Threeofthemwere,theVONSBlumenthal,Massow,Hagen,unknowntoreadershere:fourthandfifthwere,theVonWedellasWar—
Minister,onceDictatoratZullichan;andaVonderHorst,whohadwhatwemightpartiallycalltheHomeDepartment,andwhomaybyaccidentonceorsobenamableagain。
NorwasWarall,saystheKing:\"accidentalFiresindifferentplaces,\"whilewestruggledtorepairtheravagingsofWar,\"wereofunexampledfrequency,anddidimmensefartherdamage。From1765
to1769,hereisthelistofplacesburnt:InEastPreussen,theCityofKonigsbergtwiceover;inSilesia,theTownsofFreystadt,Ober—Glogau[doreadersrecollectManteuffelofFootand\"WIR
WOLLENIHMWAS\"!],Parchwitz,Naumburg—on—Queiss,andGoldberg;
intheMark,Nauen;intheNeumark,CaliesandapartofLansberg;
inPommern,BelgardandTempelburg。Theseaccidentsrequiredincessantlynewexpenditurestorepairthem。\"
FriedrichwasnottheleastofaFreeTrader,exceptwhereitsuitedhim:andhiscontinualsubventionsanddonations,guidances,encouragements,commandingsandprohibitions,wisesupervisionandimpulsion,——areathingIshouldliketohearanintelligentMirabeau(JuniororSenior)discourseupon,afterhehadwellstudiedthem!Forexample:\"ONRENDITLESPRETRESUTILES,ThePriests,CatholicPriests,wereturnedtousebyobligingalltherichAbbeystoestablishmanufactures:hereitwasweaversmakingdamasksandtable—cloths;thereoil—mills[oilfromlinseed];
orworkersincopper,wire—drawers;assuitedthelocalitiesandthenaturalproducts,——theflaxesandthemetals,withwater—power,markets,andsoon。\"WhatacharmingresuscitationoftherichAbbeysfromtheirdormantcondition!
Ishouldlikestillbettertoexplainhow,inLowerSilesia,\"we(ON)managedtoincreasethenumberofHusbandmenby4,000
families。YouwillbesurprisedhowitwaspossibletomultiplytothisextentthepeoplelivingbyAgricultureinaCountrywherealreadynotafieldwaswaste。Thereasonwasthis。ManyLordsofLand,toincreasetheirDomain,hadimperceptiblyappropriatedtothemselvestheholdings(TERRES)oftheirvassals。Hadthisabusebeensufferedtogoon,intimeagreat\"——Butthecommentaryneededwouldbetoolengthy;wewillgiveonlytheresult:\"Inthelong—run,everyVillagewouldhavehaditsLord,buttherewouldhavebeennotax—payingFarmersleft。\"TheLandlord,ruleroftheseLandless,mighthimself(asMajestywellknows)havebeenmadetoPAY,hadthatbeenall;butitwasnot。\"Topossesssomething;
thatiswhatmakesthecitizenattachedtohisCountry;thosewhohavenoproperty,andhavenothingtolose,whattiehavethey?\"
Aweakone,incomparison!\"AllthesethingsbeingrepresentedtotheLandlordClass,theirownadvantagemadethemconsenttoreplacetheirPeasantsontheoldfooting。\"……
\"Tomakeheadagainstsomanyextraordinarydemands,\"addstheKing(lookingovertoanewChapter,thatoftheMILITARY,whichDepartment,tohiseyes,wasnotlessshockinglydilapidatedthantheCIVIL,andequallyormoreneededinstantrepair),\"newresourceshadtobedevised。For,besideswhatwasneededforre—establishmentoftheProvinces,newFortificationswerenecessary;andallourCannon,E’VASES(worntoowideinthebore),neededtoberefounded;whichoccasionedconsiderablenewexpense。
ThisledustoimprovementoftheExcises,\"——concerningwhichtherewillhavetobeaSectionbyitself。
OFFRIEDRICH’SNEWEXCISESYSTEM。
InhislateInspection—JourneytoCleveCountry,D’Alembert,fromParis,byappointmentwaitedfortheKing;[In(OEuvresdeFrederic,xxiv。377—380(D’Alembert’sfinebitsofLettersinprospectofPotsdam,\"Paris,7thMarch—29thApril,1763;\"andtwosmallNoteswhilethere,\"Sans—Souci,6thJuly—15thAugust,1763\")。]——pickedupatGeldern(June11th),aswesawabove。D’AlembertgottoPotsdamJune22d;stayedtillmiddleofAugust。HehadmettheKingoncebefore,in1755;whofoundhim\"aBONGARCON,\"aswethensaw。D’Alembertwasalways,sincethattime,anagreeable,estimablelittlemantoFriedrich。Agenowaboutforty—six;haslatelyrefusedthefineRussianpostof\"TutortotheCzarowitsh\"(CzarowitshPaul,poorlittleBoyofeightornine,whomwe,orHerrBuschingforus,sawgallopingabout,notlongsince,\"inhisdressing—gown,\"underPanin’sTutorage);
refusesnow,inadelicategradualmanner,thefinePrussianpostofPerpetualPresident,orSuccessortoMaupertuis;——definitelypreferringhisfrugalpensionsatParis,andgarretallhisownthere。Continues,especiallyafterthistwomonths’visitof1763,oneoftheKing’schiefcorrespondentsforthenexttwentyyears。
[\"29thOctober,1783,\"D’Alembertdied:\"born16thNovember,1717;\"
——aFoundling,asiswellknown;\"MotheraSisterofCardinalTencin’s;Father,\"accidental,\"anOfficerintheArtillery。\"]
Amanofmuchclearintellect;athoughtSHRIEKYinhiswayssometimes;butalwaysprudent,rational,polite,andloyallyrecognizingFriedrichasapreciousarticleinthisworld。HereisawordofD’Alembert’stoMadameduDeffand,atParis,sometenortwelvedaysaftertheClevemeeting,andthethirddayafterhisarrivalhere:——
\"POTSDAM,25thJUNE,1763。MADAME,——……IwillnotgointothepraisesofthisPrince,\"KingFriedrich,mynowHost;\"inmymouthitmightbesuspicious:Iwillmerelysendyoutwotraitsofhim,whichwillindicatehiswayofthinkingandfeeling。WhenIspoketohim[atGeldern,probably,onourfirstmeeting]ofthegloryhehadacquired,heanswered,withthegreatestsimplicity,Thattherewasafuriousdiscounttobedeductedfromsaidglory;thatchancecameinforalmostthewholeofit;andthathewouldfarratherhavedoneRatine’sATHALIEthanallthisWar:——ATHALIEistheworkhelikes,andrereadsoftenest;Ibelieveyouwon’tdisapprovehistastethere。TheothertraitIhavetogiveyouis,Thatontheday[15thFebruarylast]ofconcludingthisPeace,whichissoglorioustohim,someonesaying,’ItisthefinestdayofyourMajesty’slife:’’Thefinestdayoflife,’answeredhe,’isthedayonwhichonequitsit。’……——Adieu,Madame。\"[\"OEuvresPosthumesdeD’Alembert(Paris,1799)。i。197:\"citedinPREUSS,ii。348。]
ThemeetinginCleveCountrywas,nodoubt,averyprettypassage,withTwoprettyMonthsfollowing;——andifitbetruethatHELVETIUS
wasaconsequence,the11thofJune,1763,mayalmostclaimtobeakindofepochinFriedrich’slaterhistory。TheopulentandingeniousM。Helvetius,whowroteDEL’ESPRIT,andhasgotbanishedforthatfeat(lostinthegloomofLondoninthosemonths),hadbeenamightyTax—gathereraswell;D’Alembert,asbrotherPhilosophe,wasfamiliarwithHelvetius。Itiscertain,also,KingFriedrich,atthistime,foundhewouldrequireannuallytwomillionthalersmore;——wheretogetthem,seemedtheimpossibility。
AGeneralKrockow,whohadlongbeeninFrenchService,andismuchabouttheKing,wasoftenrecommendingtheFrenchExcisesystem;——
heistheKrockowofDOMSTADTL,andthatSIEGEOFOLMUTZ,memorabletosomeofus:——\"AwonderfulExcisesystem,\"Krockowisoftensaying,inthistimeofstraits。\"Whocompletelyunderstandsit?\"
theKingmightask。\"Helvetius,againsttheworld!\"D’Alembertcouldjustlyanswer。\"InviteHelvetiustoleavehisLondonexile,andacceptanasylumhere,wherehemaybeofvitalusetome!\"
concludesFriedrich。
HelvetiuscameinMarch,1765;stayedtillJune,1766:[Rodenbeck,ii。254;Preuss,iii。11。]——withinwhichtimeaFrenchExcisesystem,whichhehadbeendevisingandputtingtogether,hadjustgotingear,andbeeninactionforamonth,toHelvetius’ssatisfaction。Whothereuponwenthisway,andneverreturned;——
takingwithhim,asmanandtax—gatherer,theKing’slastinggratitude;butbynomeansthatofthePrussianNation,inhistax—
gatheringcapacity!AllPrussia,orallofitthatfellunderthisHelvetiusExcisesystem,unitedtocondemnit,inallmannerofdialects,louderandlouder:here,forinstance,istheutteranceofHerrHamann,himselfakindofCustom—houseClerk(atKonigsberg,inEastPreussen),andonmodesttermsaLiterarymanofrealmeritandoriginality,whomaybesupposedtounderstandthissubject:\"Andso,\"saysHamann,\"theStatehasdeclareditsownsubjectsincapableofmanagingitsFinancesystem;andinthiswayhasintrusteditsheart,thatisthepurseofitssubjects,toacompanyofForeignScoundrels,ignorantofeverythingrelatingtoit!\"[\"HamanntoJacobi\"(seePreuss,iii。1—35),\"Konigsberg,18thJanuary,1786。\"]
ThislastedallFriedrich’slifetime;andgaverisetonotalittlebuzzing,especiallyinitsprimaryorincipientstages。ItseemstohavebeenoneoftheunsuccessfulestFinanceadventuresFriedricheverengagedin。Itcosthissubjectsinfinitesmalltrouble;
awakenedverygreatcomplaining;and,forthefirsttime,realdiscontent,——skin—deepbutsincereanduniversal,——againstthemisguidedVaterFritz。Muchnoisyabsurditytherewasuponit,athome,andespeciallyabroad:\"Gripingmiser,\"\"greedytyrant,\"andsoforth!Deductingallwhich,everybodynowadmitsthatFriedrich’saimwasexcellentandproper;butnobodydenieswithalthatthemeanswereinconsiderate,ofnoprofitinproportiontothetroubletheygave,andimpropertoadoptunlessthenecessitycompelled。
Friedrichisforbidden,orforbidshimself,aswehaveoftenmentioned,toimposenewtaxes:andneverthelessnow,oncalculationsdeep,minuteandnodoubtexact,hejudgesThatformeetingnewattacksofWar(orbeingreadytomeet,whichwilloftenestmeanavertingthem),——athingwhich,ashehasjustseen,mayconcerntheveryexistenceoftheState,——itisnecessarythatthereshouldbeonfootsuchandsuchquotitiesandkindsofSoldieryandWar—furniture,visibletoallneighbors;andprivatelyintheTreasuryneverlessthansuchandsuchasum。TowhichendArithmeticdeclaresthatthereisrequiredaboutTwoMillionthalersmoreofyearlyrevenuethanwenowhave。Andwhere,inthesecircumstances,arethemeansofraisingsuchasum?
Friedrichimposesnonewtaxes;buttheremaybestrictermethodsoflevyingtheold;——theremay,andinfacttheremust,bemeansfound!FriedrichhasconsultedhisFinanceMinisters;putthequestionSERIATIMtothesewiseheads:theyanswerwithonevoice,\"Therearenomeans。\"[Rodenbeck,ii。256。]Friedrich,therefore,hasrecoursetoHelvetius;who,ondueconsideration,andaftersurveyofmuchdocumentaryandtabularyraw—material,isofopinion,ThatthePrussianExciseswould,ifleviedwiththepunctuality,precisionandvigilantexactitudeofFrenchmethods,actuallyyieldtherequiredoverplus。\"Organizemethemethods,then;getthemputinactionhere;underFrenchhands,ifthatbeindispensable。\"HelvetiusbethoughthimofwhatfittestFrenchhandsthereweretohisknowledge,——inFrancethereareagreatmanyhandsflungidleinthepresentdownbreakoffinancethere:——
Helvetiusappearstohaveselected,arrangedandcontrivedinthismatterwithhisbestdiligence。DeLaunay,theHead—engineerofthething,wasadmittedbyallPrussia,afterTwenty—twoyearsunfriendlyexperienceofhim,tohavebeenasuitableandestimableperson;amanofjudiciousways,ofnosmallintelligence,prudence,andofverygreatskillinadministeringbusiness。
Head—engineerDeLaunay,onemayguess,wouldbeconsultedbyHelvetiusinchoiceofthesubalternOfficials,thestokersandsteerersinthisnewSteam—Machinery,whichhadalltobemannedfromFrance。TherewereFourheadsofdepartmentsimmediatelyunderDeLaunay,orscarcelyunderhim,juniorbrothersrather:——whochosetheseIdidnothear;buttheselatter,itisevident,werenotasuperiorqualityofpeople。OftheseFour,——allatveryhighsalaries,fromDeLaunaydownwards;\"higherthanaPrussianMinisterofState!\"murmuredthepublic,——two,withinthefirstyear,gotintoquarrel;foughtaduel,fataltooneofthem;
sothattherewerenowonlyThreeleft。\"Three,withDeLaunay,willdo,\"opinedFriedrich;anddividedthevacantsalaryamongthesurvivors:inwhichformtheyhadatleastnomoreduelling。
Astothesubalternworking—parties,theVISITATEURS,CONTROLLEURS,JAUGEURS(Gaugers),PLOMBEURS(Lead—stampers),orthestrangestkindofall,called\"Cellar—Rats(COMMISRATS—DE—CAVE),\"theyweresodetestedandexclaimedagainst,byaPublicimpatientoftheworkitself,thereisnoknowingwhattheirdegreeofscoundrelismwas,noreven,withinamazinglywidelimits,whatthearithmeticalnumberofthemwas。About500inthewholeofPrussia,saysaquietPrussian,whohasmadesomeinquiry;[\"Beguelin,ACCISE—UNDZOLL—
VERFASSUNG,s。138\"(Preuss,iii,18)。]1,500saysMirabeau;
3,000sayotherexaggerativepersons,oreven5,000;DeLaunay’saccountis,Notatanytimeabove200。Butwecanallimaginehowvexatioustheyandtheirbusinesswere。Nobodynowisprivilegedwithexemption:fromoneandallofyou,Nobles,Clergy,People,strictaccountisrequired,aboutyourbeersandliquors;
yourcoffee,salt;yourconsumptionsandyourpurchasesofallexcisablearticles:——nay,Ithinkincoffeeandsalt,insaltforcertain,whatyouwillrequire,accordingtoyourstationanddomesticnumbers,iscomputedforyou,tosavetrouble;suchandsuchquantitiesyouwillpleasetobuyinourpresence,ortopaydutyfor,whetheryoubuythemornot。Intoallhouses,atanyhourofthedayorofthenight,thesecellar—ratshadliberty,——(onwarrantfromsomehigherratoftheirowntype,Iknownothowmuchhigher;andnosureappealforyou,excepttotheKing;tolerablysurethere,ifyoubeINNOCENT,butevidentlyperilousifyoubeonlyNOT—CONVICTED!)——hadliberty,Isay,tosearchforcontraband;
allyourpresses,drawers,repositories,youmustopentothesebeautifulcreatures;watchinnightcap,andcandleinhand,whileyourthingsgetalltumbledhitherandthither,inthesearchforwhatperhapsisnotthere;nay,itwassaidandsuspected,butI
neverknewitforcertain,thatthesepoisonousFrencharecapableofslippinginsomethingcontraband,onpurposetohaveyoufinedwhetherornot。
Readerscanconceive,thoughapparentlyFriedrichdidnot,whataworldofvexationallthisoccasioned;andhow,inthecontinualannoyancetoallmankind,theirritation,provocationandquerulouseloquencespreadamonghighandlow。OfwhichtheKingknewsomething;butfarfromthewhole。Hisobjectwasoneofvitalimportance;andhisplanoncefixed,hewentonwithit,accordingtohiscustom,regardlessoflittlerubs。TheAnecdoteBooksarefullofdetails,comicmostly,onthissubject:HowtheFrenchratspounceddownupongoodharmlesspeople,innocentfrugalparsonages,farm—houses;andwerecomicallyflungprostratebynativereadywit,orbydirectappealtotheKing。Details,neversoauthentic,couldnotbeadvisableinthisplace。PerhapstherearenotmorethanTwoauthenticPassages,knowntome,whichcannowhavetheleastinterest,evenofamomentarysort,toEnglishreaders。
Thefirstis,OfKingFriedrichcaricaturedasaMisergrindingCoffee。Igiveit,withoutessentialalterationofanykind,inHerrPreuss’swords,copiedfromthoseofonewhosawit:——thesecond,whichrelatestoaPrincessorEx—PrincessoftheRoyalHouse,Imustreserveforalittlewhile。HerrPreusssays:——
\"Onceduringthetimeofthe’Regie’[whichlastedfrom1766to1786andtheKing’sdeath:nootherdateassignable,though1768,orso,maybeimaginableforourpurpose],astheKingcameridingalongtheJagerStrasse,therewasvisiblenearwhatiscalledtheFurstenhaus,\"kindofBerlinSomersetHouse,[Nicolai,i。155。]\"agreatcrowdofpeople。’Seewhatitis!’theKingsenthisoneattendant,aheiducorgroom,intoit,tolearnwhatitwas。
’TheyhavesomethingpostedupaboutyourMajesty,’reportedthegroom;andFriedrich,whobythistimehadriddenforward,tookalookatthething;whichwasaCaricaturefigureofhimself:
Kinginverymelancholyguise,seatedonaStool,aCoffee—millbetweenhisknees;diligentlygrindingwiththeonehand,andwiththeotherpickingupanybeanthatmighthavefallen。’Hangitlower,’saidtheKing,beckoninghisgroomwithawaveofthefinger:’Lower,thattheymaynothavetohurttheirnecksaboutit!’Nosoonerwerethewordsspoken,whichspreadinstantly,thanthererosefromthewholecrowdoneuniversalhuzzaofjoy。
TheytoretheCaricatureintoathousandpieces,androlledaftertheKingwithloud(LEBEHOCH,OurFriedrichforever!’asherodeslowlyaway。\"[Preuss,iii。275(\"fromBERLINCONVERSUTIONSBLATT
&c。of1827,No。253\")。]ThatistheirFriedrich’smethodwiththeCaricatureDepartment。Heffner,KapellmeisterinUpsala,reportsthisbitofmemorability;hewasthenoftheKing’sMusic—ChapelinBerlin,andsawthiswithhiseyes。
TheKing’stendencyatalltimes,andhispracticegenerally,whenwehearofit,wastotakethepeople’sside;sothatgraduallytheseFrenchprocedureswereagreatdealmitigated;andDIEREGIE
——sotheycalledthishatefulnew—fangledsystemofExcisemachinery——becamemuchmoresupportable,\"thesorrowsofitnothingbutatraditiontotheyoungersort,\"reportsDohm,whoisextremelyampleonthissubject。[ChristianWilhelmvonDohm,DenkwurdigkeitenmeinerZeit(LemgoundHanover,1819),iv。500etseq。]DeLaunaywashonorablydismissed,andthewholeRegieabolished,amonthortwoafterFriedrich’sdeath。
WithaspleneticsatisfactionauthenticDohm,whosufficientlycondemnstheREGIE,addsthatitwasnotevensuccessful;andshowsbyevidence,andcomputationtotheuttermostfarthing,thatinsteadoftwomillionthalersannually,ityieldedontheaverageratherlessthanone。Thedesiredoverplusoftwomillions,andagooddealmoredidindeedcomein,sayshe:butitwasowingtothegreatprosperityofPrussiaatlarge,aftertheSeven—YearsWar;
tothemanifoldindustriesawakening,whichhavegoneonprogressiveeversince。Dohmdeclaresfarther,thattheveryobjectwasinasortfanciful,nugatory;arguingthatnobodydidattackFriedrich;——butomittingtoprovethatnobodywouldhavedoneso,hadFriedrichNOTstoodreadytoreceivehim。Wewillremarkonly,whatisveryindisputable,thatFriedrich,owingtotheRegie,ortoothercauses,didgetthehumbleoverplusnecessaryforhim;
anddidstandreadyforanywarwhichmighthavecome(andwhichdidinasortcome);thathemoreandmorerelaxedtheRegie,asitbecamelessindispensabletohim;andwaswilling,ifhefoundtheCaricaturesandOppositionPlacardstoohighposted,tosavethepoorreadingpeopleanytroublethatwaspossible。
AFrencheye—witnesstestifies:\"Theyhadnotalent,theseRegiefellows,butthatofwritingandciphering;extremelyconceitedtoo,andwerecapableofthemostridiculousfollies。Once,forinstance,theycondemnedacommonsoldier,whohadhiddensomepoundsoftobacco,toafineof200thalers。TheKing,onreviewingitforconfirmation,wroteonthemargin:’Beforeconfirmingthissentence,IshouldwishtoknowwheretheSoldier,whogets8
groschen[ninepencehalfpenny]inthe5days,willfindthe200
crownsforpayingthisFine!’\"[Laveaux(2dedition),iii。228。]
Innumerableinstancesofaconstantdispositionthatway,ontheKing’spart,standonrecord。\"Acrownaheadontheimportoffatcattle,Taxonbutcher’s—meat?\"writesheoncetoDeLaunay:
\"No,thatwouldfallonthepoorerclasses:tothatImustsayNo。
Iam,byoffice,ProcuratorofthePoor(L’AVOCATDUPAUVRE)。\"
Elsewhereitis\"AVOCATDECPAUVREETDUSOLDAT(oftheworking—manandofthesoldier);andhavetopleadtheircause。\"
[Preuss,iii。20。]
WewillnowgiveourSecondAnecdote;whichhaslessofmemorabilitytousstrangersatpresent,thoughdoubtlessitwasthen,inBerlinsociety,themorecelebratedofthetwo;
relating,asitdid,toahighCourt—Lady,almostthehighest,andwhowasherselfonlytoocelebratedinthoseyears。TheheroineisPrincessElizabethofBrunswick,King’sownNieceandaprettywoman;whoforfouryears(14thJuly,1765—18thApril,1769)ofherlonglifewasPrincessRoyalofPrussia,——WifeofthattallyoungGentlemanwhomweusedtoseedancingabout,whomwelastsawatSchweidnitzgettingflungfromhishorse,onthedayofPirch’ssaddlethere:——hisWifeforfouryears,butinthefourthyearceasedtobeso[Rodenbeck,ii。241,257。](forexcellentreasons,onbothsides),andlivedthenceforthinadivorcedeclipsedstateatStettin,whereislaidthesceneofourAnecdote。Iunderstandittobeperfectlytrue;butcannotascertainfromanyofthewitnessesinwhatyearthethinghappened;orwhetheritwasatStettinorBerlin,——thoughmyauthorhasguessed,\"Stettin,intheLady’sdivorcedstate,\"asappears。
\"ThisPrincesshadcommissioned,directfromLyon,averybeautifuldress;whicharrivedduly,addressedtoheratStettin。Asthiskindofstuffsischargedwithveryheavydues,theDOUANIER,headCustom—housePersonageoftheTown,hadtheimpertinencetodetainthedresstillpaymentweremade。ThePrincess,inaloftyindignation,sentwordtothisperson,Tobringthedressinstantly,andshewouldpaytheduesonit。Heobeyed:but,\"——marktheresult,——\"scarcelyhadthePrincessgoteyeonhim,whensheseizedherLyonDress;and,givingtheDouanieracoupleofgoodslapsontheface,orderedhimoutofherapartmentandhouse。
\"TheDouanier,thinkinghimselfoneandsomewhat,withdrewinhighcholer;hadalongPROCES—VERBALofthethingdrawnout;andsentittotheKingwitheloquentcomplaint,’Thathehadbeendishonoredindoingthefunctionappointedhim。’Friedrichrepliedasfollows:TOTHEDOUANIERATSTETTIN:’ThelossoftheExcise—
duesshallfalltomyscore;theDressshallremainwiththePrincess;theslapstohimwhohasreceivedthem。AstothepretendedDishonor,Ientirelyrelievethecomplainantfromthat:
nevercantheapplianceofabeautifulhanddishonorthefaceofanOfficerofCustoms。——F。’\"[Laveaux(abridged),iii。229。]
NorthernTourists,Wraxallandothers,passingthatway,speakofthisPrincess,downtorecenttimes,asaphenomenonoftheplace。
ApparentlyahighandperemptorykindofLady,disdainingtobebowedtoolowbyherdisgraces。Shesurvivedallhergeneration,andthenextandthenext,andindeedintoourown。Died18thFebruary,1840:attheageofninety—six。ThreescoreandelevenyearsofthateclipsedStettinExistence;thisoftheLyongown,andcaitiffofaCustom—houserslappedontheface,heroneadventureputonrecordforus!——
ShewassignallyblamableinthatoftheDivorce;butnotshealone,norfirstoftheTwo。HerCrown—Prince,FriedrichWilhelm,calledafterwards,asKing,\"DERDICKE(theFat,ortheBig),\"andheldinlittleesteembyPosterity,——aheadlong,ratherdarkandphysicalkindofcreature,thoughnotill—meaningordishonest,——
washimselfadreadfulsinnerinthatdepartmentofthings;andhadBEGUNthebadgameagainsthispoorCousinandSpouse!Readersofdiscursiveturnareperhapsacquaintedwithacertain\"GrafinvonLichtenau,\"andherMEMOIRSsocalled:——notwillingly,butdriven,Ifishuponespecimen,andoneonly,fromthatrecordofhumanpuddlesandperversities:——
\"Fromthefirstyearofourattachment,\"saysthispreciousGrafin,\"Iwasalreadytheconfidantofhis,\"thePrinceofPrussia’s,\"mostsecretthoughts。Oneday[in1767,secondyearofhismarriedlife,Ithenfifteen,slimDaughterofaPlayerontheFrenchHorn,inhisMajesty’spay],thePrincehappenedtobeveryserious;
andwasowningtomewithfranknessthathehadsomewrongstowardsmysextoreproachhimselfwith,\"——alas,yes,somefew:——\"andhesworethathewouldneverforsakeME;andthatifHeavendisposedofmylifebeforehis,nonebutheshouldclosemyeyes。Hewasfingeringwithapenknifeatthetime;hestruckthepointofitintothepalmofhislefthand,andwrotewithhisblood[theuncleancreature],onalittlebitofpaper,theOathwhichhislipshadjustpronouncedinsosolemnatone。VainlyshouldI
undertaketopaintmyemotiononthisactionofhis!ThePrincesawwhatIfelt;andtookadvantageofittobegthatIwouldfollowhisexample。Ihastenedtosatisfyhim;andtraced,ashehaddone,withmyblood,thepromisetoremainhisfriendtothetomb,andnevertoforsakehim。ThisPromisemusthavebeenfoundamonghisPapersafterhisdeath[stillintheArchives?wewillhopenot!]——
BothofusstoodfaithfultothisOath。Thetieoflove,itistrue,webroke:butthatwasbymutualconsent,andthebettertofixourselvesinthebondsofaninviolablefriendship。
Othermistressesreignedoverhissenses;butI\"——ACHGOTT,nomoreofthat。[MemoiresdelaComtessedeLichtenau(aLondres,chezColburnLibraire,Conduit—street,Bond—
street,2tomes,small8vo,1809),i。129。]
TheKing’sownaccountoftheaffairissufficientlyexplicit。
Hiswordsare:\"Notlongago[abouttwoyearsbeforethisofthepenknife]wementionedthePrinceofPrussia’smarriagewithElizabethofBrunswick[hisCousintwiceover,herMother,PrincessCharlotteofPrussia,beinghisFather’sSisterandmine,andherFatherHISMother’sBrother,——ifyouliketocountit]。
Thisengagement,fromwhicheverybodyhadexpectedhappyconsequences,didnotcorrespondtothewishesoftheRoyalHouse。\"
OnlyonePrincesscouldberealized(subsequentlyWifetothelateDukeofYork),——shecamethissameyearofthepenknife,——andbadoutlooksformore。\"TheHusband,younganddissolute(SANSMOEURS),givenuptoacrapulouslife,fromwhichhisrelativescouldnotcorrecthim,wascontinuallycommittinginfidelitiestohisWife。
ThePrincess,whowasintheflowerofherbeauty,feltoutragedbysuchneglectofhercharms;hervivacity,andthegoodopinionshehadofherself,broughtheruponthethoughtofavengingherwrongsbyretaliation。Speedilyshegaveintoexcesses,scarcelyinferiortothoseofherHusband。Familyquarrelsbrokeout,andweresoonpubliclyknown。Theantipathythatensuedtookawayallhopeofsuccession[haditbeendesirableinthesesadcircumstances!]。
PrinceHenri[JUNIOR,thishopefulPrinceofPrussia’sBrother],whowasgiftedwithallthequalitiestobewishedinayoungman[witnessmytearsforhim],hadbeencarriedoffbysmall—pox。
[\"26thMay,1767,\"age19gone;ELOGEofhimbyFriedrich(\"MS。stillstainedwithtears\"),inOEuvresdeFrederic,vii。37etseq。]TheKing’sBrothers,PrincesHenriandFerdinand,avowedfranklythattheywouldneverconsenttohave,bysomeaccidentalbastard,theirrightsofsuccessiontothecrowncarriedoff。Intheend,therewasnothingforitbutproceedingtoadivorce。\"[OEuvresdeFrederic,vi。23。]
Divorcewasdoneinabeautifulprivatemanner;casetriedwithstrictlyshutdoors;allthefivejudgesunderoathtocarryintothegravewhatevertheycametoknowofit:[Preuss,iv。180—186。]
divorcecompleted18thApril,1769;and,withinthreemonths,anewmarriagewasaccomplished,PrincessFrederikaLuisaofHessen—
Darmstadtthehappywoman。BymeansofwhomtherewasdulyrealizedaFriedrichWilhelm,whobecame\"KingFriedrichWilhelmIII。\"(amuch—enduring,excellent,thoughinarticulateman),aswellasvariousotherPrincesandPrincesses,inspiteofinterruptionsfromtheLichtenauSisterhood。High—souledElizabethwasrelegatedtoStettin;heramountofPensionisnotmentioned;herFamily,aftertheunhappyproofscommunicatedtothem,hadgiventheirconsentandsanction;——andshestayedthere,idle,orherownmistressofwork,forthenextseventy—oneyears。——EnoughofHER
LyonDress,surely,andoftheExcisesystemaltogether!——
THENEUEPALAIS,INSANS—SOUCINEIGHBORHOOD,ISFOUNDED
ANDFINISHED(1763—1770)。
IfD’Alembert’sVisitwasthegermoftheExcisesystem,itwillbecurioustonote,——andindeedwhetherornot,itwillbechronologicallyserviceabletoushere,andworthnoting,——thattherewentonasmallsynchronousaffair,stillvisibletoeverybody:namely,ThatintheveryhourswhileFriedrichandD’AlembertweresalutingmutuallyatGeldern(11thJune,1763),therewaslaidthefoundationofwhattheycalltheNEUEPALAIS;
NewPalaceofSans—Souci:[Rodenbeck,ii。219。]asumptuousEdifice,inthecuriousLOUIS—QUINZEorwhatiscalled\"Rococo\"
styleofthetime;PalacenevermuchinhabitedbyFriedrichorhissuccessors,whichstillstandsinthoseornamentalPotsdamregions。
Whybuilt,especiallyinthethendown—pressedfinancialcircumstances,somehavehadtheirdifficultiestoimagine。
Itappears,thisNewPalacehadbeendeterminedonbeforetheWarbrokeout;andFriedrichsaidtohimself:\"Wewillbuilditnow,tohelpthemechanicalclassesinBerlin,——perhapsalso,inpart[thinksome,andwhyshouldnotthey,alittle?]toshowmankindthatwehavestillreadymoney;andarenothinglikesoruinedastheyfancy。\"
\"ThisNEUEPALAIS,\"saysonerecentTourist,\"isapleasantquaintobject,nowadays,tothestranger。IthastheairDEGAGE
POCOCURANTE;pleasantlyfineinaspectandinposture;——spaciousexpansesroundit,notinawaste,butstilllessinastrictcondition;and(initsdesertedstate)hasasilence,especiallyatotalabsenceofneedlessflunkiesandofgapingfellow—loungers,whichischarming。Standsmutethere,initssolitude,initsstatelysilenceandnegligence,likesomeTadmoroftheWildernessinsmall。ThebigsquareofStables,Coach—houses,nearby,waslockedup,——probablyonesleepinggroominit。TheveryCUSTOSofthegrandEdifice(suchtherarityoffeestohim)Icouldnotawakenwithoutdifficulty。Inthegrayautumnzephyrs,nosoundwhateveraboutthisNewPalaceofKingFriedrich’s,excepttherustleofthecrispbrownleaves,andofanyfadedorfadingmemoriesyoumayhave。
\"Ishouldsay,\"continueshe,\"itsomehowremindsyouoftheCityofBath。IthasthecutofabatteredBeauofolddate;Beaustillextant,thoughinstrangelyothercircumstances;somethinginhimofpatheticdignityinthatkind。Itshowsexcellentsoundmasonries;whichhaveanover—tendencytojerkthemselvesintopinnacles,curvaturesandgraciosities;manystatuesatop,——threethereare,inakindofgroupedorpartnershipattitude;
’These,’saiddiligentscandal,’notethem;thesemeanMariaTheresa,PompadourandCATINDUNORD’(mereMuses,Ibelieve,oroftheNymphorHamadryadkind,nothingofharminthem)。Inshort,youmaycallitthestoneApotheosisofanoldFrenchBeau。
Considerablyweather—beaten(thebrownoflichensspreadingvisiblyhereandthere,thefirm—setashlartellingyou,’Ihavestoodahundredyears’);——Beauoldandweather—beaten,withhiscocked—hatnotinthefreshcondition,allhisgold—lacestarnished;
andgenerallylookingstrange,andinasorttragical,tofindhimself,fleetingcreature,becomeadenizenoftheArchitecturalFixitiesandearnestEternities!\"——
FromPotsdamPalacetotheNewPalaceofSans—Soucimaybeamiledistance;flatground,paralleltothefootofHills;allthrougharbors,parterres,water—works,andornamentalgardeningsandcottagingsorvilla—ings,——Cottage—VillaforLordMarischalisoneofthem。Thismileofdistance,takingtheCOTTAGERoyalofSans—
Soucionitshill—topasvertex,willbethebaseofanisoscelesornearlyisoscelestriangle,flatterthanequilateral。TotheCottageRoyalofSans—Soucimaybeaboutthree—quartersofamilenortheastfromthisNewPalace,andfromPotsdamPalacetoitratherless。Andthewholesquare—mileorsoofspaceiscontinuouslyaGarden,notintheEnglishsense,thoughithasitsownbeautiesofthemoreartificialkind;and,atanyrate,hasmemoriesforyou,andfootstepsofpersonsstillunforgottenbymankind。——HereisaNoticeofLordMarischal;whichreaderswillnotgrudge;thechronologyoftheworthyman,inthesehislaterepochs,beinginsohazyastate:——
LordMarischal,weknowwellandPittknows,wasinEnglandin1761,——ostensiblyontheKintoreHeritage;andinpart,perhaps,reallyonthaterrand。Buthewentandcame,atdatesnowuncertain;wasbackinSpainafterthat,haddifficultvoyagingsabout;[King’sLetterstohim,inOEuvresdeFrederic,xx。282—285。]——anddidnotgettorestagain,inhisGovernmentofNeufchatel,tillApril,1762。ThereisaLetteroftheKing’s,whichatleastfixesthatpoint:——
\"BRESLAU,10thAPRIL,1762。Mynoseisthemostimpertinentnoseintheuniverse,MONCHERMYLORD[Queen—Dowagersnuff,SPANIOLfromthefountain—head,ofMarischal’sproviding;qualityexquisite,butdifficulttogettransmittedintheStormsofWar];Iamashamedofthetroubleitcostsyou!Ibegmanypardons;——andshouldbequiteabashed,didInotknowhowyoucompassionatetheweakpointsofyourfriends,andthat,foralongtimepast,youhaveasingularindulgenceformynose。IamverygladtoknowyouhappilyreturnedtoyourGovernment,safeatColombier(DOVE—COTE)inNeufchatelagain。\"Thisis10thApril,1762。There,asIgather,quietinhisDove—cote,Marischalcontinued,thoughratherwearyofthebusiness,foraboutayearmore;ortilltheKinggothome,——whodelightsincompanionship,andiswillingtoletanoldmandemitforgood。
ItwasinSummer,1762(aboutthreemonthsaftertheaboveLetterfromtheKing),thatRousseaumadehiscelebratedexodusintoNeufchatelCountry,andfoundtheoldGovernorsogoodtohim,——
gladtobeallowedtoshelterthepoorskinlesscreature。And,markascurious,itmusthavebeenontwoofthosemornings,towardstheendoftheSiegeofSchweidnitz,whenthingsweregettingsointolerable,andattimesbreakingoutintoelectricity,into\"rebukeallround,\"thatFriedrichreceivedthatsingularpairofLaconicNotesfromRousseauinNeufchatel:forwarded,successively,byLordMarischal;NOTEFIRST,ofdate,\"Motier—Travers,Neufchatel,September,\"nobodycanguesswhatday,\"1762:\"\"Ihavesaidmuchillofyou,anddon’trepentit。Noweverybodyhasbanishedme;anditisonyourthresholdthatIsitdown。Killme,ifyouhaveamind!\"Andthen(after,notdeath,butthegiftof100crowns),NOTESECOND,\"October,1762:\"……\"Takeoutofmysightthatsword,whichdazzlesandpainsme;IThasonlytoowelldoneitsduty,whilethesceptreisabandoned:\"MakePeace,can’tyou![OEuvrescompletesdeRousseau(aGeneve,1782—1789),xxxiii。64,65。]——WhatcuriousreadingforaKinginsuchposture,amongthemiscellaneousarrivalsovernight!
AbovesixweeksbeforeeitheroftheseNOTES,Friedrich,hearingofhimfromLordMarischal,hadanswered:\"Anasylum?Yes,byallmeans:theunluckycynic!\"ItisonSeptember1st,thathesends,bythesamechannel,100crownsforhisuse,withadviceto\"givetheminNATURA,lestherefuseotherwise;\"asFriedrichknowstobepossible。Inwords,theRousseauNotesgotnothingofAnswer。
\"AGARCONSINGULIER,\"saysFriedrich:oddfellow,yesindeed,yourMajesty;——andhassuchapungencyofflatteryinhimtoo,presentedinthewayofsnarl!HisMajestymighttakehim,Isuppose,withakindofrelish,likeQueen—Dowagersnuff。
Therewasstillanothershiftofplace,shiftwhichprovedtemporary,inoldMarischal’slife:HometonativeAberdeenshire。
ThetwochildlessBrothers,EarlsofKintore,haddiedsuccessively,thelastofthemNovember22d,1761:titleandheritage,notconsiderablethelatter,fellduly,bywhatpreparativesweknow,tooldMarischal;buthisKeithkinsfolk,furthermore,wouldhavehimpersonallyamongthem,——nay,afterthat,wouldhavehimtowedandproducenewKeiths。Attheageof78;decidedlyaninconvenientthing!OldMarischalleftPotsdam\"August,1763,\"[LetterofhistotheKing(\"LONDRES,14AOUT,1763\"),inOEuvresdeFrederic,xx。293。——InLettersofEminentPersonstoDavidHume
(Edinburgh,1849),pp。57—71,aresomeNinefromtheOldMarischal;
incuriouslymixeddialect,cheerful,butindistinct;thetwochiefdatesofwhichare:\"Touch\"(gutturalTuCH,inAberdeenshire),\"28
October,1763,\"and\"Potsdam,20February,1765。\"]——NEW—PALACE
scaffoldingsandbigstoneblocksconspicuousinthoselocalities;
pleasantD’Alembertnowjustaboutleaving,intheotherdirection;
——muchtoFriedrich’sregret,theoldMarischalespecially,asisstillfinelyevident。
FRIEDRICHTOLORDMARISCHAL(inScotlandforthelastsixmonths)。
\"SANS—SOUCI,16thFebruary,1764。
\"IamnotsurprisedthattheScotchfighttohaveyouamongthem;
andwishtohaveprogenyofyours,andtopreserveyourbones。
YouhaveinyourlifetimethelotofHomerafterdeath:Citiesarguingwhichisyourbirthplace;——ImyselfwoulddisputeitwithEdinburghtopossessyou。IfIhadships,IwouldmakeadescentonScotland,tostealoffmyCHERMYLORD,andbringhimhither。
Alas,ourElbeBoatscan’tdoit。Butyougivemehopes;——whichI
seizewithavidity!IwasyourlateBrother’sfriend,andhadobligationstohim;Iamyourswithheartandsoul。Thesearemytitles,thesearemyrights:——yousha’n’tbeforcedinthematterofprogenyhere(FAIREL’ETALONICI),neitherpriestsnorattorneysshallmeddlewithyou;youshalllivehereinthebosomoffriendship,libertyandphilosophy。\"Cometome!……——F。
[OEuvresdeFrederic,xx。295。]
OldMarischaldidcome;andbeforelong。Iknownottheprecisemonth:but\"hisVilla—Cottagewasbuiltforhim,\"theBookssay,\"in1764。\"HehadleftD’Alembertjustgoing;nextyearhewillfindHelvetiuscoming。Helivedhere,agreattreasuretoFriedrich,tillhisdeath,25thMay,1778,age92。
TheNewPalacewasnotfinishedtill1770;——inwhichyear,also,FriedrichreckonsthatthegeneralProblemofRepairingPrussiawasvictoriouslyover。NewPalace,growingorcomplete,looksdownonalltheseoperationsandoccurrences。Initscradle,itseesD’Alembertgo,LordMarischalgo;Helvetiuscome,LordMarischalcome;initsboyhoodormaturity,theExcise,andFrenchRATS—DE—
CAVE,springup;Crown—PrinceFriedrichWilhelmprickhishandforafitkindofink;FriedrichWilhelm’sDivorcedWifegiveherDouaniertwoslapsintheface,bywayofpayment。Nay,thesameFriedrichWilhelm,become\"FriedrichWilhelmII。,orDERDICKE,\"
diedinit,——hisLichtenauANDhissecondWife,jewelofwomen,nursinghiminhislastsicknessthere。[\"Died16thNovember,1797。\"]
TheviolentstressofeffortforrepairingPrussia,Friedrichintimates,wasmostlyoverin1766:tillwhichdatespecifically,andinaloosersensetill1770,thatmaybeconsideredashismainbusiness。Butitwasnotatanytimehissolebusiness;
norlatterlyatallequalininteresttosomeothersthathadrisenonhim,asthenextChapterwillnowshow。Here,first,isalittleFractionofNECROLOGY,whichmaybeworthtakingwithus。
ReaderscanspreadthesefatefulspecialtiesoverthePeriodinquestion;andknowthateachofthemcamewithakindofknelluponFriedrich’sheart,whateverhemightbeemployedabout。
HourstrikingafterhourontheHorologeofTime;intimatinghowtheAfternoonwore,andthatNightwascoming。VariousmeaningstherewouldbetoFriedrichinthesefootfallsofdepartingguests,thedear,thelessdear,andtheindifferentorhostile;buteachofthemwouldmean:\"Gone,then,gone;thusweallgo!\"
\"OBITUARYINFRIEDRICH’SCIRCLETILL1771。\"
OfPolishMajesty’sdeath(5thOctober,1763),andthen(2dDecemberfollowing)ofhisKurprinzorSuccessor’s,withwhomwedinedatMoritzburgsorecently,therewillbementionbyandby。
November28th,1763,intheintervalbetweenthesetwo,thewretchedBruhlhaddied。April14th,1764,diedthewretchedPompadour;——\"Tousnotknown,JENELACONNAISPAS:\"——haplessButterfly,shehadbeentwentyyearsinthewingedcondition;
agenowforty—four:dullLouis,theysay,lookedoutofwindowasherhearsedeparted,\"FROIDEMENT,\"withoutemotionofanyvisiblekind。TheselittleconcernFriedrichorus;wewillrestrictourselvestoFriends。
\"DIEDIN1764。AtPisa,Algarotti(23dMay,1764,agefifty—two);
withwhomFriedrichhasalwayshadsomecorrespondencehitherto(tohimselfinteresting,thoughnottous),andwillneverhenceforthhavemore。FriedrichraisedaMonumenttohim;MonumentstilltobeseenintheCampo—SantoofPisa:’HICJACETOVIDIIAEMULUSET
NEUTONIDISCIPULUS;’friendshaveadded’FREDERICUSMAGNUSPONI
FECIT;’andonanotherpartoftheMonument,’ALGAROTTUSNON
OMNIS。’[Preuss,iv。188。]
\"——IN1765。Attheageofeighty,November18th,GrafinCamas,’MA
BONNEMAMAN’(widowsince1741);excellentoldLady,——oncebrilliantlyyoung,Germanbybirth,hernameBrandt;——towhomtheKing’sLETTERSusedtobesopretty。\"Thissameyear,too,KaiserFranzdied;buthimwewillreserve,asnotbelongingtothisSelectList。
\"——IN1766。AtNanci,23dFebruary,ageeighty—six,KingStanislausLeczinsky:’hisclothescaughtfire’(accidentalsparkorsputteronsomedamaskdressing—gownorthelike);andthemuch—enduringinnocentoldsoulendedpainfullyhisTitularcareer。
\"DIEDIN1767。October22d,theGrand—DuchessofSachsen—Gotha,agefifty—seven;asadstrokethisalso,amongone’snarrowingListofFriends。——IdoubtifFriedricheversawthishighLadyaftertheVisitwelatelywitnessed。HisLETTERStoherarestillintheArchivesofGotha:notherstohim;alllost,theselatter,butanaccidentalTwo,whicharestillbeautifulintheirkind。[GiveninOEuvresdeFrederic,xviii。165,256。]
\"——IN1770。Bielfeld,thefantasticindividualofolddays。
HadlongbeenoutofFriedrich’scircle,——inAltenburgCountry,I
think;——withoutimportancetoFriedrichorus:theyearofhimwilldo,withoutsearchfordayormonth。
\"———IN1771。Twoheavydeathscomethisyear。January28th,1771,atBerlin,diesourvaluableoldfriendExcellencyMitchell,——stillhereonthepartofEngland,incordialesteemasamanandcompanion;thoughasMinister,Isuppose,withfunctionmoreandmoreimaginary。Thispainfullyushersintheyear。Tousheritout,thereisstillworse:faithfulD’Argensdies,26thDecember,1771,onavisitinhisnativeProvence,——leaving,asisstillvisible,[Friedrich’stwoLetterstotheWidow(Ib。xix。427—429)。]abigandsadblankbehindhimatPotsdam。\"Butweneednotcontinue;
atleastnotatpresent。
Longbeforeallthese,Friedrichhadlostfriends;withasadbutquietemotionheoftenalludestothistragicfact,thatallthesoulshelovedmostaregone。HisWinterfelds,hisKeiths,manylovedfaces,theWarhassnatched:atMonbijou,atBaireuth,itwasnotWar;buttheytooaregone。IstheworldbecomingallaMausoleum,then;nothingofdivineinitbuttheTombsofvanishedlovedones?Friedrichmakesnonoiseonsuchsubjects:lovedandunlovedalikemustgo。
WehavestilltomarkKaiserFranz’ssuddendeath;athingpoliticallyinteresting,ifnototherwise。August,1765,atInnspruck,duringtheMarriage—festivitiesofhisSecondSon,Leopold(DukeofFlorence,whoafterwards,onJoseph’sdeath,wasKaiser),——KaiserFranz,saunteringaboutintheeveninggala,\"18thAugust,about9P。M。,\"suddenlytottered,staggeredasfalling;fellintoSonJoseph’sarms;andwasdead。Aboveayearbefore,thissameJoseph,hisEldestSon,hadbeenmadeKingoftheRomans:\"elected26thMarch;crowned3dApril,1764;\"——Friedrichfurtheringit,wishfultobefriendlywithhislateenemies。
[Rodenbeck,ii。234。]
OnthisInnspruckTragedy,JosephnaturallybecameKaiser,——Part—
Kaiser;hisDowager—Mother,onwhomaloneitdepends,havingdecidedthatway。ThepoorLadywasatfirstquiteoverwhelmedwithhergrief。Shehadthedeath—roomofherHusbandmadeintoaChapel;shefoundedfurthermoreaMonasteryinInnspruck,\"TwelveCanonessestopraythereforthereposeofFranz;\"washerselfabouttobecomeAbbessthere,andquitthesecularworld;butintheendwasgotpersuadedtocontinue,andtakeSonJosephasCoadjutor。[Hormayr,OESTERREICHISCHERPLUTARCH(oMariaTheresa),iv。(2tesBandchen)6—124;MARIATHERESIENSLEBEN,p。30。]Inwhichcapacityweshallmeettheyoungmanagain。
ChapterIII。
TROUBLESINPOLAND。
April11th,1764,oneyearafterhisSeven—YearslaborofHercules,FriedrichmadeTreatyofAlliancewiththenewCzarinaCatharine。
Englandhaddesertedhim;Francewashisenemy,especiallyPompadourandChoiseul,andrefusedreconcilement,thoughprivatelysolicited:hewaswithoutanAllyanywhere。TheRussianshaddonehimfrightfuldamageinthelastWar,andweremostofalltobedreadedinthecaseofanynewone。TheTreatywasamatterofnecessityaswellaschoice。Agreementformutualgoodneighborhoodandfriendlyoffices;guaranteeofeachotheragainstintrusivethirdparties:shouldeithergetengagedinwarwithanyneighbor,practicalaidtothelengthof12,000men,orelsemoneyinlieu。
Treatywasforeightyearsfromdayofdate。
AsFriedrichdidnotgetintowar,andCatharinedid,withtheTurksandcertainloosePolacks,theburdenoffulfilmenthappenedtofallwhollyonFriedrich;andhewasextremelypunctualinperformance,——eagernow,andallhislifeafter,tokeepwellwithsuchaCountryundersuchaCzarina。WhichprovedtobethewholeruleofhispolicyonthatRussianside。\"GoodthatCountrycannotbringmebyanyquarrelwithit;evilitcan,toafrightfulextent,incaseofmyquarrellingwithothers!Bewary,bepunctual,magnanimouslypolite,withthatgrandioseCzarinaandherhugeterritoriesandnotions:\"thiswasFriedrich’sconstantruleinpublicandinprivate。NorisitthoughthisCORRESPONDENCEWITH
THEEMPRESSCATHARINE,whenfuturegenerationsseeitinprint,willdisclosetheleastgroundofoffencetothathigh—flyingFemalePotentateoftheNorth。NorwilliteverbeknownwhatthesilentlyobservantFriedrichthoughtofher,exceptindeedwhatwealreadyknow,orasgoodasknow,Thathe,ifanybodydid,sawherclearlyenoughforwhatshewas;andfoundgoodtorepressintoabsolutezerowhateverhadnobearinguponbusiness,andmightbypossibilitygiveoffenceinthatquarter。ForweareanoldKing,andhavelearnedbybitterexperiences!Nomorenicknames,bitingverses,orwordswhichabirdoftheaircouldcarry;thoughthispoorLadytoohasherliabilities,werenotweoldandprudent;——
andisentirelyasweakoncertainpoints(deductingthedevotionsandthebrandy—and—water)assomeotherswere!TheTreatywasrenewedwhennecessary;andcontinuedvalidandvitalineveryparticular,solongasFriedrichruled。
Bytheendofthefirsteightyears,bystrictlyfollowingthispassiverule,Friedrich,incounterbalanceofhislosses,unexpectedlyfoundhimselfinvestedwithaverysingularbitofgain,——\"unjustgain!\"criedallmen,makingitofthenatureofgainandlosstohim,——whichisstillpracticallyhis,andwhichhasmade,andmakestothisday,animmensenoiseintheworld。
EverybodyknowswemeanWest—Preussen;PartitionofPoland;
bloodiestpictureintheBookofTime,Sarmatia’sfallunweptwithoutacrime;——andthatwehavecomeuponaveryintricatepartofourpoorHistory。
Noprudentman——especiallyiftohimself,asismyownpoorcaseinregardtoit,thesubjecthavelongbeenaltogetherdeadandindifferent——wouldwishtowriteofthePolishQuestion。ForalmostahundredyearsthePolishQuestionhasbeenveryloudintheworld;andeverandanonrisesagainintovocalityamongAbleEditors,asathingpretendingnottobedeadandburied,butcapableofrisingagain,andsettingitselfright,bygoodeffortathomeandabroad。Notadvisable,beyondthestrictlimitsofcompulsion,towriteofitatpresent!TheratherastheHistoryofit,anyHistorywehave,isnotanintelligibleseriesofevents,butaseriesofvociferousexecrations,fillingallNature,withnothinglefttothereaderbutdarkness,andsuchremediesagainstdespairashehimselfcansummonorcontrive。
\"Rulhiere’sonthatsubject,\"saysaNotewhichImaycite,\"istheonlyarticulate—speakingBooktowhichmankindasyetcanapply;
[Cl。Rulhiere,Histoiredel’AnarchiedePologne(Paris,1807),4vols。12mo。]andtheywillbynomeansfindthatasufficientone。Rulhiere’sBookhasitsconsiderablemerits;butitabsolutelywantsthoseofaHistory;andcanberecognizedbynomindasanintelligiblecosmicPortraitureofthatchaoticMassofOccurrences:chronology,topography,precisionofdetailbytimeandplace;scene,andactorsonscene,remainunintelligible。RulhierehimselfknewPoland,atleasthadlookedonitfromWarsawoutwards,yearafteryear,andknewofitwhataninquiringSecretaryofLegationcouldpickuponthoseterms,whichperhaps,afterall,isnotverymuch。HisNarrativeisdrownedinbeautifulseasofdescriptionandreflection;hasneitherdatesnorreferences;andadvancesatanintolerablerateofslowness;
infact,ratherturnsonitsaxisthanadvances;producesonyoutheeffectofamelodiousSonata,notofalucidandcomfortablyinstructiveHistory。
\"IforgetforhowlongRulhierehadbeeninPoland,asAmbassador’sAssistant:buttheCountry,theKingandleadingPersonageswerepersonallyknowntohim,moreorless;Eventswithalldetailsofthemwereknown:’WhynotwriteaHistoryoftheAnarchyandWrecktheyfellinto?’saidtheOfficialpeopletohim,onhisreturnhome:’ForbehoofoftheDauphin[whoistobeLouisXVI。shortly];
maynotheperhapsdrawprofitfromit?AtthetopoftheUniverse,experienceissometimeswanted。HerearetheArchives,hereisSalary,herearewhatappliancesyouliketoname:Write!’Itiswellknownhewasappointed,onaPensionof250poundsayear,withaccesstoallarchives,documentsandappliancesinpossessionoftheFrenchGovernment,andexpresschargetodelineatethissubjectforbenefitoftheDauphin’syoungmind。NorcanIwonder,consideringeverything,thattheprocessonRulhiere’spart,beingsofullofdifficulties,wasextremelydeliberate;thatthisBookdidnotgrowsosteadilyorfastastheDauphindid;andthatinfactthepoorDauphinnevergottheleastbenefitfromit,——beingguillotined,he,in1793,andtheBookintendedforhimnevercomingtolightforfourteenyearsafterwards,ittooinaposthumousandstillunfinishedcondition。
\"Rulhierehasheardthevoicesofrumor,knowsaninfinitudeofeventsthatweretalkedof;buthasnotdiscriminatedwhichwerethevital,whichweretheinsignificant;treatsthevitalandtheinsignificantalike;seldomwithsatisfactoryprecision;
mournfullyseldomgivinganydate,andbynochanceanyvoucherorauthority;——andinsteadofpracticalterrestrialsceneofaction,withdistances,milestones,definitesequenceofoccurrences,andofcausesandeffects,paintsusarosycloudland,whichiftrueatall,ashewellintendsittobe,islittlemorethansymbolicallyorallegoricallyso;andcansatisfynoclear—headedDauphinorman。Rulhierestrivestobeauthentic,too;givesyounosuspicionofhisfairness。Thereisreallyfinehigh—coloredpaintinginRulhiere!andyouhopealwayshewillletyouintothesecretofthematter:butthesadfactis,heneverdoes。Hemerelyloseshimselfinpicturesquedetails,philosophiceloquences,elegancies;
takesyoutoaCastleofChoczim,aMonasteryofCzenstochow,aBayofTschesme,andletsoffextensivefire—worksthatcontainlittleornoshot;leadsyouontracklessmarches,inroadsoroutroads,throughtheLithuanianPeat—bogs,ondaringadventuresandhair—
breadthescapesofmerePulawski,Potockiandthelike;——hadnotgottounderstandthematterhimself,youperceive:howhopelesstomakeyouunderstandit!\"
Englishreaders,however,havenoothershift;therestoftheBooksIhaveseen,——HistoiredesRevolutionsdePologne;
[1778(AWARSOVIE,ETSETROUVEAPARIS),2vols。
8vo。]HistoiredesTroisDemembremensdelaPologne;
[Anonymous(byoneFERRAND,otherwiseunknowntome),Paris,1820,3vols。8vo。]LettersonPoland;
[Anonymous(bya\"ReverendMr。Lindsey,\"itwouldseem),LETTERS
CONCERNINGTHEPRESENTSTATEOFPOLAND,TOGETHERWITH&c。(London,1773;1vol。8vo):oftheseLETTERS,oratleastofReverendLindsey,Authorofthem,\"TutortoKingStanislaus’sNephew,\"andamanofpainfullyloudloosetongue,theremayperhapsbementionafterwards。]andmanymore,——arenotworthmentioningatall。
ComfortableinthemaddanceoftheseisHermann’srecentdullvolume;[Hermann,GeschichtedesRussischenStaats,vol。v。(alreadycitedinregardtothePeter—Catharinetragedy);seemstobecompiledmainlyfromtheSaxonArchives,fromDESPATCHESwrittenonthespotandatthetime。]——commonplace,dull,butsteadyandfaithful;yieldingusatleastdates,andanimmunityfromnoise。ByhelpofHermannandtheothers,distilledtoCAPUTMORTUUM,afewdatedfacts(cardinalwedarenotcallthem)maybeextracted;——dimlyoutofthese,tothemeditatingmind,someoutlineofthephenomenonmaybegintobecomeconceivable。KingofPolanddies;andthereensuehugeAnarchiesinthatCountry。
KINGOFPOLANDDIES;ANDTHEREENSUEHUGEANARCHIESINTHATCOUNTRY。
ThepooroldKingofPoland——whomwesaw,onthatfallofthecurtainatPirnasevenyearsago,rushoffforWarsawwithhisBruhl,withexpressivespeedandexpressivesilence,andwhohasbeenwaitingthereeversince,sublimelyconfidentthathispowerfulterrestrialfriends,Austria,Russia,France,nottospeakofHeaven’sjusticeatall,wouldexactduepenalty,ofsignalandtremendousnature,onthePrussianAggressor——hasagainbeendisappointed。ThepooroldGentlemangotnocompensationforhismanifoldlossesandwoesatPirnaorelsewhere;nottheleastmentionofsuchathing,onthefinalwinding—upofthatWarofSevenYears,inwhichhissharehadbeensotragical;
noalleviationwasprovidedforhiminthisworld。HissorrowsinPolandhavebeenmanifold;nothingbutanarchies,confusionsandcontradictionshadbeenhisRoyalportionthere:inaboutFortydifferentDietshehadtriedtogetsomebusinessdone,——nouseaskingwhat;fortheDiets,oneandall,explodedinNIEPOZWALAM;
andcoulddonobusiness,good,badorindifferent,forhimoranybody。Anunwise,mostidleCountry;followingaschiefemploymentperpetualdiscrepancywithitsidleunwiseKingandself;Russiathevirtualheadofitthislongwhile,sofarasithasanyhead。
FEBRUARY—AUGUST,1763,justwhiletheTreatyofHubertsburgwasblessingeverybodywiththereturnofPeace,andforlongmonthsafterPeacehadreturnedtoeverybody,PolishMajestywasinsoretrouble。TroubleinregardtoCourland,tohispoorSonKarl,whofanciedhimselfelected,underfavorandpermissionofthelateCzarinaourgraciousProtectressandAlly,tothedifficultpostofDukeinCourland;andhadproceeded,threeorfouryearsago,totakepossession,——butwasnowinterruptedbyRussianencroachmentsandviolences。Notatallwelldisposedtohim,thesenewPeters,newCatharines。TheyhaverecalledtheirBierenfromSiberia;
declarethatoldBierenisagainDuke,oratleastthatyoungBierenis,andnotSaxonKarlatall;andhaveproceeded,CzarinaCatharinehas,toinstallhimforciblywithRussiansoldiers。
Karldeclares,\"YoushallkillMEbeforeyouorhegetintothisPalaceofMietau!\"——andbyDomesticsmerely,andarmedprivateGentlemen,hedoesmaintainhimselfinsaidPalatialMansion;
valiantlyindignant,foraboutsixmonths;theRussianBattalionsgirdlinghimonallsides,minatorymoreandmore,butloathtobeginactualbloodshed。[Rulhiere,ii。(livrev。)81etantea;
Hermann,v。348etseq。]Atransactionveryfamedinthoseparts,andstillgivingloudvoiceinthePolishBooks,whichindeedgetevernoisierfromthispointonward,tilltheyendininarticulateshrieks,asweshalltoowellhear。
EmpressCatharine,afterthelapseofsixmonths,sendsanAmbassadortoWarsaw(Kayserlingbyname),whodeclares,intonealtogetherimperative,thatCzarishMajestyfeelsherselfwearyofsuchcontumacy,wearygenerallyofPolishMajesty’sandPolishRepublic’smultifariouscontumacies;and,infine,cruelestofall,thatshehastroopsonthefrontier;thatCourlandisnottheonlyplacewhereshehastroops。Whatastabtothepooroldman!
\"Contumacies?\"HasnothebeenRussia’spatientstepping—stone,allalong;hisanarchicPolandandheaccordantinthat,ifinnothingelse?\"LetustoSaxony,\"decideshepassionately,\"andleaveallthis。\"InSaxonyhispooroldQueenisdeadlongsince;muchisdead:SaxonyandLifegenerally,whataGolgotha!HeimmediatelysendswordtoKarl,\"GiveupCourland;Iamgoinghome!\"——anddidhastilymakehispackages,andbidadieutoWarsaw,and,inafewweeksaftertothisanarchicworldaltogether。DiedatDresden,5thOctober,1763。
PolishMajestyhadbeenelected5thOctober,1733;died,youobserve,5thOctober,1763;——wasKingofPoland(\"King,\"savethemark!)for30yearstoaday。Waselected——doreadersstillrememberhow?LeavesaruinedSaxonylyingroundhim;aruinedlifemutelyaskinghim,\"Couldstthouhavedonenobetter,then?\"
WretchedBruhlfollowedhiminfourorfiveweeks。Nay,inabouttwomonths,hisSonandSuccessor,\"FriedrichChristian\"(withwhomwedinedatMoritzburg),hadfollowedhim;[Princedied17thDecember(Bruhl,18thNovember),1763。]leavingasmallBoy,age13,asnewKurfurst,\"FriedrichAugust\"thenameofhim,withguardianstomanagetheMinority;especiallywithhisMotheraschiefguardian,——ofwhom,fortworeasons,wearenowtosaysomething。ReasonFIRSTis,Thatsheisreallyaratherbrilliant,distinguishedcreature,distinguishedmoreespeciallyinFriedrich’sworld;whoseLETTERStoherarenumerous,and,intheirkind,amongthenotablesthewrote;——ofwhichwewouldgladlygivesomespecimen,betterorworse;andreasonSECOND,Thatinsodoing,wemaycontrivetolook,foramomentortwo,intothepreliminaryPolishAnarchiesatfirst—hand;and,transientlyandfaroff,seesomethingofthemasifwithourowneyes。
Marie—Antoine,orMarie—Antoinette,ElectressofSaxony,isstillabrightLady,andamongthebusiestliving;nowinher40thyear:
\"born17thJuly,1724;secondchildofKaiserKarlVII。;\"——alivingmementotousofthoseoldtimesoftrouble。Papa,whenshecametohim,wasinhis27thyear;thiswashisseconddaughter;
threeyearsafterwardshehadason(born1727;died1777),whomadethe\"PeaceofFussen,\"toFriedrich’sdisgust,in1745,ifreadersrecollect;——andwho,dyingchildless,willgiverisetoanotherWar(the\"PotatoWar\"socalled),forFriedrich’sbehoofandours。ThislittlecreaturewouldbeinherteensduringthatfatalKaisership(1742—1745,heragethen18—21),——duringthosetriumphs,flightsandfurnished—lodgingintricacies。HerMamma,whomwehaveseen,alittlefatbulletgiventodevotion,wasfouryearsyoungerthanPapa。Mammadied\"11thDecember,1756,\"GermanyallblazingoutinWaragain;shehadbeenaWidowelevenyears。
Marie—AntoinewasweddedtoFriedrichChristian,SaxonKurprinz,\"20thJune,1747;\"herage23,his25:——Chronologyitselfissomething,ifonewillattendtoit,intheabsenceofallelse!
TheyoungpairwereCousins,theirMothersbeingSisters;
PolishMajestyone’sUncle,agenow51,——whowasveryfondofus,poorindolentsoul,andgladofourcompanyonanafternoon,\"beingalwaysinhisdressing—gownby2o’clock。\"ConcerningwhichthetongueofCourtscandalwasnotentirelyidle,——Hanburychronicling,asweoncenoticed。AllwhichIbelievetobemerelyingwind。TheyoungPrincesswasbeautiful;extremelyclever,gracefulandlively,wecanstillseeforourselves:nowonderpoorPolishMajesty,alwaysinhisdressing—gownby2,wascharmedtohavehercompany,——theratherasIhopeshepermittedhimalittlesmokingwithal。
Herhusbandwascrook—backed;and,exceptthoseslight,alwaysperfectlypolitelittlepassages,inSchmettau’sSiege(1759),intheHubertsburgTreatyaffair,inthedinneratMoritzburg,Ineverheardmuchhistoryofhim。HebecameElector5thOctober,1763;
butenjoyedthedignitylittlemorethantwomonths。OurPrincesshadbornehimsevenchildren,——threeboys,fourgirls,——theeldestabout13,aBoy,whosucceeded;theyoungestagirl,hardly3。
TheBoyishewhosentGellertthecaparisonedHorse,andhadestafettesontheroadwhileGellertlaydying。ThisBoylivedtobe77,andsawstrangethingsintheworld;hadseenNapoleonandtheFrenchRevolution;wasthefirst\"KingofSaxony\"socalled;
sawJena,retreatofMoscow;sawthe\"BattleoftheNations\"
(Leipzig,15th—18thOctober,1813),andhisgreatNapoleonterminateinbankruptcy。HeleftnoSon。ABrother,age72,succeededhimasKingforafewyears;whomagainaBrotherwouldhavesucceeded,hadnothe(thisthirdBrother,agenow66)
renounced,infavorofHISSon,thepresentKingofSaxony。
Enough,enough!——
August28th,1763,whileafflictedPolishMajestyismakinghispackagesatWarsaw,faraway,——Marie—Antoinette,inDresden,hadsentFriedrichanOperaofhercomposing,justbroughtoutbyheronherCourt—theatrethere。HereisFriedrich’sAnswer,——towhatkindofOPERAIknownot,buttoaLetteraccompanyingitwhichisextremelypretty。
FRIEDRICHTOTHEELECTORALPRINCESS(atDresden)。
\"POTSDAM,5thSeptember,1763。
\"MADAMMYSISTER,——TheremembranceyourRoyalHighnesssendsisthemoreflatteringtome,asIregretinfinitelynottohavebeenspectatorandhearerofthefinethings[OperaTHALESTRIS,wordsandmusicentirelylosttous]whichIhaveadmiredformyselfinthesilentstate。
\"IwishIcouldsendyouthingsaspleasantoutoftheseparts:
but,Madam,Iamobligedtogiveyouahint,whichmaybeusefulifyoucanhaveitfollowed。InSaxony,however,myLettersgetopened;——whichobligesmetosendthisbyaspecialMessenger;
andhim,thathemaycausenosuspicion,Ihavechargedwithfruitsfrommygarden。Youwillhavethegoodnesstosay[ifanybodyiseavesdropping]thatyouaskedthemofmeatMoritzburg,whenIwashappyenoughtoseeyouthere[sixmonthsago,cominghomefromtheSeven—YearsWar]。ThehintIhadtogivewasthis:——
\"InPetersburgpeople’smindsaregettingangryatthestubbornnessyourfriendsshowinrefusingtorecognizeDukeBieren[homefromSiberia,againDukeofCourland,byRussianappointment,asifRussiahadthatright;PolishMajestyandhisPrinceKarlresistingtotheuttermost]。Icounselyoutoinducethepowerfulinyourcircletohavethiscondescension[theyhavehadit,beenobligedtohaveit,thoughFriedrichdoesnotyetknow];foritwillturnoutilltothem,iftheypersistinbeingobstinatelystiff。
ItbeginsalreadytobesaidThattherearemorethanamillionRussiansubjectsatthistimerefugeesinPoland;whom,byIforgetwhatcartel,theRepublicwasboundtodeliverup。OrdershavebeengiventoDetachmentsofMilitarytoentercertainplaces,andbringawaytheseRussiansbyforce。Inaword,youwillruinyouraffairsforever,unlessyoufindmeanstoproduceachangeofconductonthepartofhimtheycomplainof。Take,Madam,whatInowsayasamarkoftheesteemandprofoundregardwithwhich——\"——F。
[OEuvresdeFrederic,xxiv。46。]
Thishint,iftheKingknew,hadbeengiven,inalesskindshape,byNecessityitself;andhadsentPolishMajesty,andhisBruhlsand\"powerfulpeople,\"bodilyhome,andoutofthatPolishRussianwelter,inaheadlongandtragicallypassionatecondition。
ElectoralPrincess,nexttimeshewrites,isbecomeElectressallatonce。
ELECTRESSMARIE—ANTOINETOFRIEDRICH。
\"DRESDEN,5thOctober,1763。