place"thanforamedicalgentlemanofeminence:unworthytreatment,infact,inmanyormostquarters;——followedbyhypochondria,bydreadfulbodilydisorder(kindnotgivenordiscoverable),"sothatIsufferedthepainsofHell,"satweeping,satgnashingmyteeth,andcouldn’twriteaNoteafterdinner;
followedfinallybythesickness,andthenbythedeath,ofmypoorWife,"afterfivemonthsoftorment。"Uponwhich,in1771,Zimmermann’sfriends——forhehadmanyfriends,being,infact,apersonoffinegracefulintellect,highproudfeelingsandtendersensibilities,gonealltothissadstate——ralliedthemselves;
sethisHanoverhouseinorderforhim(governessforhischildren,whatnot);andsenthimofftoBerlin,theretobedealtwithbyoneMeckel,anincomparableSurgeon,andbehealedofhisdreadfuldisorder("LEIBESSCHADE,ofwhichthefirsttraceshadappearedinBrugg"),——thoughtomostpeopleitseemedratherhewoulddie;
"andoneMedicalEminencyinHanoversaidtomyself[Zimmermann]
oneday:’Dr。So—and—soistohaveyourPension,Iamtold;now,byallright,itshouldbelongtome,don’tyouthinkso?’"What,"I"
thoughtofthematter,seeingthegreedygentlemanthus"partingmyskin,"maybeconjectured!——
ThefamedMeckelreceivedhisfamedpatientwithanoblenessworthyoftheheroicages。Dodgedhiminhisownhouse,insoftestbedsandappliances;spokecomforttohim,hopetohim,——thegallantMeckel;——rallied,infact,theduemedicalstaffonemorning;
cameuptoZimmermann,who"stripped,"withtheheartofalambandlionconjoined,andtrustinginGod,"flunghimselfonhisbed"(onhisface,oronhisback,weneverknow),andthere,bythehandsofMeckelandstaff,"receivedabove2,000(TWOTHOUSAND)cutsinthespaceofanhourandhalf,withoututteringonewordorsound。"
Afrightfuloperation,gallantlyendured,andskilfullydone;
wherebythe"bodilydisorder"(LEIBESSCHADE),whateveritmightbe,waseffectuallyandforeversentaboutitsbusinessbythenobleMeckel。
Hospitalitiesandsoft,hushedkindnessesandsoothingministrations,byMeckelandbyeverybody,werenowdoubledandtrebled:wisekindMadamMeckel,youngkindMamsellMeckelandtheSon(who"now,in1788,lecturesinGottingen");nottheseonly,norSchmuckerHeadArmy—Surgeon,andtheever—memorableHERR
GENERALCHIRURGUSMadan,whohadbothbeenintheoperation;
nottheseonly,butbydegreesallthatwasdistinguishedintheBerlinworld,Ramler,Busching,Sulzer,PrimeMinisterHerzberg,Queen’sandKing’sEquerries,andhonorablemenandwomen,——borehim"onangel—wings"towardscompleterecovery。Talkedtohim,sanganddancedtohim(atleast,the"Muses"andthefemaleMeckelsdancedandsang),andalllappedhimagainsteatingcares,till,aftertwelveweeks,hewasfairlyonhisfeetagain,andabletomakejauntsintheneighborhoodwithhis"life’ssavior,"andenjoythepleasantAutumnweathertohisfartherprofit。——Allthis,thoughdescribedinridiculoussuperlativebyZimmermann,isreallytouching,beautifulandhuman:perhapsneverinhislifewashesohappy,orathousandthpartsohelpedbyman,aswhileundertheroofofthisthrice—usefulMeckel,——morepowertoMeckel!
HeadArmy—SurgeonSchmuckerhadgonethroughalltheSeven—YearsWar;Zimmermann,anardentHero—worshipper,wasneverwearyquestioninghim,listeningtohiminfullcareerofnarrative,onthisgreatsubject,——onlyeightyearsoldatthattime。Amongtheircountrydrives,MeckeltookhimtoPotsdam,twentyEnglishmilesoff;intheendofOctober,theretostayanight。Thiswastheever—memorableFriday,whenwefirstascendedtheHillofSans—
Souci,andhadoureveningwalkofcontemplation:——tobefollowedbyamorrowwhichwastentimesmorememorable:asreadersshallnowsee。[Jordens,Lexikon(§Zimmermann),v。632—658(exactandeveneloquentaccount,astheseofJordens,unexpectedly,oftenare);Zimmermannhimself,UNTERREDUNGENMIT
FRIEDRICHDEMGROSSEN(ubiinfra);Tissot,ViedeM。
Zimmermann(Lausanne,1797):&c。&c。]
NEXTDAY,ZIMMERMANNHASADIALOGUE。Schmuckerhadhisapartmentsin"LITTLESANS—SOUCI,"wheretheKingnowlived(BigSans—Souci,or"Sans—Souci"byitself,meansinthosedays,notinoursatall,"NewPalace,NEUEPALAIS,"nowinallitssplendoroffreshfinish)。DeCatt,Friedrich’sReader,whomweknowwell,wasaGenevese,andknewZimmermannfromofold。SchmuckerandDeCattwereprivatelytwitchingupFriedrich’scuriosity,——towhomalsoZimmermann’sname,andperhapshislatesurgicaloperation,mightbeknown:"CanhespeakFrench?"——"Nativetohim,yourMajesty。"
FriedrichhadsomenotiontoseeZimmermann;andjudiciousDeCatt,onthisfortunateSaturday,"26thOctober,1771,"morrowafterZimmermann’sarrivalatPotsdam,"cametoourinnabout,1P。M。
[King’sdinnerjustdone];andaskedmetocomeandlookatthebeautiesofSans—Souci[BigSans—Souci]foralittle。"
Zimmermannwillinglywent:Catt,lefthimingoodhandstoseethebeauties;sliptoff,forhisownpart,to"LITTLESans—Souci;"cameback,tookZimmermannthither;left,himwithSchmucker,alltrembling,thinkingperhapstheKingmightcallhim。"Itrembledsometimes,thenagainIfeltexceedinghappiness:"IwasinSchmucker’sroom,sittingbythefire,mostlyaloneforagoodwhile,"theroomthathadoncebeenMarquisd’Argens’s"(whoisnowdead,andburiedfaraway,goodoldsoul);——when,atlast,abouthalf—past4,Cattcamejumpingin,breathlesswithjoy;snatchedmeup:"HisMajestywantstospeakwithyouthisverymoment!"
Zimmermann’sselfshallsaytherest。
"Ihurried,hand—in—handwithCatt,alongarowofChambers。
’Here,’saidCatt,’wearenowattheKing’sroom!’——Myheartthumped,liketospringoutofmybody。Cattwentin;butnextmomentthedooragainopened,andCattbademeenter。
"Inthemiddleoftheroomstoodanironcamp—bedwithoutcurtains。
There,onawornmattress,layKingFriedrich,theterrorofEurope,withoutcoverlet,inanoldblueroquelaure。Hehadabigcocked—hat,withawhitefeather[hataged,wornsoftasduffel,equaltomostcaps;"feather"isnotperpendicular,buthorizontal,roundtheinsideofthebrim],onhishead。
"TheKingtookoffhishatverygraciously,whenIwasperhapstenstepsfromhim;andsaidinFrench(ourwholeDialogueproceededinFrench):’Comenearer,M。Zimmermann。’
"IadvancedtowithintwostepsoftheKing;hesaidinthemeanwhiletoCatt:’CallSchmuckerin,too。’HerrSchmuckercame;
placedhimselfbehindtheKing,hisbacktothewall;andCattstoodbehindme。NowtheColloquybegan。
KING。"’IhearyouhavefoundyourhealthagaininBerlin;Iwishyoujoyofthat。’
EGO。"’IhavefoundmylifeagaininBerlin;butatthismoment,Sire,Ifindhereastillgreaterhappiness!’[ACH!]
KING。"’Youhavestoodacrueloperation:youmusthavesufferedhorribly?’
EGO。"’Sire,itwaswellworthwhile。’
KING。"’Did,youletthembindyoubeforetheoperation?’
EGO。"’No:Iresolvedtokeepmyfreedom。’
KING(laughinginaverykindmanner)。"’Oh,youbehavedlikeabraveSwitzer!Butareyouquiterecovered,though?’
EGO。"’Sire,IhaveseenallthewondersofyourcreationinSans—
Souci,andfeelwellinlookingatthem。’
KING。"’Iamgladofthat。Butyoumusthaveacare,andespeciallynotgetonhorseback。’
EGO。"’ItwillbepleasantandeasyformetofollowthecounselsofyourMajesty。’
KING。"’FromwhatTownintheCantonofBernareyouoriginally?’
EGO。"’FromBrugg。’
KING。"’Idon’tknowthatTown。’[Nowonder,thoughtI!]
KING。"’Wheredidyoustudy?’
EGO。"’AtGottingen:Hallerwasmyteacher。’
KING。"’WhatisM。Hallerdoingnow?’
EGO。"’Heisconcludinghisliterarycareerwitharomance。’
[USONGhadjustcomeout;——nomortalnowreadsawordofit;
andthegreatHallerisdreadfullyforgottenalready!]
KING。"’Ah,thatispretty!——Onwhatsystemdoyoutreatyourpatients?’
EGO。"’Notonanysystem。’
KING。"’ButtherearesomePhysicianswhosemethodsyouprefertothoseofothers?’
EGO。"’IespeciallylikeTissot’smethods,whoisafamiliarfriendofmine。’
KING。"’IknowM。Tissot。Ihavereadhiswritings,andvaluethemverymuch。Onthewhole,IlovetheArtofMedicine。MyFatherwishedmetogetsomeknowledgeinit。HeoftensentmeintotheHospitals;andevenintothoseforvenerealpatients,withaviewofwarningbyexample。’
EGO。"’Andbyterribleexample!——Sire,MedicineisaverydifficultArt。ButyourMajestyisusedtobringallArtsundersubjectiontotheforceofyourgenius,andtoconquerallthatisdifficult。’
KING。"’Alas,no:Icannotconquerallthatisdifficult!’
[Hard—mouthedKaunitz,forexample;stock—still,withhisrightearturnedonTurkey:howgetKaunitzintostep!]——HeretheKingbecamereflective;wassilentforalittlemoment,andthenaskedme,withamostbrightsmile:’Howmanychurchyardshaveyoufilled?’
[AcommonquestionofhistoMembersoftheFaculty。]
EGO。"’Perhaps,inmyyouth,Ihavedonealittlethatway!Butnowitgoesbetter;forIamtimidratherthanbold。’
KING。"’Verygood,verygood。’
"OurDialoguenowbecameextremelybrisk。TheKingquickenedintoextraordinaryvivacity;andexaminedmenowinthecharacterofDoctor,withsuchastringencyas,intheyear1751,atGottingen,whenIstoodformyDegree,thelearnedProfessorsHaller,Richter,SegnerandBrendel(forwhichHeavenrecompensethem!)neverdreamedof!Allinflammatoryfevers,andthemostimportantoftheslowdiseases,theKingmusteredwithme,intheirorder。Heaskedme,HowandwherebyIrecognizedeachofthesediseases;howandwherebydistinguishedthemfromtheapproximatemaladies;whatmyprocedurewasinsimpleandincomplicatedcases;andhowIcuredallthosedisorders?Onthevarieties,theaccidents,themodeoftreatment,ofsmall—poxespecially,theKinginquiredwithpeculiarstrictness;——andspoke,withmuchemotion,ofthatyoungPrinceofhisHousewhowascarriedoff,someyearsago,bythatdisorder——
[suddenlyarrestedbyit,whileonmarchwithhisregiment,"nearRuppin,26thMay,1767。"ThisisthePrinceHenri,juniorBrotherofthesubsequentKing,FriedrichWilhelmII。,who,amongotherfooleries,invadedFrance,in1792,withsuchsuccess。BothHenriandhe,asboys,usedtobefamiliartousinthefinalwintersofthelateWar。PoorHenrihaddiedattheageofnineteen,——asyetallbrightness,amiabilityandnothingelse:FriedrichsentanELOGEofhimtohisACADEMIE,[InOEuvresdeFrederic,vii。37etseq。]whichistouchinglyandstrangelyfilledwithauthenticsorrowforthisyoungNephewofhis,butotherwiseempty,——amerebottleofsighsandtears]。ThenhecameuponInoculation;wentalongoveranincrediblemultitudeofothermedicalsubjects。Intoallhethrewmasterlyglances;spokeofallwiththesoundest[allinsuperlative]knowledgeofthematter,andwithnolesspenetrationthanlivelinessandsense。
"Withheartfeltsatisfaction,andwiththefreestsoul,ImademyanswerstohisMajesty。Itistrue,hepotentlysupportedandencouragedme。EverandanonhisMajestywassayingtome:’Thatisverygood;——thatisexcellentlythoughtandexpressed;——yourmodeofproceeding,altogether,pleasesmeverywell;——Irejoicetoseehowmuchourwaysofthinkingcorrespond。’Often,too,hehadthegraciousnesstoadd:’But,Iwearyyouwithmymanyquestions!’
HisscientificquestionsIansweredwithsimplicity,clearnessandbrevity;andcouldnotforbearsometimesexpressingmyastonishmentatthedeepandconclusive(TIEFENUNDFRAPPANTEN)medicalinsightsandjudgmentsoftheKing。
"HisMajestycamenowuponthehistoryofhisownmaladies。Hetoldmethemover,intheirseries;andaskedmyopinionandadviceabouteach。OntheHAEMORRHOIDS,whichhegreatlycomplainedof,I
saidsomethingthatstruckhim。Instantlyhestartedupinhisbed;
turnedhisheadroundtowardsthewall,andsaid:’Schmucker,writemethatdown!’Istartedinfrightatthisword;andnotwithoutreason!ThenourColloquyproceeded:——
KING。"’TheGoutlikestotakeuphisquarterswithme;heknowsI
amaPrince,andthinksIshallfeedhimwell。ButIfeedhimill;
Iliveverymeagrely。’
EGO。"’MayGout,therebygetdisgusted,andforbearevercallingonyourMajesty!’
KING。"’Iamgrownold。Diseaseswillnolongerhavepityonme。’
EGO。"’EuropefeelsthatyourMajestyisnotold;andyourMajesty’slook(PHYSIOGNOMIE)showsthatyouhavestillthesameforceasinyourthirtiethyear。’
KING(laughingandshakinghishead)。"’Well,well,well!’
"Inthisway,foranhourandquarter,withuninterruptedvivacity,theDialoguewenton。AtlasttheKinggavemethesigntogo;
liftinghishatverykindly,andsaying:’Adieu,mydearM。Zimmermann;Iamverygladtohaveseenyou。’"
Towards6P。M。now,andFriedrichmustsignhisDespatches;
havehisConcert,havehisreading;thentosupper(asspectatoronly),——withQuintusIciliusandoldLordMarischal,to—night,orwhom?[OfIcilius,andaquarrelandestrangementtherehadlatelybeen,nowhappilyreconciled,seeNicolai,Anekdoten,vi。140—142。]
"HerrvonCattaccompaniedmeintotheanteroom,andSchmuckerfollowed。Icouldnotstirfromthespot;couldnotspeak,wassocharmedandsotouched,thatIbrokeintoastreamoftears[beingveryweakofnervesatthetime!]。HerrvonCattsaid:’IamnowgoingbacktotheKing;goyouintotheroomwhereItookyouup;
abouteightIwillconductyouhome。’Ipressedmyexcellentcountryman’shand,I"——"Schmuckersaid,IhadstoodtoonearhisMajesty;Ihadspokentoofrankly,withtoomuchvivacity;
nay,whatwasunheardofintheworld,Ihad’gesticulated’beforehisMajesty!’InpresenceofaKing,’saidHerrSchmucker,’onemuststandstiffandnotstir。’DeCattcamebacktousateight;
and,inSchmucker’spresence[lethimchewthecudofthat!],reportedthefollowinglittleDialoguewiththeKing:——
KING。"’WhatsaysZimmermann?’
DECATT。"’Zimmermann,atthedoorofyourMajesty’sroom,burstintoastreamoftears。’
KING。"’Ilovethosetenderaffectionatehearts;IloverightwellthosebraveSwisspeople!’
"NextmorningtheKingwasheardtosay:’IhavefoundZimmermannquitewhatyoudescribedhim。’——Cattassuredmefurthermore,’SincetheSeven—YearsWartherehadthousandsofstrangers,personsofrank,cometoPotsdam,wishingtospeakwiththeKing,andhadnotattainedthatfavor;andofthosewhohad,therecouldnotoneindividualboastthathisMajestyhadtalkedwithhimanhourandquarteratonce。’[Fourteenyearshence,hedismissedMirabeauinhalfanhour;whichwasitselfagoodallowance。]
"Sunday27th,IleftPotsdam,withmykindMeckels,inanenthusiasmofadmiration,astonishment,loveandgratitude;
wrotetotheKingfromBerlin,senthimaTissot’sBook(markedonthemarginsforMajesty’suse),whichheacknowledgedbysomewordtoCatt:whereuponI"——Inshort,IgothometoHanover,inamoreorlessseraphiccondition,——"withindescribable,unspeakable,"
whatnot,——earlyinNovember;and,asahealedman,nevermoretroubledwiththatdisorder,thoughstilltroubledwithmanyandmany,endeavoredtogetalittleworkoutofmyselfagain。
[Zimmermann,MeineUnterredungen(Dialogues)
withFriedrichtheGreat(8vo,Leipzig,1788),pp。305—326。]
"Zimmermannwastall,handsomeofshape;hisexteriorwasdistinguishedandimposing,"saysJordens。[Ubisupra,p。643。]
"Hehadafirmandlightstep;stoodgracefully;presentedhimselfwell。Hehadafinehead;hisvoicewasagreeable;andintellectsparkledinhiseyes:"——haditnotbeenforthosedreadfulhypochondrias,andconfuseddisasters,averyprettyman。AtthetimeofthisfirstvisittoFriedrichheis43yearsofage,andFriedrichisonthebordersof60。Zimmermann,withstillmorefamousDIALOGUES,willreappearonusfromHanover,onasadoccasion!Meanwhile,fewweeksafterhim,hereisaVisitoffarmorejoyfulkind。
SISTERULRIQUE,QUEEN—DOWAGEROFSWEDEN,REVISITSHER
NATIVEPLACE(December,1771—August,1772)。
PrinceHenriwashardlyhomefromPetersburgandtheSwedishVisit,whenpoorAdolfFriedrich,KingofSweden,died。[12thFebruary,1771。]AverygreatandsadeventtohisQueen,whohadlovedheroldman;andisnowleftsolitary,eclipsed,incircumstancesgreatlyalteredonthesudden。Inregardtosettlements,AccessionofthenewPrince,dowagerrevenuesandthelike,allwentrightenough;whichwassomealleviation,thoughaninconsiderable,tothesorrowingWidow。HertwoPrinceswereabsent,touringoverEurope,whentheirFatherdied,andtheelderofthem,KarlGustav,suddenlysawhimselfKing。Theywereinnobreathlesshastetoreturn;visitedtheirUncle,theirPrussiankindred,ontheway,andhadaninterestingweekatPotsdamandBerlin;[April22d—
29th:Rodenbeck,iii。45。]KarlGustavflyingdiligentlyabout,stillincognito,as"GrafvonGothland,"——aspiritedyoungfellow,perhapstoospirited;——anddidnotreachhometillMay—daywascome,andtheoutburstoftheSwedishSummerathand。
SomethinktheyoungKinghadalreadysomethingdangerousandseriousinview,andwishedhisMotheroutofthewayforatime。
CertainitisshedecidedonavisittohernativeCountryinDecemberfollowing:arrivedaccordingly,December2d,1771;
andtillthemiddleofAugustnextwasashiningphenomenonintheRoyalHouseandupperranksofBerlinSociety,andatouchingandinterestingonetothebusyFriedrichhimself,asmaybesupposed。
ShehadherownApartmentsandHouseholdatBerlin,inthePalacethere,Ithink;butwentmuchvisitingabout,andreceivingmanyvisits,——fondespeciallyofliterarypeople。
Friedrich’snoticesofherarefrequentinhisLettersofthetime,allaffectionate,naturalandreasonable。HerearethefirsttwoI
meetwith:TOTHEELECTRESSOFSAXONY(threeweeksafterUlrique’sarrival);"Athousandexcuses,Madam,fornotansweringsooner!
WhatwillpleadformewithaPrincesswhosowellknowsthedutiesoffriendship,is,thatIhavebeenoccupiedwiththereceptionofaSister,whohascometoseekconsolationinthebosomofherkindredforthelossofalovedHusband,theremembranceofwhomsaddensandafflictsher。"Andagain,twomonthslater:"……YourRoyalHighnessdeignstotakesoobliginganinterestinthevisitIhavehad[andstillhave]fromtheQueenofSweden。Ibeheldherasifraisedfromthedeadtome;foranabsenceofeight—and—
twentyyears,intheshortspaceofourduration,isalmostequivalenttodeath。Shearrivedamongus,stillingreatafflictionforthelossshehadhadoftheKing;andItriedtodistracthersadthoughtsbyallthedissipationspossible。Itisonlybydintofsuchthatonecompelsthemindtoshiftawayfromthefatalideawheregriefhasfixedit:thisisnottheworkofaday,butoftime,whichintheendsucceedsineverything。
IcongratulateyourRoyalHighnessonyourJourneytoBavaria[onasomewhatsimilarerrand,wemaypolitelysay];whereyouwillfindyourselfinthebosomofaFamilythatadoresyou:"afterwhich,andthesightofoldscenes,howpleasanttogoontoItaly,asyoupropose![OEuvresdeFrederic,xxiv。230,235。"24thDecember1771,""February,1772。"Seealso,
"EptirealaReineDouairieredeSuede"(PoemontheTroublesshehashad:OEuvresdeFrederic,
xiii。74,"writteninDecember,1770"),and"VersalaReinedeSuede,""January,1771"(ib。79)。]
QueenUlrique——asolidandingenuouscharacter(inchildhoodafavoriteofherFather’s,sorational,truthfulandofsilentstaidways)——appearstohavebeenpopularintheBerlincircles;
pleasantandpleased,duringtheseeightmonths。Formey,especiallyThiebault,arecopiousonthisVisitofhers;andgiveanumberofinsipidAnecdotes;HowtherewassolemnSessionoftheAcademymadeforher,aPaperoftheKing’stobereadthere,["DISCOURSDE
L’UTILITEDESSCIENCESETDESARTSDAMUNETAT"(in
OEuvresdeFrederic,ix。169etseq。):read"27thJanuary,1772。"Formey,ii。16,&c。&c。]——readingbeautifullydonebyme,Thiebault(oneofmymainfunctions,thisofreadingtheKing’sAcademyPapers,andmydatesofTHEMalwayscorrect);
howThiebaultwasinvitedtodinnerinconsequence,andagaininvited;howFormeydinedwithherMajesty"twenty—fivetimes;"
and"preachedtoherinthePalace,August19th"(shouldbeAugust9th):insipidwholly,vapidandstupid;descriptiveofnothing,exceptofthevapiditiesandvanitiesofcertainpersons。
Leavingthese,wewilltakeanExcerpt,probablyourlast,fromauthenticBusching,whichisatleasttobedependedonforperfectaccuracy,andhasafeatureortwoofportraiture。
Busching,forthelastfiveorsixyears,ishomefromRussia;
comfortablyestablishedhereasConsistorialrath,muchconcernedwithSchool—Superintendence;stillmorewithGEOGRAPHY,withcopiousruggedLiteratureoftheundigestedkind:amanwellseeninsociety;has"sixfamiliesofrankwhichinvitehimtodinner;"
allthediningheisequalto,withsomuchundigestedwritingonhishands。Busching,inhisfinalSection,headedBERLINLIFE,Sectionmoreinconditeeventhanitsforegoers,hasthispassage:——
"OntheQueen—DowagerofSweden,LouiseUlrique’s,comingtoBerlin,Ifeltnotalittleembarrassed。Thecasewasthis:
MostpartoftheSIXTHVOLUMEofmyMAGAZINE[meritoriouscuriousBook,sometimesquotedbyushere,notyetknowninEnglishLibraries]wasprinted;andinit,intheprintedpart,werevariousthingsthatconcernedthedeceasedSovereign,KingAdolfFriedrich,andhisSpouse[nowcometovisitus],——andamongthesewereArticleswhichthethenrulingpartyinSwedencouldcertainlynotlike。AndnowIwasafraidthesepeoplewouldcomeuponthefalsenotion,thatitwasfromtheQueen—DowagerIhadgottheArticlesinquestion;——notionaltogetherfalse,astheyhadbeenfurnishedmebyBaronKorf[wellknowntoHordtandothersofus,atPetersburg,intheCzar—Petertime],nowRussianMinisteratCopenhagen。However,whenDukeFriedrichofBrunswick[oneofthejuniors,soldieringherewithhisUncle,astheyalmostallare]
wrotetome,oneday,ThathisLadyAunttheQueenofSwedeninvitedmetodinewithherto—morrow,andthathe,theDuke,wouldintroduceme,——IatoncedecidedtolaymyembarrassmentbeforetheQueenherself。
"Nextday,whenIwaspresentedtoherMajesty,shetookmebythehand,andledmetoawindow[aswashercustomwithguestswhomshejudgedtobeworthquestioningandtalkingto],andsoplacedherselfinacornertherethatIcametostandclosebeforeher;
whenshedidmethehonortoaskagreatmanyquestionsaboutRussia,theImperialCourtespecially,andmostofalltheGrand—
Duke[CzarPaulthatistobe,——akindofkinsmanhe,hispoorFatherwasmylateHusband’sCousin—german,asperhapsyouknow]。
Agreatdealoftimewasspentinthisway;sothatthePrincesandPrincesses,punctualtoinvitation,hadtowaitabovehalfanhourlong;andtheQueenwasmorethanonceinformedthatdinnerwasonthetableandgettingcold。Icouldgetnothingofmyownmentionedhere;allIcoulddowastodrawback,inapoliteway,sosoonastheQueenwouldpermit:andafterwards,attable,toexplainwithbrevitymyconcernaboutwhatwasprintedintheMAGAZINE;
andrequesttheQueentopermitmetosendithertoreadforherself。Shehadit,accordingly,thatsameafternoon。
"Afewdaysafter,sheinvitedmeagain;againspokewithmealongwhileinthewindowembrasure,inalowtoneofvoice:confirmedtomeallthatshehadread,——andinparticular,minutelyexplainedthatLETTEROFTHEKING[oneofmyPieces]inwhichherelateswhatpassedbetweenhimandCountTessin[Son’sTutor]intheQueen’sApartment。Attable,sheverysoontookoccasiontosay:’IcannotimaginetomyselfhowtheHerrConsistorialrath[Busching,towit]
hascomeuponthatLetterofmydeceasedLordtheKingofSweden’s;
whichhisMajestydidwrite,andwhichisnowprintedinyourMAGAZINE。Forcertain,theKingshowedittonobody。’
WhereuponBUSCHING:’Certainly;noristhattobeimagined,yourMajesty。Butthepersonitwasaddressedtomusthaveshownit;
andsoacopyofithascometomyhands。’Queenstillexpressesherwonder;whereuponagain,Busching,withacourageouscandor:
’YourMajesty,mostgraciouslypermitmetosay,thathithertoallSwedishsecretsofCourtorStatehavebeenprocurableformoneyandgoodwords!’TheQueen,towhomIsatdirectlyopposite,castdownhereyesatthesewordsandsmiled;——andtheReichsrathGrafvonSchwerin[aSwedishGentlemanofhers],whosatatmyleft,seizedmebythehand,andsaid:’Alas,thatistrue!’"——Hereisadifficultygotover;MagazineNumbercancomeoutwhenitwill。Asitdid,"nextEaster—Fair,"withproperindicationsandtacitproofsthattheSwedishpartofitlayprintedseveralmonthsbeforetheQueen’sarrivalinourneighborhood。
BuschingdinedwithherMajestyseveraltimes,——"eatingnothing,"
heiscarefultomentionandwascarefultoshowherMajesty,"except,verygradually,asmallbitofbreadsoakedinaglassofwine!"——meaningthereby,"Note,yegreatones,itisnotforyourdainties;infact,itisoutofloyalpolitenessmainly!"thegloomilyhumbleman。
"Onetime,theQueenaskedme,inpresenceofvariousPrincesandPrincessesoftheRoyalHouse:’DoyouthinkitadvisabletoenlightentheLowerClassesbyeducation?’TowhichIanswered:
’ConsideringonlyunderwhatheavyloadsamanoftheLowerClasses,especiallyofthePeasantsort,hastostrugglethroughhislife,onewouldthinkitwasbetterneithertoincreasehisknowledgenorrefinehissensibility。Butwhenonereflectsthathe,aswellasthoseoftheHigherClasses,istolastthroughEternity;andwithalthatgoodinstructionmay[ormight,IFitbenotBAD]increasehispracticalintelligence,andhelphimtomethodsofalleviatinghimselfinthisworld,itmustbethoughtadvisabletogivehimusefulenlightenment。’TheQueenaccordedwiththisviewofthematter。
"TwiceIdinedwithherMajestyatherSister,PrincessAmelia,theAbbessofQuedlinburg’s:——andthesecondtime[musthavebeenSummer,1772],ProfessorSulzer,whowasalsoaguest,caughthisdeaththere。WhenIenteredthereception—room,Sulzerwasstandinginthemiddleofathorough—draught,whichtheyhadmanagedtohavethere,onaccountofthegreatheat;andhehadjustarrived,allinaperspiration,fromtheThiergarten:Icalledhimoutofthedraught,butitwastoolate。"[Busching:Beitrage,vi。578—582。]ACH,MEINLIEBERSULZER,——Alas,dearSulzer:
seriouslythistime!
BuschinghasagreatdealtosayaboutSchools,aboutthe"SchoolCommission1765,"thesubjectstaught,themethodsofteachingdevisedbyBuschingandothers,andtheKing’scontinualexertions,underdeficientfunds,inthisprovinceofhisaffairs。
Buschinghadunheard—ofdifficultytorebuildtheoldGymnasiumatBerlinintoanew。Triedeverybody;triedtheKingthriceover,butnobodywould。"OneofthepersonsIappliedtowasLieutenant—
GeneralvonRamin,GovernorofBerlin[surliestofmankind,ofwhosetruculentincivilitytheregomanyanecdotes];toRaminI
wrote,entreatingthathewouldtakeagoodopportunityandsuggestanewTownSchoolhousetohisMajesty:’Excellenz,itwillrenderyouimmortalintheannalsofBerlin!’TowhichRaminmadeanswer:
’ThatisanimmortalityImustrenouncethehopeof,andleavetotheTown—Syndicsandyourself。I,formyownpart,willbynomeansrisksuchaproposaltohisMajesty;whichhewould,inalllikelihood,answerinthenegative,andreceiveillatanybody’shands。’"[Ib。vi。568。]Bysubscriptions,bybequests,donationsandtheprivatepietyofindividuals,Buschingaidingandstirring,thethingwasatlastgotdone。HereisanotherglanceintoSchool—
life:notfromBusching:——
JUNE9th,1771。"ThisYeartheStandeoftheKurmarkfindtheyhaveanoverplusof100,000thalers(15,000pounds);whichsumtheydothemselvesthepleasureofpresentingtotheKingforhisMajesty’suses。"Kingcannotacceptitforhisownuses。"Thismoney,"
answershe(9thJune),"comesfromtheProvince,whereforeIfeelboundtolayitoutagainforadvantageoftheProvince。CouldnotitbecomeameansofgettingEnglishhusbandry[TURNIPSinparticular,whethershort—hornsornot,Idonotknow]introducedamongus?IntheTownsthatfollowFarmingchiefly,orinVillagesbelongingtounmoneyedNobles,wewilllendoutthis15,000pounds,at4percent,inconvenientsumsforthatobject:herebywillturnip—cultureandrotationbevouchsafedus;interestat4percentbringsusin600poundsannually;andthiswewilllayoutinestablishingnewSchoolmastersintheKurmark,andhavingtheyouthbettereducated。"Whataprettyidea;neatandbeautiful,killingtwoimportantbirdswithonemostsmallstone!Ihaveknownenormouscannon—ballsandgraniteblocks,torrentaftertorrent,shotoutunderotherkindsofFinance—gunnery,thatwerenotonlylessrespectable,butthatwereabominabletomeincomparison。
Unluckily,noNobleswerefoundinclined;EnglishHusbandry["TURNIPSE"andtherestofit]hadtowaittheirtime。TheKingagainwrites:"NoNoblestobefound,sayyou?Well;putthe15,000
poundstointerestinthecommonway,——thattheSchoolmastersatleastmayhavesolacement:Iwilladd120thalers(18pounds)
apiece,thatwemayhaveachanceofgettingbetterSchoolmasters;
——sendmeListofthePlaceswheretheworstare。"Listwassent;
isstillextant;andonthemarginofit,inRoyalAutograph,thisremark:——
"ThePlacesarewellselected。ThebadSchoolmastersaremostlyTailors;andyoumustseewhethertheycannotbegotremovedtolittleTowns,andsettotailoringagain,orotherwisedisposedof,thatourSchoolsmightthesoonerriseintogoodcondition,whichisaninterestingthing。""EageralwaysourMasteristohavetheSchoolingofhisPeopleimprovedandeverywherediffused,"writes,someyearsafterwards,theexcellentZedlitz,officially"MinisterofPublicJustice,"butmuchandmeritoriouslyconcernedwithSchoolmattersaswell。TheKing’sideaswereofthebest,andZedlitzsometimeshadfinehopes;butthewantoffundswasalwaysgreat。
"In1779,"saysPreuss,"therecameasadblowtoZedlitz’shopes:
MinistervonBrenkenhof[deepinWest—Preussencanal—diggingsandexpenditures]havingsuggested,ThatinsteadofgettingPensions,theOldSoldiersshouldbeputtokeepingSchool。"Dobutfancyit;
pooroldfellows,littleversedinscholasticshitherto!
"Friedrich,inhispinch,graspedatthesmallhelp;wrotetotheWar—Department:’SendmeaListofInvalidswhoarefit[oratleastfittest]tobeSchoolmasters。’Andgotthereuponalistof74,andafterwards5more[79Invalidsinall];War—Departmentadding,Thatbesidesthesescholasticsort,therewere741servingasBUDNER[Turnpike—keepers,inasort],asForest—watchersandthelike;and3,443UNVERSORGT"(shiftingforthemselves,noprovisionmadeforthematall),——suchthecheck,bycoldarithmeticandinexorablefinance,uponthegenialcurrentofthesoul!——
TheTURNIPS,Ibelieve,gotgraduallyin;andBrandenburg,inourday,isamoreandmorebeautifullyfarmedCountry。NorweretheSchoolmastersunsuccessfulatallpoints;thoughIcannotreportacompleteeducationaltriumphonthoseextremelylimitedterms。
[Preuss,iii。115,113,&c。]
QueenUlriqueleft,Ithink,onthe9thofAugust,1772;thereissadfarewellinFriedrich’sLetternextdaytoPrincessSophieAlbertine,theQueen’sDaughter,subsequentlyAbbessofQuedlinburg:heisjustsettingoutonhisSilesianReviews;
"shall,toolikely,neverseeyourgoodMammaagain。"
["Potsdam,10thAugust,1772:"OEuvresdeFrederic,xxvii。ii。93。]PoorKing;BerlinCityissoundasleep,whileherushesthroughitonthiserrand,——"pastthePrincessAmelia’swindow,"inthedeadofnight;andtakestohummingtenderstrophestohertoo;whichgainanewmeaningbytheirdate。["AMA
SOEURAMELIE,ENPASSANT,LANUIT,SOUSSAFENETRE,POURALLEREN
SILESIE(AOUT1772):"OEuvresdeFrederic,
xiii。77。]
Tendaysafterwards(19thAugust,1772),——QueenUlriquenotyethome,——herSon,thespiritedKingGustavIII。,atStockholmhadmadewhatinourdayiscalleda"strokeofstate,"——putathorninthesnoutofhismonsterofaSenate,namely:"Lessofpalaver,venalityandinsolence,fromyou,Sirs;we’restoretheConstitutionof1680,’andaresomethingofaKingagain!"
Donewithconsiderabledexterityandspirit;notonepersonkilledorhurt。Andsurelyitwasthemuzzling—upofagreatdealoffollyontheirside,——providedonlytherecamewisdomenoughfromGustavhimselfinstead。But,alas,theredidnot,therehardlycould。
HisUnclewasalarmed,andnotalittleangryforthemoment:
"YouhadtwoPartiestoreconcile;aworkoftime,ofpatientendeavor,continualandquiet;nogoodpossibletillthen。
Andinsteadofthat——!"Gustav,ashiningkindofman,showednowantofspirit,noworafterwards:butheleanttoomuchonFranceandbrokenreeds;——and,intheend,gotshotinthebackbyoneofthosebeautiful"Nobles"ofhis,andcametoabadconclusion,theyandhe。["16th—29thMarch,1792,"deathofGustavIII。bythatassassination:"13thMarch,1809,"hisSonGustavIV,hastogoonhistravels;"KarlXIII。,"achildlessUncle,succeedsforafewyears:afterwhom&c。]ScandinavianPolitics,thankHeaven,arenoneofourbusiness。
QueenUlriquewassparedallthesecatastrophes。ShehadalarmedherBrotherbyadangerousillness,suddenanddangerous,in1775;
whowriteswithgreatanxietyaboutit,toAnotherstillmoreanxious:[See"CorrespondencewithGustavIII。"(in
OEuvresdeFrederic,xxvii。ii。84,&c。)。]ofthisshegotwellagain;butitdidnotlastverylong。July16th,1782,shedied;——andthesadFriedrichhadtosay,Adieu。Alas,"musttheeldestofusmourn,then,bythegraveofthoseyounger!"
WILHELMINA’SDAUGHTER,ELIZABETHFREDERIKESOPHIE,DUCHESS
OFWURTEMBERG,APPEARSATFERNEY(September,1773)。
OfourdearWilhelmina’shighandunfortunateDaughterthereshouldbesomeBiography;andtherewillsurely,ifamanofsympathyandfacultypassthatway;butthereisnothitherto。Nothinghithertobutafewbaredates;bareandsternlysignificant,asonaTombstone;indicatingthatshehadaHistory,andthatitwasatragicone。Welcometoallofus,inthisstateofmatters,isthefollowingoneclearemergenceofherintothelightofday,andincompanysointerestingtoo!SevenyearsbeforeherdeathshehadgonetoLausanne(July,1773)toconsultTissot,arenownedPhysicianofthosedays。FromLausanne,aftertwomonths,shevisitedVoltaireatFerney。ReadthisLetterofVoltaire’s:——
TOELIZABETHFREDERIKESOPHIE,DUCHESSOFWURTEMBERG
(atLausanne)。
"FEENEY,10thJuly,1773。
"MADAM,——IaminformedthatyourmostSereneHighnesshasdeignedtorememberthatIwasintheworld。Itisverysadtobethere,withoutpayingyoumycourt。Ineverfeltsocruellythesadstatetowhicholdageandmaladieshavereducedme。
"Ineversawyouexceptasachild[1743,heragethen10]:butyouwerecertainlythebeautifulestchildinEurope。MayyoubethehappiestPrincess[alas!],asyoudeservetobe!IwasattachedtoMadamtheMargravine[yourdearMother]withequaldevotednessandrespect;andIhadthehonortobeprettydeepinherconfidence,forsometimebeforethisworld,whichwasnotworthyofher,hadlostthatadorablePrincess。Youresembleher;——butdon’tresembleherin——feeblenessofhealth!Youareintheflowerofyourage[comingforty,Ishouldfear]:letsuchbrightflowerlosenothingofitssplendor;mayyourhappinessbeabletoequal[PUISSO
EGALER]yourbeauty;mayallyourdaysbeserene,andthesweetsoffriendshipaddanewcharmtothem!Thesearemywishes;theyareaslivelyasmyregretsatnotbeingatyourfeet。WhataconsolationitwouldbeformetospeakofyourlovingMother,andofallyouraugustrelatives!WhymustDestinysendyoutoLausanne[consultingDr。Tissotthere],andhindermefromflyingthither!——
LetyourmostSereneHighnessdeigntoaccepttheprofoundrespectoftheoldmoribundPhilosopherofFerney。——V。"[OEuvresdeVoltaire,xcii。331。]
TheAnswerofthePrincess,orfartherCorrespondenceonthematter,isnotgiven;evidentonlythatbyandby,asVoltairehimselfwillinformus,shedidappearatFerney;——andacertainSwedishtourist,oneBjornstahl,whometherthere,enablesuseventogivethedate。Hereportsthisanecdote:——
"Atsupper,ontheeveningof7thSeptember,1773,thePrincesssatnexttoVoltaire,whoalwaysaddressedher’VOTREALTESSE。’AtlasttheDuchesssaidtohim,’TUESANONPAPA,JESUISTAFILLE,ETJE
VOUZETREAPPELEETAFILLE。’Voltairetookapencilfromhispocket,askedforacard,andwroteuponit:——
’Ah,lebeautitrequevoila!
Vousmedonnezlapremieredesplaces;
Quellefamillej’auraisla!
JeseraisleperedesGraces’
[OEuvresdeVoltaire,xviii。342。]
HegavethecardtothePrincess,whoembracedandkissedhimforit。"[Vehse,GeschichtederDeutschenHofe
(Hamburg,1853),xxv。252,253。]
VOLTAIRETOFRIEDRICH(afortnightafter)。
"FERNEY,22dSeptember,1773。
"ImusttellyouthatIhavefelt,intheselatedays,inspiteofallmypastcaprices,howmuchIamattachedtoyourMajestyandtoyourHouse。MadamtheDuchessofWurtemberghavinghad,likesomanyothers,theweaknesstobelievethathealthistobefoundatLausanne,andthatDr。Tissotgivesitifonepayhim,has,asyouknow,madethejourneytoLausanne;andI,whoammoreveritablyillthanshe,andthanallthePrincesseswhohavetakenTissotforanAEsculapius,hadnotthestrengthtoleavemyhome。MadamofWurtemberg,apprisedofallthefeelingsthatstillliveinmeforthememoryofMadamtheMargravineofBaireuthherMother,hasdeignedtovisitmyhermitage,andpasstwodayswithus。Ishouldhaverecognizedher,evenwithoutwarning;shehastheturnofherMother’sfacewithyoureyes。
"YouHero—peoplewhogoverntheworlddon’tallowyourselvestobesubduedbyfeelings;youhavethemallthesameaswe,butyoumaintainyourdecorum。Weotherpettymortalsyieldtoallourimpressions:Isetmyselftocry,inspeakingtoherofyouandofMadamthePrincessherMother;andshetoo,thoughsheisNieceofthefirstCaptaininEurope,couldnotrestrainhertears。
Itappearstome,thatshehasthetalent(ESPRIT)andthegracesofyourHouse;andthatespeciallysheismoreattachedtoyouthantoherHusband[Ishouldthinkso!]。Shereturns,Ibelieve,toBaireuth,——
——[NoMother,noFathertherenow:foolishUncleofAnspathdiedlongago,"3dAugust,1757:"AuntDowagerofAnspachgonetoErlangen,Ihope,toFeuchtwang,SchwabachorSchwaningen,orsomeWidow’s—Mansion"WITTWENSITZ"ofherown;[Lived,finallyatSchwaningen,insightofsuchvicissitudesandfolliesroundher,till"4thFebruary,1784"(Rodenbeck,iii。304)。]reigningSon,withhisFrench—Actressequipments,beingofquestionablefigure],——
——"returns,Ibelieve,toBaireuth;whereshewillfindanotherPrincessofadifferentsort;ImeanMademoiselleClairon,whocultivatesNaturalHistory,andisLadyPhilosophertoMonseigneurtheMargraf,"——high—rougedTragedy—Queen,rathertyrannousuponhim,theysay:ayoungmandestinedtoadornHammersmithbyandby,andnotgoagoodroad……"IrenouncemybeautifulhopesofseeingtheMahometansdrivenoutofEurope,andAthensbecomeagaintheSeatoftheMuses。
NeitheryounortheKaiserare"——areinclinedintheCrusadingwayatall……"TheoldsickmanofFerneyisalwaysatthefeetofyourMajesty;hefeelsverysorrythathecannottalkofyoufartherwithMadamtheDuchessofWurtemberg,whoadoresyou。——
LEVIEUXMALADE。"[OEuvresdeVoltaire,
xcii。390。]
TowhichFriedrichmakesanswer:"Ifitisforevermoreforbiddenmetoseeyouagain,IamnotthelessgladthattheDuchessofWurtemberghasseenyou。Ishouldcertainlyhavemixedmytearswithyours,hadIbeenpresentatthattouchingscene!Beitweakness,beitexcessofregard,IhavebuiltforherlostMother,whatCiceroprojectedforhisTullia,aTEMPLEOFFRIENDSHIP:herStatueoccupiesthebackground,andoneachpillarstandsamask(MASCARON)containingtheBustofsomeHeroinFriendship:Isendyouthedrawingofit。"["Potsdam,24thOctober,1773:"
OEuvresdeFrederic,xxiii。259:——"Temple"wasbuiltin1768(Ib。p。259n。)。]WhichagainsetsVoltaireweeping,andwilltheDuchesswhensheseesit。[Voltaire’snextLetter:
OEuvresdeVoltaire,xcii。434。]
WesaidtherehithertowasnearlynothinganywherediscoverableasHistoryofthishighLadybutthedatesonly;thesewenowgive。
Shewas"born30thAugust,1732,"——herMother’sandFather’soneChild;——fouryearsolderthanherAnspachCousin,whoinheritedBaireuthtoo,andfinishedoffthatgenealogy。Shewas"wedded26thSeptember,1748;"heragethenabout16;hergloomyDukeofWurtemberg,age20,allsunshineandgoodnesstoherthen:shewas"divorcedin1757:""died6thApril,1780,"——Traditionsays,"ingreatpoverty[greatforherrank,Isuppose,proudasshemightbe,andabovecomplaining],——atNeustadt—on—the—Aisch"(intheNurnbergregion),whithershehadretired,IknownothowlongafterherPapa’sdeathandCousin’saccession。SheisboundforherCousin’sCourt,weobserve,justnow;and,consideringherCousin’swaysandherownturnofmind,itiseasytofancyshehadnotapleasanttimethere。
Traditiontellsus,crediblyenough,"ShewasverylikeherMother:
beautiful,muchthelady(VONFEINEMTON),andofenergeticcharacter;"andadds,probablyonslightfoundation,"butverycoldandproudtowardsthepeople。"[Vehse,xxv。251。]ManyBookswillinformyouhow,"OnfirstenteringStuttgard,whenthereigningDukeandsheweremetbyapartyofcongratulatorypeasantwomendressedintheirnationalcostume,shesaidtoherDuke,"beingthenonlysixteen,pooryoungsoul,andonhermarriage—journey,"’WASWILLDASGESCHMEISS(Whydoesthatrabbleboreus)!’"Thisisprobablythemainfoundation。That"herLadies,onapproachingher,hadalwaystokissthehemofhergown,"layinthenatureofthecase,beingthentheruletopeopleofherrank。
BeautifulUnfortunate,adieu:——andbeVoltairethanked,too!——
ItislongsincewehaveseenVoltairebefore:——aprosperousLordatFerneythesedozenyears("theonlymaninFrancethatliveslikeaGRANDSEIGNEUR,"saysCardinalBernistohimonce[TheirCORRESPONDENCE,reallyprettyofitskind,usedtocirculateasaseparateVolumeintheyearsthensubsequent。]);doinggreatthingsforthePaysdeGexandforFrance,andforEurope;deliveringtheCalases,theSirvensandtheOppressedofvariouskinds;
especiallyardentupontheINFAME,astherealbusinessHeavenhasassignedhiminhisDay,thesunsetofwhich,andNightwhereinnomancanwork,hefeelstobehasteningon。"Couldn’twe,thefewFaithful,gotoCleveinabody?"thinksheatonetime:"ToCleve;
andthere,asfromasafeplace,underthePhilosopherKing,shootoutourfieryartillerieswitheffect?"ThePhilosopherKingisperfectlywilling,"providedyoudon’tinvolvemeinWarswithmyneighbors。"Willingenoughhe;buttheytheFaithful——alas,thePatriarchfindsthattheyhavenoneofhisownheroicardor,andthatthethingcannotbedone。Uponwhich,"struckwithsorrow,"
sayhisBiographers,"hewritesnothingtoFriedrichfortwoyears。"["Nov。1769,"recommences(OEuvresdeFrederic,xxiii。140。139)。]
Thetruthis,heisgrowingveryold;andthoughapiercingradiance,asofstars,burstsoccasionallyfromthecentralpartofhim,theoutworksaregettingdecayedanddim;obstructionmoreandmoreaccumulating,andtheimmeasurableNightdrawingnigh。
WelldoesVoltairehimself,atallmoments,knowthis;andhisbearingunderit,onemustsay,isratherbeautiful。Thereisatenderness,asadness,inthesehislaterLetterstoFriedrich;
insteadofemphasisorstrength,abeautifulshrillmelody,asofawoman,asofachild;hegrievesunappeasablytohavelostFriedrich;neverwillforgiveMaupertuis:——pooroldman!
Friedrichanswersinamuchlivelier,morerobusttone:friendly,encouraging,communicativeonsmallmatters;——fullofpraises,——infact,sincerelygladtohavesuchatranscendentgeniusstillalivewithhiminthisworld。PraisestothemostliberalpitcheverythingofVoltaire’s,——exceptonlytheArticleonWAR,whichoccasionally(asbelow)hequizzesalittle,tothePatriarchorhisDisciple。
Aswehaveroomfornothingofallthis,andperhapsshallnotseeVoltaireagain,——thereareTwoactualInterviewswithhim,which,beingwithalbyEnglishmen,thoughotherwisenotgoodformuch,weintendforreadershere。IntheselasttwentyyearsD’AlembertisFriedrich’schiefCorrespondent。OfD’AlemberttotheKing,itmaybeormaynot,someopportunitywillriseforaspecimen;meanwhilehereisashortLetteroftheKing’stoD’Alembert,throughwhichtherepasssomanythreadsofcontemporaneousflyingevents(swiftshuttlesontheloud—soundingLoomofTime),thatwearetemptedtogivethis,beforethetwoInterviewsinquestion。
DateoftheLetteristwomonthsafterthatapparitionoftheDuchessofWurtembergatFerney。Of"Crillon,"aningeniousenoughyoungSoldier,rushingardentlyabouttheworldinhisholidaytime,wehavenothingtosay,exceptthatheisSonofthatRossbachCrillon,whoalwaysfanciestohimselfthatonceheperhapssparedFriedrich’slife(byaglassofwinejudiciouslygiven)longsince,whiletheBridgeofWeissenfelswasonfire,andRossbachcloseahead。[Supra,x。6。]Colonel"Guibert"isanotherSoldier,stillyoung,butofmuchsuperiortype;greatlyanadmirerofFriedrich,andsubsequentlyaWriteruponhim。[OfGuibert’svisittoFriedrich(June,1773),seePreuss,iv。214;Rodenbeck,iii。80。]
Inregardtothe"LandgravineofDarmstadt,"noticethesepoints。
First,thathereldestDaughterisWife,secondWife,tothedissoluteCrown—PrinceofPrussia;andthen,thatshehasThreeotherDaughters,——oneofwhomhasjustbeendisposedofinanimportantway;weddedtotheCzarowitshPaulofRussia,namely。
ByFriedrich’smeansandmanagement,asFriedrichinformsus。
[OEuvresdeFrederic,(MEMOIRESDE1763
JUSQU’A1775),vi。57。]TheCzarina,hesays,hadsentoutaconfidentialGentleman,oneAsseburg,whowasPrussianbybirth,toseekafitWifeforherSon:Friedrich,hearingofthis,suggestedtoAsseburg,"TheLandgravineofDarmstadt,themostdistinguishedandaccomplishedofGermanPrincesses,hasthreemarriageableDaughters;hereldest,marriedtoourCrown—Prince,willbeQueenofPrussiaintimecoming;——supposenow,oneoftheothersweretobeCzarinaofRussiawithal?Think,mightitnotbeusefulbothtoyournativeCountryandtoyouradopted?"Asseburgtookthehint;
reportedatPetersburg,ThatofallmarriageablePrincessesinGermany,theThreeofDarmstadt,oneortheotherofthem,would,inhishumbleopinion,betheeligiblest。"CouldnotwepersuadeyoutocometoPetersburg,MadamLandgravine?"wrotetheCzarinathereupon:"Dousthehonorofavisit,yourthreePrincessesandyou!"TheLandgravineandDaughters,withdecentcelerity,gotunderway;[PassedthroughBerlin16th—19thMay,1773:Rodenbeck,iii。78。]CzarowitshPaultookinterestingsurvey,ontheirarrival;andabouttwomonthsagoweddedthemiddleoneofthethree:——andhereisthevictoriousLandgravinebringinghometheothertwo。Czarowitsh’sfaironedidnotlivelong,norbehavewell:diedofherfirstchild;andCzarowitsh,in1776,hadtoapplytousagainforaWife,whomthistimewefittedbetter。
Happily,thepoorvictoriousLandgravinewasgonebeforeanythingofthis;shediedsuddenlyfivemonthshence;[30thMarch,1774。]
nothingdoubtingofherRussianAdventure。ShewasanadmiredPrincessofhertime,DIEGROSSELANDGRAFIN,asGoethesomewherecallsher;muchinFriedrich’sesteem,——FEMINASEXU,INGENIOVIR,astheMonumentheraisedtoheratDarmstadtstillbears。
[OEuvresdeFrederic,xx。183n。
HisCORRESPONDENCEwithherisIb。xxviiii。135—153;andgoesfrom1757to1774。]
FRIEDRICHTOD’ALEMBERT。
"POTSDAM,16thDecember,1773。
"M。deCrillondeliveredmeyourCRILLONADE[lengthyLetterofintroduction];whichhascompletedmeintheHistoryofalltheCrillonsoftheCountyofAvignon。Hedoesn’tstophere;heissoontobeoffforRussia;sothatIwilltakehimonyourword,andbelievehimthewisestofalltheCrillons:assuringmyselfthatyouhavemeasuredandcomputedallhiscurves,andanglesofincidence。HewillfindDiderotandGrimminRussia[famousvisitofDiderot],alloccupiedwiththeCzarina’sbeautifulreceptionofthem,andwiththemanythingsworthyofadmirationwhichtheyhaveseenthere。SomesayGrimmwillpossiblyfixhimselfinthatCountry[chosebetter],——whichwillbetheasylumatonceofyourfanaticCHAUMEIXESandoftheENCYCLOPEDISTES,whomheusedtodenounce。[ThispoorChaumeixdid,aftersuchfeats,"diepeaceablyatMoscow,asaSchoolmaster。"]
"M。deGuiberthasgonebyFerney;whereitissaidVoltairehasconvertedhim,thatis,hasmadehimrenouncetheerrorsofambition,abjurethefrightfultradeofhiredmanslayer,withintenttobecomeeitherCapuchinorPhilosophe;sothatIsupposebythistimehewillhavepublisheda’Declaration’likeGresset,informingthepublicThat,havinghadthemisfortunetowriteaWorkonTactics,herepenteditfromthebottomofhissoul,andherebyassuredmankindthatnevermoreinhislifewouldhegiverulesforbutcheries,assassinations,feints,stratagemsorthelikeabominations。Astome,myconversionnotbeingyetinanadvancedstage,IprayyoutogivemedetailsaboutGuibert’s,tosoftenmyheartandpenetratemybowels。
"WehavetheLandgravineofDarmstadthere:[Rodenbeck,iii。89,90。]noendtotheLandgravine’spraisesofamagnificentCzarina,andofallthebeautifulandgrandthingsshehasfoundedinthatCountry。Astous,wholivelikemiceintheirholes,newscometousonlyfrommouthtomouth,andthesenseofhearingisnothinglikethatofsight。Icherishmywishes,inthemeanwhile,forthesageAnaxagoras[myD’Alemberthimself];andIsaytoUrania,’ItisfortheetosustainthyforemostApostle,tomaintainonelight,withoutwhichagreatKingdom[France]wouldsinkintodarkness;’
andIsaytotheSupremeDemiurgus:’HavealwaysthegoodD’Alembertinthyholyandworthykeeping。’——F。"[OEuvresdeFrederic,xxiv。614。]
THEBOSTONTEA(sameday)。Curioustoremark,whileFriedrichiswritingthisLetter,"THURSDAY,DECEMBER16th,1773,"whatacommotionisgoingon,faroverseas,atBoston,NewEngland,——inthe"OldSouthMeeting—house"there;inregardtothreeEnglishTeaShipsthatarelyingembargoedinGriffin’sWharfforaboveafortnightpast。Thecaseiswellknown,andstillmemorabletomankind。BritishParliament,afternineyearsofthesaddesthagglingandbafflingtoandfro,underConstitutionalstressofweather,andsucheast—windsandwest—windsofParliamentaryeloquenceasseldomwere,hasmadeupitsmind,ThatAmericashallpaydutyontheseTeasbeforeinfusingthem:andAmerica,Bostonmoreespecially,istacitlydeterminedthatitwillnot;andthat,toavoidmistakes,theseTeasshallneverbelandedatall。SuchisBoston’sprivateintention,moreorlessfixed;——tosaynothingofthePhiladelphias,Charlestons,NewYorks,whoarewatchingBoston,andwillfollowsuitofit。
"Sunday,November26th,——thatis,nineteendaysago,——thefirstoftheseTeaShips,theDARTMOUTH,CaptainHall,mooreditselfinGriffin’sWharf:OwnerandConsigneeisabroad—brimmedBostongentlemancalledRotch,moreattentivetoprofitsoftradethantothegroansofBoston:——butalreadyonthatSunday,muchmoreontheMondayfollowing,therehadameetingofCitizensruntogether,——
(onMonday,FaneuilHallwon’tholdthem,andtheyadjourntotheOldSouthMeeting—house),——whomakeitapparenttoRotchthatitwillmuchbehoovehim,forthesakebothofteaandskin,notto’enter’(orofficiallyannounce)thisShipDARTMOUTHattheCustom—
houseinanywise;buttopledgehisbroad—brimmedword,equivalenttohisoath,thatsheshallliedormantthereinGriffin’sWharf,tillwesee。Which,accordingly,shehasbeendoingeversince;
sheandtwoothersthatarrivedsomedayslater;dormantallthreeofthem,sidebyside,threecrewstotallyidle;a’CommitteeofTen’supervisingRotch’sprocedures;andtheBostonworldmuchexpectant。Thursday,December16th:thisisthe20thdaysinceRotch’sDARTMOUTHarrivedhere;ifnot’entered’atCustom—houseinthecourseofthisday,Custom—housecannotgivehera’clearance’
either(aleavetodepart),——shebecomesasmuggler,anoutlaw,andherfateismysterioustoRotchandus。
"ThisThursdayaccordingly,by10inthemorning,intheOldSouthMeeting—house,Bostonisassembled,andcountry—peopletothenumberof2,000;——andRotchneverwasinsuchacompanyofhumanFriendsbefore。Theyarenotunciviltohim(cautiouspeople,heedfulofthevergeoftheLaw);buttheyareperemptory,totheextentof——Rotchmayshuddertothinkwhat。"IwenttotheCustom—
houseyesterday,’saidRotch,’yourCommitteeofTencanbearmewitness;anddemandedclearanceandleavetodepart;buttheywouldnot;wereforbidden,theysaid!’’Go,then,sir;getyoutotheGovernorhimself;aclearance,andoutofharborthisday:hadn’tyoubetter?’Rotchiswellawarethathehad;hastensofftotheGovernor(whohasvanishedtohisCountry—house,onpurpose);
OldSouthMeeting—houseadjourningtill3P。M。,forRotch’sreturnwithclearance。
"At3noRotch,norat4,norat5;miscellaneousplangentintermittentspeechinstead,mostlyplangent,intonesorrowfulratherthanindignant:——ataquarterto6,hereatlengthisRotch;
sunislongsinceset,——hasRotchaclearanceornot?Rotchreportsatlarge,willingtobequestionedandcross—questioned:
’Governorabsolutelywouldnot!MyChristianfriends,whatcouldI
orcanIdo?’Therearebythistimeabout7,000peopleinOldSouthMeeting—house,veryfewtallow—lightsincomparison,——almostnolightsforthemindeither,——anditisdifficulttoanswer。
Rotch’sreportdone,theChairman[oneAdams,"AmericanCato,"
subsequentlysocalled]dissolvesthesorrowful7,000,withthesewords:’ThisMeetingdeclaresthatitcandonothingmoretosavetheCountry。’Willmerelygohome,then,andweep。Hark,however:
almostontheinstant,infrontofOldSouthMeeting—house,(aterrificWar—whoop;andaboutfiftyMohawkIndians,’——withwhomAdamsseemstobeacquainted;andspeakswithoutInterpreter:Aha?——
"And,sureenough,beforethestrokeof7,thesefiftypaintedMohawksareforward,withoutnoise,toGriffin’sWharf;haveputsentriesallroundthere;and,inagreatsilenceoftheneighborhood,arebusy,inthreegangs,uponthedormantTeaShips;
openingtheirchests,andpunctuallyshakingthemoutintothesea。
’Listeningfromthedistance,youcouldheardistinctlytherippingopenofthechests,andnoothersound。’About10P。M。allwasfinished:342chestsofteaflungouttoinfuseintheAtlantic;
thefiftyMohawksgonelikeadream;andBostonsleepingmoresilentlyeventhanusual。"["SummaryoftheAdvicesfromAmerica"
(inGentleman’sMagazinefor1774,pp。26,27);Bancroft,iii。536etseq。]
"Sevenintheevening:"this,Icalculate,allowingfortheEarth’srotation,willbeaboutthetimewhenFriedrich,welltiredwiththeday’sbusiness,isgettingtobed;by10ontheBostonclocks,whentheprocessfinishesthere,Friedrichwillhavehadthebestofhissleepover。HereisMontcalm’sProphecycomingtofulfilment;——andacuriousintersectionofaflyingEventthroughone’spoorLETTERTOD’ALEMBERT。WewillnowgivethetwoEnglishInterviewswithVoltaire;oneofwhichisofthreeyearspast,anotherofthreeyearsahead。
No。1。DRBURNEYHASSIGHTOFVOLTAIRE(July,1770)。
Intheyears1770—1771,Burney,thenafamousDOCTOROFMUSIC,madehisTOURthroughFranceandItaly,onMusicalerrandsandresearches:[CharlesBurney’sPresentStateofMusicinFranceandItaly,beingtheJournalofaTourthroughthoseCountriestocollectMaterialsforaGeneralHistoryofMusic(London,1773)。TheHistoryofMusic
followedduly,inFour4tos(London,1776—1789)。]withthesewehavenoconcern,butonlywithonemostsmallexceptionaloffshootorepisodewhichgrewoutofthese。EnoughforustoknowthatBurney,acomfortable,well—disposed,ratherdullthoughvivaciousDoctor,agenear45,hadleftLondonforParis"inJune,1770;"
thathewasontoGeneva,intendingforTurin,"earlyinJuly;"
andthathis"M。Fritz,"mentionedbelow,isaveteranBrotherinMusic,settledatGenevaforthelastthirtyyears,whohasbeenhelpfulandagreeabletoBurneywhilehere。OurExcerptthereforedatesitself,"oneoftheearlydaysofJuly,1770,"——Burneyhoveringbetweentwoplans(asweshalldimlyperceive),andnotexactlyexecutingeither:——……"MygoingtoM。Fritzbroke[wasaboutbreaking,butdidnotquite]intoaplanwhichIhadformedofvisitingM。deVoltaire,atthesamehour,alongwithsomeotherstrangers,whowerethengoingtoFerney。But,tosaythetruth,besidesthevisittoM。FritzbeingmoreMYBUSINESS,Ididnotmuchlikegoingwiththesepeople,whohadonlyaGenevaBooksellertointroducethem;
andIhadheardthatsomeEnglishhadlatelymetwitharebufffromM。deVoltaire,bygoingwithoutanyletterofrecommendation,oranythingtorecommendthemselves。HeaskedthemWhattheywanted?
UpontheirreplyingThattheywishedonlytoseesoextraordinaryaman,hesaid:’Well,gentlemen,younowseeme:didyoutakemeforawildbeastormonster,thatwasfitonlytobestaredatasashow?’Thisstoryverymuchfrightenedme;for,nothaving,whenI
leftLondon,orevenParis,anyintentionofgoingtoGeneva,Iwasquiteunprovidedwitharecommendation。However,Iwasdeterminedtoseetheplaceofhisresidence,whichItooktobe[stillLES
DELICES],CETTEMAISOND’ARISTIPPE,CESJARDINSD’PICURE,towhichheretiredin1755;butwasmistaken[notTheDELICESnowatall,butFerney,fornineortenyearsback]。
"IdrovetoFerneyalone,afterIhadleftM。Fritz。ThisHouseisthreeorfourmilesfromGeneva,butneartheLake。Iapproacheditwithreverence,andacuriosityofthemostminutekind。IinquiredWHENIfirsttrodonhisdomain;Ihadanintelligentandtalkativepostilion,whoansweredallmyquestionsverysatisfactorily。
M。deVoltaire’sestateisverylargehere,andheisbuildingprettyfarm—housesuponit。HehaserectedontheGenevasideaquadrangularJUSTICE,orGallows,toshowthatheistheSEIGNEUR。
Oneofhisfarms,orrathermanufacturinghouses,——forheisestablishingamanufactureuponhisestate,——wassohandsomethatI
thoughtitwashischateau。