Thomas Bulfinch - "The Age of Fable"

Albert Einstein - "Sidelights on Relativity"

Marietta Holley - "Samantha at Saratoga"

Sara Ware Bassett - "The Story of Sugar"

History of Friedrich II of Prussia V Vol 16

T >> Thomas Carlyle >> History of Friedrich II of Prussia V Vol 16





"EXTRACTUS PROTOCOLLORUM IN INQUISITIONS-SACHEN,"--THAT IS TO
SAY, EXTRACT OF PROTOCOLS IN INQUEST "CONTRA FRIEDRICH
WILHELM MENZEL AND JOHANN BENJAMIN ERFURTH."

"AT WARSAW, 25th SEPTEMBER, 1757: This day, in the King's Name, in
presence of Legationsrath von Saul, Hofrath Ferbers and Kriegsrath
von Gotze the Undersigned: Examination of the Kabinets-Kanzellist
Menzel, arrested yesterday, and now brought from his place of
arrest to the Royal Palace;--who, ADMONITUS DE DICENDA VERITATE,
made answers, to the effect following:--

"His name is Friedrich Wilhelm Menzel; age thirty-eight; is a son
of the late Hofrath and Privy-referendary Menzel, who formerly was
in the King's service, and died a few years back. Has been
seventeen years Kanzellist at the GEHEIME CABINETS-CANZLEI (Secret
Archive); had taken the oath when he entered on his office.

"Acknowledges some Slips of Paper (ZETTEL), now shown to him, to be
his handwriting: they contained news intended to be communicated to
the Prussian Secretary Benoit, now residing here", at
Dresden formerly.

"Confesses that he has employed, here as well as previously in
Dresden, his Brother-in-law, the journeyman goldsmith Erfurth (who
was likewise arrested yesterday), to convey to the Prussian
Secretaries, Plessmann and Benoit, such pieces and despatches from
the Secret Cabinet, especially the Foreign department, as he,
Menzel, wanted to communicate to said Prussian Secretaries.

"Confesses having received, by degrees, since the year 1752, from
the Prussian Minister (ENVOYE) von Mahlzahn, and the Secretaries
Plessmann and Benoit, for such communications, the sum of 3,000
thalers (450 pounds) in all.

"Was led into these treasonable practices by the following
circumstance: He owed at that time 100 thalers on a Promissory
Note, to a certain Rhenitz, who then lived (HIELT SICH AUF) at
Dresden, and who pressed him much for payment. As he pleaded
inability to pay, Rhenitz hinted that he could put him into the way
of getting money; and accordingly, at last, took him to the then
Prussian Secretary Hecht, at Dresden; by whom he was at once
carried to the Prussian Minister von Mahlzahn; who gave him 100
thalers (15 pounds), with the request to communicate to him, now
and then, news from the Archive of the Cabinet. For a length of
time Prisoner could not accomplish this; as the said Von Mahlzahn
wanted Pieces from the Foreign Office, and especially the
Correspondence with the two Imperial Courts of Austria and Russia.
These papers were locked in presses, which Prisoner could not get
at; moreover, the Court had, in the mean time, gone to Warsaw,
Prisoner remaining at Dresden. In that way, many months passed
without his being able to communicate anything; till, at last,
about December, 1752, the Secretary Plessmann gave him a whole
bunch of keys, which were said to be sent by Privy-counsellor
Eichel of Potsdam [whom we know], to try whether any of them would
unlock the presses of the Foreign Department. But none of them
would; and Prisoner returned the keys; pointing out, however, what
alterations were required to fit the keyhole.

"And, about three weeks after this, Plessmann provided Prisoner
with another set of keys; among which one did unlock said presses.
With this key Prisoner now repeatedly opened the presses;
and provided Plessmann, whenever required,--oftenest, with
Petersburg Despatches. Had also, three years ago (1754), here in
Warsaw, communicated Vienna Despatches, three or four times, to
Benoit; especially on Sundays and Thursdays, which were slack days,
nobody in the Office about noon.

"The actual first of these Communications did not take place till
after Easter-Fair, 1753; Prisoner not having, till said Fair,
received the second bunch of keys from Plessmann. Now and then he
had to communicate French Despatches. Whenever he gave original
Despatches, he received them back shortly after, and replaced them
in the presses. During this present stay of the Court at Warsaw,
has communicated little to Benoit except from the CIRCULARS
[Legation NEWS-LETTERS], when he found anything noteworthy in them;
also, now and then, the Ponikau Despatches [Ponikau being at the
Reich's Diet, in circumstances interesting to us]. Has received,
one time and another, several 100 thalers from Benoit, since the
Court came hither last."--(And so EXIT Menzel.)

"Hereupon the Second Prisoner was brought in;--who deposed
as follows:--

"He is named Johann Benjamin Erfurth; a goldsmith by trade;
age thirty-two; the Prisoner Menzel's Brother-in-law.

"Confesses that Menzel had made use of him, at Dresden, during one
year: to deliver, several times, sealed papers to the Prussian
Secretary Plessmann, or rather mostly to Plessmann's servant.
Also that, here in Warsaw, he has had to carry Despatches to
Benoit, and to deliver them into his own hands. Latterly he has
delivered the Despatches to certain Prussian peasants, who stopped
at Benoit's, and who always relieved each other; and every time,
the one who went away directed Prisoner, in turn, to him
that arrived.

"He received from Menzel, yesterday towards noon, a small sealed
packet, which he was to convey to the Prussian peasant who had made
an appointment with him at the Prussian Office (HOF) here. But as
he was going to take it, and had just got outside of the Palace
Court, a corporal took hold of him and arrested him.
Confesses having concealed the parcel in his trousers-pocket, and
to have denied that he had anything upon him. ... ACTUM UT SUPRA."
Signed "GOTZE" (with titles).

"Next day, September 26th, Menzel re-examined; answers in
effect following:--

"Plessmann never himself came into the Archive Office at Dresden;
except the one time [a time that will be notable to us!] when the
Prussians were there to take away the Papers by force;
then Plessmann was with them,"--and we will remember
the circumstance.

"Before leaving Dresden for Poland, last Year (1756), he, Menzel,
had returned the said key to Plessmann; who gave him others for use
here. After his arrival here, he returned these keys to Benoit, in
the presence of Erfurth; saying, they were of no use to him, and
that he could not get at the Despatches here. Prisoner farther
declares, that it was the Minister von Mahlzahn who, of his own
accord, and quite at the beginning, made the proposal concerning
the keys; and when Plessmann brought the keys, he said expressly
they were for the Minister, along with fifty thalers, which he,
Menzel, received at the same time. ACTUM UT SUPRA." Signed as
before. [ Helden-Geschichte, v. 677 (as
BEYLAGE or Appendix to the Kur-Sachsen "PRO MEMORIA to the Reich's
Diet;" of date, Regensburg, 31st January, 1758).]

We could give some of the stolen Pieces, too; but they are of
abstruse tenor, and would be mere enigmas to readers here.
Enough that Friedrich understands them. To Friedrich's intense and
long-continued scrutiny, they indicate, what is next to incredible,
but is at length fatally undeniable, That the old TREATY, which we
called OF WARSAW, "Treaty for Partitioning Prussia," is still (in
spite of all subsequent and superincumbent Treaties to the
contrary) vigorously alive underground; that Saxon Bruhl and her
Hungarian Majesty, to whom is now added Czarish Majesty, are fixed
as ever on cutting down this afflictive, too aspiring King of
Prussia to the size of a Brandenburg Elector; busy (in these Menzel
Documents) considering how it may be done, especially how the bear-
skin may be SHARED;--and that, in short, there lies ahead,
inevitable seemingly, and not far off, a Third Silesian War.

Which punctually came true. The THIRD SILESIAN WAR--since called
SEVEN-YEARS WAR, that proving to be the length of it--is now near.
Breaks out, has to break out, August, 1756. The heaviest and direst
struggle Friedrich ever had; the greatest of all his Prowesses,
Achievements and Endurances in this world. And, on the whole, the
last that was very great, or that is likely to be memorable with
Posterity. Upon which, accordingly, we must try our utmost to leave
some not untrue notion in this place: and that once DONE--
Courage, reader!


FRIEDRICH IS VISIBLE, IN HOLLAND, TO THE NAKED EYE, FOR
SOME MINUTES (June 23d, 1755).

In 1755 it was that Voltaire wrote, not the first Letter, but the
first very notable one, to his Royal Friend, after their great
quarrel: [Dated "The DELICES, near Geneva, 4th August, 1755" (in
Rodenbeck, i. 287; in OEuvres de Frederic,
xxiii. 7; not given by any of the French Editors).] seductively
repentant, and oh, so true, so tender;--Royal Friend still
obstinate, who answers nothing, or answers only through De Prades:
"Yes, yes, we are aware!" And it was in the same Year that
Friedrich first saw D'Alembert,--Voltaire's successor, in a sense.
And farther on (1st November, 1755), that the Earthquake of Lisbon
went, horribly crashing, through the thoughts of all mortals,--
thoughts of King Friedrich, among others; whose reflections on it,
I apprehend, are stingy, snarlingly contemptuous, rather than
valiant and pious, and need not detain us here. One thing only we
will mention, for an accidental reason: That Friedrich, this Year,
made a short run to Holland,--and that actual momentary sight of
him happens thereby to be still possible.

In Summer, 1755, after the West-Country Reviews, and a short
Journey into Ost-Friesland, whence to Wesel on the Rhine,--whither
Friedrich had invited D'Alembert to meet him, whom he finds "UN
TRES-AIMABLE GARCON," likely for the task in hand,--Friedrich
decided on a run into Holland: strictly INCOGNITO, accompanied only
by Balbi (Engineer, a Genoese) and one page. Bade his D'Alembert
adieu; and left Wesel thitherward June 19th. [Rodenbeck, i. 287.]
At Amsterdam he viewed the Bramkamp Picture-Gallery, the
illustrious Country-house of Jew Pinto at TULPENBURG (Tulip-
borough!) ... "I saw nothing but whim-whams (COLIFICHETS)," says
he: "I gave myself out for a Musician of the King of Poland;"
wore a black wig moreover, "and was nowhere known:" [
OEuvres, xxvii. i. 268 ("Potsdam, 28th June, 1755;"
and ib. p. 270), to Wilhelmina, who is now on the return from her
Italian Journey. UNCERTAIN Anecdotes of adventures among the
whim-whams, in Rodenbeck, &c.]--and, for finis, got into the common
Passage-Boat (TREKSCHUIT, no doubt) for Utrecht, that he might see
the other fine Country-houses along the Vechte. Fine enough
Country-houses,--not mud and sedges the main thing, as idle readers
think. To Arnheim up the Vechte in this manner; Wesel and his own
Country just at hand again.

Now it happened that a young Swiss--poor enough in purse, but not
without talent and eyesight, assistant Teacher in some Boarding-
school thereabouts; name of him De Catt, age twenty-seven, "born at
Morges near Geneva 1728"--had got holiday, or had got errand, poor
good soul; had decided, on this same day (23d June, 1755), to go to
Utrecht, and so stept into the very boat where Friedrich was.
He himself (in a Letter written long after to Editor LAVEAUX) shall
tell us the rest:--

"As I could n't get into the ROEF (cabin) because it was all
engaged, I stayed with the other passengers in the Steerage (DANS
LA BARQUE MEME), and the weather being fine, came up on deck.
After some time, there stept out of the Cabin a man in cinnamon-
colored coat with gold button-HOLES; in black wig; face and coat
considerably dusted with Spanish snuff. He looked fixedly at me,
for a while; and then said, without farther preface, 'Who are you,
Monsieur?' This cavalier tone from an unknown person, whose
exterior indicated nothing very important, did not please me; and I
declined satisfying his curiosity. He was silent. But, some time
after, he took a more courteous tone, and said: 'Come in here to
me, Monsieur! You will be better here than in the Steerage, amid
the tobacco-smoke.' This polite address put an end to all anger;
and as the singular manner of the man excited my curiosity, I took
advantage of his invitation. We sat down, and began to speak
confidentially with one another.

"Do you see the man in the garden yonder, sitting smoking his
pipe?' said he to me: 'That man, you may depend upon it, is not
happy.'--'I know not,' answered I: 'but it seems to me, until one
knows a man, and is completely acquainted with his situation and
his way of thought, one cannot possibly determine whether he is
happy or unhappy.'

"My gentleman admitted this [very good-natured!]; and led the
conversation on the Dutch Government. He criticised it,--probably
to bring me to speak. I did speak; and gave him frankly to know
that he was not perfectly instructed in the thing he was
criticising.--'You are right,' answered he; 'one can only criticise
what one is thoroughly acquainted with.'--He now began to speak of
Religion; and with eloquent tongue to recount what mischief
Scholastic Philosophy had brought upon the world; then tried to
prove 'That Creation was impossible.' At this last point I stood
out in opposition. 'But how can one create Something out of
Nothing?' said he. 'That is not the question,' answered I;
'the question is, Whether such a Being as God can or cannot give
existence to what has yet none.' He seemed embarrassed, and added,
'But the Universe is eternal.'--'You are in a circle,' said I;
'how will you get out of it?'--'I skip over it" said he, laughing;
and then began to speak of other things.

"'What form of Government do you reckon the best?' inquired he,
among other things. 'The monarchic, if the King is just and
enlightened.'--'Very well,' answered he; 'but where will you find
Kings of that sort?' And thereupon went into such a sally upon
Kings, as could not in the least lead me to the supposition that he
was one. In the end he expressed pity for them, that they could not
know the sweets of friendship; and cited on the occasion these
verses (his own, I suppose):--

'Amitie, plaisir des grandes ames;
Amitie, que les Rois, ces illustres ingrats,
Sont assez malheureux de ne connaitre pas!'

'I have not the honor to be acquainted with Kings,' said I; 'but to
judge by what one has read in History of several of them, I should
believe, Monsieur, that you, on the whole, are right.'--'AH, OUI,
OUI, I am right; I know the gentlemen!'

"We now got to speak of Literature. The stranger expressed himself
with enthusiastic admiration of Racine. A droll incident happened
during our dialogue. My gentleman wanted to let down a little
sash-window, and could n't manage it. 'You don't understand that,'
said I; 'let me do that.' I tried to get it down; but succeeded no
better than he. 'Monsieur,' said he, 'allow me to remark, on my
side, that you, upon my honor, understand as little of it as I!'--
'That is true; and I beg your pardon; I was too rash in accusing
you of want of expertness.'--'Were you ever in Germany?' he now
asked me. 'No; but I should like to make that journey: I am very
curious to see the Prussian States, and their King, of whom one
hears so much.' And now I began to launch out on Friedrich's
actions; but he interrupted me rapidly, with the words: 'Nothing
more of Kings, Monsieur! What have we to do with them? We will
spend the rest of our voyage on more agreeable and cheering
objects.' And now he spoke of the best of all possible worlds;
and maintained that, in our Planet Earth, there was more Evil than
Good. I maintained the contrary; and this dispute brought us to the
end of our voyage.

"On quitting me, he said, 'I hope, Monsieur, you will leave me your
name: I am very glad to have made your acquaintance; perhaps we
shall see one another again.' I replied, as was fitting, to the
compliment; and begged him to excuse me for contradicting him a
little. 'Ascribe this,' I concluded, 'to the ill-humor which
various little journeys I had to make in these days have given me.'
I then told him my name, and we parted." [Laveaux,
Histoire de Frederic (2d edition, Strasbourg, 1789,
and blown now into SIX vols. instead of four; dead all, except this
fraction), vi. 365. Seyfarth, ii. 234, is right; ib. 170, wrong,
and has led others wrong.] Parted to meet again; and live together
for about twenty years.

Of this honest Henri de Catt, whom the King liked on this
Interview, and sent for soon after, and at length got as "LECTEUR
DU ROI," we shall hear again. ["September, 1755," sent for (but De
Catt was ill and couldn't); "December, 1757" got (Rodenbeck, i.
285).] He did, from 1757 onwards, what De Prades now does with more
of noise, the old D'Arget functions; faithfully and well, for above
twenty years;--left a Note-Book (not very Boswellian) about the
King, which is latterly in the Royal Archives at Berlin; and which
might without harm, or even with advantage, be printed, but has
never yet been. A very harmless De Catt. And we are surely obliged
to him for this view of the Travelling Gentleman "with the
cinnamon-colored coat, snuffy nose and black wig," and his manner
of talking on light external subjects, while the inner man of him
has weights enough pressing on it. Age still under five-and-forty,
but looks old for his years.

"June 23d, 1755:" it is in the very days while poor Braddock is
staggering down the Alleghanies; Braddock fairly over the top;--and
the Fates waiting him, at a Fortnight's distance. Far away, on the
other side of the World. But it is notable enough how Pitt is
watching the thing; and will at length get hand laid on it, and get
the kingship over it for above four years. Whereby the JENKINS'S-
EAR QUESTION will again, this time on better terms, coalesce with
the SILESIAN, or PARTITION-OF-PRUSSIA QUESTION; and both these long
Controversies get definitely closed, as the Eternal Decrees had
seen good.



END OF BOOK 16---------------

Pages:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21

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