Whichhehadtodo,——towardsKingFriedrich,usualrefugeofthepersecuted;seldominexorable,wheretherewasworth,evenunderbadforms,recognizable;andnotafriendtoburningpoormenortheirbooks,ifitcouldbehelped。LaMettriegotsomepost,likeD’Arget’s,orstillmorenominal;\"readership;\"somesmallpensiontoliveupon;andsheltertoshootforthhiswildfire,whenhecouldholditnolonger:fire,notofamalignantincendiarykind,butpleasantlylambent,thoughmaddish,asFriedrichperceived。
ThushadLaMettriefoundaGoshen;——andstoodinconsiderablefavor,atCourtandinBerlinSocietyintheyearsnowcurrent。
AccordingtoNicolai,FriedrichneveresteemedLaMettrie,whichiseasytobelieve,butfoundhimajesterandingeniousmadcap,outofwhomagreatdealofmerrimentcouldbehad,overwineorthelike。TojudgebyNicolai’sauthenticspecimen,theirColloquiesransometimesprettydeepintothecynical,undershowersofwildfireplayingabout;andthehigh—jinksmusthavebeenhighish。
[Anekdoten,vi。197—227。]Whentherehadbeenenoughofthis,FriedrichwouldlendhisLaMettrietotheFrenchExcellency,MilordTyrconnel,toobligehisExcellency,andgetLaMettrieoutofthewayforawhile。MilordisatBerlin;aJacobiteIrishman,ofblusterousIrishqualities,thoughwithplentyofsagacityandroughsense;likesLaMettrie;andisnotmuchafavoritewithFriedrich。
Tyrconnelhadsaid,atfirst,——whenRothenburg,privatelyfromFriedrich,cametoconsulthim,\"Whatare,inpracticalform,those’assistancesfromtheMostChristianMajesty,’shouldweMAKE
Alliancewithhim,asyourExcellencyproposes,andchancetobeattacked?\"——\"MORBLEU,assistanceenough[enumeratingseveral]:
MAISMORBLEU,SIVOUSNOUSTROMPEX,VOUSSEREZECRASES(ifyoudeceiveus,youwillbesquelched)!\"[Valori,ii。130,&c。]\"Hehadbeenchosenforhisroughtongue,\"saysValori;ourFrenchCourtbeingpiquedatFriedrichandhissarcasms。Tyrconnelgivessplendiddinners:Voltaireoftenofthem;doesnotlovePotsdam,norislovedbyit。Nay,IsometimesthinkacertainDEMON
NEWSWRITER(ofwhombyandby),butdonotknow,maybesomehungryAttacheofTyrconnel’s。HungryAttache,shutoutfromthedivineSuppersandupperplanetarymovements,andreducedtolookonthemfromhiscoldhutch,inadog—likeangryandhungrymanner?
HisflyingallusionstoVoltaire,\"SON(Friedrich’s)SQUELETTE
D’APOLLON,skeletonofanApollo,\"andthelike,arebarkingsalmostrabid。
Ofthemilitarysort,aboutthistime,KeithandRothenburgappearmostfrequentlyasguestsorcompanions。RothenburghadagreatdealofFriedrich’sregard:WinterfeldismoreapracticalCounseller,anddoesnotshineinlearnedcircles,asRothenburgmay。Afierysoldiertoo,thisRothenburg,withal;——amanprobablyofmanytalentsandqualities,thoughofdistinctlydecipherablethereisnexttonorecordofhimorthem。HehadaParisianWife;
whoissometimesonthepointofcomingwithNieceDenistoBerlin,andofsettinguptheirtwoFrenchhouseholdsthere;butneverdidit,eitherofthem,tomakeanUncleoraHusbandhappy。
RothenburgwasbredaCatholic:\"heheadedthesubscriptionforthefamous’KATHOLISCHEKIRCHE,’\"sodelightfultothePopeandliberalChristiansinthoseyears;\"butnevergaveasixpenceofmoney,\"
saysVoltaireonce:CatholicKIRKwasgotcompletedwithdifficulty;standsthereyet,likealargewashbowlset,bottomuppermost,onthetopofanarrowishtub;butnoneofRothenburg’smoneyisinit。InVoltaire’sCorrespondencethereisfrequentmentionofhim;notwithanylove,butwithacertainsecretrespect,ratherinclinedtobedisrespectful,ifitdurstorcould:
theeloquentvocalindividualnotquiteateasebesidethemoresilentthinkingandactingone。Whatweknowis,Friedrichgreatlylovedtheman。ThereissomestraggleofCORRESPONDENCEbetweenFriedrichandhimleft;butitisworthnothing;givesnotestimonyofthat,orofanythingelsenoticeable:——andthatistheonefactnowalmostalonesignificantofRothenburg。MuchlovedandesteemedbytheKing;employeddiplomatically,nowandthen;perhapstalkedwithonsuchsubjects,whichwasthehighestdistinction。Poorman,heisinverybadhealthinthesemonths;hasneverrightlyrecoveredofhiswounds;anddiesinthelastdaysof1751,——tothebittersorrowoftheKing,asisstillonrecord。Ahighlyrespectabledimfigure,farmoreimportantinFriedrich’sHistorythanhelooks。AsKing’sguest,hecaninthesemonthsplaynopart。
Highlyrespectabletoo,andwellworthtalkingto,thoughleftverydimtousintheBooks,isMarshalKeith;whohasbeengrowinggraduallywiththeKing,andwitheverybody,eversincehecametothesepartsin1747。AmanofScotchtype;thebroadaccent,withitssagacities,veracities,withitssteadfastlyfixedmoderation,anditsslytwinklesofdefensivehumor,isstillaudibletousthroughtheforeignwrappages。Notgiventotalk,unlessthereissomethingtobesaid;butwellcapableofitthen。Friedrich,themoreheknowshim,likeshimthebetter。Onallmannerofsubjectshecantalkknowingly,andwithinsightofhisown。OnRussianmattersFriedrichlikesespeciallytohearhim,——thoughtheydifferinregardtotheworthofRussiantroops。\"VeryconsiderablemilitaryqualitiesinthoseRussians,\"thinksKeith:\"imperturbablyobedient,patient;ofatoughfibre,andarebeautifullystricttoyourorder,ontheparade—groundoroff。\"\"Pooh,mererubbish,MON
CHER,\"thinksFriedrichalways。TowhichKeith,unwillingtoarguetoolong,willanswer:\"Well,itispossibleenoughyourMajestymaytrythem,someday;ifIamwrong,itwillbeallthebetterforus!\"WhichFriedrichhadoccasiontorememberbyandby。
Friedrichgreatlyrespectsthissagaciousgentlemanwiththebroadaccent:hisBrother,theLordMarischal,isnowinFrance:
AmbassadoratParis,sinceSeptember,1751:[\"LeftPotsdam28thAugust\"(Rodenbeck,i。220)。]\"LordMarischal,aJacobite,forPrussianAmbassadorinParis;Tyrconnel,aJacobite,forFrenchAmbassadorinBerlin!\"grumbletheEnglish。
FRACTIONSOFEVENTSANDINDICATIONS,FROMVOLTAIREHIMSELF,INTHISTIME;MOREORLESSILLUMINATIVEWHENREDUCED
TOORDER。
Here,selectedfrommore,areafew\"fire—flies,\"——notdancingordistracted,butauthenticall,andstuckeachonitsspit;
sheddingafeebleglimmeroverthephysiognomyofthoseFifteencaliginousMonths,toanimaginationthatisdiligent。
FractionalutterancesofVoltairetoFriedrichandothers(inabridgedform,abridgmentindicated):theexactdatesareoftenestirretrievablygone;buttheglimmeroflightisindisputable,allthemoreas,onVoltaire’spart,itismostlyinvoluntary。
GroupingandsequencemustbeotherthanthatofTime。
POTSDAM,5thJUNE,1751。——KingisoffonthatOst—Frieslandjaunt;
VoltaireatPotsdam,\"atwhattheycalltheMarquisat,\"incompletesolitude,——preparingtodiebeforelong,——sendshisMajestysomepoortriflesofScribbling,proofsofmylove,Sire:\"sinceIlivesolitary,whenyouarenotatPotsdam,itwouldseemIcameforyouonly\"(notethat,yourMajesty)!……\"Butinreturnfortheragsheresent,IexpecttheSixthCantoofyourART[ARTDELAGUERRE,oneoftheTwopupil—and—schoolmaster\"Specimens\"mentionedabove];
IexpecttheROOFtotheTempleofMars。Itisforyou,aloneofmen,tobuildthatTemple;asitwasforOvidtosingofLove,andforHoracetogiveanARTOFPOETRY。\"(Layingitonprettythick!)……
Thenagain,later(afterseverestudy,ferulainhand):\"Sire,I
returnyourMajestyyourSixCantos;Isurrenderatdiscretion(LUI
LAISSECARTE—BLANCHE)onthatqu。estionof’VICTOIRE。’ThewholePoemisworthyofyou:ifIhadmadethisJourneyonlytoseeathingsounique,IoughtnottoregretmyCountry。\"……Andagain(stillnodate):\"GRANDDIEU!isnotallthat[HISTORYOFTHEGREAT
ELECTOR,byyourMajesty,whichIamdevouringwithsuchappetite]
neat,elegant,precise,and,aboveall,philosophical!\"——\"Sire,youareadorable;Iwillpassmydaysatyourfeet。Oh,nevermakegameofme(DESNICHES)!\"Hashebeenatthat,sayyou!\"IftheKingsofDenmark,Portugal,Spain,&c。didit,Ishouldnotcareapin;
theyareonlyKings。Butyouarethegreatestmanthatperhapseverreigned。\"[[InOEuvresdeFrederic,xxii。
271,273。]
ISONLEAVEOFABSENCE,NEARBY;WISHESTOBECALLEDAGAIN(Nodate)。——\"Sire,ifyoulikefreecriticism,ifyoutoleratesincerepraises,ifyouwishtoperfectaWork[ARTDELAGUERRE,orsomeotherassublime],whichyoualoneinEuropearecapableofdoing,youhaveonlytobidaHermitcomeupstairs。Atyourordersforallhislife。\"[Ib。261。]
INBERLINPALACE:PLEASEDON’TTURNMEOUT!(Nodate)——……
\"Nexttoyou,Iloveworkandretirement。Nobodywhatevercomplainsofme。IaskofyourMajesty,inordertokeepunalteredthehappinessIowetoyou,thisfavor,NottoturnmeoutoftheApartmentyoudeignedtogivemeatBerlin,tillIgoforParis[alwaystalkingofthat]。IfIweretoleaveit,theywouldputintheGazettesthatI\"——Oh,whatwouldn’ttheyputin,ofonethat,belongingtoKingFriedrich,livesasitwereintheDiscoftheSun,conspicuoustoeverybody!——\"Iwillgoout[oftheApartment]
whensomePrince,withaSuiteneedingittolodgein,comes;andthenthethingwillbehonorable。Chasot[gonetoParis]hasbeentalking\"——unguardedthingsofme!\"IhavenotutteredtheleastcomplaintofChasot:IneverwillofChasot,norofthosewhohavesethimon[Maupertuisbelike]:Iforgiveeverything,I!\"
[Ib。270。]
ROTHENBURGISILL;VOLTAIREHASBEENTOSEEHIM(\"Berlin,14th,\"nomonth;year,toosurely,1751,asweshallfind!LetterisIN
VERSE)。——\"LieberkuhnwasgoingtokillpoorRothenburg;tosendhimofftoPluto,——forlikinghisdishalittle;——monsterLieberkuhn!
ButDoctorJoyous,\"yourreader,LaMettrie,——ledby,needIsaywhom?——\"hasbroughthimbacktous:——thinkofLieberkuhn’ssolemnstare!Prettycontrasts,those,ofsublimeQuacksalverism,withSenseunderthemaskofFolly。Maythehaemorrhoidalvein\"——followsHERE,noteit,exquisitereader,thatof\"CULDEMONHEROS,\"
citedabove!)——……
Andthen(adayortwoafter;Kingtoohaemorrhoidaltocometwentymiles,butanxioustoknow):\"Sire,nodoubtDoctorJoyous(LE
MEDECINJOYEUX)hasinformedyourMajestythatwhenwearrived,thePatientwassleepingtranquil;andCotheniusassuredus,inLatin,thattherewasnodanger。Iknownotwhathaspassedsince,butI
ampersuadedyourMajestyapprovesmyjourney\"(ofastreetortwo),——MUSTyouspeakofit,then!
GOESTOANEVENING—PARTYNOWANDTHEN(ToNieceDenis)。——……
\"MadameTyrconnel[FrenchExcellency’sWife]hasplentyoffinepeopleatherhouseonanevening;perhapstoomany\"(oneofthefirsthousesinBerlin,thisofmyLordTyrcannel’s,whichwefrequentagooddeal)……\"MadamegotverywellthroughherpartofANDROMAQUE[inthoseoldplay—actingtimesofours]:neversawactresseswithfinereyes,\"——howshouldyou!
\"AstoMilordTyrconnel,heisanAnglaisofdignity,\"——Irishinreality,andathoughtblusterous。\"Hehasacondensed(SERRE)
causticwayoftalk;andIknownotwhatoffrankwhichonefindsintheEnglish,anddoesnotusuallyfindinpersonsofhistrade。
FrenchTragediesplayedatBerlin,Imyselftakingpart;
anEnglishmanEnvoyofFrancethere:strangecircumstancesthese,aren’tthey?\"[ToD’Argentalthis(OEuvresdeVoltaire,lxxiv。289)。]Yes,thatlatterespecially;andMilordMarischalourPrussianEnvoywithyou!WhichtheEnglishnote,sulkily,asaweather—symptom。
ATPOTSDAM,BIGDEVILSOFGRENADIERS(Nodate)。——……\"But,Sire,oneisn’talwaysperchedonthesummitofParnassus;oneisaman。
Therearesicknessesabout;Ididnotbringanathlete’shealthtotheseparts;andthescorbutichumorwhichiseatingmyliferendersmetruly,ofallthataresick,thesickest。Iamabsolutelyalonefrommorningtillnight。Myonesolaceisthenecessarypleasureoftakingtheair,Ibethinkmeofwalking,andclearingmyheadalittle,inyourGardensatPotsdam。Ifancyitisapermittedthing;Ipresentmyself,musing;——IfindhugedevilsofGrenadiers,whoclapbayonetsinmybelly,whocryFURT,SACRAMENT,andDERKONIG[OFF,SACKERMENT,THEKING,quitetolerablyspelt]!AndItaketomyheels,asAustriansandSaxonswoulddobeforethem。Haveyoueverread,thatinTitus’sorMarcus—Aurelius’sGardens,apoordevilofaGaulishPoet\"——
Inshort,itshallbemended。[OEuvresdeFrederic,xxii。273。]
HAVEBEENLAYINGITONTOOTHICK(Nodate;INVERSE)。——
\"MarcusAureliuswaswontto\"——(Well,weknowwhothatis:WhatofMarcus,then?)——\"Acertainloverofhisglory[STILLINVERSE]
spokeonce,atSupper,ofamagnanimityofMarcus’s;——atwhichMarcus[flatterytoothick]rathergloomed,andsatquitesilent,——
whichwasanotherfinesayingofhis[ENDSVERSE,STARTSPROSE]:——
\"Pardon,Sire,someheartsthatarefullofyou!Tojustifymyself,IdaresupplicateyourMajestytogiveoneglanceatthisLetter(linespencil—marked),whichhasjustcomefromM。deChauvelin,NephewofthefamousGARDE—DES—SCEAUX。YourMajestycannotgloomathim,writingthesefromthefulnessofhisheart;noratme,who\"——
Pooh;no,then!PerhapsdoyouaNICHEagain,——poorrestlessfellow![Ib。280。]
POTSDAMPALACE(Nodate):SIRE,NZAYICHANGEMYROOM?……
\"Iascendtoyourantechambers,tofindsomeonebywhomImayaskpermissiontospeakwithyou。Ifindnobody:Ihavetoreturn:\"
andwhatIwantedwasthis,\"yourprotectionformySIECLEDELOUIS
QUATORZE,whichIamabouttoprintinBerlin。\"Surely,——butalsothis:——
\"Iamunwell,Iamasickmanborn。AndwithalIamobligedtowork,almostasmuchasyourMajesty。Ipassthewholedayalone。
IfyouwouldpermitthatImightshifttotheApartmentnexttheoneIhave,——tothatwhereGeneralBredowsleptlastwinter,——
Ishouldworkmorecommodiously。MySecretary(Collini)andIcouldworktogetherthere。Ishouldhavealittlemoresun,whichisagreatpointforme。——Onlythewhimofasickman,perhaps!
Well,evenso,yourMajestywillhavepityonit。Youpromisedtomakemehappy。\"[OEuvresdeFrederic,
xxii。277。]
ISUSPECTTHATIAMSUSPECTED(Nodate)。——\"Sire,ifIamnotbrief,forgiveme。YesterdaythefaithfulD’ArgettoldmewithsorrowthatinParispeopleweretalkingofyourPoem。\"Horrible;but,OSire,——me?——\"IshowedhimtheeighteenLettersthatIreceivedyesterday。TheyarefromCadiz,\"allaboutFinance,noblabbingthere!\"PermitmetosendyounowthelastsixfrommyNiece,numberedbyherownhand[noforgery,nosuppression];deigntocastyoureyesontheplacesIhaveunderlined,whereshespeaksofyourMajesty,ofD’Argens,ofPotsdam,ofD’Ammon\"(towhomshecan’tbePhyllis,innocentbeing)!—MONCHERVOLTAIRE,mustIagaindosomeNICHEuponyou,then?Tiesometin—canistertoyourtoo—
sensitivetail?Whatanelementyouinhabitwithinthatpoorskinofyours![Ib。269。]
MAJESTYINVITESUSTOALITERARYCHRISTENING,POTSDAM(Nodate。
These\"SixTwins\"arethe\"ARTDELAGUERRE,\"inSixChants;
partofthatrevisedEditionwhichisgettingprinted\"AUDONJON
DUCHATEAU;\"timemustbe,wellonin1751)。FriedrichwritestoVoltaire:——
\"IhavejustbeenbroughttobedofSixTwins;whichrequiretobebaptized,inthenameofApollo,inthewatersofHippocrene。
LAHENRIADEisrequestedtobecomegodmother:youwillhavethegoodnesstobringher,thiseveningatfive,totheFather’sApartment。D’ArgetLUCINAwillbethere;andtheImaginationofMAN—A—MACHINEwillholdthepoorinfantsovertheFont。\"
[Ib。266。]
DEIGNTOSAYIFIHAVEOFFENDED。——……\"AstheywritetomefromParisthatIamindisgracewithyou,IdaretobegveryearnestlythatyouwilldeigntosayifIhavedispleasedinanything!Maygowrongbyignoranceorfromover—zeal;butwithmyheartnever!
Iliveintheprofoundestretreat;givingtostudymywhole\"——
\"Yourassurancesoncevouchsafed[famousDocumentofAugust23d]。
IwriteonlytomyNiece。I\"(apagemoreofthis)——havemysorrowsandmerits,andabsolutelynosilenceatall![OEuvresdeFrederic,xxii。289。]\"InthegiftofSpeechheisthemostbrilliantofmankind,\"saidSmelfungus;butinthegiftofSilencewhatadeficiency!FriedrichwillhavetodothatforTwo,itwouldseem。
BERLIN,28thDECEMBER,1751:LOUISQUATORZE;ANDDEATHOF
ROTHENBURG。——\"OurLOUISQUATORZEisout。But,Heavens,see,yourMajesty:aPiratePrinter,atFrankfurt—on—Oder,hasbeengoingonparallelwithus,allthewhile;andhereishisfoulblotchofanEditiononsale,too!Bielfeld,\"fantasticfellow,\"hadproof—
sheets;BielfeldsentthemtoaProfessorthere,thoughIdon’tblameBielfeld:resulttooevident。Protectme,yourMajesty;
Orderallwagons,especiallywagonsforLeipzig,tobestopped,tobesearched,andtheBooksthrownout,——itcostsyoubutaword!\"
Quiteasimplething:\"AllPrussiatotherescue!\"thinksanardentProprietoroftheseProof—sheets。Butthen,nextday,hearsthatRothenburgisdead。ThatthesilentRothenburglaydying,whilethevocalVoltairewaswritingthesefooleries,toaKingsunkingrief。\"Repent,besorry,beashamed!\"hesaystohimself;anddoesinstantlytry;——butwithlittlesuccess;Frankfurt—on—Oder,withitsBielfeldproof—sheets,stilljanglingalong,contemptiblyaudible,forsometime。[Ib。285—287。]Andafterwards,fromFrankfurt—on—MaynnewsorrowrisesonLOUISQUATORZE,aswillbeseen。——Friedrich’sgriefforRothenburgwasdeepandsevere;
\"hehadvisitedhimthatlastnight,\"saytheBooks;\"andquittedhisbedside,silent,andallintears。\"ItismainlywhatofBiographythesilentRothenburgnowhas。
FromthecurrentNarratives,astheyarecalled,readerswillrecollect,outofthisVoltairePeriod,twosmallparticlesofEventamidsuchanoceanofnoisyfroth,——twoandhardlymore:
thatofthe\"Orange—Skin,\"andthatofthe\"DirtyLinen。\"Letusputthesetwoontheirbasis;andpasson:——
THEORANGE—SKIN(Potsdam,2dSeptember,1751,toNieceDenis)——GoodHeavens,MONENFANT,whatisthisIhear(throughthegreatDionysius’—EarImaintain,atsuchexpensetomyself)!……
\"LaMettrie,amanofnoconsequence,whotalksfamiliarlywiththeKingaftertheirreading;andwithmetoo,nowandthen:LaMettriesworetome,that,speakingtotheKing,oneofthosedays,ofmysupposedfavor,andthebitofjealousyitexcites,theKingansweredhim:\"Ishallwanthimstillaboutayear:——yousqueezetheorange,youthrowawaytheskin(ONENJETTELECORCE)!’\"
Hereisaprettybitofbabble(lie,mostlikely,andbitofmischievousfun)fromDr。Joyous。\"Itcannotbetrue,No!Andyet——
andyet——?\"Wordscannotexpresstheagonizingdoubts,thequestionings,occasionallythehorrorofVoltaire:poorsicksoul,keepingaDionysius’—Eartoboot!ThisblurtofLaMettrie’sgoesthroughhimlikeashotofelectricitythroughanelderlysickHousehold—Cat;andhespeaksofitagainandeveragain,——thoughwewillnotfarther。
DIRTYLINEN(Potsdam,24thJuly,1752,ToNieceDenis)。——……
\"Maupertuishasdiscreetlysettherumorgoing,thatIfoundtheKing’sWorksverybad;thatIsaidtosomeone,onVersesfromtheKingcomingin,’Willhenevertire,then,ofsendingmehisdirtylinentowash?’YouobligingMaupertuis!\"
Rumorsays,itwasGeneralMannstein,onceAide—de—CampinRussia,whohadcometohavehisWORKONRUSSIArevised(excellentWork,oftenquotedbyus[Didgetoutatlast,——inEngland,throughLordMarischalandDavidHume:seePREFACEtoit(London,1760)。]),whentheunfortunateRoyalVersescame。PerhapsM。deVoltairedidsayit:——whynot,haditonlybeenprudent?HereallylikesthoseVersesmuchmorethanI;butknowswellenough,SUBROSA,whatkindofVersestheyare。Thisalsoisahorriblesuspicion;thattheKingshouldhearofthis,——asdoubtlesstheKingdid,thoughwithoutgoingdeliriousuponitatall。[\"ToNieceDenis,\"datesasabove(OEuvresdeVoltaire,lxxiv。408,lxxv。17)。]ThankYOU,myPerpetualPresident,nottheless!——
OFMAUPERTUIS,INSUCCESSIVEPHASES。——……\"Maupertuisisnotofveryengagingways;hetakesmydimensionsharshlywithhisquadrant:itissaidthereenterssomethingofenvyintohisDATA……Asomewhatsurlygentleman;nottoosociable;and,truthtosay,considerablysunkhere[ASSEZBAISSE,myD’Argental]……\"IendureMaupertuis,nothavingbeenabletosoftenhim。
Inallcountriesthereareinsociablefellows,withwhomyouareobligedtolive,thoughitisdifficult。Hehasneverforgivenmefor\"——omittingtocitehim,&c。——AtParishehadgottheAcademyofSciencesintotrouble,andhimselfintogeneraldislike(DETESTER);
thencamethisBerlinoffer。\"OldFleuri,whenMaupertuiscalledtotakeleave,repeatedthatverseofVirgil,NECTIBIREGNANDIVENIAT
TAMDIRACUPIDO。Fleurimighthavewhisperedasmuchtohimself:
buthewasamildsovereignlord,andreignedinagentlepolitemanner。Isweartoyou,Maupertuisdoesnot,inhisshop[theAcademyhere]——where,Godbethanked,Inevergo。
\"HehasprintedalittlePamphletonHappiness(SURLEBONHEUR);
itisverydryandmiserable。RemindsyouofAdvertisementsforthingslost,——sopoorachanceoffindingthemagain。Happinessisnotwhathegivestothosewhoreadhim,tothosewholivewithhim;heisnothimselfhappy,andwouldbesorrythatotherswere[toNieceDenisthis]……\"Averysweetlifehere,Madame[Madamed’Argental,anoutsideparty]:itwouldhavebeenmoreso,ifMaupertuishadliked。
Thewishtoplease,isnopartofhisgeometricalstudies;
theproblemofbeingagreeabletolivewith,isnotonehehassolved。\"[OEuvresdeVoltaire,lxxiv。330,504(4thMay,1751,and14thMarch,1752),totheD’Argentals;
toNieceDenis(6thNovember,1750,and24thAugust,1751),lxxiv。
250,385。]——AddthisAnecdote,whichisprobablyD’Arget’s,andworthcredit:——
\"Voltairehaddinner—party,Maupertuisoneofthem;partystillinthedrawing—room,dinnerjustcomingup。’President,yourBook,SUR
LEBONHEUR,hasgivenmepleasure,’saidVoltaire,politely[verypolitely,consideringwhatwehavejustread];givenmepleasure,——
afewobscuritiesexcepted,ofwhichwewilltalktogethersomeevening。’’Obscurities?’saidMaupertuis,inagloomyarbitrarytone:’Theremaybesuchforyou,Monsieur!’VoltairelaidhishandonthePresident’sshoulder[yellowwignearby],lookedathiminsilence,withmany—twinklingglance,gayetythetopmostexpression,butbynomeansthesoleone:’President,Iesteemyou,JEVOUS
ESTIME,MONPRESIDENT:youarebrave;youwantwar:wewillhaveit。But,inthemeanwhile,letuseattheKing’sroastmeat。’\"
[Duvernet(2dFORMofhim,always,p。176。]
Friedrich’sAnswerstotheseVoltaireLetters,ifhewroteany,areallgone。Probablyheansweredalmostnothing;whatwehaveofhisrelatesalwaystospecificbusiness,receiptofLOUISQUATORZE,andthelike;andisalwaysinfriendlytone。HandsomelykeepingSilenceforTwo!Hereisasnatchfromhim,onneutralfiguresandmovementsofthetime:——
FRIEDRICHTOWIILHELMINA(November17th,1751)。——\"IthinktheMargrafofAnspachwillnothavestayedlongwithyou。Heisnotmadetotastethesweetsofsociety:hispassionforhunting,andthetipplinglifeheleadsthislongtime,throwhimoutwhenhecomesamongreasonablepersons……\"IexpectmySisterofBrunswick,withtheDukeandtheireldestGirl,the4thofnextmonth,\"——toCarnivalhere。\"ItissevenyearssincetheQueen(ourMamma)hasseenher。SheholdsasmallBoardofWitatBrunswick;
ofwhichyourDoctor[DoctorSuperville,Dutch—French,whoseperennialmeritnowis,ThathedidnotburnWilhelmina’sMEMOIRS,butleftthemsafetoposterity,forlongcenturies],——ofwhichyourDoctoristhedirectorandoracle。Youwouldburstoutrightintolaughingwhenshespeaksofthosematters。Hernaturalvivacityandhastehasnotlefthertimetogettothebottomofanything;sheskipscontinuallyfromonesubjecttotheother,andgivestwentydecisionsinaminute。\"[OEuvresdeFrederic,xxvii。i。202:——OnSuperville,seePreuss’sNote,ib。56。]
AboutamonthbeforeRothenburg’sdeath,whichwassotragicaltoFriedrich,therehadfallenout,withahideousdashoffarceinit,thedeathofLaMettrie。HereareTwoAccounts,bydifferenthands,——whichrepresenttousanimmensityofbabbleinthethenVoltairecircle。
LAMETTRIEDIES。——TwoAccounts:1。KingFriedrich’s:toWilhelmina。
\"21stNovember,1751……WehavelostpoorLaMettrie。Hediedforapieceoffun:ate,outofbanter,awholepheasant—pie;hadahorribleindigestion;tookitintohisheadtohavebloodlet,andconvincetheGermanDoctorsthatbleedingwasgoodinindigestion。
Butitsucceededillwithhim:hetookaviolentfever,whichpassedintoputrid;andcarriedhimoff。Heisregrettedbyallthatknewhim。Hewasgay;BONDIABLE,goodDoctor,andverybadAuthor:byavoidingtoreadhisBooks,onecouldmanagetobewellcontentwithhimself。\"[Ib。xxvii。i。203。]
2。Voltaire’s:toNieceDenis(NOThisfirsttoher):Potsdam,24thDecember,1751……\"Noendtomyastonishment。MilordTyrconnel,\"
alwaysailing(diedherehimself),\"sendstoaskLaMettrietocomeandseehim,tocurehimoramusehim。TheKinggrudgestopartwithhisReader,whomakeshimlaugh。LaMettriesetsout;
arrivesathisPatient’sjustwhenMadameTyrconnelissittingdowntotable:heeatsanddrinks,talksandlaughsmorethanalltheguests;whenhehasgotcrammed(ENAJUSQU’AUMENTON),theybringhimapie,ofeagledisguisedaspheasant,whichhadarrivedfromtheNorth,plentyofbadlard,pork—hashandgingerinit;
mygentlemaneatsthewholepie,anddiesnextdayatLordTyrconnel’s,assistedbytwoDoctors,\"CotheniusandLieberkuhn,\"whomheusedtomockat……HowIshouldhavelikedtoaskhim,atthearticleofdeath,aboutthatOrange—skin!\"[OEuvresdeVoltaire,lxxiv。439,450。]
Addthistraittoo,fromauthenticNicolai,tocompletethematter:
\"AnIrishPriest,FatherMacmahon,Tyrconnel’sChaplain[morepowertohim],wantedtoconvertLaMettrie:hepushedintothesick—
room;——encouragedbysomewhowishedtomakeLaMettriecontemptibletoFriedrich[thecharitablesouls]。LaMettriewouldhavenothingtodowiththisPriestandhistalk;who,however,stillsatandwaited。LaMettrie,inatwingeofagony,criedout,’JESUSMARIE!’’AH,VOUSVOILAENFINRETOURNEACESNOMS
CONSOLATEURS!’exclaimedtheIrishman。TowhichLaMettrieanswered(inpolitelanguage,totheeffect),’Botheryou!’andexpiredafewminutesafter。\"[Nicolai,Anekdoten,
i。20n。]
Enoughofthispoormadcap。Friedrich’sELOGEofhim,readtotheAcademysometimeafter,itwasgenerallythought(andwithgreatjustice),mightaswellhavebeenspared。ThePiecehasnothingnoisy,nothinguntrue;butwhathasitofimportance?Andsurelythesubjectwasquestionable,ormore。LaMettriemighthavedonewithoutEulogyfromaKingofmen……\"HehadbeenusedtoputhimselfatonceonthemostfamiliarfootingwiththeKing[saysThiebault,UNbelievable]。EnteredtheKing’sapartmentashewouldthatofafriend;plungeddownwheneverheliked,whichwasoften,andlayuponthesofas;ifitwaswarm,tookoffhisstock,unbuttonedhiswaistcoat,flunghisperiwigonthefloor;\"[Thiebault,v。405(callshim\"LaMetherie;\"
knows,asusual,nothing)。]——highlyprobable,thinksstupidThiebault!
\"Thetruthis,\"saysNicolai,\"theKingputnorealvalueonLaMettrie。Heconsideredhimasamerry—andrewfellow,whomightamuseyou,whenhalfseas—over(ENTREDEUXVINS)。DelaMettrieshowedhimselfunworthyofanyfavorhehad。Notonlydidhebabble,andrepeataboutTownwhatheheardattheKing’stable;
buthetoldeverythinginafalseway,andwithmalicioustwistsandadditions。ThisheespeciallydidatLordTyrconnel,thethenFrenchAmbassador’stable,whereatlasthedied。\"[Nicolai,Anekdoten,i。20。]ButcouldnottaketheORANGE—SKINalongwithhim;alas,no!——
Onthewhole,benottoosevereonpoorVoltaire!Heisveryfidgety,noisy;somethingofapickthank,ofawheedler;but,aboveall,heisscorbutic,dyspeptic;hag—ridden,assoulseldomwas;
and(inhisobliqueway)APPEALStoFriedrichandus,——notinvain。
And,inshort,weperceive,aftertheFirstActofthePiece,beginninginpreternaturalradiances,endinginwhirlwindsofflamingsoot,hehasbeengettingonwithhisSecondActbetterthancouldbeexpected。Gyratingagainamongthebrightplanets,circum—jovialmoons,intheCourtFirmament;isagaininfavor,andmight——Alas,hehadhisFELLOW—moons,hisMaupertuisaboveall!
IncurablethatMaupertuismisery;getsworseandworse,steadilyfromthefirstday。Nosmallestentitythatintervenes,notevenawanderingLaBeaumellewithhisBookofPENSEES,butiscapableofworseningit。TakethisofSmelfungus;thisPairofCabinetSketches,——\"hastyoutlines;extantchiefly,\"hedeclares,\"byVoltaire’sblame:\"——
LABEAUMELLE。——\"VoltairehasafataltalentofgettingintoI
quarrelswithinsignificantaccidentalpeople;andinsteadofsilently,withcautiousfinger,disengaginganybramblethatcatchestohim,andthankfullypassingon,attacksitindignantlywithpotentsteelimplements,wood—axes,war—axes;brandishingandhewing;——tillhehasstirredupawholewildernessofbramble—bush,andishimselfbramble—chipsallover。M。AnglivieldelaBeaumelle,forexample,wasnothingbutabramble:someconceitedLicentiateofTheology,who,findingthePresbyteryofGenevatoonarrowafield,hadgonetoCopenhagen,asProfessorofRhetoricorsomesuchthing;and,findingthatfieldalsotoonarrow,andnottobewidenedbyattemptsatLiterature,MESPENSEESandthelike,insuchbarbarousCountry\",——hadnow[endof1751]cometoBerlin;
andhasPresentationcopiesofMESPENSEES,OULEQU’ENDIRA—T—ON,flyingrightandleft,inhopesofdoingbetterthere。OfthesePENSEES(Thoughtssocalled)Iwillgivebutonespecimen\"
(another,thatof\"KingFriedrichacommonman,\"beingcarefullysuppressedintheBerlinCopies,ofLaBeaumelle’sdistributing):——
\"TherehavebeengreaterPoetsthanVoltaire;therewasneveranysowellrecompensed:andwhy?BecauseTaste(GOUT,inclination)
setsnolimitstoitsrecompenses。TheKingofPrussiaoverloadsmenoftalentwithhisbenefitsforpreciselythereasonswhichinducealittleGermanPrincetooverloadwithbenefitsabuffoonoradwarf。\"[OEuvresdeVoltaire,xxvii。
220n。]Couldtherebeaphenomenonmoreindisputablyofbramblenature?
\"HehadnosuccessatBerlin,inspiteofhismerits;couldnotcomeneartheKingatall;butassiduouslyfrequentedMaupertuis,theflowerofhumanthinkersinthatera,——whowasveryhumanetohiminconsequence。’Howisit,Oflowerofhumanthinkers,thatI
cannotgetonwithhisMajesty,ormaketheleastway?’(HELAS,MONSIEUR,youhaveenemies!’answeredheoftheredwig;andtoldLaBeaumelle(hearit,yeHeavens),ThatM。deVoltairehadcalledhisMajesty’sattentiontothePENSEEgivenabove,oneeveningatSupperRoyal;’hearditmyself,Monsieur——husht!’Uponwhich——
\"’Uponwhich,see,paltryLaBeaumellehasbecomemyenemyforlife!’shrieksVoltairemanytimesafterwards:’Anditwasfalse,I
declaretoHeaven,andagaindeclare;itwasnotI,itwasD’Argensquizzingmeaboutit,thatcalledhisMajesty’sattentiontothatPENSEEofBlockheadLaBeaumelle,——youtreacherousPerpetualPresident,stirringupenemiesagainstme,andbetrayingsecretsoftheKing’stable。’Sorrowonyourredwig,andyou!——ItiscertainLaBeaumelle,soonafterthis,leftBerlin:notinlovewithVoltaire。Andtheresoonappeared,atFranfurt—on—Mayn,aPirateEditionofourbrand—newSIECLEDELOUISQUATORZE(withAnnotationsscurrilousandflimsy);——LaBeaumelletheprofessedPerpetrator;
’whoreceivedforthejob7pounds10s。net!’[Ib。xx。]asseveratesthewell—informedVoltaire。Oh,M。deVoltaire,andwhynotleaveittohim,then?Poordevil,hegotputintotheBastilletoo,byandby;RoyalPersonsbeingtouchedbysomeofhisstupidfoot—notes。
\"LaBeaumellehadalongcourseofit,upanddowntheworld,inandoutoftheBastille;writingmuch,withinconsiderablerecompense,andalwaysinawoodenmanureworthyofhisFirstvocationintheGenevatime。’Amanofpleasingphysiognomy,’saysFormey,’andexpressedhimselfwell。Ireceivedhisvisit14thJanuary,1752,’——towhichlattersmallcircumstance(welcomeasafixeddatetoushere)LaBeaumelle’sBiographyisnowprettymuchreducedformankind。[Formey,ii。221。]HecontinuedMaupertuis’sadorer:andwasnotabadcreature,onlyadullwoodenone,withobstinatetemper。ALIFEOFMAUPERTUISofhiswritingwassentforthlately,[ViedeMaupertuis(citedabove),Paris,1866。]afterlyinghiddenahundredyears:butitisdull,dead,painfullyligneous,likealltherest;andofneworofpleasanttellsusnothing。
\"HisenmitytoM。deVoltairedidproveperpetual:——abramblethatmighthavebeendealtwithbyfingers,orbyfingersandscissors,butcouldnotbyaxes,andtheirhewingandbrandishing。’Thisistheninety—fifthanonymousCalumnyofLaBeaumelle’s,thisthatyouhavesentme!’saysVoltaireonce。Thefirststrokeortwohadtornthebramblequiteonend:’HesayshewillpursueyoutoHelleven,’writesoneoftheVoltairekindfriendsfromFrankfurt,onthat7pounds10s。business。’AL’ENFER?’answersM。deVoltaire,withatoss:’Well,Ishouldthinkso,he,andatagoodrateofspeed。Butwhetherhewillfindmethere,mustbeaquestion!’
Ifyouwanttohaveaninsignificantaccidentalfellowtroubleyouallyourdays,thisisthewayofhandlinghimwhenhefirstcatcheshold。\"
ABBEDEPRADES。——\"DePrades,’AbbedePrades,ReadertotheKing,’
thoughhappilynotanenemyofVoltaire’s,isinsomesortLaBeaumelle’scounterpart,orbrotherwithadifference;concerningwhomalso,onewantsonlytoknowtheexactdateofhisarrival。
AsLaBeaumellefelttoostrait—tiedintheGenevavestures(whereithadbeengoodforhimtoadjusthimself,andstay);sodidDePradesintheSorbonneditto,——andburstout,ontakingOrders,notintoeloquentPreachingsoredifyingDevotionalExercises;butintoloudblurtsofmereheresyandheterodoxy。Blurtswhichwereveryloud,andIbelieveverystupid;whichfailedofbeingsublimeeventothePhilosophicworld;andkindledtheSorbonneintoburninghisBook,andalmostburninghimself,hadnotheatoncerunforit。
\"RantoHolland,andtherecontinuedblurtingmoreatlarge,——
decidedlystupidformostpart,thinksVoltaire,’butwithgloriousPassages,worthyourMajesty’sattention;’——uponwhich,D’Alemberttoohelping,poorDePradeswasinvitedtotheReadership,vacantbyLaMettrie’seagle—pie;andcamegladly,andstayed。Atwhatdate?oneoccasionallyasks:forthereareRoyalLetters,dateless,butwritteninhishand,thatraisesuchquestionintheutterdimnessotherwise。Dateis’September,1752。’[Preuss,i。368;ii。
115。]FartherquestiononedoesnotaskaboutDePrades。Ratheranemphaticintrusivekindoffellow,Ishouldguess;——wrote,he,notFriedrich,thatABRIDGMENTOFPLEURY’SECCLESIASTICALHISTORY,andotherthelikedrearyPieces,whichusedtobeinflictedonmankindasFriedrich’s。
\"Fortherest,havingplaceandsmallpension,——not,likeLaBeaumelle,obligedtopirateandannotatefor7pounds10s。——hewentonsteadily,agoodwhile;gotaCanonryofGlogau[smallCatholicbenefice,badifitwasnotbetterthanitsnowoccupant];
——andunluckily,intheSeven—Years—Wartime,fellintotreasonousCorrespondencewithhiscountrymen;whichitwasfearedmightbefatal,whenfoundout。Butno,notfatal。FriedrichdidlockhiminMagdeburgforsomemonths;thenlethimout:’HometoGlogau,sirrah;sticktoyourCanonryhenceforth,andletushearnomoreofyouatall!’Whichshallbehisfateinthesepagesalso。\"
Good,myfriend;nomoreofhim,then!Onlyrecollect\"September,1752,\"ifdatelessRoyalLettersinDePrades’shandturnup。
ChapterX。
DEMONNEWSWRITER,OF1752。
Itmustbeowned,theKing’sFrenchColonyofWitswereasorrysetofpeople。Theytemptonetoask,Whatisthegoodofwit,then,ifthisbeit?Herearepeoplesparklingwithwit,andhavenotunderstandingenoughtodiscernwhatliesundertheirnose。
Cannotlivewiselywithanybody,leastofallwithoneanother。
Infact,itistragictothinkhowillthisKingsucceededinthematterofgatheringfriends。Withthewholeworldtochoosefrom,onefanciesalwayshemighthavedonebetter!Butno,hecouldnot;
——andchieflyforthisreason:HisloveofWisdomwasnothinglikedeepenough,reverentenough;andhisloveofESPRIT(themereGarmentorPhantasmofWisdom)wastoodeep。Friendsdonotdropintoone’smouth。Onemustknowhowtochoosefriends;andthatofESPRIT,thoughaprettything,isbynomeanstheonerequisite,ifindeeditbearequisiteatall。ThispresentWitColonywasthebestthatFriedricheverhad;andwemayallseehowgooditwas。
Hetook,atlastmoreandmore,intobanteringhisTable—Companions(whichIdonotwonderat),asthechiefgoodhecouldgetofthem。
Andhad,aswesaid,especiallyinhislatertime,inthemannerofDublinHackney—Coachmen,establisheduponeachanimalitsRAW;andmakesitskipamazinglyattouchofthewhip。\"Cruelmortal!\"
thoughthiscattle:——but,afterall,howcouldhewellhelpit,withsuchaset?
NativeLiteraryMen,GermanorSwiss,therealsowereaboutFriedrich’sCourt:ofthemhappilyhedidnotrequireESPRIT;butputthemintohisAcademy;oremployedtheminpracticalfunctions,wherehonestyandgoodsensewerethequalitiesneeded。Worthymen,severalofthese;butunmemorablenearlyall。WewillmentionSulzeralone,——andnotforTHEORIESandPHILOSOPHIESOFTHEFINE
ARTS[AllgemeineTheoriederSchonenKunste,
3vols。;&c。&c。](whichthenhadtheirmultitudesofreaders);
butforaSpeechofFriedrich’stohimonce,whichhasoftenbeenrepeated。SulzerhasafineruggedwholesomeSwiss—Germanphysiognomy,bothoffaceandmind;andgothisadmirations,astheBerlinHUGHBLAIRthatthenwas:aSulzerwhomFriedrichalwaysratherliked。
FriedrichhadmadehimSchoolInspector;lovedtotalkalittlewithhim,aboutbusiness,wereitnothingelse。\"Well,MonsieurSulzer,howareyourSchoolsgettingon?\"askedtheKingoneday,——longafterthis,butnobodywilltellmeexactlywhen,thoughthefactiscertainenough:\"HowgoesourEducationbusiness?\"
\"Surelynotill,yourMajesty;andmuchbetterinlateyears,\"
answeredSulzer。——\"Inlateyears:why?\"\"Well,yourMajesty,informertime,thenotionbeingthatmankindwerenaturallyinclinedtoevil,asystemofseverityprevailedinschools:butnow,whenwerecognizethattheinborninclinationofmenisrathertogoodthantoevil,schoolmastershaveadoptedamoregenerousprocedure。\"——\"Inclinationrathertogood?\"saidFriedrich,shakinghisoldhead,withasadsmile:\"Alas,dearSulzer,ACHMEINLIEBER
SULZER,Iseeyoudon’tknowthatdamnedraceofcreatures(ER
KENNTNICHTDIESEVERDAMMTERACE)asIdo!\"[Nicolai,iii。
274;——thethingappearstohavebeensaidinFrench(\"JEVOISBIEN,MONCHERSULZER,QUEVOUSNECONNAISSEZPAS,COMMEMOI,CETTERACE
MAUDITEALAQUELLENOUSAPPARTENONS\");buttheGermanformisirresistiblyattractive,andisnowheardproverbiallyfromtimetotimeincertainmouths。]Hereisaspeechforyou!\"PardontheKing,whowashimselfsobeneficentandexcellentaKing!\"cryseveralEditorsoftherose—pinktype。ThispresentEditor,forhisshare,willatonceforgive;buthowcanheeverforget!——
\"PerhapsImistake,\"ownsVoltaire,inhisPasquinadeofaVIE
PRIVEE,\"butitseemstome,attheseSupperstherewasagreatdealofESPRIT(realwitandbrilliancy)going。TheKinghadit,andmadeothershave;and,whatisextraordinary,Ineverfeltmyselfsofreeatanytable。\"\"Conversationmostpleasant,\"
testifiesanother,\"mostinstructive,animated;nottobematched,Ishouldguess,elsewhereintheworld。\"[Bielfeld,LETTERS;
Voltaire,ViePrivee。]Verysprightlyindeed:andafundofgoodsense,abasisofpracticalityandfact,necessarytobeinitwithal;thoughotherwiseitcanfoamover(ifsomeLaMettriebethere,andagooddealofwineinhim)toverygreatheights。
ADEMONNEWSWRITERGIVESAN\"IDEA\"OFFRIEDRICH;
INTELLIGIBLETOTHEKNOWINGCLASSESINENGLAND
ANDELSEWHERE。
Practically,Icanaddonly,ThattheseSuppersofthegodsbegincommonlyathalf—pasteight(\"Concertjustover\");andlasttilltowardsmidnight,——notlaterconveniently,astheKingmustbeupatfive(inSummer—timeatfour),and\"needsbetweenfiveandsixhoursofsleep。\"OrwouldthereadercaretoconsultaPieceexpresslytreatingonallthesepoints;kindofMANUSCRIPT
NEWSPAPER,fallenintomyhands,whichseemstohavehadawidishcirculationinitsday。[\"IDEEDELAPERSONNE,DELAMANIEREDE
VIVRE,ETDELACOURDUROIDEPRUSSE:juin,1752。\"Inthe
RobinsonPapers(oneCopy)nowintheBritishMuseum。]
IhavemetwithTwoCopiesofit,inthisCountry:oneofthem,toappearance,oncethepropertyofGeorgeSelwyn。TheotherisamongtheRobinsonPapers:doubtlessveryluculenttoRobinson,whoisnowhomeinEngland,butremembersmanyathing。Judgingfromvarioussymptoms,IcouldguessthisMS。tohavebeenmuchabout,intheEnglishAristocraticCirclesofthattime;andtohave,insomemeasure,givensaidCirclestheir\"Idea\"(astheywerepleasedtoreckonit)ofthatwonderfulandquestionableKing:——highlydistracted\"Idea;\"which,indilutedform,isstillthestapleEnglishone。
Bythelabel,DEMONNEWSWRITER,itisnotmeantthattheAuthorofthispoorPaperwasanactualDevil,orinfernalSpiritualEssenceofmiraculousspectralnature。Bynomeans!Beyonddoubt,heissomepoorFrenchman,moreorlessdefinableasflesh—and—blood;
gesturingabout,visibly,atBerlinin1752;incocked—hatandbrightshoe—buckles;grinningelaboratesalutationstocertainofhisfellow—creaturesthere。PossiblysomehungryATTACHEofMilordTyrconnel’sLegation;fatallyshutoutfromthebeatitudesofthisbarbarousCourt,andwillingtoseeksolacement,andturnadishonestpenny,inthePER—CONTRAcourse?Whoheis,weneednotknoworcare:tooevident,hehasthesadqualityoftransmuting,inhisdirtyorgans,heavenlyBrilliancy,moreorless,intoinfernalDarknessandHatefulness;whichIreckontohavebeen,atalltimes,theprincipalfunctionofaDevil;——functionstillcarriedonextensively,underFirmsofanothertitle,inthisworld。
Somesnatcheswewillgive。For,thoughitdoesnotmuchconcernaManorKing,seriouslybusy,whattheidleouterworldmayseegoodtotalkofhim,hisBiographers,intimesubsequent,arecalledtonoticethematter,aspartofhisLife—element,andcharacteristicoftheworldhehadroundhim。Friedrich’saffairsweremuchawondertohiscontemporaries。EspeciallyhisDomesticities,anitemnaturallyobscuretotheouterworld,werewonderful;suretobecommentedupon,toalllengths;andbytheunintelligent,firstofall。Ofcontemporarymankind,aswehavesometimessaid,nobodywasmoreliedof:——ofwhich,letthisoftheDemonNewswriterbeexample,oneinsteadofmany。TheDemonNewswriter,derivingonlyfromoutsidegossipandeavesdropping,iswrongveryoften,——infact,heisseldomright,exceptonpointswhichhavebeenOfficiallyfixed,andarewithinreachofaninquisitiveClerkofLegation。Wrongoftenenough,eveninregardtoexternalparticulars,howmuchmoreastointernal;——andwillneedchecking,aswegoalong。
DemonspeaksfirstofFriedrich’sstature,5ft。6in。(asweknowbetterthanthisDemon);\"prettywellproportioned,nothandsome,andevensomethingofawkward(GAUCHE),acquiredbyaconstrainedbearing[headslightlyofftheperpendicular,acquiredbyhisflute,saythebetter—informed]。Isofthegreatestpoliteness。
Finetoneofvoice,——fineeveninswearing,whichisascommonwithhimaswithagrenadier,\"addsthisDemon;notworthattendingto,onsuchpoints。
\"Hasneverhadanightcap[sleepsbareheaded;inhislatertimes,wouldsleepinhishat,whichwasalwayssoftasduffel,kneadedtosoftnessasitsfirstduty,anddidverywell]:Neveranightcap,dressing—gown,orpairofslippers[TRUE];onlyakindofclothcloak[NOTQUITE],muchwornandverydirty,forbeingpowderedin。
ThewholeyearroundhegoesintheuniformofhisFirstBattalionofGuards:——bluewithredfacings,button—holetrimmingsinsilver,frogsattheinnerend;hiscoatbuttonsclosetotheshape;
waistcoatisplainyellow[straw—color];hat[three—cornered]hasedgingofSpanishlace,whiteplume[horizontal,restingonthelaceallround]:bootsonhislegsallhislife。Hecannotwalkwithshoes[pooh,you——!]。
\"Herisesdailyatfive:\"——No,hedoesn’tatall!Infact,wehadbetterclapthelidonthisDemon,ill—informedastoallthesepoints;and,onsuchsuggestion,givetherealaccountofthem,distilledfromPreuss,andtheabundantauthenticsources。
Preusssays(ifreaderscouldbutrememberhim):\"AnAlmanacliesontheKing’sTable,markingforeachdaywhatspecificdutiesthedaywillbring。Fromfivetosixhoursofsleep:insummerherisesaboutthree,seldomafterfour;inwinterperhapsanhourlater。
Inhisoldertime,sevenhours’sleepcametobethestipulatedquantity;andhewouldsleepoccasionallyeighthoursorevennine,incertainmedicalpredicaments。Notsoinhisyoungeryears:
fourA。M。andfive,thesethoursthen。Summerandwinter,fireislightedforhimaquarterofanhourbefore。Kingrises;getsintohisclothes:’stockings,breeches,boots,hedidsittingonthebed’(foronelovestobeparticular);therestinfrontofthefire,instandingposture。Washingfollowed;morecompendiousthanhisFather’susedtobe。
\"Lettersspecificallytohisaddress,acourier(leavingBerlin,9P。M。)hadbroughthiminthedeadofnight:these,ontheinstantoftheKing’scalling’Here!’avaletintheantechamberbroughtintohim,tobereadwhilehishairwasbeingdone。HisuniformtheKingdidnotatonceputon;butgotintoaCASAQUIN[loosearticleofthedressing—gownkind,onlyshorterthanours]ofrichstuff,sometimesofvelvetwithprecioussilverembroideries。
TheseCasaquinswerecommonlysky—blue(whichcolorheliked),presentsfromhisSistersandNieces。Lettersbeingglancedover,andhair—clubdone,theLife—guardGeneral—AdjutanthandsinthePotsdamReport(allstrangersthathaveenteredPotsdamorleftit,theprincipalitem):this,withaBerlinReport,whichhadcomewiththeLetters;andwhatofArmy—Reportshadarrived(Adjutant—
Generaldeliveringthese),——werenowglancedover。Andso,byfiveo’clockinthesummermorning,bysixinthewinter,onesees,inthegross,whatone’sday’s—workistobe;themiscellaneousSTONES
ofitarenowmostlyhere,onlymortarandwallingofthemtobethoughtof。General—Adjutantandhisaffairsarefirstsettled:
oneachthingawordortwo,whichtheGeneral—Adjutant(alwaysahighlyconfidentialOfficer,aHacke,aWinterfeld,orthelike)
pointedlytakesdown。
\"General—Adjutantgone,theKing,insky—bluecasaquin[ofteninveryfadedcondition]stepsintohiswriting—room;walksabout,readinghisLettersmorecompletely;drinking,first,severalglassesofwater;thencoffee,perhapsthreecupswithorwithoutmilk[likescoffee,andverystrong]。Aftercoffeehetakeshisflute;stepsaboutpractising,fantasying:hehasbeenheardtosay,speakingofmusicanditseffectsonthesoul,Thatduringthisfantasyinghewouldgettoconsideringallmannerofthings,withnothoughtofwhathewasplaying;andthatsometimeseventheluckiestideasaboutbusiness—mattershaveoccurredtohimwhiledandlingwiththeflute。Saunteringso,heisgraduallybreakfastingwithal:willeat,intermittently,smallchocolatecakes;andafterhiscoffee,cherries,figs,grapes,fruitsintheirseason[veryfondoffruit,andhaselaboratehot—houses]。
Sopassestheearlymorning。
\"Betweennineandten,mostofone’splan—workbeinggotthrough,thequestionsofthedayaresettled,orlaidholdofforsettling。
Betweennineandten,Kingtakestoreadingthe’Excerpts’
(Isuppose,ofthemoreintricateorlengthierthings)ofYesterday,whichhisthreeCabinetRaths[ClerkEichelandtheotherTwo]havepreparedforhim。KingsummonstheseThree,oneaftertheother,accordingtotheirDepartment;handsthemtheLettersjustread,theExcerptsnowdecidedon,andsignifies,inaminimumofwords,whattheanswersaretobe,——Clerk,alwaysinfulldress,listeningwithbothhisears,andpencilinhand。
Mayhave,ofAnswers,CABINET—ORDERSsocalled,perhapsadozen,tobereadywithbeforeevening。[\"InacertainCopyorFinal—RegisterBook[HerrPreuss’sWindfall,ofwhichINFRA]entitledKABINETSORDENKOPIALBUCH,ofOneofthethreeClerks,years1746—1752,thereare,ontheaverage,tenCABINET—ORDERSdaily,Sundaysincluded\"(Preuss,i。352n。)。]
\"EichelandCompanydismissed,Kingflingsoffhiscasaquin,takeshisregimentalcoat;hashishairtouchedoffwithpomade,withpowder;andisbuttonedandreadyinaboutfiveminutes;——readyforParade,whichisatthestrokeofeleven,insteadoflater,asitusedtobeinPapa’stime。Ifelevenisnotyetcome,hewillgetonhorseback;gosweepingabout,oftenestwitherrandsstill,atalleventsinthefreesolitudeofair,tillParade—timedocome。
TheParole[Sentry’s—WORDoftheDay]hehasalreadygivenhisAdjutant—General。Parole,whichonlytheAdjutantandCommandanthadknowntillnow,isformallygivenout;andthetroopsgothroughtheirexercises,manoeuvres,underastrictnessofcriticismwhichneverabates。\"\"Paradehebynochanceevermisses,\"saysourDemonfriend。
\"Atthestrokeoftwelve,\"continuesPreuss,\"dinnerisserved。
Dinnerthreefold;thatis,asecondtableandathird。Onlytwocourses,dishesonlyeight,evenattheKing’sTable,(eightalsoattheMarshal’sorsecondTable);guestsfromseventoten。
Dinnerplentifulandsavory(fortheKinghadhisfavoritesamongedibles),bynomeanscaringtobesplendid,——yearlyexpenseofthreefoldDinner(doneaccuratelybycontract)was1,800pounds。\"
LinsenbarthwesawattheThirdTable,andhowhefared。
\"Thedinner—servicewasofbeautifulporcelain;notsilver,stilllessgold,exceptonthegrandestoccasions。Everyguesteatsatdiscretion,——ofcourse!——anddrinksatdiscretion,MoselleorPontac[kindofclaret];ChampagneandHungaryarehandedroundontheKing’ssignal。KinghimselfdrinksBergerac,orotherclarets,withwater。Dinnerlaststilltwo;——iftheconversationbeseductive,ithasbeenknowntostretchtofour。TheKing’sgreatpassionisfortalkoftherightkind;hehimselftalksagreatdeal,tipplingwine—and—watertotheend,andkeepsonalevelwiththerisingtide。
\"WithabowfromMajesty,dinnerends;guestsgently,withalittlesaunteroftalktosomeofthem,allvanish;andtheKingisinhisownApartmentagain。Generallyflute—playingforabouthalfanhour;tillEichelandtheotherscomewiththeirday’swork:
tray—loadsofCabinet—Orders,Icanfancy;whicharetobe’executed,’thatis,tobeglancedthrough,andsigned。
Signatureformostpartisall;butthereareMarginaliaandPostscripts,too,ingreatnumber,oftenofaspicybitingcharacter;which,inourtime,areinrequestamongthecurious。\"
HerrPreuss,whohasrighttospeak,declaresthatthespiceofmockeryhasbeenexaggerated;andthatserioussenseisalwaystheaimbothofDocumentandofSigner。Preusshadawindfall;
12,000ofthesePieces,ormore,inalump,inthewayofgift;
whichfellonhimlikemanna,——andled,itissaid,tothoseFriedrichstudies,extensivefaithfulquarryingsinthatvastwildernessofslidingshingleandchaoticboulders。
\"CoffeefollowsthisdespatchofEichelandConsorts;thedaynowone’sown。\"Scandalousrumors,proseandverse,connectthemselveswiththisparticularepochoftheday;whichappeartobewhollyLIES。Ofwhichpresently。\"Inthisafter—dinnerperiodfalltheliterarylabors,\"saysPreuss:——afacilepen,thisKing’s;onlytwohoursofanafternoonallowedit,insteadofalldayandthetopofthemorning。\"Aboutsix,orearliereven,cametheReader[LaMettrieoranother],cameartists,camelearnedtalk。AtsevenisConcert,whichlastsforanhour;half—pasteightisSupper。\"
[Preuss,i。344—347(and,withintermittencies,pp。356,361,363
&c。to376),abridged。]
DemonNewswritersays,oftheConcert:\"Itismostlyofwind—
instruments,\"Kinghimselfoftentakingpartwithhisflute;
\"performersthebestinEurope。Hehasthree\"——whatshallwecallthem?ofmalegender,——\"acounter—alt,andMamsellAstrua,anItalian;theyareuniquevoices。Hecannotbearmediocrity。Itisbutseldomhehasanysinginghere。Tobeadmitted,needsthemostintimatefavor;nowandthensomeyoungLord,ofdistinction,ifhemeetwithsuch。\"Concert,verywell;——butletusnow,suppressinganylittleabhorrences,hearhimonanothersubject:——
\"Dinnerlastsonehour[saysourDemon,nobetterinformed]:
uponwhichtheKingreturnstohisApartmentwithbows。Itprettyoftenhappensthathetakeswithhimoneofhisyoungfellows。
Theseareallhandsome,likeapicture(FAITSAPEINDRE),andofthebeautifulestface,\"——addshe,stillworseinformed;
poisonousmalicemixingitself,thistime,withthehumandarkness,andreducingittodiabolic。ThisDemon’sPaperaboundswithsimilarallusions;asdothemoredesperatesortofVoltaireutterances,——VIEPRIVEEtreatingitasknownfact;LetterstoDenisinoccasionalparoxysms,asrumorofdetestablenature,probablytrueofonewhoissodetestable,atleastsoformidable,toaguiltysinnerhisGuest。Others,nottobecalleddiabolical,asHerrDr。Busching,forexample,speakofitasathingcredible;
asgoodasknowntothewell—informed。And,beyondtheleastquestion,theredidathrice—abominablerumorofthatkindrun,whisperingaudibly,overalltheworld;andgainbelieffromthosewhohadappetite。Amostmelancholybusiness。Solacingtohumanenvy;——explainingalso,tothedarkhumanintellect,whythisKinghadcommonlynoWomenathisCourt。Amostmelancholyportionofmyraw—material,this;concerningwhich,sinceonemustspeakofit,hereiswhatlittleIhavetosay:——
1。ThatproofoftheNEGATIVE,inthisorinanysuchcase,isbythenatureofitimpossible。ThatitisindisputableFriedrichdidnotnowlivewithhisWife,norseemtoconcernhimselfwiththeempireofwomenatall;having,exceptnowandthenhisSistersandsomeForeignPrincessonshortvisit,nowomeninhisCourt;
andthoughagreatjudgeofFemalemerits,gracesandaccomplishments,seemstoworshipwomeninthatremotewayalone,andnotinanynearer。Whichoccasionedgreatastonishmentinaworldusedsomuchtothecontrary。Andgaverisetomanyconjecturesamongtheidleofmankind,\"What,onEarth,orunderEarth,canbethemeaningofit?\"——andamongothers,totheabovescandalousrumor,assomesolacementtohumanmaliceandimpertinentcuriosity。
2。Thatanoppositerumor——whichwouldindeedhavebeenprettyfataltothisone,butperhapsstillmoredisgracefulintheeyesofaDemonNewswriter——wasequallycurrent;andwasmuchelaboratedbythecuriousimpertinent。TillNicolaigotholdofit,inHerrDr。Zimmermann’sresponsiblehands;andconclusivelyknockeditonthehead。[SeeZimmermann’sFragmente,andNicolaipatientlypoundingittopowder(whoeveriscuriousonthisdisgustingsubject)。]
3\"。That,forme,proofintheaffirmative,orprobableindicationthatway,hasnotanywhereturnedup。Nowhereforme,intheseextensiveminingsandsiftings。Nottheleastofprobableindication;butcontrariwise,hereandthere,ratherdefiniteindicationspointingdirectlytheoppositeway。[Forexample(\"CORRESPONDENCEWITHFREDERSDORF\"),OEuvres,
xxvii。iii。145。]Friedrich,inhisownutterancesandoccasionalrhymes,isabundantlycynical;nowandthenrisestoakindofepiccynicism,onthisverymatter。ButatnotimecanthepainfulcriticcallitcynicismasofOTHERthananobserver;alwaysakindofvinegarcleannessinit,EXCEPTintheory。Cynicismofanimpartialobserverinadirtyelement;observerepicallysensible(whenprovokedtoit)ofthebrutalcontemptibilitieswhichlieinHumanLife,alongsideofitsbigstruttingsandpretensions。
InFriedrich’sutterancesthereisthatkindofcynicismundeniable;——andyethehadamodestyalmostfemaleinregardtohisownperson;\"noservanthavingeverseenhiminanexposedstate。\"[Preuss,i。376。]WhichhadconsiderablystrengthenedrumorNo。2。OyepoorimpiousLong—eared,——Long—earedIwillcallyou,insteadofTwo—hornedandwithonlyOnehoofcloven!AmongthetragicalplatitudesofHumanNature,nothingsofillsaconsideringbrothermortalwithsorrowanddespair,asthisinnatetendencyofthecommoncrowdinregardtoitsGreatMen,whensoever,oralmostwhensoever,theHeavensdo,atlongintervals,vouchsafeus,astheirall—includingblessing,anythingofsuch!Practical\"BLASPHEMY,\"isitnot,ifyoureflect?Strangelypossiblethatsin,evennow。Andoughttobereligiouslyabhorredbyeverysoulthathastheleastpietyornobleness。Actnotthemutinousflunky,myfriend;thoughtherebegreatwagesgoinginthatline。
4。Thatinthesecircumstances,andtakingintoviewtheotherwiseknownqualitiesofthishighFellow—Creature,thepresentEditordoesnot,forhisownshare,valuetherumoratapin’sfee。
Andleavesit,andrecommendshisreaderstoleaveit,hangingbyitsownhead,inthesadsubterraneanregions,——till(probablynotforalongwhileyet)itdroptoafarDeeperanddolefulerRegion,outofourwayaltogether。
\"Lamentable,yes,\"commentsDiogenes;\"andespeciallyso,thattheidlepublichasahankeringforsuchthings!Butaretherenoobscenedetailsatall,then?grumblesthedisappointedidlepublictoitself,somethingofreproachinitstone。Apublicidle—minded;
muchdepravedineveryway。Thus,too,youwillobserveofdogs:
twodogs,atmeeting,run,firstofall,totheshamefulpartsoftheconstitution;instituteastrictexamination,moreorlesssatisfactory,inthatdepartment。Thatoncesettled,theirinterestinulteriormattersseemsprettymuchtodieaway,andtheyarereadytopartagain,asfromaproblemdone。\"——Enough,oh,enough!
PracticallywearegettingnogoodofourDemon;——andwilldismisshim,afteratasteortwomore。
ThisDemonNewswriterhas,evidently,neverbeentoPotsdam;
whichhefiguresastheabodeofhorridcruelty,akindofTartarusonEarth;——wherethereisadreadfulscarcityofwomen,foroneitem;lamentabletoone’smoralfeelings。Scarcitynothinglikesogreat,evenamongthesoldier—classes,astheDemonNewswriterimaginestohimself;norproductiveoftheresultslamented。
Prussiansoldiersarenotencouragedtomarry,ifitwillhurttheservice;nordotheirwivesmarchwiththeRegimentexceptinsuchproportionsastheremaybesewing,washingandthelikewomen’sworkfairlywantedintheirrespectiveCompanies:thePotsdamFirstBattalion,Iunderstand,ishardlypermittedtomarryatall。
Andinregardtolamentableresults,thatof\"LIEBSTEN—SCHEINE,Sweetheart—TICKETS,\"——oractualmilitarylegalizingofTemporaryMarriages,withregularprivilegesattached,andfixedrulestobeobserved,——mightperhapsbethenotablestpoint,andtheSEMI—
lamentablest,toamanordemoninthehabitoflamenting。
[Preuss,i。426。]Fortherest,aconsiderablydreadfulplacethisPotsdam,totheflaccid,esurientanddisorderlyofmankind;——\"andstrictasFate[Demoncorrectforonce]ininexorablypunishingmilitarysins。
\"ThisKing,\"hesays,\"hasagreatdealofESPRIT;muchlessofreal,knowledge(CONNAISSANCES)thanispretended。Heexcelsonlyinthemilitarypart;reallyexcellentthere。Hasafacileexpeditiouspenandhead;understandswhatyousaytohim,atthefirstword。Nottakingnorwishingadvice;neversufferingrepliesorremonstrances,notevenfromhisMother。PrettywellacquaintedwithWorksofESPRIT,whetherinProseorinVerse:burning[veryhotindeed]todistinguishhimselfbyperformanceofthatkind;