"WedrovetoFerney,throughacharmingcountry,coveredwithcornandvines,inviewoftheLake,andMountainsofGex,SwitzerlandandSavoy。Onthelefthand,approachingtheHouse,isaneatChapelwiththisinscription:——
’DEOEREXITVOLTAIREMDCCLXI。’
Isenttoinquire,WhetherastrangermightbeallowedtoseetheHouseandGardens;andwasansweredintheaffirmative。Aservantsooncame,andconductedmeintothecabinetorclosetwherehisMasterhadjustbeenwriting:thisisnevershownwhenheisathome;buthavingwalkedout,Iwasallowedthatprivilege。
FromthenceIpassedtotheLibrary,whichisnotaverylargeone,butwellfilled。HereIfoundawhole—lengthFigureinmarbleofhimself,recumbent,inoneofthewindows;andmanycuriositiesinanotherroom;aBustofhimself,madenottwoyearssince;
hisMother’spicture;thatofhisNiece,MadamDenis;hisBrother,M。Dupuis;theCalasFamily;andothers。ItisaveryneatandelegantHouse;notlarge,noraffectedlydecorated。
"Ishouldfirsthaveremarked,thatclosetotheChapel,betweenthatandthehouse,istheTheatre,whichhebuiltsomeyearsago;
wherehetreatedhisfriendswithsomeofhisownTragedies:itisnowonlyusedasareceptacleforwoodandlumber,therehavingbeennoplayactedinitthesefouryears。TheservanttoldmehisMasterwas78[76gone],butverywell。’ILTRAVAILLE,’saidhe,’PENDANTDIXHEURESCHAQUEJOUR,Hestudiestenhourseveryday;
writesconstantlywithoutspectacles,andwalksoutwithonlyadomestic,oftenamileortwo——ETLEVOILA,LABAS,Andsee,yonderheis!’
"Hewasgoingtohisworkmen。Myheartleapedatthesightofsoextraordinaryaman。HehadjustthenquittedhisGarden,andwascrossingthecourtbeforehisHouse。Seeingmychaise,andmeonthepointofmountingit,hemadeasigntohisservantwhohadbeenmyCICERONE,togotohim;inorder,Isuppose,toinquirewhoIwas。Aftertheyhadexchangedafewwordstogether,he,"M。deVoltaire,"approachedtheplacewhereIwasstandingmotionless,inordertocontemplatehispersonasmuchasIcouldwhilehiseyeswereturnedfromme;butonseeiughimmovetowardsme,Ifoundmyselfdrawnbysomeirresistiblepowertowardshim;and,withoutknowingwhatIdid,Iinsensiblymethimhalf—way。
"ItisnoteasytoconceiveitpossibleforlifetosubsistinaformsonearlycomposedofmereskinandboneasthatofM。deVoltaire。"ExtremelyleanoldGentleman!"Hecomplainedofdecrepitude,andsaid,HesupposedIwasanxioustoformanideaofthefigureofonewalkingafterdeath。However,hiseyesandwholecountenancearestillfulloffire;andthoughsoemaciated,amorelivelyexpressioncannotbeimagined。
"HeinquiredafterEnglishnews;andobservedthatPoeticalsquabbleshadgivenwaytoPoliticalones;butseemedtothinkthespiritofoppositionasnecessaryinpoetryasinpolitics。
’Lesquerellesd’auteurssontpourlebiendelalitterature,commedansungouvernementlibrelesquerellesdesgrands,etlesclameursdespetits,sontnecessairesalaliberte。’
Andadded,’Whencriticsaresilent,itdoesnotsomuchprovetheAgetobecorrect,asdull。’HeinquiredwhatPoetswehadnow;ItoldhimwehadMasonandGray。’Theywritebutlittle,’saidhe:’andyouseemtohavenoonewholordsitovertherest,likeDryden,PopeandSwift。’ItoldhimthatitwasoneoftheinconveniencesofPeriodicalJournals,howeverwellexecuted,thattheyoftensilencedmodestmenofgenius,whileimpudentblockheadswereimpenetrable,andunabletofeelthecritic’sscourge:thatMr。GrayandMr。Masonhadbothbeenilliberallytreatedbymechanicalcritics,eveninnewspapers;
andadded,thatmodestyandloveofquietseemedinthesegentlementohavegotthebetterevenoftheirloveoffame。
"Duringthisconversation,weapproachedthebuildingsthathewasconstructingneartheroadtohisChateau。’These,’saidhe,pointingtothem,’arethemostinnocent,andperhapsthemostuseful,ofallmyworks。’Iobservedthathehadotherworks,whichwereoffarmoreextensiveuse,andwouldbemuchmoredurable,thanthose。Hewassoobligingastoshowmeseveralfarm—housesthathehadbuilt,andtheplansofothers:afterwhichItookmyleave。"[Burney’sPresentStateofMusic
(London,1773),pp。55—62。
NO。2。AREVERENDMR。SHERLOCKSEESVOLTAIRE,ANDEVEN
DINESWITHHIM(April,1776)。
Sherlock’sBookofTRAVELS,thoughhewroteitintwolanguages,anditoncehaditsvogue,isnowlittleotherthanaDanceofWill—o’—wispstous。ABooktawdry,incoherent,indistinct,atonceflashyandopaque,fullofidleexcrescencesandexuberances;——asisthepoormanhimself。Hewas"ChaplaintotheEarlofBristol,BishopofDerry;"gyratingaboutasecclesiasticalMoontothatfamedSolarLuminary,whatcouldyouexpect![TitleofhisBookis,LettersfromanEnglishTraveller;translatedfromtheFrenchOriginal(London,1780)。Ditto,
LettersfromanEnglishTrader;writtenoriginallyinFrench;bytheRev。MartinSherlock,A。M。,ChaplaintotheEarlofBristol,&c。(anewEdition,2vols。,London,1802)。]PoorSherlockisnowhereintentionallyfabulous;norintrinsicallyaltogethersofoolishasheseems:letthatsufficeus。InhisDanceofWill—o’—wisps,whichinthispointhappilyisdated,——26th—27thApril,1776,——hehadcometoFerney,withproperintroductiontoVoltaire;andhere(aftersevereexcisionoftheflabbyparts,butwithoutotherchange)iscredibleaccountofwhathesawandheard。
InThreeScenes;withthisPrologue,——astoCostume,whichisworthreadingtwice:——
VOLTAIRE’SDRESS。"OnthetwodaysIsawhim,heworewhiteclothshoes,whitewoollenstockings,redbreeches,withanightgownandwaistcoatofbluelinen,flowered,andlinedwithyellow。Hehadonagrizzlewigwiththreeties,andoveritasilknightcapembroideredwithgoldandsilver。"
SCENEI。THEENTRANCE—HALLOFFERNEY(Friday,26thApril,1776):
EXUBERANTSHERLOCKENTERING,LETTEROFINTRODUCTIONHAVINGPRECEDED。
"Hemetinthehall;hisNephewM。d’Hornoi"(Grand—nephew;
AbbeMignot,famousforBURYINGVoltaire,andMadameDenis,whomweknow,wereD’Hornoi’sUncleandAunt)——Grand—nephew,"CounsellorintheParlementofParis,heldhimbythearm。Hesaidtome,withaveryweakvoice:’Youseeaveryoldman,whomakesagreatefforttohavethehonorofseeingyou。WillyoutakeawalkinmyGarden?
Itwillpleaseyou,foritisintheEnglishtaste:——itwasIwhointroducedthattasteintoFrance,anditisbecomeuniversal。
ButtheFrenchparodyyourGardens:theyputyourthirtyacresintothree。’
"FromhisGardensyouseetheAlps,theLake,theCityofGenevaanditsenvirons,whichareverypleasant。Hesaid:——
VOLTAIRE。"’Itisabeautifulprospect。’Hepronouncedthesewordstolerablywell。
SHERLOCK。"’HowlongisitsinceyouwereinEngland?’
VOLTAIRE。"’Fiftyyears,atleast。’[Notquite;in1728left;in1726hadcome。][Supra,vii。47。]
D’HORNOI。"’ItwasatthetimewhenyouprintedtheFirstEditionofyourHENRIADE。’
"WethentalkedofLiterature;andfromthatmomentheforgothisageandinfirmities,andspokewiththewarmthofamanofthirty。
HesaidsomeshockingthingsagainstMosesandagainstShakspeare。
[Likeenough!]……WethentalkedofSpain。
VOLTAIRE。"’ItisaCountryofwhichweknownomorethanofthemostsavagepartsofAfrica;anditisnotworththetroubleofbeingknown。Ifamanwouldtravelthere,hemustcarryhisbed,&c。OnarrivinginaTown,hemustgointoonestreettobuyabottleofwine;apieceofamule[bywayofbeef]inanother;
hefindsatableinathird,——andhesups。AFrenchNoblemanwaspassingthroughPampeluna:hesentoutforaspit;therewasonlyoneintheTown,andthatwaslentawayforawedding。’
D’HORNOI。"’There,Monsieur,isaVillagewhichM。deVoltairehasbuilt!’
VOLTAIRE。"’Yes,wehaveourfreedomshere。Cutoffalittlecorner,andweareoutofFrance。IaskedsomeprivilegesformyChildrenhere,andtheKinghasgrantedmeallthatIasked,andhasdeclaredthisPaysdeGexexemptfromallTaxesoftheFarmers—
General;sothatsalt,whichformerlysoldfortensousapound,nowsellsforfour。Ihavenothingmoretoask,excepttolive。’——
WewentintotheLibrary"(hadmadetheroundoftheGardens,Isuppose)。
SCENEII。INTHELIBRARY。
VOLTAIRE。"’Thereyoufindseveralofyourcountrymen[hehadShakspeare,Milton,Congreve,Rochester,Shaftesbury,Bolingbroke,Robertson,Humeandothers]。RobertsonisyourLivy;hisCHARLES
FIFTHiswrittenwithtruth。HumewrotehisHistorytobeapplauded,Rapintoinstruct;andbothobtainedtheirends。’
SHERLOCK。"’LordBolingbrokeandyouagreedthatwehavenotonegoodTragedy。’
VOLTAIRE。"’Wedidthinkso。CATOisincomparablywellwritten:
Addisonhadagreatdealoftaste;——buttheabyssbetweentasteandgeniusisimmense!Shakspearehadanamazinggenius,butnotaste:
hehasspoiledthetasteoftheNation。Hehasbeentheirtastefortwohundredyears;andwhatisthetasteofaNationfortwohundredyearswillbesofortwothousand。Thiskindoftastebecomesareligion;thereare,inyourCountry,agreatmanyFanaticsforShakspeare。’
SHERLOCK。"’WereyoupersonallyacquaintedwithLordBolingbroke?’
VOLTAIRE。"’Yes。Hisfacewasimposing,andsowashisvoice;
inhisWORKStherearemanyleavesandlittlefruit;
distortedexpressions,andperiodsintolerablylong。[TAKINGDOWNA
BOOK。]There,youseetheKORAN,whichiswellread,atleast。
[Itwasmarkedthroughoutwithbitsofpaper。]ThereareHISTORIC
DOUBTS,byHoraceWalpole[whichhadalsoseveralmarks];hereistheportraitofRichardIII。;youseehewasahandsomeyouth。’
SHERLOCK(makinganabrupttransition)。"’YouhavebuiltaChurch?’
VOLTAIRE。"’True;anditistheonlyoneintheUniverseinhonorofGod[DEOEREXITVOLTAIRE,aswereadabove]:youhaveplentyofChurchesbuilttoSt。Paul,toSt。Genevieve,butnotonetoGod。’"
EXITSherlock(tohisInn;makesjottingasabove;——istodineatFerneyto—morrow)。
SCENEIII。DINNER—TABLEOFVOLTAIRE。
"Thenextday,aswesatdowntoDinner,"ourHostintheaboveshiningcostume,"hesaid,inEnglishtolerablypronounced:——
VOLTAIRE。"’Wearehereforlibertyandproperty![parodyofsomeoldSpeechinParliament,letusguess,——libertyandproperty,myLords!]ThisGentleman——whomletmepresenttoMonsieurSherlock——
isaJesuit[oldPereAdam,whomIkeepforplayingChess,inhisold,unsheltereddays];hewearshishat:Iamapoorinvalid,——
Iwearmynightcap。’……
"Idonotnowrecollectwhyhequotedtheseverses,alsoinEnglish,byRochester,onCHARLESSECOND:——
’Hereliesthemutton—eatingKing,Whoneversaidafoolishthing,Noreverdidawiseone。’
ButspeakingofRacine,hequotedthisCouplet(ofRoscomman’sESSAYONTRANSLATEDVERSE):——
’TheweightybullionofonesterlinglineDrawntoFrenchwirewouldthroughwholepagesshine。
SHERLOCK。"’TheEnglishpreferCorneilletoRacine。’
VOLTAIRE。"’ThatisbecausetheEnglisharenotsufficientlyacquaintedwiththeFrenchtonguetofeelthebeautiesofRacine’sstyle,ortheharmonyofhisversification。Corneilleoughttopleasethemmorebecauseheismorestriking;butRacinepleasestheFrenchbecausehehasmoresoftnessandtenderness。’
SHERLOCK。"’Howdidyoufind[LIKE]theEnglishfare(LACHERE
ANGLAISE?’——whichVoltairemischievouslytakesfor’thedearEnglishwoman’)。
VOLTAIRE。"’Ifoundherveryfreshandwhite,’——truly![Itshouldberemembered,thatwhenhemadethispunuponWomenhewasinhiseighty—thirdyear。]
SHERLOCK。"’Theirlanguage?’
VOLTAIRE。"’Energetic,preciseandbarbarous;theyaretheonlyNationthatpronouncetheirAasE……[Andsometimeafterwards]
ThoughIcannotperfectlypronounceEnglish,myearissensibleoftheharmonyofyourlanguageandofyourversification。PopeandDrydenhavethemostharmonyinPoetry;AddisoninProse。’
[Takesnowtheinterrogatingside。]
VOLTAIRE。"’Howhaveyouliked(AVEX—VOUSTROUVE)theFrench?’
SHERLOCK。"’Amiableandwitty。Ionlyfindonefaultwiththem:
theyimitatetheEnglishtoomuch。’
VOLTAIRE。"’How!Doyouthinkusworthytobeoriginalsourselves?’
SHERLOCK。"’Yes,Sir。’
VOLTAIRE。"’SodoItoo:——butitisofyourGovernmentthatweareenvious。’
SHERLOCK。"’IhavefoundtheFrenchfreerthanIexpected。’
VOLTAIRE。"’Yes,astowalking,oreatingwhateverhepleases,orlollinginhiselbow—chair,aFrenchmanisfreeenough;butastotaxes——Ah,Monsieur,youarealuckyNation;youcandowhatyoulike;poorweareborninslavery:wecannotevendieaswewill;
wemusthaveaPriest[can’tgetburiedotherwise;amoftenthinkingofthat!]……Well,iftheEnglishdosellthemselves,itisaproofthattheyareworthsomething:weFrenchdon’tsellourselves,probablybecauseweareworthnothing。’
SHERLOCK。"’WhatisyouropinionoftheELOISE’[Rousseau’simmortalWork]?
VOLTAIRE。"’Thatitwillnotbereadtwentyyearshence。’
SHERLOCK。"’Mademoiselledel’EncloswrotesomegoodLETTERS?’
VOLTAIRE。"’Sheneverwroteone;theywerebythewretchedCrebillon’[mybeggarlyold"Rival"inthePompadourepoch]!……
VOLTAIRE。"’TheItaliansareaNationofbrokers。ItalyisanOld—
Clothesshop;inwhichtherearemanyOldDressesofexquisitetaste……Butwearestilltoknow,WhetherthesubjectsofthePopeoroftheGrandTurkarethemoreabject。’[WehavenowgonetotheDrawing—room,Ithink,thoughitisnotjotted。]
"HetalkedofEnglandandofShakspeare;andexplainedtoMadameDenispartofaSceneinHenryFifth,wheretheKingmakeslovetoQueenCatherineinbadFrench;andofanotherinwhichthatQueentakesalessoninEnglishfromherWaiting—woman,andwherethereareseveralverygrossdouble—entendres"——but,Ihope,didnotlongdwellonthese……
VOLTAIRE。"’WhenIseeanEnglishmansubtleandfondoflawsuits,I
say,"ThereisaNorman,whocameinwithWilliamtheConqueror。"
WhenIseeamangood—naturedandpolite,"ThatisonewhocamewiththePlantagenets;"abrutalcharacter,"ThatisaDane:"——foryourNation,Monsieur,aswellasyourLanguage,isamedleyofmanyothers。’
"Afterdinner,passingthroughalittleParlorwheretherewasaheadofLocke,anotheroftheCountessofCoventry,andseveralmore,hetookmebythearmandstoppedme:’DoyouknowthisBust[bustofSirIsaacNewton]?Itisthegreatestgeniusthateverexisted:ifallthegeniusesoftheUniversewereassembled,heshouldleadtheband。’
"ItwasofNewton,andofhisownWorks,thatM。deVoltairealwaysspokewiththegreatestwarmth。"[Sherlock,LETTERS(London,1802),i。98—106。](EXITSherlock,tojotdowntheabove,andthenceintoInfiniteSpace。)
GENERALORFIELDMARSHALCONWAY,DIRECTFROMTHELONDONCIRCLES,ATTENDSONEOFFRIEDRICH’SREVIEWS(August—September,1774)。
NowthatFriedrich’sMilitaryDepartmentisgotcompletelyintotrimagain,whichhereckonstohavebeenabout1770,hisannualReviewsarebecomingveryfamousoverEurope;andintelligentOfficersofallCountriesareeagertobepresent,andinstructthemselvesthere。TheReviewisbeautifulasaSpectacle;butthatisinnosorttheintentionofit。Rigorousbusiness,asinthestrictestofUniversitiesexaminingforDegrees,wouldbenearerthedefinition。Sometimes,whenanewmanoeuvreortacticalinventionofimportanceistobetriedbyexperiment,youwillfindformanymilestheenvironsofPotsdam,whichisusuallythesceneofsuchexperiments,carefullyshutin;sentriesoneveryroad,nounfriendlyeyeadmitted;thethingdoneaswithcloseddoors。Noratanytimecanyouattendwithoutleaveasked;thoughtoForeignOfficers,andpersonsthathavereallybusinessthere,thereappearstobeliberalityenoughingrantingit。Theconcourseofmilitarystrangersseemstokeepincreasingeveryyear,tillFriedrich’sdeath。[Rodenbeck,iii。INLOCIS。]French,moreandmoreinquantity,presentthemselves;multifariousGermannames;
generallyafewEnglishtoo,——Burgoyne(ofSaratogafinally),Cornwallis,DukeofYork,MarshalConway,——ofwhichlastwehavesomethingfarthertosayatpresent。
InSummer,1774,Conway——theMarshalConway,ofwhomWalpoleiscontinuallytalkingasofaconsiderableSoldierandPolitician,thoughhewasnotineithercharacterconsiderable,butwasWalpole’sfriend,andanhonestmodestman——hadmadeuphismind,perhapspartlyondomesticgrounds(forIhavenoticedglimpsesofa"LadyC。"muchoutofhumor),tomakeaTourinGermany,andseetheReviews,bothAustrianandPrussian,Prussianespecially。
TwoimmenseLETTERSofhisonthatsubjecthavecomeintomyhands,[KindlypresentedmebyCharlesKnight,Esq。,thewell—knownAuthorandPublisher(whopossessesaCollectionbythesamehand):
theseTworuntofourteenlargepagesinmyCopy!]andelsewhereincidentallythereisprintedrecordoftheTour;[InKeith(SirRobertMurray),MemoirsandCorrespondence,
ii。21et,seq。]unimportantaspossible,bothTourandLetters,butcapable,ifsqueezedintocompass,ofstillbeingreadwithoutdisadvantagehere。
SirRobertMurrayKeith——thatis,theyoungerExcellencyKeith,nowMinisteratDresden,whomwehavesometimesheardof——accompaniesConwayonthisTour,orfliesalongsideofhim,withfrequentintersectionsattheprincipalpoints;andthereisprintedrecordbySirRobert,butstilllessinterestingthanthisofConway,andperfectlyconformabletoit:——sothat,exceptforsomewordsabouttheLordMarischal,whichshallbegiven,Keithmustremainsilent,whilethediffuseConwaystrivestobecomeintelligible。
Indeed,neitherConwaynorKeithtellustheleastthingthatisnotabundantly,andevenwearisomelyknownfromGermansources;
buttoreadershere,apairofEnglisheyeslookingonthematter(putstraightinplacesbythehelpthereis),maygiveitacertainfreshnessofmeaning。HereareConway’sTwoLetters,withtheninepartsofwatercharitablysqueezedoutofthem,byaskilfulfriendofmineandhis。
CONWAYTOHISBROTHER,MARQUISOFHERTFORD(inLondon)。
"BERLIN,July17th,1774。
"DEARBROTHER,——InthehurryIlivein——……LeavingBrunswick,where,inabsenceofmostoftheCourt,whoarevisitingatPotsdam,myoldCommander,"DukeFerdinand,nowestrangedfromPotsdam,[HadakindofquarrelwithFriedrichin1766(roughtreatmentbyAdjutantvonAnhalt,nottolerabletoaCaptainnowbecomesoeminent),andquietlywithdrew,——stillonspeakingtermswiththeKing,butneverhisOfficermore。]andlivinghereamongworksofArt,andspeculationsonFreeMasonry,"wasverykindtome,IwenttoCelle,inHanover,topaymyrespectstotheQueenofDenmark[unfortunatedivorcedMatilda,savedbymyfriendKeith,——
innocent,Iwillhope!]……Sheisgrownextremelyfat……
AtMagdeburg,thePrussianFrontieronthisside,oneisnotallowed,withoutapermit,eventowalkontheramparts,——suchthestrictnessofPrussianrule……DrivingthroughPotsdam,onmywaytoBerlin,IwasstoppedbyaservantofthegoodoldLordMarischal,whohadspiedmeasIpassedunderhiswindow。Hecameoutinhisnightgown,andinsisteduponourstayingtodinewithhim——[worthyoldman;awordofhim,werethisLetterdone]。
Weended,onconsultationabouttimesandmovementsoftheKing,bystayingthreedaysatPotsdam,mostlywiththisexcellentoldLord。
"Onthethirdday[yesterdayevening,infact],Iwent,byappointment,totheNewPalace,towaitupontheKingofPrussia。
Therewassomedelay:hisMajestyhadgone,intheinterim,toaprivateConcert,whichhewasgivingtothePrincesses[DuchessofBrunswickandotherhighguests[Rodenbeck(INDIE)iii。98。]];
butthemomenthewastoldIwasthere,hecameoutfromhiscompany,andgavemeamostflatteringgraciousaudienceofmorethanhalfanhour;talkingonagreatvarietyofthings,withaneaseandfreedomtheveryreverseofwhatIhadbeenmadetoexpect……Iasked,andreceivedpermission,tovisittheSilesianCampsnextmonth,hisMajestymostgraciouslytellingmetheparticulardaystheywouldbeginandend[27thAugust—3dSeptember,SchmelwitznearBreslau,aretimeandplace[Ib。iii。101。]]。
ThisconsiderablyderangesmyAustrianmovements,andwillhurrymyreturnoutofthoseparts:butwhocouldresistsuchatemptation!
——IsawtheFoot—Guardsexercise,especiallythesplendid’FirstBattalion;’IcouldhaveconceivednothingsoperfectandsoexactasallIsaw:——sowelldressed,suchmen,andsopunctualinalltheydid。
"TheNewPalaceatPotsdamisextremelynoble。Notsoperfect,perhaps,inpointoftaste,butbetterthanIhadbeenledtoexpect。TheKingdislikeslivingthere;neverdoes,exceptwhenthereishighCompanyabouthim;forsevenoreightmonthsintheyear,heprefersLittleSans—Souci,andfreedomamonghisintimatesandsomeofhisGenerals……HisMusicstilltakesupagreatshareoftheKing’stime。OnatableinhisCabinetthere,Isaw,I
believe,twentyboxeswithaGermanfluteineach;inhisBed—
chamber,twiceasmanyboxesofSpanishsnuff;and,alikeinCabinetandinBed—chamber,threearm—chairsinarowforthreefavoritedogs,eachwithalittlestoolbywayofstep,thatthegettingupmightbeeasy……
"TheTownofPotsdamisamostextraordinaryand,initsappearance,beautifulTown;allthestreetsperfectlystraight,allatrightanglestoeachother;andallthehousesbuiltwithhandsome,generallyelegantfronts……Hebuildsforeverybodywhohasabadorasmallhouse,eventhelowestmechanic。HehasdonethesameatBerlin。"Altogether,hisMajesty’sbuildingoperationsareastonishing。And"fromwhencedoesthismoneycome,afteralongexpensiveWar?Itisallfairylandandenchantment,"——MAGNUM
VECTIGALPARSIMONIA,infact!……"AtBerlinhere,IsawthePorcelainManufactureto—day,whichisgreatlyimproved。Ileavepresently。Adieu,dearBrother;excusemyendlessLetter[sinceyoucannotsqueezethewateroutofit,assomewill!]——
Yoursmostsincerely,"HENRYSEYMOURCONWAY。"
KeithisnowMinisteratDresdenforsomeyearsback;andhas,amongothertopics,muchtosayofourbrilliantfriendtheElectressthere:buthisgrandDiplomaticfeatwasatCopenhagen,onasuddensallyoutthither(in1771):[InKEITH,i。152&c。,nothingofintelligibleNarrativegiven,hardlythedatediscoverable。]thesavingofQueenMatilda,youngestSisterofGeorgeThird,fromaharddoom。UnfortunateQueenMatilda;
oneneverknowshowguilty,orwhetherguiltyatall,butshewasveryunfortunate,pooryoungLady!WhatwithamadHusbandcollapsedbydebaucheriesintostuporofinsanity;whatwithaDoctor,graduallyaPrimeMinister,Struensee,wretchedscarecrowtolookupon,butwiserthanmostDanesabout;andfinally,withalynx—eyedStep—sister,whoseSon,shouldMatildamistake,willinherit,——unfortunateMatildahadfallenintotheawfulesttroubles;gotdivorced,imprisoned,wouldhavelostherheadalongwithscarecrowStruenseehadnotherBrotherGeorgeIII。
emphaticallyintervened,——ExcellencyKeith,withSeventy—foursinthedistance,comingoutverystrongontheoccasion,——andgotherloose。LoosefromDanishaxeandjail,atanyrate;deliveredintosafetyandsolitudeatCelleinHanover,whereshenowis,——andsoonaftersuddenlydiesoffever,soclosingaverysadshorthistory。
ExcellencyKeith,famedintheDiplomaticcircleseversince,isatpresentaheadofConwayontheirjointroadtotheAustrianReviews。BeforegivingConway’sSecondLetter,letushearKeithalittleonhiskinsmantheOldMarischal,whomhesawatBerlinyearsago,andstilloccasionallycorrespondswith,andmentionsinhisCorrespondence。KeithLOQUITUR;dateisDresden,February,1770:——
HASVISITEDTHEOLDMARISCHALATPOTSDAMLATELY……"MystayofthreedayswithLordMarischal……HeisthemostinnocentofGod’screatures;andhisheartismuchwarmerthanhishead。Theplaceofhisabode,"Imustsay,"istheveryTempleofDulness;
andhisFemaleCompanion[apoorTurkfoundling,aperishinginfantflungintohislateBrother’shandsattheFallofOczakow,[Supra,vii。82。]——whomtheMarischalhascarefullybroughtup,andwhorefusestomarryawayfromhim,——ratherstupid,notveryprettybythePortraits;mustnowbetwo—and—thirtygone]isperfectlycalculatedtobethePriestessofit!Yethedawdlesawayhisdayinamannernotunpleasanttohim;andIreallyampersuadedhehasaconsciencethatwouldgildtheinsideofadungeon。Thefeatsofourbare—leggedwarriorsinthelateWar[BERG—SCHOTTEN,amongwhomIwasaColonel],accompaniedbyaPIBRACH[elegiacbagpipedroningMORESUO]inhisouterroom,haveaneffectontheoldDon,whichwoulddelightyou。"[Keith,i。129;"Dresden,25thFebruary,1770:"
tohisSisterinScotland。]
ANDTHENSEENHIMINBERLIN,ONTHESAMEOCCASION……
"LordMarischalcametomeetmeatSirAndrew’s[Mitchell’s,inBerlin,thelastyearofthebraveMitchell’slife],wherewepassedfivedaystogether。Myvisittohiscountryresidence,"asyoualreadyknow,"wasofthreedays;andIhadreasontobeconvincedthatitgavetheoldDongreatpleasure。Hetalkedtomewiththegreatestopennessandconfidenceofallthematerialincidentsofhislife;andhintedoftenthatthehonoroftheClanwasnowtobesupportedbyourfamily,forallofwhomhehadthegreatestesteem。Histaste,hisideas,andhismannerofliving,areamixtureofAberdeenshireandtheKingdomofValencia;andasheseekstomakenonewfriends,heseemstoretainastrong,thoughsilent,attachmentforhisoldones。Astohispoliticalprinciples,Ibelievehimthemostsincereofconverts"toWhiggeryandOrthodoxy……"SinceIbeganthis,IhavehadamostinimitableLetterfromLordMarischal。IhadmentionedDr。Bailiestohim[notedEnglishDoctoratDresden,bentoninoculatingandthelike],andbeggedhewouldsendmeastateofhiscaseandinfirmities,thattheDoctormightprescribeforhim。Thisisapartofhisanswer:——
"’IthankyouforyouradviceofconsultingtheEnglishDoctortorepairmyoldcarcass。Ihavelatelydonesobymyoldcoach,anditisnowalmostasgoodasnew。Please,therefore,totelltheDoctor,thatfromhimIexpectagoodrepair,andshallstatethecase。First,hemustknowthatthemachineistheworseforwear,beingnearlyeightyyearsold。ThereparationIproposeheshallbeginwithis:Onepairofneweyes,onepairofnewears,someimprovementonthememory。Whenthisisdone,weshallasknewlegs,andsomechangeinthestomach。Forthepresent,thisfirstreparationwillbesufficient;andwemustnottroubletheDoctortoomuchatonce。’——YouseebythishoweasyhisLordship’sinfirmitiessituponhim;anditisreallysoashesays。
YourfriendSirAndrewis,Iamafraid,lessgay;butIhavenotheardfromhimthesethreemonths。"[Keith,i。132,133;"Dresden,13thMarch,1770:"tohisFather。]
CONWAYTOKEITH,ONTHELATETHREEDAYSATPOTSDAM。
[Date,"Dresden,21stJuly,1774:"inKEITH,ii。15。]"IstayedthreedaysatPotsdam,withmuchentertainment,forgoodpartofwhichIamobligedtoyourExcellency’soldfriendLordMarischal,whoshowedmeallthekindnessandcivilitypossible。HestoppedmeasIpassed,andnotonlymademedinewithhimthatday,butinamannerlivewithhim。Heisnotatallblind,asyouimagined;
somuchotherwise,thatIsawhimread,withoutspectacles,adifficulthandIcouldnoteasilydecipher……StayedbutadayatBerlin;"amrushingafteryou:——HereismySecondLetter:——
CONWAY’SSECONDLETTER(tohisBrother,asbefore)。
"SCHMELWITZ[nearBreslau]HEAD—QUARTERS,August31st,1774。
"DEARBROTHER……IleftthatCamp[AustrianCamp,andReviewsinHungary,wheretheKaiserandeverybodyhadbeenverygracioustome]withmuchregret。"PartedregretfullywithKeith;——hadplayed,atPresburg,insightofhimandfourteenotherEnglishmen,agamewiththeChessAutomaton[brand—newmiracle,justout];[Accountofit,andofthisgame,inKEITHtoo(ii。18;"View,3dSeptember,1774:"KeithtohisFather)。]——cameonthroughViennahitherward,asfastaspost—horsescouldcarryus;travellingnightandday,withoutstopping,beingratherbehindtime。"ArrivedatBreslauneardark,lastnight;whereIlearntthattheCampwastwentymilesoff;thattheKingwasgonethere,andthattheManoeuvreswouldbeginatfourorfivethismorning。Ithereforeorderedmychaiseattwelveatnight,andsetout,indarknessandrain,tobepresentedtotheKingofPrussianextmorningatfive,attheheadofhistroops……WhenIarrived,beforefive,attheplacecalled’Head—quarters,’IfoundmyselfinthemiddleofamiserableVillage[thisSchmelwitzhere];nocreaturealiveorstirring,norasentinel,oranyMilitaryobjecttobeseen……Assoonasanythingalivewastobefound,weasked,IftheKingwaslodgedinthatVillage?’Yes,’theysaid,’inthatHouse’(pointingtoaclayHovel)。ButGeneralLentulussoonappeared;and——
"HisMajestyhasbeenverygracious;askedmemanyquestionsaboutmytourtoHungary。IsawalltheTroopspasshimastheyarrivedinCamp。Theymadeaveryfineappearancereally,thoughitrainedhardthewholetimewewereout;andashisMajesty[age62]didnotcloak,wewereallheartilywet。And,whatwasworse,wentfromthefieldtoOrders[givingoutofParole,andthelike]athisQuarters,theretomakeourbow;——wherewestayedinourwetclothesanhourandhalf[towards10A。M。bythistime]……
HowdifferentattheEmperor’s,whenhisImperialMajestyandeverybodywascloaked![Gotnohurtbythewet,strangetosay。]……Theseareournewstothisday。Andnow,havingsatupfivenightsoutofthelastsix,andbeeninrainanddirtalmostallday,Iwishyousincerelygood—night。——H。S。C。
"P。S。Breslau,4thSeptember。——……MyPrussianCampaignisfinished,andasmuchtomysatisfactionaspossible。ThebeautyandorderoftheTroops,theirgreatdiscipline,their"&c。&c。,"almostpassallbelief……Yesterdaywewereonhorsebackearly,atfouro’clock。Themovementwasconductedwithaspiritandorder,onbothsides,thatwasastonishing,andstruckthemoredelightful(SIC)bythevariety,asinthecourseoftheActiontheEnemy,conductedbyGeneralAnhalt[headallrightasyet],tookthreedifferentpositionsbeforehisfinalretreat。
"Themomentitwasover[nineo’clockorso],hisMajestygotafreshhorse,andsetoutforPotsdam,afterreceivingthecomplimentsofthosepresent,orratherholdingakindofshortLeveeinthefield。Ican’tsayhowmuch,inmyparticular,IamobligedtohisMajestyforhisextraordinaryreception,anddistinctionshownmethroughout。EachdayaftertheManoeuvre,andgivingtheOrdersoftheday,heheldalittleLeveeatthedoor,orinthecourt;atwhich,Icanassureyou,itisnotanexaggerationofvanitytosay,thathenotonlytalkedtome,butliterallytonobodyelseatall。Itwasagooddealeachtime,andassoonasfinishedhemadehisbow,andretired,thoughall,ormost,oftheotherForeignerswerestandingby,aswellashisownGenerals。Healsocalledmeup,andspoketomeseveraltimesonhorseback,whenwewereout,whichheseldomdidtoanybody。
"ThePrinceRoyalalsoshowedmemuchcivility。Thesecondday,heaskedmetocomeanddrinkadishofteawithhimafterdinner,andkeptmeanhourandhalf。Hetoldme,amongotherthings,thattheKingofPrussiahadahighopinionofme,andthatitcamechieflyfromthefavorablemannerinwhichDukeFerdinandandtheHereditaryPrince[ofBrunswick]hadspokenofme……PrayletHoraceWalpoleknowmyaddress,thatImayhaveallthechanceI
canofhearingfromhim。ButifhecomestoParis,Iforgivehim。——
H。S。C。"
Friedrich’sReviews,thoughfinetolookupon,orindeedthefinestintheworld,werebynomeansofspectacularnature;butofaltogetherseriousandpractical,almostofsolemnandterrible,tothepartiesinterested。LikethestrictestCollegeExaminationforDegrees,aswesaid;likeaRoyalAssizeorDoomsdayoftheYear;
toMilitarypeople,andovertheupperclassesofBerlinSociety,nothingcouldbemoreserious,MajorKaltenborn,anEx—PrussianOfficer,presumablyofover—talkativehabits,whosoundsonuslikeaverymess—roomofthetimeallgatheredunderonehat,——describesinanalmostawfulmannerthekindofterrorwithwhichallpeopleawaitedtheseAnnualAssizesfortrialofmilitarymerit。
"Whatasight,"sayshe,"andawakeningwhatthoughts,thatofabodyoffrom18,000to20,000soldiers,insolemnsilenceandindeepestreverence,awaitingtheirfatefromoneman!AReview,inFriedrich’stime,wasanimportantmomentforalmostthewholeCountry。Thefortuneofwholefamiliesoftendependedonit:
fromwives,mothers,childrenandfriends,duringthoseterriblethreedays,therearoseferventwishestoHeaven,thatmisfortunemightnot,aswastoofrequentlythecase,befalltheirhusbands,fathers,sonsandfriends,inthecourseofthem。HeretheKing,asitwere,weighedthemeritsofhisOfficers,anddistributed,accordingashefoundthemlightorheavy,praiseorblame,rebukesorfavors;andoften,toooften,punishments,tobefeltthroughlife。Onesingleunhappymoment[especiallyifitwerethelastofalongseriesofsuch!]oftendeprivedthebravestOfficerofhisbread,painfullyearnedinpeaceandwar,andofhisreputationandhonor,atleastintheeyesofmostmen,whojudgeofeverythingonlybyitsissue。Thehigheryouhadrisen,theeasieranddeeperyourfallmightbeatanunluckyReview。TheHeadsandCommandersofregimentswerealwaysindangerofbeingsentabouttheirbusiness(WEGGEJAGT)。"
Thefactis,IKaltenbornquittedthePrussianService,andtookHessian,——being(presumably)ofexaggerative,over—talkativenature,andstronglygravitatingOppositionway!——KaltenbornadmitsthattheKingdelightedinnothingsomuchastoseepeople’sfacescheerfulabouthim;providedthepriceforitwerenottoohigh。
Hereisanotherpassagefromhim:——
"Atlatestby9inthemorningtheday’sManoeuvrehadfinished,andeverythingwasalreadyinitsplaceagain。StraightfromthegroundallHeadsofregiments,theMajors—DE—JOUR,allAides—de—
Camp,andfromeverybattaliononeOfficer,proceedtoHead—
quarters。Itwasimpossibletospeakmorebeautifully,orinstructively,thantheKingdidonsuchoccasions,ifhewerenotinbadhumor。ItwasthenaverydelighttohearhimdeliveraMilitaryLecture,asitwere。Heknewexactlywhohadfailed,whatcausedthefault,andhowitmightandshouldhavebeenretrieved。
Hisvoicewassoftandpersuasive(HINREISSEND);helookedkindly,andappearedratherbentupongivinggoodadvicethancommands。
"Thus,forinstance,heoncesaidtoGeneralvanLossow,HeadoftheBlackHussars:’Your(SEINE)Attackwouldhavegoneverywell,hadnotyourownsquadronpressedforwardtoomuch(VORGEPRELLT)。
Thebravefellowswantedtoshowmehowtheycanride。Butdon’tI
knowthatwellenough;——andalsothatyou[covetousLossow]alwayschoosethebesthorsesfromthewholeremountforyourownsquadron!Therewas,therefore,noneedatallforthat。Tellyourpeoplenottodosoto—morrow,andyouwillseeitwillgomuchbetter;allwillremaincloserintheirplaces,andtheleftwingbeabletokeepbetterinline,incomingon。’——Anothertime,havingobserved,inacertainFoot—regiment,thatthesoldiersweretoolongingettingouttheircartridges,hesaidtotheCommandant:’Doyouknowthecauseofthis,mydearColonel?
Look,thecartouche,inthecartridge—box,has32holes;intothesethefellowstickshiseightcartridges,withoutcaringhow:andsothepoordevilfumblesandgropesabout,andcannotgetholdofany。Butnow,iftheOfficerswouldlooktoitthatheplacethemallwelltogetherinthemiddleofthecartouche,hewouldnevermakeafalsegrasp,andtheloadingwouldgoasquickagain。
OnlytellyourOfficersthatIhadmadethisobservation,andIamsuretheywillgladlyattendtoit。’"[Anonymous(Kaltenborn),BriefeeinesaltenPreussischenOfficiers
(Hohenzollern,1790),ii。24—26。]
OfhumaneconsolatoryAnecdotes,inthiskind,ourOppositionKaltenborngivesseveral;oftherhadamanthinedesolatingordestructivekind,thoughsuchalsocouldnotbewanting,ifyourAssizeistobegoodforanything,hegivesusnone。AndsofarasIcanlearn,theeffectivepunishments,dismissalsandthelike,wereoftheduerarityandpropriety;thoughtheflashesofunjustrebuke,fulminantseverity,lightningsfromthegloomofone’sownsorrowsandill—humor,weremuchmorefrequent,butwereseldom——I
donotknowifever——persistedintothelengthofpracticalresult。ThisisaRhadamanthusmuchinterestednottobeunjust,andtodiscriminategoodfrombad!OfZiethentherearetwofamousReviewAnecdotes,omittedandomissiblebyKaltenborn,sowellknownarethey:oneofeachkind。AtacertainReview,yearnotascertainable,——longsince,priortotheSeven—YearsWar,——theKing’shumorwasofthegrimmest,nothingbutfaultsallround;
toZiethenhimself,andtheZiethenHussars,hesaidvarioushardthings,andatlengththishardest:"Outofmysightwithyou!"
[MadamedeBlumenthal,LifeofZiethen,i。
265。]UponwhichZiethen——astratumofred—hotkindlinginZiethentoo,aswaseasilypossible——turnstohisHussars,"Rightabout,RECHTSUM:march!"andontheinstantdidasbidden。
Disappeared,double—quick;andatthesamehighpace,inahighframeofmind,rattledontoBerlin,hometohisquarters,andtherefirstdrewbridle。"Turn;forHeaven’ssake,bethinkyou!"
saidmorethanonefriendwhomhemetontheroad:butitwasofnouse。Everybodysaid,"Ziethenisruined;"butZiethenneverheardofthethingmore。
AnecdoteSecondisnotproperlyofaReview,butofanincidentalParadeoftheGuard,atBerlin(25thDecember,1784),bytheKinginperson:Parade,orrathergivingoutoftheParoleafterit,intheKing’sApartments;whichisalwaysakindofMilitaryLeveeaswell;——andwhich,inthisinstance,waslongfamousamongtheBerlinpeople。KingisjustarrivedforCarnivalseason;
oldZiethenwillnotfailtopayhisduty,thoughclimbingofthestairsisheavytoamanof85gone。ThisisMadamBlumenthal’sNarrative(corrected,asitneeds,incertainpoints):——
"SATURDAY,25thDECEMBER,1784,Ziethen,inspiteoftheburdenofeighty—sixyears,wenttothePalace,attheendoftheParade,topayhisSovereignthislasttributeofrespect,andtohavethepleasureofseeinghimaftersixmonths’absence。TheParolewasgivenout,theordersimpartedtotheGenerals,andtheKinghadturnedtowardsthePrincesoftheBlood,——whenheperceivedZiethenontheothersideoftheHall,betweenhisSonandhistwoAides—
de—Camp。Surprisedinaveryagreeablemanneratthisunexpectedsight,hebrokeoutintoanexclamationofjoy;anddirectlymakinguptohim,——’What,mygoodoldZiethen,areyouthere!’saidhisMajesty:’HowsorryamIthatyouhavehadthetroubleofwalkingupthestaircase!Ishouldhavecalleduponyoumyself。Howhaveyoubeenoflate?’’Sire,’answeredZiethen,(myhealthisnotamiss,myappetiteisgood;butmystrength!mystrength!’
’Thisaccount,’repliedtheKing,’makesmehappybyhalvesonly:
butyoumustbetired;——Ishallhaveachairforyou。’
[ThingunexampledintheannalsofRoyalty!]Achair,"onordertoZiethen’sAides—de—Camp,"wasquicklybrought。Ziethen,however,declaredthathewasnotatallfatigued:theKingmaintainedthathewas。’Sitdown,goodFather(MEINLIEBERALTERPAPAZIETHEN,SETZEERSICHDOCH)!’continuedhisMajesty:’Iwillhaveitso;
otherwiseImustinstantlyleavetheroom;forIcannotallowyoutobeincommodedundermyownroof。’TheoldGeneralobeyed,andFriedrichtheGreatremainedstandingbeforehim,inthemidstofabrilliantcirclethathadthrongedroundthem。Afteraskinghimmanyquestionsrespectinghishearing,hismemoryandthegeneralstateofhishealth,heatlengthtookleaveofhiminthesewords:
’Adieu,mydearZiethen[itwashislastadieu!]——takecarenottocatchcold;nurseyourselfwell,andliveaslongasyoucan,thatImayoftenhavethepleasureofseeingyou。’Afterhavingsaidthis,theKing,insteadofspeakingtotheotherGenerals,andwalkingthroughthesaloons,asusual,retiredabruptly,andshuthimselfupinhiscloset。"[Blumenthal,ii。341;
Militair—Lexikon,iv。318。ChodowieckihasmadeanEngravingofthisScene;usefultolookatforitsmilitaryPortraits,ifoflittleesteemotherwise。Strangelyenough,bothinBLUMENTHALandinChodowiecki’sENGRAVINGtheyearisgivenas1785
(plainlyimpossible);Militair—Lexikon
misprintsthemonth;and,onewayorother,onlyRodenbeck(iii。
316)isrightinbothdayandyear。]
FollowingindatethesesmallConwayPhenomena,ifthese,soextraneousandinsignificant,canhaveanyglimmerofmemorabilitytoreaders,aretwootheroccurrences,especiallyoneother,whichcomeinatthispartoftheseries,andgreatlymorerequiretobedisengagedfromthedust—heaps,andpresentedforremembrance。
In1775,theKinghadafitofillness;whichlongoccupiedcertainGazetteersandothers。Thatisthefirstoccurrenceofthetwo,andfarthemoreimportant。Hehimselfsaysofit,inhisHISTORY,allthatisessentialtoushere:——
"Towardstheendof1775,theKingwasattackedbyseveralstrongconsecutivefitsofgout。VanSwieten,afamousDoctor’sSon,andMinisteroftheImperialCourtatBerlin,tookitintohisheadthatthisgoutwasadeclareddropsy;and,gladtoannouncetohisCourttheapproachingdeathofanenemythathadbeendangeroustoit,boldlyinformedhisKaiserthattheKingwasdrawingtohisend,andwouldnotlastouttheyear。AtthisnewsthesoulofJosephflamesintoenthusiasm;alltheAustriantroopsaregotonmarch,theirRendezvousmarkedinBohemia;andtheKaiserwaits,fullofimpatience,atVienna,tilltheexpectedeventarrives;
readythentopenetrateatonceintoSaxony,andthencetotheFrontiersofBrandenburg,andthereproposetotheKing’sSuccessorthealternativeofeithersurrenderingSilesiastraightwaytotheHouseofAustria,orseeinghimselfoverwhelmedbyAustriantroopsbeforehecouldgethisownassembled。Allthesethings,whichwereopenlydone,gotnoisedabroadeverywhere;anddidnot,asiseasytobelieve,cementthefriendshipoftheTwoCourts。TothePublicthissceneappearedthemoreridiculous,astheKingofPrussia,havingonlyhadacommongoutinlargerdosethancommon,wasalreadywellofitagain,beforetheAustrianArmyhadgottotheirRendezvous。TheKaisermadeallthesetroopsreturntotheiroldquarters;andtheCourtofViennahadnothingbutmockeryforitsimprudentconduct。"[OEuvresdeFrederic,
vi。124。]
Thefirstofthesegout—attacksseemstohavecomeintheendofSeptember,andtohavelastedaboutamonth;afterwhichtheillnessabated,andeverybodythoughtitwasgone。TheKaiser—
JosephevolutionmusthavebeeninOctober,andhavegotitsmockeryinthenextmonths。Friedrich,writingtoVOLTAIRE,October22d,hasthesewords:……"ApairofcharmingLettersfromFerney;
towhich,hadtheybeenfromthegreatDemiurgushimself,IcouldnothavedictatedAnswer。Goutheldmetiedandgarrotedforfourweeks;——goutinbothfeetandinbothhands;and,suchitsextremeliberality,inbothelbowstoo:atpresentthepainsandthefeverhaveabated,andIfeelonlyaverygreatexhaustion。"[Ib。xxv。
44。]"Fourconsecutiveattacks;hopetheyarenowallover;"butweread,withintheSpringfollowing,thattherehavebeeninalltwelveofthem;andinMay,1776,theNewspaperscounteighteenquasi—consecutive。SothatinrealitytheKing’sstrengthwassadlyreduced;andhishealth,whichdidnotrecoveritsoldaveragetillabout1780,continued,forseveralyearsafterthisbadfit,tobeaconstantthemeofcuriositytotheGazetteerspecies,andamatterofsolicitudetohisfriendsandtohisenemies。
OftheKaiser’simmenseambitiontherecanbenoquestion。Heisstretchinghimselfoutoneveryside;"seriouslywishing,"thinksFriedrich,"thathecould’revivifytheGermanReich,’"——newBarbarossainimprovedFIXEDform;hownoble!Certainly,toKingFriedrich’ssadconviction,"theAustrianCourtisaimingtoswallowallmannerofdominionsthatmayfallwithinitsgrasp。"
WantsBosniaandServiaintheEast;longstoseizecertainVenetianTerritories,whichwoulduniteTriesteandtheMilanesetotheTyrol。IsthrowingouthooksonModena,ontheFerrarese,onthisandonthat。LookingwitheagereyesonBavaria,——thesituationofwhichispeculiar;thepresentKur—Baiernbeingelderly,childless;andhisHeirthelike,whowithalisalreadyKur—Pfalz,andwillunitetheTwoElectoratesunderonehead;
athingwhichAustriaregardswithmarkeddislike。
[OEuvresdeFrederic,vi。123。]TheseareanxiousconsiderationstoaKinginFriedrich’ssickstate。Inhisprivatecircle,too,therearesorrows:deathofFouquet,deathofQuintusIcilius,ofSeidlitz,Quantz(goodoldQuantz,withhisfineFlutingsthesefiftyyears,andthestillfinermemoriesheawoke![Friedrich’sTeacheroftheFlute;procuredforhimbyhisMother(supravi。144)。]),——latterlyanunusualnumberofdeaths。
TheruggedlyintelligentQuintus,adailycompanion,andguestatthesupper—table,diedfewmonthsbeforethisfitofgout;andmusthavebeengreatlymissedbyFriedrich。Fouquet,atBrandenburg,diedlastyear:hisbenefactorintheearlyCustrindistresses,his"Bayard,"andchosenfriendeversince;howconspicuouslydeartoFriedrichtothelastisstillevident。AFriedrichgettinglonelyenough,andthelightsofhislifegoingoutaroundhim;——hasbutonesureconsolation,whichcomestohimascompulsionwithal,andisnotneglected,thatofstandingsteadfasttohiswork,whateverthemoodandposturebe。
TheEventof1776isCzarowitshPaul’sarrivalinBerlin,andBetrothaltoasecondWifethere;hisfirsthavingdiedinchildbirthlately。ThefirsthadbeenofFriedrich’schoosing,buthadbehavedill,——seducedbySpanish—FrenchDiplomacies,bythisandthat,pooryoungcreature:——thesecondalsowasofFriedrich’schoosing,andastillnearerconnection:figurewhatatriumphantevent!Eventnowfallendeadtoeveryoneofus;andhardlyadmittingthesmallestNote,——exceptforchronology’ssake,whichitisalwayssatisfactorytokeepclear:——
"CzarowitshPaul’sfirstWife,theHessen—DarmstadtPrincessofThree,diedofherfirstchildApril26th,1776:everybodywhispered,’ItisnoneofPaul’s!’who,nevertheless,wasinconsolable,thewildheartofhimliketobreakontheoccurrence。Bygoodluck,PrinceHenrihadsetout,byinvitation,onasecondvisittoPetersburg;andarrivedtherealsoonApril26th,[Rodenbeck,iii。139—146。]theverydayofthefatality。
PrinceHenrisoothed,consoledthepoorCzarowitsh;
graduallybroughthimround;agreedwithhisCzarinaMother,thathemusthaveanewWife;anddexterouslyfixedherchoiceona’NieceoftheKing’sandHenri’s。’EldestDaughterofEugenofWurtemberg,ofwhom,asanexcellentGeneral,thoughalsoasasurlyHusband,readershavesomememory;nowlivingwithdrawnatMumpelgard,theWurtembergApanage[Montbeillard,astheFrenchcallit],inthesepipingtimesofPeace:——sheisthePrincess。
ToKingFriedrich’sgreatsurpriseandjoy。TheMumpelgardPrincipalities,andfortunatePrincess,aresummonedtoBerlin。
CzarowitshPaul,underHenri’sescort,andundergalaandfestivitiesfromtheFrontieronward,arrivedinBerlin21stJuly,1776;wasbetrothedtohisWurtembergPrincessstraightway;
andafteraboutafortnightoffestivitiesstillmoretranscendent,wenthomewithhertoPetersburg;andwastherewedded,18thOctoberfollowing;——CzarandCzarina,sheandhe,twentyyearsafter,andtheirposterityreigningeversince。[OEuvresdeFrederic,vi。120—122。]
"AtVienna,"saystheKing,"everybodywaspersuadedtheCzarowitshwouldnevercometoBerlin。PrinceKaunitzhadbeen,"——beenathisoldtricksagain,playinghissharpest,intheCourtofPetersburgagain:whattricks(aboutPolandandotherwise)letusnotreport,foritisnowinterestingtonobody。OftheCzarowitshVisititselfIwillremarkonly,——whatseemstobeitsonechanceofdatingitselfinanyofourmemories,——thatitfelloutshortlyaftertheSherlockdinnerwithVoltaire(in1776,April27ththeoneevent,July21sttheother);——andthathereis,bypureaccident,theexuberanterraticSherlock,oncemore,andonceonly,emergingonusforafewmoments!——
EXUBERANTSHERLOCKANDELEVENOTHERENGLISHAREPRESENTEDTO
FRIEDRICHONACOURTOCCASION(8thOctober,1777);ANDTWO
OFTHEMGETSPOKENTO,ANDSPEAKEACHAWORD。EXCELLENCY
HUGHELLIOTISTHEIRINTRODUCER。
Harris,afterwardsEarlofMalmesbury,succeededMitchellatBerlin;"Polishtroubles"(heartilyindifferenttoEngland),"Dantzigsquabbles"(miraculouslyimportantthere),——nothingworththeleastmentionnow。ExcellencyHarrisquittedBerlininAutumn,1776;gaveplacetoanExcellencyHughElliot(oneoftheMintoElliots,BrotherofthefirstEarlofMinto,andhimselfconsiderablynotedintheworld),ofwhomwehaveafewwordstosay。
ElliothasbeenheresinceApril,1777;stayssomefiveyearsinthispost;——withnotmuchDiplomaticemployment,Ishouldthink,butwithastyleofgeneralbearingandsocialphysiognomy,which,withsomeprocedurespartlyincidentalaswell,arestillrememberedinBerlin。Somethingofspying,too,doubtlesstherewas;bribingofmenials,openingofLetters:Ibelieveagreatdealofthatwenton;impossibletopreventunderthecarefulestofKings。[AningeniousyoungFriendofmine,connectedwithLegationaryBusiness,foundlately,attheHague,aconsecutiveSeries,completeforfourorfiveyears(Ithink,from1780
onwards),ofFriedrich’sLETTERStohisMINISTERINLONDON,——CopiespunctuallyfilchedastheywentthroughthePost—officethere:——
specimensofwhichIsaw;andthewholeofwhichImighthaveseen,haditbeenworththeeffortnecessary。ButFriedrich’sLondonMinister,inthiscase,wasapersonofnosignificanceorintimacy;andtheKing’sLetters,thoughstrangelyexact,clearandevenelucidativeonEnglishCourt—Politicsandvicissitudes,seemedtobenearlybarrenastoPrussian。]Hitherto,withoneexceptiontobementionedpresently,hismainbusinessseemstohavebeenthatofintroducing,ondifferentCourt—Days,agreatnumberofTravellingEnglish,whowanttoseetheKing,andwhomtheKinglittlewants,butquietlysubmitsto。IncoherentSherlock,whomwediscovertohavebeenofthenumber,has,inhistawdrydisjointedBook,thisPassage:——
"Thelasttimeofmyseeinghim[thisHero—Kingofmyheart]wasatBerlin[notahintofthetimewhen]。HecamethithertoreceivetheadieusoftheBarondeSwieten,MinisterfromtheirImperialMajesties[thankyou;thatmeans8thOctober,1777[Rodenbeck,iii。
172。]],andtogiveaudiencetothenewMinister,theCountCobenzl。TheForeignMinisters,thepersonswhoweretobepresented[we,forinstance],andtheMilitary,wereallthatwereatCourt。WeweretenEnglish[thirteenbytale]:theKingspoketothefirstandthelast;notonaccountoftheirsituation,butbecausetheirnamesstruckhim。ThefirstwasMajorDalrymple。
TohimtheKingsaid:’Youhavebeenpresentedtomebefore?’
’IaskyourMajesty’spardon;itwasmyUncle’(LordDalrymple,ofwhompresently)。Mr。Pitt[unknowntomewhichPitt,subsequentLordCamelfordoranother]wasthelast。THEKING:’AreyouarelationofLordChatham’s?’’Yes,Sire。’——’HeisamanwhomI
highlyesteem’[read"esteemed"]。
"HethenwenttotheForeignMinisters;andtalkedmoretoPrinceDolgorucki,theRussianAmbassador,thantoanyother。InthemidstofhisconversationwiththisPrince,heturnedabruptlytoMr。
Elliot,theEnglishMinister,andasked:’WhatistheDuchessofKingston’sfamilyname?’ThistransitionwaslessPindaricthanitappears;hehadjustbeenspeakingoftheCourtofPetersburg,andthatLadywasthenthere。"[Sherlock,ii。27。]WhereuponSherlockhopshiswaysagain;leavingusconsiderablyuncertain。But,byacuriousaccident,here,atfirst—hand,isconfirmationoftheflightycreature;——aLetterfromExcellencyElliothimselfhavingcomeourway:——
TOWILLIAMEDEN,ESQUIRE(oftheForeignOffice,London;
Elliot’sBrother—in—law;afterwardsLORDAUCKLAND)。
"BERLIN,12thOctober,1777。
"MYDEAREDEN,——IfyouarewaitinguponthepinnacleofallimpatiencetogivemenewsfromtheHowes[outontheirthenfamous"SeizureofPhiladelphia,"whichcametowhatweknow!],Iamwaitingwithnolessimpatiencetoreceiveit,andthinkeveryothersubjecttoolittleinterestingtobementioned。Imust,however,tellyou,theKinghasbeenhere;["CametoBerlin8thOctober,"ontheVan—Swietenerrand;"sawPrincessAmeliatwice;
andonthe9threturnedtoPotsdam"(Rodenbeck,iii。172)。]totheastonishmentofallcroakers,heartyandinhighspirits。Hewasveryciviltoallofus。IwasattendedbyonedozenEnglish,whichnearlycompletesmyhalf—hundredthisseason。Pittmadeoneofthetwelve,andwasparticularlydistinguished。
KING:"Monsieurest—ilparentdeMylordChatham?’PITT:’Oui,Sire。’KING:
’C’estunhommequej’aibeaucoupestime。’
"YouhavenoideaofthejoythepeopleexpressedtoseetheKingonHorseback,——alltheGrub—streetnonsenseof’aCountrygroaningundertheweightofitsburdens,’of’aNationgovernedwitharodofiron,’vanishedbeforethesincereacclamationsofallranks,whojoinedintestifyingtheirenthusiasmfortheirgreatMonarch。
IlongforHarrisandCompany[ExcellencyHarris;makingforRussia,Ibelieve];theyaretopigtogetherinmyhouse;sothatI
flattermyselfwithhavinganearview,ifnotataste,ofconnubialjoys。MylovetoEand_e_[yourbig_E_leanorandyourLITTLE,ababyinarms,whoaremySisterandNiece;——pretty,this!]。Yourmostaffectionate,H。E。
"P。S。Iquiteforgottotellyou,IsentoutaservantsometimeagotoEnglandtobringacoupleofHorses。HewilldeliversomePacketstoyou;whichIbegyouwillsend,withLordMarischal’scompliments,totheirrespectiveAddresses。ThereisalsoachinacupforMr。Macnamara,Lawyer,intheTempleorLincoln’sInn,fromthesameperson[livelyoldgentleman,age91gone;diddienextyear]。WhatdoesEleanormeanaboutmyCongratulatoryLettertoLordSuffolk[ourForeignSecretary,onhismarriagelately]?
IwishedhisLordship,mostsincerely,everyhappinessinhisnewstate,assoonasIknewofit。Ibeg,however,Eleanorwilldothelike;——andalthoughitisnotmysystemto’congratulate’anybodyuponmarriage,yetIneverfailtowishthemwhat,Ithink,itisalwaystwotoonetheydonotobtain。"[EDEN—HOUSECORRESPONDENCE
(partofwhich,notthis,hasbeenpublishedinlateyears)。]
AstotheDalrympleofSHERLOCK,readthis(FRIEDRICHTO
D’ALEMBERT,twoyearsbefore[OEuvresdeFrederic,xxv。21:5thAugust,1775。]):……"AMylordofwonderfulname[LordDalrymple,ifIcouldrememberit],ofamiablegenius(AUNOMBAROQUE,AL’ESPRITAIMABLE),gavemeaLetteronyourpart。’Ah,howgoesthePrinceofPhilosophers,then?Ishegay;
ishebusy;didyouseehimoften?’TowhichtheMylord:’I?No;
IamstraightfromLondon!’"——"QUOIDONC——?"Inshort,knowingmyAnaxagoras,thisMylordpreferredtobeintroducedbyhim;andwasright:"OneoftheamiablestEnglishmenIhaveseen;Iexceptonlythename,whichIshallneverremember[butdo,onthisnewoccasion]:Whydoesn’thegethimselfunchristenedofit,andtakethatofStair,whichequallybelongstohim?"(EarlofStairbyandby;Nephew,orGrand—Nephew,ofthegreatEarlofStair,oncesowellknowntosomeofus。BecomesEnglishMinisterherein1785,ifwemuchcared。)
ThatwordofreminiscenceaboutPittisworthmoreattention。
Notspokenlightly,butwithmeaningandsincerity;
somethingalmostpatheticinit,afterthesixteenyearsseparation:"AmanwhomImuchesteemed,"——andhadgoodreasontodoso!Pitt’ssubsequentsadandbrightfortunes,fromtheendoftheSeven—YearsWarandtriumphantsummingupoftheJENKINS’S—EAR
QUESTION,areknowntoreaders。HisBurton—Pynsentmeedofhonor(Estateof3,000poundsayearbequeathedhimbyanagedPatriot,"LetTHISbitofEnglandgoanobleroad!");hisloftysilences,intheWorldPolitical;hisvehementattemptsinit,whenagainaskedtoattempt,allfutile,——withgreatpaintohim,andgreatdisdainfromhim:——hispassionateimpatiencesonminormatters,"laborers[ornamentingBurton—PynsentPark,inSomersetshire]plantingtreesbytorchlight;""kitchenpeople[atHayesinNorthKent,Housestilltobeseen]roastingaseriesofchickens,chickenafterchickenallday,thatatanyhour,withintenminutes,myLordmaydine!"——thesethingsdwellinthememoryofeveryworthyreader。
Here,savedfrommypoorfriendSmelfungus(nobodyknowshowmuchofhimIsuppress),isabriefjotting,intheformofroughMEMORANDA,ifitbepermissible:——
"PittfouryearsKing;lostinquicksandsafterthat;offtoBath,fromgout,fromsemi—insanity;’Indiashouldpay,buthow?’LostinGeneral—Warrants,inWilkesControversies,AmericanRevolts,——
generally,inshallowquicksands;——diesathispost,buthisposthadbecomeadeliriousone。
"Adelicate,proud,nobleman;pureasrefinedgold。
Somethingsensitive,almostfeminineinhim;yetwithanedge,afire,asteadiness;likerFriedrich,insomefineprincipalpoints,thananyofhisContemporaries。TheoneKingEnglandhashad,thisKingofFourYears,sincetheConstitutionalsystemsetin。
OliverCromwell,yesindeed,——buthedied,andtherewasnothingforitbuttohanghisbodyonthegallows。DutchWilliam,too,mighthavebeenconsiderable,——buthewasDutch,andtousprovedtobenothing。Thenagain,solongasSarahJenningsheldtheQueen’sMajestyinbondage,somegleamsofKinghoodforusunderMarlborough:——afterwhomNoodleismandSomnambulism,zeroonthebackofzero,andallourAffairs,temporal,spiritualandeternal,jumblingatrandom,whichwecalltheCareerofFreedom,tillPittstretchedouthishanduponthem。Forfouryears;neveragain,he;
neveragainoneresemblinghim,——norindeedcaneverbe。
"Never,Ishouldthink。Pittsarenotbornoften;thisPitt’sideascouldoccurintheHistoryofMankindonceonly。Strangertheoryofsociety,completelybelievedinbyaclear,sharpandaltogetherhumanhead,incapableoffalsity,wasseldomheardofintheworld。
ForKing:openyourmouth,letthefirstgentlemanthatfallsintoit(amassofHanoverstolidity,stupidity,foreigntoyou,heedlessofyou)beKing:SupremeMajestyhe,withhypotheticaldecorations,dignities,solemnappliances,highasthestars(thewhole,exceptthemoney,amendacity,andsinagainstHeaven):
himyoudeclareSent—of—God,supremeCaptainofyourEngland;
andhavingdoneso,——tiehimup(accordingtoPitt)withConstitutionalstraps,sothathecannotstirhandorfoot,forfearofaccidents:inwhichstateheisfullycooked;throwmeathisMajesty’sfeet,andletmeblessHeavenforsuchaPillarofCloudbyday。
"Pitt,closelyasIcouldscrutinize,seemsnevertohavedoubtedinhisnobleheartbuthehadsomereverenceforGeorgeII。
’ReverencedhisOffice,’saysasimplereader?Alas,no,myfriend,mandoesnot’reverenceOffice,’butonlysham—reverencesit。
IdefyhimtoreverenceanythingbutaManfillinganOffice(withorwithoutsalary)nobly。Fillinganobleofficeignobly;doingacelestialtaskinaquietlyinfernalmanner?Itwerekinderperhapstorunyourswordthroughhim(orthroughyourself)thantotaketoreveringhim!Ifinconvenienttoslayhimortoslayyourself(asisoftenestlikely),——keepwelltowindwardofhim;benot,withoutnecessity,partakerofhisadventuresinthisextremelyearnestUniverse!……
"No;NaturedoesnotproducemanyPitts:——norwillanyPitteveragainapplyinParliamentforacareer。’Yourvoices,yourmostsweetvoices;yemelodioustorrentsofGadarenesSwine,gallopingrapidlydownsteepplaces,I,forone;knowwhitherI’"