Margaret Penrose - "The Motor Girls"

George MacDonald - "Thomas Wingfold, Curate V2"

Arthur Ransome - "Russia in 1919"

Charles Kingsley - "The Water of Life and Other Sermons"

History of Friedrich II of Prussia V 8

T >> Thomas Carlyle >> History of Friedrich II of Prussia V 8




Old King Friedrich, the expensive Herr, it was he that did the
furnishing and Correggio-painting of these sublime rooms: but this
of the masses of wrought silver, this was done by Friedrich
Wilhelm,--incited thereto by what he saw at Dresden in August the
Strong's Establishment; and reflecting, too, that silver is
silver, whether you keep it in barrels in a coined form, or work
it into chandeliers, mirror-frames and music-balconies.--
These things we should not have mentioned, except to say that the
massive silver did prove a hoard available, in after times,
against a rainy day. Massive silver (well mixed with copper first)
was all melted down, stamped into current coins, native and
foreign, and sent wandering over the world, before a certain
Prince got through his Seven-Years Wars and other pinches that
are ahead!--

In fine, Wilhelmina's Wedding was magnificent; though one had rubs
too; and Mamma was rather severe. "Hair went all wrong, by dint of
overdressing; and hung on one's face like a boy's. Crown-royal
they had put (as indeed was proper) on one's head: hair was in
twenty-four locks the size of your arm: such was the Queen's
order. Gown was of cloth-of-silver, trimmed with Spanish gold-lace
(AVEC UN POINT D'ESPAGNE D'OR); train twelve yards long;--one was
like to sink to the earth in such equipment." Courage, my
Princess!--In fact, the Wedding went beautifully off; with dances
and sublimities, slow solemn Torch-dance to conclude with, in
those unparalleled upper rooms; Grand-Aunt Meiningen and many
other stars and rainbows witnessing; even the Margravine of
Schwedt, in her high colors, was compelled to be there.
Such variegated splendor, such a dancing of the Constellations;
sublunary Berlin, and all the world, on tiptoe round it!
Slow Torchdance, winding it up, melted into the shades of
midnight, for this time; and there was silence in Berlin.

But, on the following nights, there were Balls of a less solemn
character; far pleasanter for dancing purposes. It is to these, to
one of these, that we direct the attention of all readers.
Friday, 23d, there was again Ball and Royal Evening Party--"Grand
Apartment" so called. Immense Ball, "seven hundred couples, all
people of condition:" there were "Four Quadrilles," or dancing
places in the big sea of quality-figures; each at its due distance
in the grand suite of rooms: Wilhelmina presides in Quadrille
NUMBER ONE; place assigned her was in the room called
Picture-Gallery; Queen and all the Principalities were with
Wilhelmina, she is to lead off their quadrille, and take charge of
it. Which she did, with her accustomed fire and elasticity;--and
was circling there, on the light fantastic toe, time six in the
evening, when Grumkow, whom she had been dunning for his bargain
about Friedrich the day before, came up:--

"I liked dancing," says she, "and was taking advantage of my
chances. Grumkow came up, and interrupted me in the middle of a
minuet: 'EH, MON DIEU MADAME!' said Grumkow, 'you seem to have got
bit by the tarantula! Don't you see those strangers who have just
come in?' I stopt short; and looking all round, I noticed at last
a young man dressed in gray, whom I did not know. 'Go, then,
embrace the Priuce-Royal; there he is before you!' said Grumkow.
All the blood in my body went topsy-turvy for joy. 'O Heaven, my
Brother?' cried I: 'But I don't see him; where is he? In God's
name, let me see him!' Grumkow led me to the young man in gray.
Coming near, I recognized him, though with difficulty: he had
grown amazingly stouter (PRODIGIEUSEMENT ENGRAISSE), shortened
about the neck; his face too had much changed, and was no longer
so beautiful as it had been. I sprang upon him with open arms
(SAUTAI AU COU); I was in such a state, I could speak nothing but
broken exclamations: I wept, I laughed, like one gone delirious.
In my life I have never felt so lively a joy.

"The first sane step was to throw myself at the feet of the King:
King said, 'Are you content with me? You see I have kept my word!'
I took my Brother by the hand; and entreated the King to restore
him his friendship. This scene was so touching, it drew tears from
the eyes of everybody. I then approached the Queen. She was
obliged to embrace me, the King being close opposite; but I
remarked that her joy was only affected."--Why then, O Princess?
Guess, if you can, the female humors of her Majesty!--

"I turned to my Brother again; I gave him a thousand caresses, and
said the tenderest things to him: to all which he remained cold as
ice, and answered only in monosyllables. I presented the Prince
(my Husband); to whom he did not say one word. I was astonished at
this fashion of procedure! But I laid the blame of it on the King,
who was observing us, and who I judged might be intimidating my
Brother. But even his countenance surprised me: he wore a proud
air, and seemed to look down on everybody."

A much-changed Crown-Prince. What can be the meaning of it?
Neither King nor he appeared at supper: they were supping
elsewhere, with a select circle; and the whisper ran among us, His
Majesty was treating him with great friendliness. At which the
Queen, contrary to hope, could not conceal her secret pique.
"In fact," says Wilhelmina, again too hard on Mamma, "she did not
love her children except as they served her ambitious views."
The fact that it was I, and not she, who had achieved the Prince's
deliverance, was painful to her Majesty: alas, yes, in
some degree!

"Ball having recommenced, Grumkow whispered to me, 'That the King
was pleased with my frank kind ways to my Brother; and not pleased
with my Brother's cold way of returning it: Does he simulate, and
mean still to deceive me? Or IS that all the thanks he has for
Wilhelmina? thinks his Majesty. Go on with your sincerity, Madam;
and for God's sake admonish the Crown-Prince to avoid finessing!'
Crown-Prince, when I did, in some interval of the dance, report
this of Grumkow, and say, Why so changed and cold, then, Brother
of my heart? answered, That he was still the same; and that he had
his reasons for what he did." Wilhelmiua continues; and cannot
understand her Crown-Prince at all:--

"Next morning, by the King's order, he paid me a visit.
The Prince," my Husband, "was polite enough to withdraw, and left
me and Sousfeld alone with him. He gave me a recital of his
misfortnues; I communicated mine to him,"--and how I had at last
bargained to get him free again by my compliance. "He appeared
much discountenanced at this last part of my narrative.
He returned thanks for the obligations I had laid on him,--with
some caressings, which evidently did not proceed from the heart.
To break this conversation, he started some indifferent topic;
and, under pretence of seeing my Apartment, moved into the next
room, where the Prince my Husband was. Him he ran over with his
eyes from head to foot, for some time; then, after some
constrained civilities to him, went his way." What to make of all
this? "Madam Sonsfeld shrugged her shoulders;" no end of Madam
Sousfeld's astonishment at such a Crown-Prince.

Alas, yes, poor Wilhelmina; a Crown-Prince got into terrible
cognizance of facts since we last met him! Perhaps already sees,
not only what a Height of place is cut out for him in this world,
but also in a dim way what a solitude of soul, if he will maintain
his height? Top of the frozen Schreckhorn;--have you well
considered such a position! And even the way thither is dangerous,
is terrible in this case. Be not too hard upon your Crown-Prince.
For it is certain he loves you to the last!

Captain Dickens, who alone of all the Excellencies was not at the
Wedding,--and never had believed it would be a wedding, but only a
rumor to bring England round,--duly chronicles this happy
reappearance of the Prince-Royal: "about six, yesterday evening,
as the company was dancing,--to the great joy and surprise of the
whale Court;"--and adds: "This morning the Prince came to the
public Parade; where crowds of people of all ranks flocked to see
his Royal Highness, and gave the most open demonstrations of
pleasure." [Despatch 24th November, 1731.]

Wilhelmina, these noisy tumults, not all of them delightful, once
done, gets out of the perplexed hurly-burly, home towards still
Baireuth, shortly after New-year. [11th January, 1732 (Wilhelmina,
ii. 20.] "Berlin was become as odious to me as it had once been
dear. I flattered myself that, renouncing grandeurs, I might lead
a soft and tranquil life in my new Home, and begin a happier year
than the one that had just ended." Mamma was still perverse;
but on the edge of departure Wilhelmina contrived to get a word of
her Father, and privately open her heart to him. Poor Father,
after all that has come and gone:--

"My discourse produced its effect; he melted into tears, could not
answer me for sobs; he explained his thoughts by his embracings of
me. Making an effort, at length, he said: 'I am in despair that I
did not know thee. They had told me such horrible tales, I hated
thee as much as I now love thee. If I had addressed myself direct
to thee, I should have escaped much trouble, and thou too.
But they hindered me from speaking; said thou wert ill-natured as
the Devil, and wouldst drive me to extremities I wanted to avoid.
Thy Mother, by her intriguings, is in part the cause of the
misfortunes of the family; I have been deceived and duped on every
side. But my hands are tied; and though my heart is torn in
pieces, I must leave these iniquities unpunished!'"--The Queen's
intentions were always good, urged Wilhelmina. "Let us not enter
into that detail," answered he: "what is past is past; I will try
to forget it;" and assured Wilhelmina that she was the dearest to
him of the family, and that he would do great things for her
still,--only part of which came to effect in the sequel. "I am too
sad of heart to take leave of you," concluded he: "embrace your
Husband on my part; I am so overcome that I must not see him."
[Wilhelmina, ii. 4; who dates 11th January, 1732.] And so they
rolled away.

Crown-Prince was back to Custrin again, many weeks before. Back to
Custrin; but under totally changed omens: his history, after that
first emergence in Wilhelmina's dance "23d November about six
P.M.," and appearance at Parade on the morrow (Saturday morning),
had been as follows. Monday November 26th) there was again grand
Ball, and the Prince there, not in gray this time. Next day, the
old Dessauer and all the higher Officers in Berlin petitioned,
"Let us have him in the Army again, your Majesty!" Majesty
consented: and so, Friday, 30th, there was grand dinner at
Seckendorf's, Crown-Prince there, in soldier's uniform again; a
completely pardoned youth. His uniform is of the Goltz Regiment,
Infantry: Goltz Regiment, which lies at Ruppin,--at and about, in
that moory Country to the Northeast, some thirty or forty miles
from Berlin;--whither his destination now is.

Crown-Prince had to resume his Kammer work at Custrin, and see the
Buildings at Carzig, for a three months longer, till some
arrangements in the Regiment Goltz were perfected, and finishing
improvements given to it. But "on the last day of February" (29th)
1732 being leap-year), his Royal Highness's Commission to be
Colonel Commandant of said Regiment is made out; and he proceeds,
in discharge of the same, to Ruppin, where his men lie. And so
puts off the pike-gray coat, and puts on the military blue one,
[Preuss, i. 69.]--never to quit it again, as turned out.

Ruppin is a little Town, in that northwest Fehrbellin region:
Regiment Goltz had lain in detached quarters hitherto; but is now
to lie at Ruppin, the first Battalion of it there, and the rest
within reach. Here, in Ruppin itself, or ultimately at Reinsberg
in the neighborhood, was Friedrich's abode, for the next eight
years. Habitual residence: with transient excursions, chiefly to
Berlin in Carnival time, or on other great occasions, and always
strictly on leave; his employment being that of Colonel of Foot, a
thing requiring continual vigilance and industry in that Country.
Least of all to be neglected, in any point, by one in his
circumstances. He did his military duties to a perfection
satisfactory even to Papa; and achieved on his own score many
other duties and improvements, for which Papa had less value.
These eight years, it is always understood, were among the most
important of his life to him.



END OF BOOK VIII-----

Copyright (c) 2007. topbookz.net. All rights reserved.