History of Friedrich II of Prussia V 9

T >> Thomas Carlyle >> History of Friedrich II of Prussia V 9

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"5. One immense consolation for the Kaiser, if for no other, is:
France guarantees the Pragmatic Sanction,--though with very great
difficulty; spending a couple of years, chiefly on this latter
point as was thought. [Treaty on it not signed till 18th November,
1738 (Scholl, ii. 246).] How it kept said guarantee, will be seen
in the sequel."

And these were the damages the poor Kaiser had to pay for meddling
in Polish Elections;--for galloping thither in chase of his
Shadows. No such account of broken windows was ever presented to a
man before. This may be considered as the consummation of the
Kaiser's Shadow-Hunt; or at least its igniting and exploding
point. His Duel with the Termagant has at last ended; in total
defeat to him on every point. Shadow-Hunt does not end; though it
is now mostly vanished; exploded in fire. Shadow-Hunt is now gone
all to Pragmatic Sanction, as it were: that now is the one thing
left in Nature for a Kaiser; and that he will love, and chase, as
the summary of all things. From this point he steadily goes down,
and at a rapid rate;--getting into disastrous Turk Wars, with as
little preparation for War or Fact as a life-long Hunt of SHADOWS
presupposes; Eugene gone from him, and nothing but Seckendorfs to
manage for him;--and sinks to a low pitch indeed. We will leave
him here; shall hope to see but little more of him.

In the Summer of 1736, in consequence of these arrangements,--
which were completed so far, though difficulties on Pragmatic
Sanction and other points retarded the final signature for many
months longer,--the Titular Majesty Stanislaus girt himself
together for departure towards his new Dominion or Life-rent;
quitted Konigsberg; traversed Prussian Poland, safe this time,
"under escort of Lieutenant-General von Katte [our poor Katte of
Custrin's Father] and fifty cuirassiers;" reached Berlin in the
middle of May, under flowerier aspects than usual. He travelled
under the title of "Count" Something, and alighted at the French
Ambassador's in Berlin: but Friedrich Wilhelm treated him like a
real Majesty, almost like a real Brother; had him over to the
Palace; rushed out to meet him there, I forget how many steps
beyond the proper limits; and was hospitality itself and
munificence itself;--and, in fact, that night and all the other
nights, "they smoked above thirty pipes together," for one item.
May 21st, 1736, [Forster (i. 227), following loose Pollnitz
(ii. 478), dates it 1735: a more considerable error, if looked
into, than is usual in Herr Forster; who is not an ill-informed
nor inexact man;--though, alas, in respect of method (that is to
say, want of visible method, indication, or human arrangement),
probably the most confused of all the Germans!] Ex-Majesty
Stanislaus went on his way again; towards France,--towards Meudon,
a quiet Royal House in France,--till Luneville, Nanci, and their
Lorraine Palaces are quite ready. There, in these latter, he at
length does find resting-place, poor innocent insipid mortal,
after such tossings to and fro: and M. de Voltaire, and others of
mark, having sometimes enlivened the insipid Court there, Titular
King Stanislaus has still a kind of remembrance among mankind.

Of his Prussian Majesty we said that, though the Berlin
populations reported him well again, it was not so. The truth is,
his Majesty was never well again. From this point, age only forty-
seven, he continues broken in bodily constitution; clogged more
and more with physical impediments; and his History, personal and
political withal, is as that of an old man, finishing his day.
To the last he pulls steadily, neglecting no business, suffering
nothing to go wrong. Building operations go on at Berlin;
pushed more than ever, in these years, by the rigorous Derschau,
who has got that in charge. No man of money or rank in Berlin but
Derschau is upon him, with heavier and heavier compulsion to
build: which is felt to be tyrannous; and occasions an ever-
deepening grumble among the moneyed classes. At Potsdam his
Majesty himself is the Builder; and gives the Houses away to
persons of merit. [Pollnitz, ii. 469.]

Nor is the Army less an object, perhaps almost more. Nay, at one
time, old Kur-Pfalz being reckoned in a dying condition, Friedrich
Wilhelm is about ranking his men, prepared to fight for his rights
in Julich and Berg; Kaiser having openly gone over, and joined
with France against his Majesty in that matter. However, the old
Kur-Pfalz did not die, and there came nothing of fight in
Friedrich Wilhelm's time. But his History, on the political side,
is henceforth mainly a commentary to him on that "word" he heard
in Priort, "which was as if you had turned a dagger in my heart!"
With the Kaiser he has fallen out: there arise unfriendly passages
between them, sometimes sarcastic on Friedrich Wilhelm's part, in
reference to this very War now ended. Thus, when complaint rose
about the Prussian misbehaviors on their late marches
(misbehaviors notable in Countries where their recruiting
operations had been troubled), the Kaiser took a high severe tone,
not assuaging, rather aggravating the matter; and, for his own
share, winded up by a strict prohibition of Prussian recruiting in
any and every part of the Imperial Dominions. Which Friedrich
Wilhelm took extremely ill. This is from a letter of his to the
Crown-Prince, and after the first gust of wrath had spent itself:
"It is a clear disadvantage, this prohibition of recruiting in the
Kaiser's Countries. That is our thanks for the Ten Thousand men
sent him, and for all the deference I have shown the Kaiser at all
times; and by this you may see that it would be of no use if one
even sacrificed oneself to him. So long as they need us, they
continue to flatter; but no sooner is the strait thought to be
over, and help not wanted, than they pull off the mask, and have
not the least acknowledgment. The considerations that will occur
to you on this matter may put it in your power to be prepared
against similar occasions in time coming." [6th February, 1736:
OEuvres de Frederic, xxvii. part 3d,
p. 102.]

Thus, again, in regard to the winter-quarters of the Ziethen
Hussars. Prussian Majesty, we recollect, had sent a Supernumerary
Squadron to the last Campaign on the Rhine. They were learning
their business, Friedrich Wilhelm knew; but also were fighting for
the Kaiser,--that was what the Kaiser knew about them. Somewhat to
his surprise, in the course of next year, Friedrich Wilhelm
received, from the Vienna War-Office, a little Bill of 10,284
florins (1,028 pounds 8 shillings) charged to him for the winter-
quarters of these Hussars. He at once paid the little Bill, with
only this observation: "Heartily glad that I can help the Imperial
AERARIUM with that 1,028 pounds 8 shillings. With the sincerest
wishes for hundred-thousandfold increase to it in said AERARIUM;
otherwise it won't go very far!" [Letter to Seckendorf (SENIOR):
Forster, ii. 150.]

At a later period, in the course of his disastrous Turk War, the
Kaiser, famishing for money, set about borrowing a million gulden
(l00,000 pounds) from the Banking House Splittgerber and Daun at
Berlin. Splittgerber and Daun had not the money, could not raise
it: "Advance us that sum, in their name, your Majesty," proposes
the Vienna Court: "There shall be three-per-cent bonus, interest
six per cent, and security beyond all question!" To which fine
offer his Majesty answers, addressing Seckendorf Junior: "Touching
the proposal of my giving the Bankers Splittgerber and Daun a
lift, with a million gulden, to assist in that loan of theirs,--
said proposal, as I am not a merchant accustomed to deal in
profits and percentages, cannot in that form take effect. Out of
old friendship, however, I am, on TheirO Imperial Majesty's
request, extremely ready to pay down, once and away (A FOND
PERDU), a couple of million gulden, provided the Imperial Majesty
will grant me the conditions known to your Uncle [FULFILMENT of
that now oldish Julich-and-Berg promise, namely!] which are FAIR.
In such case the thing shall be rapidly completed!" [Forster, ii.
151 (without DATE there).]

In a word, Friedrich Wilhelm falls out with the Kaiser more and
more; experiences more and more what a Kaiser this has been
towards him. Queen Sophie has fallen silent in the History Books;
both the Majesties may look remorsefully, but perhaps best in
silence, over the breakages and wrecks this Kaiser has brought
upon them. Friedrich Wilhelm does not meanly hate the Kaiser:
good man, he sometimes pities him; sometimes, we perceive, has a
touch of authentic contempt for him. But his thoughts, in that
quarter, premature old age aggravating them, are generally of a
tragic nature, not to be spoken without tears; and the tears have
a flash at the bottom of them, when he looks round on Fritz and
says, "There is one, though, that will avenge me!" Friedrich
Wilhelm, to the last a broad strong phenomenon, keeps wending
downward, homeward, from this point; the Kaiser too, we perceive,
is rapidly consummating his enormous Spectre-Hunts and Duels with
Termagants, and before long will be at rest. We have well-nigh
done with both these Majesties.

The Crown-Prince, by his judicious obedient procedures in these
Four Years at Ruppin, at a distance from Papa, has, as it were,
completed his APPRENTICESHIP; and, especially by this last
Inspection-Journey into Preussen, may be said to have delivered
his PROOF-ESSAY with a distinguished success. He is now out of his
Apprenticeship; entitled to take up his Indentures, whenever need
shall be. The rugged old Master cannot but declare him competent,
qualified to try his own hand without supervision:--after all
those unheard-of confusions, like to set the shop on fire at one
time, it is a blessedly successful Apprenticeship! Let him now,
theoretically at least, in the realms of Art, Literature,
Spiritual Improvement, do his WANDERJAHRE, over at Reinsberg,
still in the old region,--still well apart from Papa, who agrees
best NOT in immediate contact;--and be happy in the new
Domesticities, and larger opportunities, provided for him there;
till a certain time come, which none of us are in haste for.

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