadt,ErnstLudwig,LandgrafofHessen—Darmstadt,agenowsixty—three,hasahoaryvenerableappearance,accordingtoPollnitz,\"butsitsahorsewell,walkswell,andseemstoenjoyperfecthealth,\"——whichwearegladtohearof。Whatmoreconcernsus,\"helivesusually,quiteretired,inasmallhouseupontheSquare,\"inthisextremelysmallMetropolisofhis,\"andleaveshisHeir—ApparenttomanageallbusinessinthePalaceandelsewhere。\"[Pollnitz,MemoirsandLetters,ii。66。]pooroldGentleman,hehasthebiggestPalacealmostintheworld;onlyhecouldnotfinishitforwantoffunds;anditliesthere,oneofthebiggestfutilities,vexatioustolookupon。NodoubttheoldGentlemanhashadvexations,plentyofthem,firstandlast。Heisnowgotdisgustedwiththeaffairsofpubliclife,andaddictshimselfverymuchto\"turningivory,\"asthemoreeligibleemployment。

  Helivesinthatsmallhouseofhis,amonghisturning—lathesandivoryshavings;dinesinsaidsmallhouse,\"atatableforfourpersons:\"onlyonSunday,andaboveallonthisSunday,putsoffhisapron;goesacrosstothePalace;dinesthereinstate,withhisHeirandtheGrandees。HehasakinshipbyaffinitytoFriedrichWilhelm;hisWife(deadlongyearssince),MotherofthisHeir—Apparent,wasanAnspachPrincess,AunttothenowQueenCarolineofEngland。Pooroldfellow,theseinsignificancies,andthathedescendsdirectfromPhiliptheMagnanimousofHessen(Luther’sPhilip,whoinsistedonthesupplementaryWife),areallIknowofhim;andheissomewhattragictomethere,turningivoryinthisextremelyanarchicworld。WhatthepassagesbetweenhimandFriedrichWilhelmwere,onthisoccasion,shallremainconjecturaltoallcreatures。FriedrichWilhelmsaid,thisSundayeveningatDarmstadttohisownPrince:\"Stillhere,then?

  IthoughtyouwouldhavebeeninParisbythistime!\"——TowhichthePrince,withartificialfirmness,answered,Hecouldcertainly,ifhehadwished;[Seckendorf(inForster,iii。),p。3。]andbeingfamiliarwithreproaches,perhapshopeditwasnothing。

  FromDarmstadttoFrankfurt—on—Maynisnotquitefortymiles,aneasymorningdrive;throughtheoldCountrycalledofKatzen—ellenbogen;CATS—ELBOW,anameridiculoustohear。

  [CATTIMELIBOCUM,thatis,CATTUM—MELIBOCUM(CATTIafamedNation,MELIBOCUSthechiefHillorFortressoftheirCountry),issaidtobetheoriginal;——whichhasgotchanged;likeABALLABAinto\"Appleby,\"orGODENCOMPASSUSinto\"TheGoatandCompasses,\"

  amongourselves。]Berg—StrasseandtheOdenwald(FORESToftheOTTI)aregone;butblueonthenortheastyonder,ifyourRoyalHighnesswillpleasetolook,maybeseensummitsoftheSPESSART,amuchgranderforest,——tallbranchytimbersyonder,onedaytobemastsofadmirals,whenfloateddownasfarasRotterdam,whitherwardonestillmeetsthemgoing。Spessart;——andnearer,wellhiddenontheright,isanobscurevillagecalledDETTINGEN,notyetbecomefamousintheNewspapersofanidleworld;ofanEnglandsurelyveryidletogothitherseekingquarrels!Allwhichis,naturally,inthehighestdegreeindifferenttoaCrown—Princesopreoccupied。——TheyreachFrankfurt,Monday,stillingoodtime。

  Behold,atFrankfurt,theTrioofVigilance,BuddenbrockandCompany(horribletothinkof!)signify,\"ThatwehavetheKing’sexpressordersNottoentertheTownatallwithyourRoyalHighness。We,forourpart,aretogodirectintooneoftheRoyalYachts,whichswingatanchorhere,andtowaitinthesametillhisMajestyhavedoneseeingFrankfurt,andreturntous。\"HereisamessageforthepooryoungPrince:Detected,prisoner,andavolcanicMajestynowlikelytobeinfullplaywhenhereturns!——

  GiltweathercockontheMaynBridge(whichoneGoetheusedtolookat,inthenextgeneration)——this,andthesteeple—topsofFrankfurt,especiallythatsteeple—topwiththegrinningskullofthemutinousmalefactoronit,warningtomankindwhatmutinyleadsto;this,then,iswhatwearetoseeofFrankfurt;andwithsuchasymphonyasourthoughtsareplayinginthebackground。

  UnhappySon,unhappyFather,oncemore!

  NayFriedrichWilhelmgotnewlightsinFrankfurt:RittmeisterKattehadanestafettewaitingforhimthere。EstafettewithacertainLetter,whichtheRittmeisterhadpickedupinErlangen,andhasshotacrossbyestafettetowaithisMajestyhere。

  Majestyhasreadwithopeneyesandthroat:LetterfromtheCrown—PrincetoLieutenantKatteinBerlin:treasonousFlight—projectnowindisputableasthesunatnoon!——HisMajestysteptonboardtheYachtinsuchhumoraswasneverseenbefore:

  \"Detestablerebelanddeserter,scandalofscandals——!\"——itisconfidentlywritteneverywhere(thoughSeckendorfdiplomaticallykeepssilence),hisMajestyhustledandtussledtheunfortunateCrown—Prince,pokedthehandleofhiscaneintohisfaceandmadethenosebleed,——\"NeverdidaBrandenburgfacesufferthelikeofthis!\"criedthepoorPrince,driventotheedgeofmadignitionandoneknowsnotwhat:whentheBuddenbrocks,atwhateverperilinterfered;gotthePrincebroughtonboardadifferentYacht;

  andtheconflagrationmoderatedforthemoment。TheYachtsgetunderwaytowardsMainzanddowntheRhine—stream。TheYachtsglideswiftlyonthefavoringcurrent,takingadvantageofwhatwindtheremaybe:wereweonceashoreatWeselinourowncountry,——waittillthen,thinkshisMajesty!

  AndsoitwasonthesetermsthatFriedrichmadehisfirstacquaintancewiththebeautiesoftheRhine;——readerscanjudgewhetherhewasinatemperveryopentothepicturesque。IknownotthattheypausedatMainz,orrecollectedBarbarossa’sWorld—Tournament,ortheHochheimvineyardsatall:Iseetheyoungman’sYachtdashinginswiftgallop,notwithoutdanger,throughtheGapofBingen;dancingwildlyontheboilingwhirlpoolsofSt。Goar,wellthreadingthecliffs;——theyoungmangloomilyinsensibletodangeroflife,andcharmofthepicturesque。Coblenz(CONFLUENTIA),theMoselleandEhrenbreitstein:Majesty,smokingondeckifhelike,canlookatthesethroughgrimlypacifyingtobacco;buttotheCrown—Princelifeitselfisfallenhaggardandbankrupt。

  OveragainstCoblenz,nestledinbetweentheRhineandthefootofEhrenbreitstein,[Pollnitz,MemoirsandLetters,iii。180。]there,perhapsevennow,inhisHuntingLodgeofKerlichyonder,ishisSereneHighnessthefatlittleKurfurstofTrier,oneofthoseAustrianSchonborns(BrothertohimofBamberg);uponwhomwhyshouldwemakeacall?WearedueatBonn;

  thefortunateyoungKurfurstofKoln,richestPluralistintheChurch,expectsusathisResidencethere。FriedrichWilhelmviewsthefineFortressofEhrenbreitstein:——whatwouldyourMajestythinkifthisweretobeyoursinahundredyears;thisandmuchelse,bywayofcompound—interestfortheBerg—and—Julichandotheroutstandingdebts?Courage,yourMajesty!——OnthefatlittleKurfurst,atKerlichhere,wedonotcall:probablyouthunting;

  \"huntseveryday,\"[Busching,Beitrage,

  iv。201。]asifitwerehistrade,poorlittlesoul。

  AtBonn,wherewedostepashoretolodgewithaleanKurfurst,FriedrichWilhelmstrictlycharges,inmy(Seckendorf’s)hearing,theTrioofVigilancetohaveaneye;toseethattheybringthePrinceonboardagain,\"LIVINGORDEAD。\"——Nofear,yourMajesty。

  Princelistenedwithsilent,almostdefiantpatience,\"MITGROSSER

  GEDULD。\"[Seckendorf(inForster,iii。4)。]AtBonnthePrincecontrivedtoconfidetoSeckendorf,\"Thathehadinverytruthmeanttorunaway:hecouldnot,attheagehewascometo,standsuchindignities,actualstrokesasintheCampofRadewitz;——andhewouldhavegonelongsince,haditnotbeenfortheQueenandthePrincesshisSister’ssake。Hecouldnotrepentwhathehaddone:andiftheKingdidnotceasebeatinghiminthatmanner,&c。,hewouldstilldoit。Forlossofhisownlife,suchalifeashishadgrown,hecaredlittle;hischiefmiserywas,thatthoseOfficerswhohadknownofthethingshouldcometomisfortunebyhismeans。IftheKingwouldpardonthesepoorgentlemen,hewouldtellhimeverything。Fortherest,beggedSeckendorftohelphiminthislabyrinth;——nothingcouldeversoobligehimashelpnow;\"andmoreofthelikesort。Thesethingshesaid,atBonn,toSeckendorf,thefountainofallhiswoes。

  [Ibid。]WhatSeckendorf’sreflectionsonthishissadhandiworknowwere,wedonotknow。Probablyhemadenone,beingastrong—mindedcase—hardenedoldstager;butresolvedtodowhathecouldforthepooryouth。Somewhereonthisroute,atBonnmorelikelythanelsewhere,FriedrichwroteinpencilthreewordstoLieutenantKeithatWesel,andgotittothePost—Office:

  \"SAUVEZ—VOUS,TOUTESTDECOUVERT(Allisfoundout;——away)!\"

  [Wilhelmina(i。265)saysitwasaPageoftheOldDessauer’s,acomradeofKeith’s,who,havingknownintime,gavehimwarning。

  Certainitis,thisNoteofFriedrich’s,whichtheBooksgenerallyassignascause,couldnothavedoneit(infra,p。275,andtheirrefragabledatethere)。]

  ClementAugust,expensiveKurfurstofKoln(ElectorofCologne,aswecallit),whodoesthehospitalitieshereatBonn,inagrandway,with\"aboveahundredandfiftychamberlains\"foroneitem,——

  glanceathim,reader;perhapsweshallmeetthemanagain。HeisyoungerBrotheroftheelegantambitiousKarlAlbert,KurfurstofBavaria,whomwehavetransientlyheardof:sonsbothofthemareofthat\"ElectorofBavaria\"whohauntsusintheMarlboroughHistories,——whojoinedLouisXIV。intheSuccessionWar,andgothuntedaboutatsucharate,afterBlenheimespecially。HisBoys,prisonersoftheKaiser,werebredupinaconfiscatedstate,assonsofamereprivategentleman;nothingvisiblyaheadofthem,atonetime,butanobscureandextremelylimiteddestinyofthatkind;——thoughnowagain,onFrenchfavor,andtheturnofFortune’sinconstantwheel,theyaremountingveryhigh。

  BavariacameallbacktotheoldElectorofBavaria;

  evenMarlborough’s\"PrincipalityofMINDELHEIM\"came。[AtthePeaceofBaden(corollarytoUTRECHT),1714。Electorhadbeen\"banned\"(GEACHTET,solemnlydrummedout),1706;nothingbutFrenchpaytoliveupon,tillhegotback:died26thFebruary,1726,whenKarlAlbertsucceeded(Michaelis,ii。255)。]AndthepresentKurfurst,whowillnotdothePragmaticSanctionatall,——

  KurfurstKarlAlbertofBaiern,ouroldKarlPhilipofMannheim’sgenealogical\"Cousin;\"——weheardofabstrusecolleaguingsthere,tendenciestobreakthePragmaticSanctionaltogether,andreduceittowastesheepskin!NotimpossibleKarlAlbertwillgohighenough。AndthisClementAugustthecadet,heisKurfurstofKoln;

  bygoodelection—tactics,andfavoroftheFrench,hehasmanagedtosucceedanUnclehere:hassucceededatOsnabruckinlikefashion;——pooroldErnstAugustofOsnabruck(towhomweoncesawGeorgeI。gallopingtodie,andwhohimselfsoonafterdied),hissuccessoristhissameClementAugust,theturnforaCATHOLIC

  BishopbeingcomeatOsnabruck,andtheFrenchbeingkind。

  KurfurstofKoln,BishopofOsnabruck,dittoofPaderbornandMunster,dittonowofHildesheim;richestPluralistoftheChurch。

  Goesabouthereinalanguidexpensivemanner;\"ingreencoattrimmedwithnarrowsilver—lace,smallbag—wigdonewithFrenchgarniture(SCHLEIFE)infront;andhasredheelstohisshoes。\"

  Alankyindolentfigure,agenowthirty;\"tallandslouchingofperson,longleanface,hook—nose,blackbeard,mouthsomewhatopen。\"[Busching(Beitrage,iv。201—204:

  fromacertainTravellingTutor’sMS。DIARYof1731;wherealsoisdetailoftheKurfurst’smodeofDining,——elaboratebutdreary,bothmodeanddetail)。HisSchlossisnowtheBonnUniversity。]

  Hasaboveonehundredandfiftychamberlains;——and,Idoubtnot,isinexpressiblywearisometoFriedrichWilhelminhisMajesty’spresentmood。Patienceforthemoment,andpolitenessaboveallthings!——TheTrioofVigilancehadnodifficultywithFriedrich;

  broughthimonboardsafeagainnextday,andallproceededontheirvoyage;theKurfurstinpersonpolitelyescortingasfarasKoln。

  Koln,famedoldCityoftheThreeKings,withitsfamedCathedralwherethosethreegentlemenareburied,heretheKurfurstceasesescorting;andtheflatoldCityisleft,excitingwhatreflectionsitcan。ThearchitecturalDilettantioftheworldgatherhere;St。UrsulaandherElevenThousandVirginswereoncemassacredhere,yourMajesty;anEnglishPrincessshe,itissaid。

  \"NARREN—POSSEN(Packofnonsense)!\"grumblesMajesty。——PleasantDusseldorfismuchmoreinterestingtohisMajesty;thepleasantCapitalofBerg,whichoughttobeours,ifrightcouldbedone;

  ifoldPfalzwouldgiveuphiscrotchets;andthebowls,inthebiggameplayingatSevilleandelsewhere,wouldrollfair!

  DusseldorfandthatfinePalaceofthePfalzers,whichoughttobemine;——andherenextisKaiserswerth,aplaceofsieges,cannonadings,knowntothoseIknew。’M—NA,fromfathertosonandgrandsonitgoeson,andthereisnoendtotroubleandwar!——

  HisMajesty’snextlodgingisatMors;oldgauntCastleintheTownofMors,which(thankstoLeopoldofAnhalt—DessauandtheIronRamrods)isnowhisMajesty’sinspiteoftheDutch。

  Therethelodgingis,atanhour’sdrivewestwardfromtheRhine—shore:——wherehisMajestyquittedtheRiver,Idonotknow;

  norwhethertheCrown—PrincewenttoMorswithhim,orwaitedinhisYacht;butguessthelatter。HisMajestyintendsforGeldernonthemorrow,onmattersofbusinessthither,fortheTownishis:butwhatwouldthePrince,inthepresentstateofthings,dothere?——AtMors,SeckendorffoundmeanstoaddresshisMajestyprivately,andsnuffledintohimsuggestionsofmercytotherepentantPrince,andtothepoorOfficerswhomhewassoanxiousabout。\"Well,ifheWILLconfesseverything,andleaveoffhisquirksandconcealments:butIknowhewon’t!\"answeredMajesty。

  InthatdilapidatedCastleofMors,——lookatit,reader,thoughinthedark;wemayseeitagain,ortheshadowofit,perhapsbymoonlight。AverygauntoldCastle;nexttonothinglivinginit,sincetheoldDessauer(bystratagem,andwithoutshotfired)

  flungouttheDutch,intheTreaty—of—Utrechttime;MorsCastleandTerritorybeingindisputablyours,thoughalwayswithheldfromusonpretexts。[Narrativeofthemarchthither(Nightof7thNovember,1712),anddexteroussurprisaloftheplace,in

  LeopoldivonAnhalt—DessauLebenundThaten

  (Anonymous,byRANFFT),pp。85—90;——wheretheDespatchoftheastonishedDutchCommandanthimself,totheirHighMightinesses,isgiven。PartoftheOrangeHeritage,thisMors,——camebytheGreatElector’sfirstWife;——buthadhungSUBLITE(thoughtheParchmentswereplainenough)eversinceourKingWilliam’sdeath,andearlier。Neuchatel,acceptedinsteadofORANGE,andnotevenofthevalueofMors,wasanotheritemofthesamelot。

  Besideswhich,weshallhearofoldPalacesatLooandotherdilapidatedobjects,incidentallyintimecoming。]

  AtGeldern,inthepressureofbusinessnextday,hisMajestygotwordfromWesel,thatLieutenantKeithwasnotnowtobefoundinWesel。\"Waslastseenthere(thatwecanhearof)certainhoursbeforeyourMajesty’sAll—graciousOrderarrived。Hadsaddledhisownhorse;cameamblingthroughtheBrunenGate,’goingouttohavearide,’hesaid;anddidnotreturn。\"——\"Keithgone,scandalousKeith,whomIpardonedonlyfewweeksago;hetooisinthePlot!WilltheveryArmybreakitsoath,then?\"HisMajestyburstsintofireandflame,atthesenewtidings;ordersthatColonelDumoulin(ourexpertestrogue—tracer)goinstantlyonthescentofKeith,andfollowhimtillfoundandcaught。Also,ontheotherhand,thattheCrown—Princebeconstitutedprisoner;

  saildowntoWesel,prisonerinhisYacht,andawaitupontheRhinetherehisMajesty’sarrival。Formidableomens,itisthought。

  HisMajesty,allbusinessdoneinGeldern,drivesacrosstoWesel;

  canseeFritz’sYachtwaitingdulyintheRiver,andblackCarehoveringoverher。Itisontheeveningofthe12thofAugust,1730。AndsohisMajestyendsthismemorableTourintotheReich;

  buthasnotyetendedthegloomymiseries,forhimselfandothers,whichplentifullysprungoutofthat。

  ChapterVII。

  CATASTROPHE,ANDMAJESTY,ARRIVEINBERLIN。

  AtBerlindarkrumorsofthisintendedflight,andactualArrestoftheCrown—Prince,areagitatingalltheworld;especiallyLieutenantKatte,andtheQueenandWilhelmina,aswemaysuppose。

  ThefirstnewsofitcametragicallyontheyoungPrincess。

  [ApparentlysomerumorFROMFRANKFURT,whichsheconfusesinherafter—memorywiththespecificnewsFROMWESEL;forherdateshere,asusual,areallawry(Wilhelmina,i。246;Preuss,i。42,iv。473;Seckendorf,inForster,iii。6)。]

  \"MammahadgivenaballinhonorofPapa’sBirthday,\"——Tuesday,15thAugust,1730;——andwewerealldancinginthefinesaloonsofMonbijou,withprettyintervalsinthecoolboscagesandorangeriesoftheplace:allofusashappyascouldbe;

  Wilhelmina,inparticular,dancingatanunusualrate。

  \"Werecommencedtheballaftersupper。ForsixyearsIhadnotdancedbefore;itwasnewfruit,andItookmyfillofit,withoutheedingmuchwhatwaspassing。MadameBulow,whowithothersofthemhadwornlongfacesallnight,pleading’illness’whenonenoticedit,saidtomeseveraltimes:’Itislate,Iwishyouhaddone,’——’EH,MONDIEU!’Ianswered,’letmehaveenoughofdancingthisonenewtime;itmaybelongbeforeitcomesagain。’——

  ’Thatmaywellbe!’saidshe。Ipaidnoregard,butcontinuedtodivertmyself。Shereturnedtothechargehalfanhourafter:

  ’Willyouend,then!’saidshewithavexedair:(youaresoengaged,youhaveeyesfornothing。’——’Youareinsuchahumor,’

  Ireplied,’thatIknownotwhattomakeofit。’——’LookattheQueen,then,Madam;andyouwillceasetoreproachme!’AglancewhichIgavethatwayfilledmewithterror。TheresattheQueen,palerthandeath,inacorneroftheroom,inlowconferencewithSonsfeldandCountessFinkenstein。AsmyBrotherwasmostinmyanxieties,Iasked,Ifitconcernedhim?Bulowshruggedhershoulders,answering,’Idon’tknowatall!’Amomentafter,theQueengaveGood—night;andgotintohercarriagewithme,——

  speakingnowordallthewaytotheSchloss;sothatIthoughtmyBrothermustbedead,andImyselftookviolentpalpitations,andSonsfeld,contrarytoorders,hadatlasttotellmeinthecourseofthenight。\"PoorWilhelmina,andpoorMotherofWilhelmina!

  Thefact,ofArrest,andunknownmischieftothePrince,istakenforcertain;butwhatmaybetheissuesofit;whobesidesthePrincehavebeeninvolvedinit,especiallywhowillbefoundtohavebeeninvolved,ismatterofdireguesstothethreewhoaremostinterestedhere。LieutenantKattefindsheoughttodisposeofthePrince’seffectswhichwereintrustedtohim;ofthethousandgoldThalersinparticular,and,beyondandbeforeall,ofthelockedWriting—desk,inwhichliesthePrince’scorrespondence,theveryQueenandPrincesslikelytobeconcernedinit!Kattedespatchesthesetwoobjects,theMoneyandthelittleDesk,inallsecrecy,toMadamFinkenstein,astothesuresthand,withashortNoteshadowingoutwhathethinkstheyare:CountessFinkenstein,oldGeneralvonFinkenstein’sWife,andasecondmothertothePrince,she,likeherHusband,aswornpartisanofthePrinceandhisMother,shalldowiththesepreciousandterribleobjectswhat,toherownwisejudgment,seemsbest。

  MadamFinkensteincarriesthematonce,indeepsilence,totheQueen。HugedismayonthepartoftheQueenandPrincess。

  TheyknowtoowellwhatLettersmaybethere:andthereisasealontheDesk,andnokeytoit;neithermustit,intimecoming,seemtohavebeenopened,evenifwecouldnowopenit。

  Adesperatepinch,anditmustbesolved。FemalewitandWilhelminadidsolveit,bysomepre—eminentlyacutedeviceoftheirdespair;[Wilhelmina,i。253—257。]andcontrivedtogettheLettersout:hundredsofLetters,enoughtobeourdeathifread,saysWilhelmina。TheseLetterstheyburnt;andsettowritingfastasthepenwouldgo,otherlettersintheirstead。FancythemoodofthesetwoRoyalWomen,andtheblackwhirlwindtheywerein。Wilhelmina’sdespatchwasincredible;penwentatthegallopnightandday:newletters,ofolddatesandofnomeaning,aregotintotheDeskagain;theDeskclosed,withoutmarkofinjury,andshovedasidewhileitisyettime。——Timepresses;hisMajestytoo,andtheevents,goatgallop。HereisaLetterfromhisMajesty,toatrustyMistressoftheRobes,orwhateversheis;

  which,letitarrivethroughwhatsofteningmediaitlikes,willcompletethepoorQueen’sdespair:——

  \"MYDEARFRAUVONKAMECKE,——Fritzhasattemptedtodesert。Ihavebeenunderthenecessitytohavehimarrested。IrequestyoutotellmyWifeofitinsomegoodway,thatthenewsmaynotterrifyher。AndpityanunhappyFather。

  \"FRIEDRICHWILHELM。\"

  [Nodate:\"ARRIVED\"(fromWesel,weconclude),Sunday,\"20thAugust,\"atthePalaceofBerlin(Preuss,i。42)。]

  ThesamepostbroughtanordertotheColoneloftheGerns—d’ArmestoputthatLieutenantKatteofhisundercloseconfinement:——wehopethethoughtlessyoungfellowhasalreadygotoutoftheway?

  Heisgettinghissaddlealtered:fettlingaboutthisandthat;

  doesnotconsiderwhatdangerheisin。ThissameSunday,hisMajormethimonthestreetofBerlin;said,inasignificanttone,\"YoustillHERE,Katte!\"——\"Igothisnight,\"answeredKatte;

  butheagainputitoff,didnotgothisnight;andtheorderforhisarrestdidcomein。Onthemorrowmorning,ColonelPannewitz,hopingnowhewasnotthere,wentwiththerhadamanthineorder;

  andfindingtheunluckyfellow,wasobligedtoexecuteit。

  Katteliesinward,awaitingwhatmaybepreparedforhim。

  FriedrichWilhelmatWeselhashadroughpassageswiththePrinceandothers。OntheSaturdayevening,12thAugust1730,[Preuss,iv。473;Seckendorf(Forster,iii。6)says13th,butWRONG。]hisMajestyhadtheCulpritbroughtonshore,totheCommandant’sHouse,foraninterview。Culpritprovinglessremorsefulthanwasexpected,andevidentlynotconfessingeverything,aloudterriblesceneensued;whichFriedrichWilhelm,theunhappyFather,windedupbydrawinghisswordtoruntheunnaturalSonthroughthebody。

  OldGeneralMosel,CommandantofWesel,sprangbetweenthem,\"Sire,cutmetodeath,butspareyourSon!\"andtheswordwasgotbacktoitsscabbard;andthePrincelodgedinaseparateroom,twosentrieswithfixedbayonetskeepingwatchoverhim。FriedrichWilhelmdidnotseehisfaceagainfortwelvemonthstocome,——

  \"twelvemonthsandthreedays。\"

  MilitarygentlemenofduegrimnessinterrogatedthePrincenextevening,[Seckendorf(inForster,iii。5)。]fromaPaperdrawnupbyhisMajestyintheinterim。Princeconfesseslittle:DiddesigntogetacrosstheRhinetoLandau;thencetoStrasburg,Paris,inthestrictestincognito;intendedtovolunteerthere,thoughthemighttakeFrenchservice,profoundlyincognito,andsignalizehimselfintheItalianWar(justexpectedtobreakout),whichmighthaverecoveredhimsomefavorfromhisMajesty:doesnottellclearlywherehismoneycamefrom;shyextremelyofelucidatingKatteandKeith;——infact,asweperceive,strugglesagainstmendacity,butwillnottellthewholetruth。\"Lethimlieinward,then;andtakewhatdoomtheLawshaveappointedforthelikeofhim!\"DivineLaws,aretheynot?Well,yes,yourMajesty,divineandhuman;——orarethereperhapsnolawsbutthehumansort,completelyexplicitinthiscase?\"HeismyColonelatleast,\"thinksFriedrichWilhelm,\"andtriedtodesertandmakeothersdesert。IfarebelliousCrown—Prince,breakinghisFather’sheart,findthelawsstillinarticulate;adesertingColonelofthePotsdamRegimentfindsthemspeakplainenough。Lethimtaketheanswertheygivehim?\"

  Dumoulin,inthemeanwhile,canmakenothingofKeith,therunawayLieutenant。Dumoulin,withhissagaciousorgan,sooncameuponthescentofKeith;andhasdiscoveredthesethingsabouthim:Oneevening,aweekbeforehisMajestyarrived,Sundayevening,6thAugust,1730,[RELATIOEXACTIS:inPreuss,iv。473。]

  LieutenantKeith,doubtlesssmellingsomething,saddledhishorseasabovementioned,decidedtohavearideinthecountrythisfineevening,andissuedoutattheBrunenGateofWesel。HeisontherightbankoftheRhine;pleasantyellowfieldsonthishandandthat。Heamblesslowly,foraspace;thengraduallyawakensintospeed,intofullspeed;arrives,withinacoupleofhours,atDingden,aVillageintheMunsterTerritory,safeoverthePrussianBorder,bytheshortestline:andfromDingdenridesatmoreleisure,butwithoutlosingtime,intotheDutchOverysselregion,straighttowardstheHague。HemustbeintheHague?saidDumoulintotheOfficialpersons,onarrivingthere,——toMeinertshagenthePrussianAmbassadorthere,[Seckendorf(Forster,iii。7)。]andtoKeppel,DutchOfficialgentlemanwhowasonceAmbassadoratBerlin。PrussianAmbassadorapplies,andagainapplies,inthehighestquarters;butwefeartheyareslack。

  Dumoulindiscoversthatthemanwascertainlyhere;Keppelreadilyadmits,HehadKeithtodinnerafewdaysago:butwhereKeithnowis,Keppelcannotformtheleastguess。

  DumoulinsuspectsheiswithLordChesterfield,theEnglishAmbassadorhere。Alightwasseen,foranightortwo,inoneofthegarret—roomsofLordChesterfield’shouse,——probablyKeithreading?——butKeithisnottobeheardof,oninquirythere;

  andtheverylighthasnowgoneout。TheColonelatleast,\"

  distinguishedEnglishLordisgonetoEnglandinthesedays;

  buthisGermanSecretaryisnotgone:theHouseisinviolable,impregnabletoPrussia。Whoknows,inspiteofthelightgoingout,butKeithisstillthere,merelywithawindowshuttertoscreenhim?Onemorning,itbecomesapparentKeithisnotthere。

  Onemorning,agentlemanattheseasideisadmiringDutchfishing—skiffs,andhowtheydosail,\"Pooh,Sir,thatisnothing。!\"answersamaninmultiplexbreeches:\"theothernightI

  wentacrosstoEnglandinone,withanExcellency’sMessengerwhocouldnotwait!\"——Truthis,theChesterfieldSecretary,whoforbadelights,tookthefirstgoodnightforconveyingKeithtoScheveningenandtheseaside;whereaFisher—boatwasprovidedforhim;whichcarriedhim,frailcraftasitwas,safeacrosstoEngland。Oncethere,theAuthoritiestookpityonthepoorfellow;——furnishedthemodicumofcashandhelp;senthimwithAdmiralNorristoassistthePortuguese,menacedwithSpanishwaratthistime;amongwhomhegraduallyrosetobeMajorofHorse。

  FriedrichWilhelmcitedhimbytapofdrumthreetimesinWesel,andalsointheGazettes,nativeandDutch;then,ashedidnotcome,nailedanEffigyofhim(cutinfour,ifIremember)onthegallowsthere;andconfiscatedanypropertyhehad。Keithhadmorepedigreethanproperty;wasofPoberowinPommern;sonofpoorgentlefolksthere。HesentnowordofhimselftoPrussia,forthenexttenyears;sothathehadbecomeakindofmythtomanypeople;tohispoorMotheramongtherest,whohashertragicalsurmisesabouthim。Hewillappearagain;butnottomuchpurpose。

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