Frederick the Great and His Family [76]
submit and follow the lead of his majesty, and in lieu of alliances and state questions discuss philosophy and the arts. So soon as the duke came to this conclusion, he smoothed his brow, and, with all his amiability, animation, and intelligence, he replied to the questions of the king, and the conversation was carried on in an unbroken stream of wit and gayety.
"At the next audience I will surely find an opportunity to speak of politics," said the duke to himself. "The king cannot always be an immovable as to-day."
But the second and the third audience came, and the king was as inexplicable as the first time; he conversed with the duke kindly and freely showed him the most marked attention and personal confidence; but so often as the duke sought to introduce the subject of politics and the public interests which had brought him to Berlin, the king interrupted him and led the conversation to indifferent subjects. This lasted two weeks, and the French court looked with painful anxiety for intelligence from the Duke de Nivernois that the old alliance was renewed and fully ratified, and she had, therefore, nothing to fear from Prussia. This uncertainty was no longer to be borne, and the duke determined to end it by a coup d'etat.
He wrote, therefore, to the king, and asked for a private audience. To his great joy his request was granted; the king invited him to come the next day to Sans-Souci.
"At last! at last!" said the duke, drawing a long breath; and with proud, French assurance, he added, "To-morrow, then, we will renew this contract which binds the hands of Prussia, and gives France liberty of action."
CHAPTER VI.
THE PRIVATE AUDIENCE.
The king received the French ambassador without ceremony. There were no guards, no pages, no swarms of curious listening courtiers, only a few of his trusty friends, who welcomed the duke and conversed with him, while Pollnitz entered the adjoining room and informed the king of his arrival.
"His majesty entreats the duke to enter." said Pollnitz, opening the door of the library. The king advanced. He was dressed simply; even the golden star, which was seldom absent from his coat, was now missing.
"Come, duke," said the king, pleasantly, "come into my tusculum." He then entered the library, quickly followed by the duke.
"Well, sir," said the king, "we are now in that room in which I lately told you I was but a republican. You have crossed the threshold of the republic of letters!"
"But I see a king before me," said the duke, bowing reverentially; "a king who has vanquished his republic, and surpassed all the great spirits that have gone before him."
The king's glance rested upon the shelves filled with books, on whose back glittered in golden letters the most distinguished names of all ages.
"Homer, Tacitus, Livy, Petrarch!--ye great spirits of my republic! hear how this traitor slanders you."
"How I honor you, sire, for truly it is a great honor to be subdued and vanquished by such a king as Frederick the Second."
The king looked at him fixedly. "You wish to bewilder me with flattery, duke," said he, "well knowing that it is a sweet opiate, acceptable to princes, generally causing their ruin. But in this chamber, duke, I am safe from this danger, and here in my republic we will both enjoy the Spartan soup of truth. Believe me, sir, it is at times a wholesome dish, though to the pampered stomach it is bitter and distasteful. I can digest it, and as you have come to visit me, you will have to partake of it."
"And I crave it, sire--crave it as a man who has fasted for two weeks."
"For two weeks?" said the king, laughing. "Ah, it is true you have been here just that time."
"For two long weeks has your majesty kept me fasting and longing for this precious soup," said the duke, reproachfully.
"My broth was not ready," said the king, gayly; "it was still bubbling in the pot. It is now done, and we will consume it together. Let us be seated, duke."
If Frederick had turned at this moment, he would have seen the grand chamberlain
"At the next audience I will surely find an opportunity to speak of politics," said the duke to himself. "The king cannot always be an immovable as to-day."
But the second and the third audience came, and the king was as inexplicable as the first time; he conversed with the duke kindly and freely showed him the most marked attention and personal confidence; but so often as the duke sought to introduce the subject of politics and the public interests which had brought him to Berlin, the king interrupted him and led the conversation to indifferent subjects. This lasted two weeks, and the French court looked with painful anxiety for intelligence from the Duke de Nivernois that the old alliance was renewed and fully ratified, and she had, therefore, nothing to fear from Prussia. This uncertainty was no longer to be borne, and the duke determined to end it by a coup d'etat.
He wrote, therefore, to the king, and asked for a private audience. To his great joy his request was granted; the king invited him to come the next day to Sans-Souci.
"At last! at last!" said the duke, drawing a long breath; and with proud, French assurance, he added, "To-morrow, then, we will renew this contract which binds the hands of Prussia, and gives France liberty of action."
CHAPTER VI.
THE PRIVATE AUDIENCE.
The king received the French ambassador without ceremony. There were no guards, no pages, no swarms of curious listening courtiers, only a few of his trusty friends, who welcomed the duke and conversed with him, while Pollnitz entered the adjoining room and informed the king of his arrival.
"His majesty entreats the duke to enter." said Pollnitz, opening the door of the library. The king advanced. He was dressed simply; even the golden star, which was seldom absent from his coat, was now missing.
"Come, duke," said the king, pleasantly, "come into my tusculum." He then entered the library, quickly followed by the duke.
"Well, sir," said the king, "we are now in that room in which I lately told you I was but a republican. You have crossed the threshold of the republic of letters!"
"But I see a king before me," said the duke, bowing reverentially; "a king who has vanquished his republic, and surpassed all the great spirits that have gone before him."
The king's glance rested upon the shelves filled with books, on whose back glittered in golden letters the most distinguished names of all ages.
"Homer, Tacitus, Livy, Petrarch!--ye great spirits of my republic! hear how this traitor slanders you."
"How I honor you, sire, for truly it is a great honor to be subdued and vanquished by such a king as Frederick the Second."
The king looked at him fixedly. "You wish to bewilder me with flattery, duke," said he, "well knowing that it is a sweet opiate, acceptable to princes, generally causing their ruin. But in this chamber, duke, I am safe from this danger, and here in my republic we will both enjoy the Spartan soup of truth. Believe me, sir, it is at times a wholesome dish, though to the pampered stomach it is bitter and distasteful. I can digest it, and as you have come to visit me, you will have to partake of it."
"And I crave it, sire--crave it as a man who has fasted for two weeks."
"For two weeks?" said the king, laughing. "Ah, it is true you have been here just that time."
"For two long weeks has your majesty kept me fasting and longing for this precious soup," said the duke, reproachfully.
"My broth was not ready," said the king, gayly; "it was still bubbling in the pot. It is now done, and we will consume it together. Let us be seated, duke."
If Frederick had turned at this moment, he would have seen the grand chamberlain