" -- No reader of this History can
recollect
it; nor indeed, except in a
mythic sense, believe it!
mythic sense, believe it!
Thomas Carlyle
net/2027/hvd.
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hathitrust.
org/access_use#pd-google
? CHAP. XV. ] PEACE OF DRESDEtf.
18th-25th Dec. 17-15.
this City). "I went, first of all, to M. de Vaugrenand," our
Envoy here; "who had the goodness to open himself tome,
"on the Business now on hand. In my opinion, nothing can
"be added to the excellent considerations he has been urging,
"on the King of Prussia and the Count de Podewils.
"At half-past 8, I went to his Prussian Majesty's; I found
"hewas engaged with his Concert,"--lodges intheLubomirs-
ki Palace, has his snatch of melody in the evening of such
discordant days, -- "and I could not see him till after half-
"past 9. I announced myself to M. Eichel; he was too over-
"whelmed with affairs to give me audience. I asked for
"Count Rothenburg; he was at cards with the Princess
"Lubomirski. At last, I did get to the King: who received
"me in the most agreeable way; but was just going to Supper;
"said he must put off answering till tomorrow morning, morn-
"ing of this day. M. de Vaugrenand had been so good as
"prepare me on the rumours of a Peace with Saxony and the
"Queen of Hungary. I went to M. Podewils; who said a
"great many kind things to me for you. I could only sketch
"out the matter, at that time; and represented to Podewils
"the brilliant position of his Master, who had become Arbiter
"of the Peace of Europe; that the moment was come for
"making this Peace a General one, and that perhaps there
"would be room for repentance afterwards if the opportunity
"were slighted. He said, his Master's object was that same;
"and thus closed the conversation by general questions.
"This morning, I again presented myself at the King of
"Prussia's. I had to wait, and wait; in fine', it was not till
"half-past 5 in the evening that he returned, or gave me ad-
"mittance; and I staid with him till after 7," -- when Concert of the Conquering Hero with a humble Friend whom he likes.
"His Majesty condescended (a daigne) to enter with me into"
"all manner of details; and began by telling me,
"That M. de Valori had done admirably not to come, him-
"self, with that Letter from the King" (Most Christian, our
King; Letter, the sickly Document above spoken of); "that
"there could not have been an Answer expected,--the Letter
"being almost of ironical strain; his Majesty" (Most Chris-
tian) "not giving him the least hope, but merely talking of his
"fine genius, and how that would extricate him from the
Carlyle, Frederick the Great. VIH. 16
time was at hand
Listen to a remarkable Dialo;
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? 242
SECOND SILESIAN WAR. [book XV.
18th-25th Dec. 1745.
"perilous entanglement, and inspire him with a wise resolu- "tioninthe matter! Thathe had, in effect, taken a resolu-
"tion the wisest he could; and was making his Peace with
"Saxony and the Queen of Hungary. That he had felt all
"the dangers of the difficult situations he had been in," --
sheer destruction yawning all round him, in huge imminency,
more than once, and no friend heeding; -- "that, weary of
"playing always double-or-quits, he had determined to end
"it, and get into a state of tranquillity, which both himself
"and his People had such need of. That France could not,
"without difficulty, have remedied his mishaps; and that he
"saw by the King's Letter, there was not even the wish to do
"it. Thathis, Friedrich's, military career was completed,"
-- so far as he could foresee or decide! " That he would not
"again expose his Country to the Caprices of Fortune, whose
"past constancy to him was sufficiently astonishing to raise
"fears of a reverse (hear. '). That his ambitions were fulfilled,
"in having compelled his Enemies to ask Peace from him in
"their own Capital, with the Chancellor of Bohemia" (Har-
rach, typifying fallen Austrian pride) "obliged to cooperate. "Thathewould always be attached to our King's interests,
'' and set all the value in the world on his friendship; but that
"he had not been sufficiently assisted to be content. That,
"observing henceforth an exact neutrality, he might be
"enabled to do offices of mediation; and to carry, to the one
"side and to the other, words of peace. That he offered him-
"self for that object, and would be charmed to help in it; but
"that he was fixed to stop there. That in regard to the basis
"of General Peace, he had Two Ideas " -- (which the reader
can attend to, and see where they differed from the Event,
and where not): -- "One was, That France should keep
"Ypres, Furnes, Tournay" (which France did not), "giving
"up the Netherlands otherwise, with Ostend, to the English
(to the English! ), "in exchange for Cape Breton. The other
"was, To give up more of our Conquests" (we gave them all
up, and got only the glory, and our Codfishery, Cape Breton,
back, the English being equally generous), "and bargain for
"liberty to reestablish Dunkirk in its old condition (not a
word of your Dunkirk; there is your Cape Breton, and we
also will go home with what glory there is, -- not difficult to
carry! ). "But that it was by England we must make the
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? CHAP. XV. ] PEACE OF DRESDEN. 243
18tta-25th Dec. 1745.
"overtures, without addressing ourselves to the Court of
"Vienna; and put it in his, Friedrich's, power to propose a
"receivable Project of Peace. That he well conceived the
"great point was the Queen of Spain" (Termagant, and Jen-
kins's Ear; Termagant's Husband, still living, is a lappet of
Termagant's self); "but that she must content herself with
"Parma and Piacenza for the Infant, Don Philip " (which the
Termagant did); "and give back her hold of Savoy" (partial
hold, of no use to her without the Passes) "to the King of
"Sardinia. " And of the Jenkins's-Ear question, generous
England will say nothing? Next to nothing; hopes a modi-
cum of putty and diplomatic varnish may close that trouble-
some question, -- which springs, meanwhile, in the centre of
the world! --
"These kind condescensions of his Majesty emboldened
"me to represent to him the brilliant position he now held;
"and how noble it would be, after having been the Hero of
"Germany, to become, instead of one's own pacificator, the
"Pacificator of Europe. '1 grant you,' said he, 'mon cher
"'D'Arget; but it is too dangerous a part for playing. Are-
"'verse brings me to the edge of ruin: I know too well the
'"mood of mind I was in, last time I left Berlin' (with that
Three-legged Immensity of Atropos, not yet mown down at
Hennersdorf by a lucky cut), 'ever to expose myself to it
''' again! If luck had been against me there, I saw myself a
"'Monarch without throne; and my subjects in the cruellest
"' oppression. A bad game that: always, mere Check to your
"' King; no other move;--I refer it to you, friend D'Arget: --
"' in fine, I wish to be at peace. '
"I represented to him that the House of Austria would
"never, with a tranquil eye, see his House in possession of
"Silesia. 'Those that come after me,' said he, 'will do as
"'they like; the Future is beyond man's reach. Those that
"' come after will do as they can. I have acquired; it is theirs
"'to preserve. 1 am not in alarm about the Austrians; -- and
"'this is my answer to what you have been saying about the
"'weakness of my guarantees. They dread my Army; the
'"luck that I have. I am sure of their sitting quiet for the
"' dozen years or so which may remain to me of life; ? -- quiet
"' till I have, most likely, done with it. What! Are we never
'"to have any good of our life, then (Ne dois-je done jamais
16*
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? 244 SECOND SILESIAH WAR. [book XV.
18th-25th Dec. 1745.
1''jouir)? There is more for me in the true greatness of
"' labouring for the happiness of my subjects, than in the re-
"' pose of Europe. I have put Saxony out of a condition to do
"'hurt. She owesl4,775,000crowns of debt' (twomillions and
a quarter sterling); 'and by the Defensive Alliance which I
"' form with her, 1 provide myself (but ask Briihl withal! )'a
"' help against Austria. I would not henceforth attack a cat,
"'except to defend myself. ' ("These are his very words,"
addsD'Arget; -- and well worth noting. ) 'Ambition (gloire)
"' and my interests, were the occasion of my first Campaigns.
"' The late Kaiser's situation, and my zeal for France' (not to
mention interests again), "' gave rise to these second: and I
"' have been fighting always since for my own hearths, -- for
"'my very existence, I might say! Once more, I know the
"' state I had got into: -- if I saw Prince Karl at the gates of
"' Paris, Iwould not stir. ' ? 'And us at the gates of Vienna,'
"answered I promptly, 'with the same indifference? '--'Yes;
"'and I swear it to you, D'Arget. In a word, I want to have
"'some good of my liiciveuxjouir). What arewe, poor human
"' atoms, to get up projects that cost so much blood? Let us
"'live, and help to live. '
"The rest of the conversation passed in general talk,
"about Literature, Theatres and such objects. Myreason-
"ings and objectings, on the great matter, I need not farther
"detail: by the frank discourse his Prussian Majesty was
"kind enough to go into, you may gather perhaps that my
"arguments were various, and not ill-chosen; -- and it is too
"evident they have all been in vain. " -- Your Excellency's
(really in a very faithful way) -- D'Arget. *
D Arget, about a month after this, was taken into Fried-
rich's service; Valori consenting, whose occupation was now
gone; -- and we shall hear of D'Arget again. Take this
small Note, as summary of him: "D'Arget (18th January
"1746) had some title, 'Secretary at Orders (Secretaire des "Commandements),' bit of pension; and continued in the
"character of reader, or miscellaneous literary attendant and
"agent, very much liked by his Master, for six years coming.
"A man much heard of, during those years of office. March
"1752, having lost his dear little Prussian Wife, and got into
* Valori, i. 290-294 (no date, except "Dresden, 1745," -- sleepy Editor
feeling no want of any).
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? CHAP. XV. ] PEACE OP DRESDEN. 245
25th Dee. 1745.
"ill health and spirits, he retired on leave to Paris; and next
"year, had to give up the thought of returning; -- though he
"still, and to the end, continued loyally attached to his old
"Master, and more or less in correspondence with him. Had
"got, before long, through Friedrich's influence at Paris,
"some small Appointment in the Ecole Mililaire there. He is,
"of all the Frenchmen Friedrich had about him, with the ex-
"ception of D'Argens alone, the most honest-hearted. The
"above Letter, lucid, innocent, modest, altogether rational
"and practical, is a fair specimen ofDArget: add toil; the
"prompt self-sacrifice (and in that fine silent way) at Jaromirz
"for Valori, and readers may conceive the man. He lived
"at Paris, in meagre but contented fashion, Rue de VEcole
"Militaire, till 1778; -- and seems, of all the Ex-Prussian
"Frenchmen, to have known most about Friedrich; and to
"have never spoken any falsity against him. Duvernet, the
M * *' Biographer of Voltaire, frequented him a good
"deal; and any true notions, or glimmerings of such,
"that he has about Prussia, are probably ascribable to
"D'Arget. "*
The Treaty of Dresden can be read in Scholl,
Flassan, Rousset, Adelung; but, except on compulsion,
no creature will now read it, -- nor did this Editor,
even he, find it pay. Peace is made. Peace of
Dresden is signed, Christmas Day 1745: "To me
Silesia, without farther treachery or trick; you, wholly
as you were. " Europe at large, asEriedrich had done,
sees 'the sky all on fire about Dresden. ' The fierce
big battles done against this man have, one and all of
them, become big defeats. The strenuous machinations,
high-built plans cunningly devised, -- the utmost sum-
total of what the Imperial and Royal Potencies can,
for the life of them, do: behold, it has all tumbled
down here, in loud crash; the final peal of it at Kes-
* See (Euvres de Frederic, xs. (p. xn. of Preface to the D'Arget Corre-
spondence there).
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? 246
SECOND SILESIAN WAR. [book XV.
18th-25th Dee. 1745.
selsdorf; and the consummation is flame and smoke,
conspicuous over all the Nations. Tou will let him
keep his own henceforth, then, will you? Silesia,
which was not yours nor ever shall be? Silesia and
no afterthought? The Saxons sign, the high Pleni-
potentiaries all; in the eyes of Villiers, I am told, were
seen sublimely pious tears. Harrach, bowing with
stiff, almost incredulous, gratitude, swears and signs;
-- hurries home to his Sovereign Lady, with Peace,
and such a smile on his face; and on her Imperial
Majesty's such a smile! -- readers shall conceive it.
There are but Two new points in the Treaty of
Dresden, -- nay properly there is but One point,
about which posterity can have the least care or in-
terest; for that other, concerning "The Toll of Schidlo,"
and settlement of haggles on the Navigation of the
Elbe there, was not kept by the Saxons, but continued
a haggle still: this One point is the Eleventh Article.
Inconceivably small; but liable to turn up on us again,
in a memorable manner. That let us translate, -- for
M. de Voltaire's sake, and time coming! Steuer means
Land-Tax; Ober-Steuer-Einnakme will be something
like Royal Exchequer, therefore; and Steuer-Sohein will
be approximately equivalent to Exchequer Bill. Article
Eleventh stipulates:
"All subjects and servants of his Majesty the King of
"Prussia, who hold Bonds of the Saxon Ober-Sieuer-Einnahme
"shall be paid in full, capital and interest, at the times, and
"to the amount, specified in said Steuer-Sclieine or Bonds. "
That is Article Eleventh. -- "The Saxon Exchequer," says
an old Note on it, "thanks to Bruhl's extravagance, has been
"as good as bankrupt, paying with inconvertible paper, with
"Scheine (Things to be Shown), for some time past; which
"paper has accordingly sunk, let us say, 25 per cent below its
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? CHAP. XV. ] PEACE OF DRESDEU. 247
18th-25th Dec. 1745.
"nominal amount in gold. All Prussian subjects, who hold
"these Bonds, are to be paid in gold; Saxons, and others,
"will have to be content with paper till things come round
"again, if things ever do. " Yes; -- and, by ill chance,
the matter will attract M. de Voltaire's keen eye in the
interim!
Friedrich stayed eight days in Dresden, the loud
theme of Gazetteers and rumours; the admired of two
classes, in all Countries: of the many who admire suc-
cess, and also of the few who can understand what it
is to deserve success. Among his own Countrymen,
this last Winter has kindled all their admirations to
the flaming pitch. Saved by him from imminent
destruction; their enemies swept home as if by one in-
vincible; nay, sent home in a kind of noble shame,
conquered by generosity. These feelings, though not
encouraged to speak, run very high. The Dresdeners
in private society found him delightful; the high ladies
especially: "Could you have thought it; terrific Mars
to become radiant Apollo in this manner! " From
considerable Collections of Anecdotes illustrating this
fact, in a way now fallen vapid to us, -- I select only
the Introduction:
"Do readers recollectFriedrieh's first visit to Dresden" (in
1728), "seventeen years ago; and a certain charming young
"Countess Flemming, at that time only fourteen; who, like
"a Hebe as she was, contrived beautiful surprises for him,
"and among other things presented him, so gracefully, on
"the part of August the Strong, with his first flute?
" -- No reader of this History can recollect it; nor indeed, except in a
mythic sense, believe it! A young Countess Flemming
(daughter of old Feldmarschall Flemming) doubtless there
might be, who presented him a flute; but as to his first flute
--? --"That same charming young Countess Flemming is
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? 248
SECOND SILESIAN WAR. {book XV.
27th Dec. 1745.
"still here, age now thirty-one; charming, more than ever,
"though now under a changed name; having wedded a Von
"Racknitz (Supreme Gentleman Usher, or some such thing)
"a few years ago, and brought him children and the usual fe-
"licities. How much is changed: August the Strong, where is
"he; and his famous Three hundred and fifty-four, Enchant-
"ress Orzelska and the others, where are they! Enchantress
"Orzelska wedded, quarrelled, and is in a convent: her
"charming destiny concluded. Rutowski is not now in the
"Prussian Army: he got beaten, Wednesday last, at Kes-
"selsdorf, fighting against that Army. And the Chevalier de
"Saxe, he too was beaten there;-- clambering now across
"the Metal Mountains, ask not of him. And the Marechal de
"Saxe, he takes Cities, fights Battles of Fontenoy, 'mum-
"' bling a lead bullet all day;' being dropsical, nearly dead of
"debaucheries; the most dissolute (or probably so) of all the
"Sons of Adam in his day. August the Physically Strong is
''dead. August the Spiritually Weak is fled to Prag with his
"Brtthl. And we do not come, this time, to get a flute; but
"to settle the account of Victories, and givePeace to Nations.
"Strange, here as always, to look back, -- to look round or
"forward,-- in the mad huge whirl of that loud-roaring Loom
"of Time! -- One of Countess Racknitz's Sons happened to
"leave Manuscript Diaries" (rather feeble, not too exact-look-
ing), "and gives us, from Mamma's reminiscences" * * Not
a word more. *
The Peace, we said, was signed on Christmas Day.
Next day, Sunday, Friedrich attended Sermon in the
Kreuzkirche (Protestant High-Church of Dresden), at-
tended Opera withal; and on Monday morning, had
vanished out of Dresden, as all his people had done
or were diligently doing. Tuesday, he dined briefly
at Wusterhausen (a place we once knew well), with
the Prince of Prussia, whose it now is; got into his
open carriage again, with the said Prince and his other
Brother Ferdinand; and drove swiftly homeward.
* Itodenbeck, Beytrcige, i. 440 et seq.
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? CHAP. XV. ] PEACE OF DRESDEN. 249
28th Dec. 1745.
Berlin, drunk with joy, was all out on the streets,
waiting. On the Heath of Britz, four or five miles
hitherward of Berlin, a body of young gentlemen
('Merchants mostly, who had ridden out so far'),
saluted him with "Vivat Friedrich der Grosse (Long
live Friedrich the Great)! " thrice over; -- as did, in a
less articulate manner, Berlin with one voice, on his
arrival there; Burgher Companies lining the streets;
Population vigorously shouting; Pupils of the Koln
Gymnasium, with Clerical and School Functionaries in
mass, breaking out into Latin Song:
"Vital, vivat Fridericus Rex;
Vivat Augustus, Magnus, Felix, Pater Patri-m . "'
? and what not. * On reaching the Portal of the
Palace, his Majesty stept down; and, glancing round
the Schloss-Platz and the crowded windows and sim-
mering multitudes, saluted, taking off his hat; which
produced such a shout, -- naturally the loudest of all.
And so exit King, into his interior. Tuesday, 2-3
p. m. , 28th December 1745: a King new-christened in
the above manner, so far as people could.
Illuminated Berlin shone like noon, all that night
(the beginning of a Gaudeamus which lasted miscel-
laneously for weeks): -- but the King stole away to
see a friend who was dying; that poor Duhan de
Jaudun, his early Schoolmaster, who had suffered much
for him, and whom he always much loved. Duhan
* Preuss, i. 220; who cites Beschreibung ("Description of his Majesty's
Triumphant Entry, on the" &c. ) and other Contemporary Pamphlets.
ROdenbeck, 1. 124.
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? 250
SECOND SILESIAN WAR. [book XV.
28th Dec. 1745.
died, in a day or two. Poor Jordan, poor Keyserling
(the "Cesarion" of young days): them also he has
lost; and often laments, in this otherwise bright time. *
* In (Euvres, xvn. 288; xvm. 141; ib. 142 (painfully tender Letters to
Frau von Camas and others, on these events).
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? BOOK XVI.
THE TEN YEAES OF PEACE.
1746-1756.
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? 1746-1747.
CHAPTER I.
SANS-SOUCI.
Friedrich has now climbed the heights, and sees
himself on the upper table-land of Victory and Success;
his desperate life-and-death struggles triumphantly
ended. What may be ahead, nobody knows; but here
is fair outlook that his enemies and Austria itself have
had enough of him. No wringing of his Silesia from
this "bad Man. " Not to be overset, this one, by never
such exertions; oversets us, on the contrary, plunges
us heels overhead into the ditch, so often as we like to
apply to him; nothing but heavy beatings, disastrous
breaking of crowns, to be had on trying there! "Five
Victories! " as Voltaire keeps counting on his fingers,
with upturned eyes, -- Mollwitz, Chotusitz, Striegau,
Sohr, Kesselsdorf (the last done by Anhalt; but omitting
Hennersdorf, and that sudden slitting of the big Saxon-
Austrian Projects into a cloud of feathers, as fine a
feat as any), -- "Five Victories! " counts Voltaire;
calling on everybody (or everybody but Friedrich himself, who is easily sated with that kind of thing) to
admire. In the world are many opinions about Fried-
rich. In Austria, for instance, what an opinion'; sinister,
gloomy in the extreme: or in England, which derives
from Austria, -- only with additional dimness, and
with gloomy new provocations of its own before long!
Many opinions about Friedrich, all dim enough: but
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? 254 THE TEN YEARS OF PEACE. . [bookXVI.
1746-1747.
this, that he is a very demon for fighting, and the
stoutest King walking the Earth just now, may well
be a universal one. A man better not to be meddled
with, if he will be at peace, as he professes to wish
being.
Friedrich accordingly is not meddled with, or not
openly meddled with; and has, for the Ten or Eleven
Years coming, a time of perfect external Peace. He
himself is decided "not to fight with a cat," if he can
get the peace kept; and for about eight years, hopes
confidently that this, by good management, will con-
tinue possible; -- till, in the last three years, electric
symptoms did again disclose themselves, and such hope
more and more died away. It is well known there
lay in the fates a Third Silesian War for him, worse
than both the others; which is now the main segment
of his History still lying ahead for us, were this
Halcyon Period done. Halcyon Period counts from
Christmas Day, Dresden, 1745, -- "from this day,
Peace to the end of my life! " had been Friedrich's
fond hope. But on the 9th day of September 1756,
Friedrich was again entering Dresden (Saxony some
twelve days before); and the Crowning Struggle of his
Life was, beyond all expectation, found to be still lying
ahead for him, awfully dubious for Seven Years there-
after! --
Friedrich's History during this intervening Halcyon
or Peace Period must, in some way, be made known
to readers: but for a great many reasons, especially at
present, it behoves to be given in compressed form;
riddled down, to an immense extent, out of those sad
Prussian Repositories, where the grain of perennial, of
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? CHIP. 1. 1
255
SANS-SOUCI.
1746-1747.
significant and still memorable, lies overwhelmed under
rubbish mountains of the fairly extinct, the poisonously
dusty and forgettable; -- Ach Himmel! Which indis-
pensable preliminary process, how can an English
Editor, at this time, do it; no Prussian, at any time,
having thought of trying it! From a painful Prede-
cessor of mine, I collect, rummaging among his dismal
Paper-masses, the following Three Fragments, worth
reading here:
1? . "Friedrich was as busy, in those Years, as in the ge-
nerality of his life; and his actions, and salutary conquests
"over difficulties, were many, profitable to Prussia and to
"himself. Very well worth keeping in mind. But not fit for
"History; or at least only fit in the summary form; to be de-
lineated in little, with large generic strokes,-- if we had
"the means;-- such details belonging to the Prussian Anti-
"quary, rather than to the English Historian of Friedrich in
"our day. A happy Ten Years of time. Perhaps the time
"for Montesquieu's aphorism, 'Happy the People whose An-
"nals are blank in History-Books! ' The Prussian Anti-
"quary, had he once got any image formed to himself of
"Friedrich, and of Friedrich's History in its human linea-
"ments and organic sequences, will glean many memorabilia
"in those Years: which his readers then (and not till then)
"will be able to intercalate in their places, and get human
"good of. But alas, while there is no intelligible human
"image, nothing of lineaments or organic sequences, or other
"than a jumbled mass of Historical Marine-Stores, presided
"over by Dryasdust and Human Stupor (unsorted, unlabelled,
"tied up in blind sacks), the very Antiquary will have uphill
"work of it, and his readers will often turn round on him with
"a gloomy expression of countenance! "
2? . "Friedrich's Life, -- little as he expected it, that day
"when he started up from his ague-fit at Reinsberg, and
"grasped the fiery Opportunity that was shooting past, -- is a
"Life of War. The chief memory that will remain of him is
"that of a King and man who fought consummately well. No
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? 256 THE TEN YEARS OF PEACE. [BOOKXVI.
1746-1747.
"Peace and the Muses; no, that is denied him, -- though he
"was so unwilling, always, to think it denied! But his Life-
"Task turned out to be a Battle for Silesia. It consists of
"Three grand Struggles of War. And not for Silesia only;
"-- unconsciously, for what far greater things to his Nation
"and to him!
"Deeply unconscious of it, they were passing their
"' Trials,' his Nation and he, in the great Civil-Service Exa-
"mination Hall of this Universe: 'Are you able to defend
"'yourselves, then; and to hang together coherent, against
"'the whole world and its incoherencies and rages? ' A
"question which has to be asked of Nations, before they can
"be recognised as such, and be baptised into the general
"commonwealth; they are mere Hordes or accidental Aggre-
"gates, till that Question come. Question which this Nation
"had long been getting ready for; which now, under this
"King, it answered to the satisfaction of gods and men:
'"Yes, Heaven assisting, we can stand on our defence; and
'"in the long-run (as with air when you try to annihilate it, or
"' crush it to nothing) there is even an infinite force in us; and
"' the whole world does not succeed in annihilating us! ' Upon
"which has followed what we term National Baptism; --or
"rather this was the National Baptism, this furious one in
"torrent whirlwinds of fire; done three times over, till in gods
"or men there was no doubt left. That was Friedrich's func-
"tion in the world; and a great and memorable one; -- not to
"his own Prussian Nation only, but to Teutschland at large,
"forever memorable.
"'Is Teutchland a Nation; is there in Teutschland still a
"'Nation? ' Austria, not dishonestly, but much sunk in
"superstitions and involuntary mendacities, and liable to
"sink much further, answers always in gloomy proud tone,
"' Yes, I am the Nation of Teutschland! ' -- but is mistaken,
"as turns out. For it is not mendacities, conscious or other,
"but veracities, that the Divine Powers will patronise, or
"even in the end will put up with at all. Which you ought to
"understand better than you do, my friend. For, on the
"great scale and on the small, and in all seasons, circum-
"stances, scenes and situations where a Son of Adam finds
"himself, that is true, and even a sovereign truth. And
"whoever does not know it,-- human charity to him (were
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? CHaP. 1. 1
257
SANS-SOUCI.
1746-1747.
? CHAP. XV. ] PEACE OF DRESDEtf.
18th-25th Dec. 17-15.
this City). "I went, first of all, to M. de Vaugrenand," our
Envoy here; "who had the goodness to open himself tome,
"on the Business now on hand. In my opinion, nothing can
"be added to the excellent considerations he has been urging,
"on the King of Prussia and the Count de Podewils.
"At half-past 8, I went to his Prussian Majesty's; I found
"hewas engaged with his Concert,"--lodges intheLubomirs-
ki Palace, has his snatch of melody in the evening of such
discordant days, -- "and I could not see him till after half-
"past 9. I announced myself to M. Eichel; he was too over-
"whelmed with affairs to give me audience. I asked for
"Count Rothenburg; he was at cards with the Princess
"Lubomirski. At last, I did get to the King: who received
"me in the most agreeable way; but was just going to Supper;
"said he must put off answering till tomorrow morning, morn-
"ing of this day. M. de Vaugrenand had been so good as
"prepare me on the rumours of a Peace with Saxony and the
"Queen of Hungary. I went to M. Podewils; who said a
"great many kind things to me for you. I could only sketch
"out the matter, at that time; and represented to Podewils
"the brilliant position of his Master, who had become Arbiter
"of the Peace of Europe; that the moment was come for
"making this Peace a General one, and that perhaps there
"would be room for repentance afterwards if the opportunity
"were slighted. He said, his Master's object was that same;
"and thus closed the conversation by general questions.
"This morning, I again presented myself at the King of
"Prussia's. I had to wait, and wait; in fine', it was not till
"half-past 5 in the evening that he returned, or gave me ad-
"mittance; and I staid with him till after 7," -- when Concert of the Conquering Hero with a humble Friend whom he likes.
"His Majesty condescended (a daigne) to enter with me into"
"all manner of details; and began by telling me,
"That M. de Valori had done admirably not to come, him-
"self, with that Letter from the King" (Most Christian, our
King; Letter, the sickly Document above spoken of); "that
"there could not have been an Answer expected,--the Letter
"being almost of ironical strain; his Majesty" (Most Chris-
tian) "not giving him the least hope, but merely talking of his
"fine genius, and how that would extricate him from the
Carlyle, Frederick the Great. VIH. 16
time was at hand
Listen to a remarkable Dialo;
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? 242
SECOND SILESIAN WAR. [book XV.
18th-25th Dec. 1745.
"perilous entanglement, and inspire him with a wise resolu- "tioninthe matter! Thathe had, in effect, taken a resolu-
"tion the wisest he could; and was making his Peace with
"Saxony and the Queen of Hungary. That he had felt all
"the dangers of the difficult situations he had been in," --
sheer destruction yawning all round him, in huge imminency,
more than once, and no friend heeding; -- "that, weary of
"playing always double-or-quits, he had determined to end
"it, and get into a state of tranquillity, which both himself
"and his People had such need of. That France could not,
"without difficulty, have remedied his mishaps; and that he
"saw by the King's Letter, there was not even the wish to do
"it. Thathis, Friedrich's, military career was completed,"
-- so far as he could foresee or decide! " That he would not
"again expose his Country to the Caprices of Fortune, whose
"past constancy to him was sufficiently astonishing to raise
"fears of a reverse (hear. '). That his ambitions were fulfilled,
"in having compelled his Enemies to ask Peace from him in
"their own Capital, with the Chancellor of Bohemia" (Har-
rach, typifying fallen Austrian pride) "obliged to cooperate. "Thathewould always be attached to our King's interests,
'' and set all the value in the world on his friendship; but that
"he had not been sufficiently assisted to be content. That,
"observing henceforth an exact neutrality, he might be
"enabled to do offices of mediation; and to carry, to the one
"side and to the other, words of peace. That he offered him-
"self for that object, and would be charmed to help in it; but
"that he was fixed to stop there. That in regard to the basis
"of General Peace, he had Two Ideas " -- (which the reader
can attend to, and see where they differed from the Event,
and where not): -- "One was, That France should keep
"Ypres, Furnes, Tournay" (which France did not), "giving
"up the Netherlands otherwise, with Ostend, to the English
(to the English! ), "in exchange for Cape Breton. The other
"was, To give up more of our Conquests" (we gave them all
up, and got only the glory, and our Codfishery, Cape Breton,
back, the English being equally generous), "and bargain for
"liberty to reestablish Dunkirk in its old condition (not a
word of your Dunkirk; there is your Cape Breton, and we
also will go home with what glory there is, -- not difficult to
carry! ). "But that it was by England we must make the
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? CHAP. XV. ] PEACE OF DRESDEN. 243
18tta-25th Dec. 1745.
"overtures, without addressing ourselves to the Court of
"Vienna; and put it in his, Friedrich's, power to propose a
"receivable Project of Peace. That he well conceived the
"great point was the Queen of Spain" (Termagant, and Jen-
kins's Ear; Termagant's Husband, still living, is a lappet of
Termagant's self); "but that she must content herself with
"Parma and Piacenza for the Infant, Don Philip " (which the
Termagant did); "and give back her hold of Savoy" (partial
hold, of no use to her without the Passes) "to the King of
"Sardinia. " And of the Jenkins's-Ear question, generous
England will say nothing? Next to nothing; hopes a modi-
cum of putty and diplomatic varnish may close that trouble-
some question, -- which springs, meanwhile, in the centre of
the world! --
"These kind condescensions of his Majesty emboldened
"me to represent to him the brilliant position he now held;
"and how noble it would be, after having been the Hero of
"Germany, to become, instead of one's own pacificator, the
"Pacificator of Europe. '1 grant you,' said he, 'mon cher
"'D'Arget; but it is too dangerous a part for playing. Are-
"'verse brings me to the edge of ruin: I know too well the
'"mood of mind I was in, last time I left Berlin' (with that
Three-legged Immensity of Atropos, not yet mown down at
Hennersdorf by a lucky cut), 'ever to expose myself to it
''' again! If luck had been against me there, I saw myself a
"'Monarch without throne; and my subjects in the cruellest
"' oppression. A bad game that: always, mere Check to your
"' King; no other move;--I refer it to you, friend D'Arget: --
"' in fine, I wish to be at peace. '
"I represented to him that the House of Austria would
"never, with a tranquil eye, see his House in possession of
"Silesia. 'Those that come after me,' said he, 'will do as
"'they like; the Future is beyond man's reach. Those that
"' come after will do as they can. I have acquired; it is theirs
"'to preserve. 1 am not in alarm about the Austrians; -- and
"'this is my answer to what you have been saying about the
"'weakness of my guarantees. They dread my Army; the
'"luck that I have. I am sure of their sitting quiet for the
"' dozen years or so which may remain to me of life; ? -- quiet
"' till I have, most likely, done with it. What! Are we never
'"to have any good of our life, then (Ne dois-je done jamais
16*
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? 244 SECOND SILESIAH WAR. [book XV.
18th-25th Dec. 1745.
1''jouir)? There is more for me in the true greatness of
"' labouring for the happiness of my subjects, than in the re-
"' pose of Europe. I have put Saxony out of a condition to do
"'hurt. She owesl4,775,000crowns of debt' (twomillions and
a quarter sterling); 'and by the Defensive Alliance which I
"' form with her, 1 provide myself (but ask Briihl withal! )'a
"' help against Austria. I would not henceforth attack a cat,
"'except to defend myself. ' ("These are his very words,"
addsD'Arget; -- and well worth noting. ) 'Ambition (gloire)
"' and my interests, were the occasion of my first Campaigns.
"' The late Kaiser's situation, and my zeal for France' (not to
mention interests again), "' gave rise to these second: and I
"' have been fighting always since for my own hearths, -- for
"'my very existence, I might say! Once more, I know the
"' state I had got into: -- if I saw Prince Karl at the gates of
"' Paris, Iwould not stir. ' ? 'And us at the gates of Vienna,'
"answered I promptly, 'with the same indifference? '--'Yes;
"'and I swear it to you, D'Arget. In a word, I want to have
"'some good of my liiciveuxjouir). What arewe, poor human
"' atoms, to get up projects that cost so much blood? Let us
"'live, and help to live. '
"The rest of the conversation passed in general talk,
"about Literature, Theatres and such objects. Myreason-
"ings and objectings, on the great matter, I need not farther
"detail: by the frank discourse his Prussian Majesty was
"kind enough to go into, you may gather perhaps that my
"arguments were various, and not ill-chosen; -- and it is too
"evident they have all been in vain. " -- Your Excellency's
(really in a very faithful way) -- D'Arget. *
D Arget, about a month after this, was taken into Fried-
rich's service; Valori consenting, whose occupation was now
gone; -- and we shall hear of D'Arget again. Take this
small Note, as summary of him: "D'Arget (18th January
"1746) had some title, 'Secretary at Orders (Secretaire des "Commandements),' bit of pension; and continued in the
"character of reader, or miscellaneous literary attendant and
"agent, very much liked by his Master, for six years coming.
"A man much heard of, during those years of office. March
"1752, having lost his dear little Prussian Wife, and got into
* Valori, i. 290-294 (no date, except "Dresden, 1745," -- sleepy Editor
feeling no want of any).
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? CHAP. XV. ] PEACE OP DRESDEN. 245
25th Dee. 1745.
"ill health and spirits, he retired on leave to Paris; and next
"year, had to give up the thought of returning; -- though he
"still, and to the end, continued loyally attached to his old
"Master, and more or less in correspondence with him. Had
"got, before long, through Friedrich's influence at Paris,
"some small Appointment in the Ecole Mililaire there. He is,
"of all the Frenchmen Friedrich had about him, with the ex-
"ception of D'Argens alone, the most honest-hearted. The
"above Letter, lucid, innocent, modest, altogether rational
"and practical, is a fair specimen ofDArget: add toil; the
"prompt self-sacrifice (and in that fine silent way) at Jaromirz
"for Valori, and readers may conceive the man. He lived
"at Paris, in meagre but contented fashion, Rue de VEcole
"Militaire, till 1778; -- and seems, of all the Ex-Prussian
"Frenchmen, to have known most about Friedrich; and to
"have never spoken any falsity against him. Duvernet, the
M * *' Biographer of Voltaire, frequented him a good
"deal; and any true notions, or glimmerings of such,
"that he has about Prussia, are probably ascribable to
"D'Arget. "*
The Treaty of Dresden can be read in Scholl,
Flassan, Rousset, Adelung; but, except on compulsion,
no creature will now read it, -- nor did this Editor,
even he, find it pay. Peace is made. Peace of
Dresden is signed, Christmas Day 1745: "To me
Silesia, without farther treachery or trick; you, wholly
as you were. " Europe at large, asEriedrich had done,
sees 'the sky all on fire about Dresden. ' The fierce
big battles done against this man have, one and all of
them, become big defeats. The strenuous machinations,
high-built plans cunningly devised, -- the utmost sum-
total of what the Imperial and Royal Potencies can,
for the life of them, do: behold, it has all tumbled
down here, in loud crash; the final peal of it at Kes-
* See (Euvres de Frederic, xs. (p. xn. of Preface to the D'Arget Corre-
spondence there).
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? 246
SECOND SILESIAN WAR. [book XV.
18th-25th Dee. 1745.
selsdorf; and the consummation is flame and smoke,
conspicuous over all the Nations. Tou will let him
keep his own henceforth, then, will you? Silesia,
which was not yours nor ever shall be? Silesia and
no afterthought? The Saxons sign, the high Pleni-
potentiaries all; in the eyes of Villiers, I am told, were
seen sublimely pious tears. Harrach, bowing with
stiff, almost incredulous, gratitude, swears and signs;
-- hurries home to his Sovereign Lady, with Peace,
and such a smile on his face; and on her Imperial
Majesty's such a smile! -- readers shall conceive it.
There are but Two new points in the Treaty of
Dresden, -- nay properly there is but One point,
about which posterity can have the least care or in-
terest; for that other, concerning "The Toll of Schidlo,"
and settlement of haggles on the Navigation of the
Elbe there, was not kept by the Saxons, but continued
a haggle still: this One point is the Eleventh Article.
Inconceivably small; but liable to turn up on us again,
in a memorable manner. That let us translate, -- for
M. de Voltaire's sake, and time coming! Steuer means
Land-Tax; Ober-Steuer-Einnakme will be something
like Royal Exchequer, therefore; and Steuer-Sohein will
be approximately equivalent to Exchequer Bill. Article
Eleventh stipulates:
"All subjects and servants of his Majesty the King of
"Prussia, who hold Bonds of the Saxon Ober-Sieuer-Einnahme
"shall be paid in full, capital and interest, at the times, and
"to the amount, specified in said Steuer-Sclieine or Bonds. "
That is Article Eleventh. -- "The Saxon Exchequer," says
an old Note on it, "thanks to Bruhl's extravagance, has been
"as good as bankrupt, paying with inconvertible paper, with
"Scheine (Things to be Shown), for some time past; which
"paper has accordingly sunk, let us say, 25 per cent below its
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? CHAP. XV. ] PEACE OF DRESDEU. 247
18th-25th Dec. 1745.
"nominal amount in gold. All Prussian subjects, who hold
"these Bonds, are to be paid in gold; Saxons, and others,
"will have to be content with paper till things come round
"again, if things ever do. " Yes; -- and, by ill chance,
the matter will attract M. de Voltaire's keen eye in the
interim!
Friedrich stayed eight days in Dresden, the loud
theme of Gazetteers and rumours; the admired of two
classes, in all Countries: of the many who admire suc-
cess, and also of the few who can understand what it
is to deserve success. Among his own Countrymen,
this last Winter has kindled all their admirations to
the flaming pitch. Saved by him from imminent
destruction; their enemies swept home as if by one in-
vincible; nay, sent home in a kind of noble shame,
conquered by generosity. These feelings, though not
encouraged to speak, run very high. The Dresdeners
in private society found him delightful; the high ladies
especially: "Could you have thought it; terrific Mars
to become radiant Apollo in this manner! " From
considerable Collections of Anecdotes illustrating this
fact, in a way now fallen vapid to us, -- I select only
the Introduction:
"Do readers recollectFriedrieh's first visit to Dresden" (in
1728), "seventeen years ago; and a certain charming young
"Countess Flemming, at that time only fourteen; who, like
"a Hebe as she was, contrived beautiful surprises for him,
"and among other things presented him, so gracefully, on
"the part of August the Strong, with his first flute?
" -- No reader of this History can recollect it; nor indeed, except in a
mythic sense, believe it! A young Countess Flemming
(daughter of old Feldmarschall Flemming) doubtless there
might be, who presented him a flute; but as to his first flute
--? --"That same charming young Countess Flemming is
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? 248
SECOND SILESIAN WAR. {book XV.
27th Dec. 1745.
"still here, age now thirty-one; charming, more than ever,
"though now under a changed name; having wedded a Von
"Racknitz (Supreme Gentleman Usher, or some such thing)
"a few years ago, and brought him children and the usual fe-
"licities. How much is changed: August the Strong, where is
"he; and his famous Three hundred and fifty-four, Enchant-
"ress Orzelska and the others, where are they! Enchantress
"Orzelska wedded, quarrelled, and is in a convent: her
"charming destiny concluded. Rutowski is not now in the
"Prussian Army: he got beaten, Wednesday last, at Kes-
"selsdorf, fighting against that Army. And the Chevalier de
"Saxe, he too was beaten there;-- clambering now across
"the Metal Mountains, ask not of him. And the Marechal de
"Saxe, he takes Cities, fights Battles of Fontenoy, 'mum-
"' bling a lead bullet all day;' being dropsical, nearly dead of
"debaucheries; the most dissolute (or probably so) of all the
"Sons of Adam in his day. August the Physically Strong is
''dead. August the Spiritually Weak is fled to Prag with his
"Brtthl. And we do not come, this time, to get a flute; but
"to settle the account of Victories, and givePeace to Nations.
"Strange, here as always, to look back, -- to look round or
"forward,-- in the mad huge whirl of that loud-roaring Loom
"of Time! -- One of Countess Racknitz's Sons happened to
"leave Manuscript Diaries" (rather feeble, not too exact-look-
ing), "and gives us, from Mamma's reminiscences" * * Not
a word more. *
The Peace, we said, was signed on Christmas Day.
Next day, Sunday, Friedrich attended Sermon in the
Kreuzkirche (Protestant High-Church of Dresden), at-
tended Opera withal; and on Monday morning, had
vanished out of Dresden, as all his people had done
or were diligently doing. Tuesday, he dined briefly
at Wusterhausen (a place we once knew well), with
the Prince of Prussia, whose it now is; got into his
open carriage again, with the said Prince and his other
Brother Ferdinand; and drove swiftly homeward.
* Itodenbeck, Beytrcige, i. 440 et seq.
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? CHAP. XV. ] PEACE OF DRESDEN. 249
28th Dec. 1745.
Berlin, drunk with joy, was all out on the streets,
waiting. On the Heath of Britz, four or five miles
hitherward of Berlin, a body of young gentlemen
('Merchants mostly, who had ridden out so far'),
saluted him with "Vivat Friedrich der Grosse (Long
live Friedrich the Great)! " thrice over; -- as did, in a
less articulate manner, Berlin with one voice, on his
arrival there; Burgher Companies lining the streets;
Population vigorously shouting; Pupils of the Koln
Gymnasium, with Clerical and School Functionaries in
mass, breaking out into Latin Song:
"Vital, vivat Fridericus Rex;
Vivat Augustus, Magnus, Felix, Pater Patri-m . "'
? and what not. * On reaching the Portal of the
Palace, his Majesty stept down; and, glancing round
the Schloss-Platz and the crowded windows and sim-
mering multitudes, saluted, taking off his hat; which
produced such a shout, -- naturally the loudest of all.
And so exit King, into his interior. Tuesday, 2-3
p. m. , 28th December 1745: a King new-christened in
the above manner, so far as people could.
Illuminated Berlin shone like noon, all that night
(the beginning of a Gaudeamus which lasted miscel-
laneously for weeks): -- but the King stole away to
see a friend who was dying; that poor Duhan de
Jaudun, his early Schoolmaster, who had suffered much
for him, and whom he always much loved. Duhan
* Preuss, i. 220; who cites Beschreibung ("Description of his Majesty's
Triumphant Entry, on the" &c. ) and other Contemporary Pamphlets.
ROdenbeck, 1. 124.
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? 250
SECOND SILESIAN WAR. [book XV.
28th Dec. 1745.
died, in a day or two. Poor Jordan, poor Keyserling
(the "Cesarion" of young days): them also he has
lost; and often laments, in this otherwise bright time. *
* In (Euvres, xvn. 288; xvm. 141; ib. 142 (painfully tender Letters to
Frau von Camas and others, on these events).
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? BOOK XVI.
THE TEN YEAES OF PEACE.
1746-1756.
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? 1746-1747.
CHAPTER I.
SANS-SOUCI.
Friedrich has now climbed the heights, and sees
himself on the upper table-land of Victory and Success;
his desperate life-and-death struggles triumphantly
ended. What may be ahead, nobody knows; but here
is fair outlook that his enemies and Austria itself have
had enough of him. No wringing of his Silesia from
this "bad Man. " Not to be overset, this one, by never
such exertions; oversets us, on the contrary, plunges
us heels overhead into the ditch, so often as we like to
apply to him; nothing but heavy beatings, disastrous
breaking of crowns, to be had on trying there! "Five
Victories! " as Voltaire keeps counting on his fingers,
with upturned eyes, -- Mollwitz, Chotusitz, Striegau,
Sohr, Kesselsdorf (the last done by Anhalt; but omitting
Hennersdorf, and that sudden slitting of the big Saxon-
Austrian Projects into a cloud of feathers, as fine a
feat as any), -- "Five Victories! " counts Voltaire;
calling on everybody (or everybody but Friedrich himself, who is easily sated with that kind of thing) to
admire. In the world are many opinions about Fried-
rich. In Austria, for instance, what an opinion'; sinister,
gloomy in the extreme: or in England, which derives
from Austria, -- only with additional dimness, and
with gloomy new provocations of its own before long!
Many opinions about Friedrich, all dim enough: but
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? 254 THE TEN YEARS OF PEACE. . [bookXVI.
1746-1747.
this, that he is a very demon for fighting, and the
stoutest King walking the Earth just now, may well
be a universal one. A man better not to be meddled
with, if he will be at peace, as he professes to wish
being.
Friedrich accordingly is not meddled with, or not
openly meddled with; and has, for the Ten or Eleven
Years coming, a time of perfect external Peace. He
himself is decided "not to fight with a cat," if he can
get the peace kept; and for about eight years, hopes
confidently that this, by good management, will con-
tinue possible; -- till, in the last three years, electric
symptoms did again disclose themselves, and such hope
more and more died away. It is well known there
lay in the fates a Third Silesian War for him, worse
than both the others; which is now the main segment
of his History still lying ahead for us, were this
Halcyon Period done. Halcyon Period counts from
Christmas Day, Dresden, 1745, -- "from this day,
Peace to the end of my life! " had been Friedrich's
fond hope. But on the 9th day of September 1756,
Friedrich was again entering Dresden (Saxony some
twelve days before); and the Crowning Struggle of his
Life was, beyond all expectation, found to be still lying
ahead for him, awfully dubious for Seven Years there-
after! --
Friedrich's History during this intervening Halcyon
or Peace Period must, in some way, be made known
to readers: but for a great many reasons, especially at
present, it behoves to be given in compressed form;
riddled down, to an immense extent, out of those sad
Prussian Repositories, where the grain of perennial, of
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? CHIP. 1. 1
255
SANS-SOUCI.
1746-1747.
significant and still memorable, lies overwhelmed under
rubbish mountains of the fairly extinct, the poisonously
dusty and forgettable; -- Ach Himmel! Which indis-
pensable preliminary process, how can an English
Editor, at this time, do it; no Prussian, at any time,
having thought of trying it! From a painful Prede-
cessor of mine, I collect, rummaging among his dismal
Paper-masses, the following Three Fragments, worth
reading here:
1? . "Friedrich was as busy, in those Years, as in the ge-
nerality of his life; and his actions, and salutary conquests
"over difficulties, were many, profitable to Prussia and to
"himself. Very well worth keeping in mind. But not fit for
"History; or at least only fit in the summary form; to be de-
lineated in little, with large generic strokes,-- if we had
"the means;-- such details belonging to the Prussian Anti-
"quary, rather than to the English Historian of Friedrich in
"our day. A happy Ten Years of time. Perhaps the time
"for Montesquieu's aphorism, 'Happy the People whose An-
"nals are blank in History-Books! ' The Prussian Anti-
"quary, had he once got any image formed to himself of
"Friedrich, and of Friedrich's History in its human linea-
"ments and organic sequences, will glean many memorabilia
"in those Years: which his readers then (and not till then)
"will be able to intercalate in their places, and get human
"good of. But alas, while there is no intelligible human
"image, nothing of lineaments or organic sequences, or other
"than a jumbled mass of Historical Marine-Stores, presided
"over by Dryasdust and Human Stupor (unsorted, unlabelled,
"tied up in blind sacks), the very Antiquary will have uphill
"work of it, and his readers will often turn round on him with
"a gloomy expression of countenance! "
2? . "Friedrich's Life, -- little as he expected it, that day
"when he started up from his ague-fit at Reinsberg, and
"grasped the fiery Opportunity that was shooting past, -- is a
"Life of War. The chief memory that will remain of him is
"that of a King and man who fought consummately well. No
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? 256 THE TEN YEARS OF PEACE. [BOOKXVI.
1746-1747.
"Peace and the Muses; no, that is denied him, -- though he
"was so unwilling, always, to think it denied! But his Life-
"Task turned out to be a Battle for Silesia. It consists of
"Three grand Struggles of War. And not for Silesia only;
"-- unconsciously, for what far greater things to his Nation
"and to him!
"Deeply unconscious of it, they were passing their
"' Trials,' his Nation and he, in the great Civil-Service Exa-
"mination Hall of this Universe: 'Are you able to defend
"'yourselves, then; and to hang together coherent, against
"'the whole world and its incoherencies and rages? ' A
"question which has to be asked of Nations, before they can
"be recognised as such, and be baptised into the general
"commonwealth; they are mere Hordes or accidental Aggre-
"gates, till that Question come. Question which this Nation
"had long been getting ready for; which now, under this
"King, it answered to the satisfaction of gods and men:
'"Yes, Heaven assisting, we can stand on our defence; and
'"in the long-run (as with air when you try to annihilate it, or
"' crush it to nothing) there is even an infinite force in us; and
"' the whole world does not succeed in annihilating us! ' Upon
"which has followed what we term National Baptism; --or
"rather this was the National Baptism, this furious one in
"torrent whirlwinds of fire; done three times over, till in gods
"or men there was no doubt left. That was Friedrich's func-
"tion in the world; and a great and memorable one; -- not to
"his own Prussian Nation only, but to Teutschland at large,
"forever memorable.
"'Is Teutchland a Nation; is there in Teutschland still a
"'Nation? ' Austria, not dishonestly, but much sunk in
"superstitions and involuntary mendacities, and liable to
"sink much further, answers always in gloomy proud tone,
"' Yes, I am the Nation of Teutschland! ' -- but is mistaken,
"as turns out. For it is not mendacities, conscious or other,
"but veracities, that the Divine Powers will patronise, or
"even in the end will put up with at all. Which you ought to
"understand better than you do, my friend. For, on the
"great scale and on the small, and in all seasons, circum-
"stances, scenes and situations where a Son of Adam finds
"himself, that is true, and even a sovereign truth. And
"whoever does not know it,-- human charity to him (were
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? CHaP. 1. 1
257
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1746-1747.
