History of Friedrich II of Prussia V 11 [1]
in mind withal, from perhaps an
early stage of their voyage.
Friedrich's actual demeanor in these his first weeks, which is
still decipherable if one study well, has in truth a good deal of
the brilliant, of the popular-magnanimous; but manifests strong
solid quality withal, and a head steadier than might have been
expected. For the Berlin world is all in a rather Auroral
condition; and Friedrich too is,--the chains suddenly cut loose,
and such hopes opened for the young man. He has great things
ahead; feels in himself great things, and doubtless exults in the
thought of realizing them. Magnanimous enough, popular, hopeful
enough, with Voltaire and the highest of the world looking on:--
but yet he is wise, too; creditably aware that there are limits,
that this is a bargain, and the terms of it inexorable. We discern
with pleasure the old veracity of character shining through this
giddy new element; that all these fine procedures are at least
unaffected, to a singular degree true, and the product of nature,
on his part; and that, in short, the complete respect for Fact,
which used to be a quality of his, and which is among the highest
and also rarest in man, has on no side deserted him at present.
A trace of airy exuberance, of natural exultancy, not quite
repressible, on the sudden change to freedom and supreme power
from what had gone before: perhaps that also might be legible, if
in those opaque bead-rolls which are called Histories of Friedrich
anything human could with certainty be read! He flies much about
from place to place; now at Potsdam, now at Berlin, at
Charlottenburg, Reinsberg; nothing loath to run whither business
calls him, and appear in public: the gazetteer world, as we
noticed, which has been hitherto a most mute world, breaks out
here and there into a kind of husky jubilation over the great
things he is daily doing, and rejoices in the prospect of having a
Philosopher King; which function the young man, only twenty-eight
gone, cannot but wish to fulfil for the gazetteers and the world.
He is a busy man; and walks boldly into his grand enterprise of
"making men happy," to the admiration of Voltaire and an
enlightened public far and near.
Bielfeld speaks of immense concourses of people crowding about
Charlottenburg, to congratulate, to solicit, to &c.; tells us how
he himself had to lodge almost in outhouses, in that royal village
of hope, His emotions at Reinsberg, and everybody's, while
Friedrich Wilhelm lay dying, and all stood like greyhounds on the
slip; and with what arrow-swiftness they shot away when the great
news came: all this he has already described at wearisome length,
in his fantastic semi-fabulous way. [Bielfeld, i. 68-77; ib. 81.]'
Friedrich himself seemed moderately glad to see Bielfeld; received
his high-flown congratulations with a benevolent yet somewhat
composed air; and gave him afterwards, in the course of weeks, an
unexpectedly small appointment: To go to Hanover, under Truchsess
von Waldburg, and announce our Accession. Which is but a simple,
mostly formal service; yet perhaps what Bielfeld is best equal to.
The Britannic Majesty, or at least his Hanover people have been
beforehand with this civility; Baron Munchhausen, no doubt by
orders given for such contingency, had appeared at Berlin with the
due compliment and condolence almost on the first day of the New
Reign; first messenger of all on that errand; Britannic Majesty
evidently in a conciliatory humor,--having his dangerous Spanish
War on hand. Britannic Majesty in person, shortly after, gets
across to Hanover; and Friedrich despatches Truchsess, with
Bielfeld adjoined, to return the courtesy.
Friedrich does not neglect these points of good manners;
along with which something of substantial may be privately
conjoined. For example, if he had in secret his eye on Julich and
Berg, could anything be fitter than to ascertain what the French
will think of such an enterprise? What the French; and next to
them what the English, that is to say, Hanoverians,
early stage of their voyage.
Friedrich's actual demeanor in these his first weeks, which is
still decipherable if one study well, has in truth a good deal of
the brilliant, of the popular-magnanimous; but manifests strong
solid quality withal, and a head steadier than might have been
expected. For the Berlin world is all in a rather Auroral
condition; and Friedrich too is,--the chains suddenly cut loose,
and such hopes opened for the young man. He has great things
ahead; feels in himself great things, and doubtless exults in the
thought of realizing them. Magnanimous enough, popular, hopeful
enough, with Voltaire and the highest of the world looking on:--
but yet he is wise, too; creditably aware that there are limits,
that this is a bargain, and the terms of it inexorable. We discern
with pleasure the old veracity of character shining through this
giddy new element; that all these fine procedures are at least
unaffected, to a singular degree true, and the product of nature,
on his part; and that, in short, the complete respect for Fact,
which used to be a quality of his, and which is among the highest
and also rarest in man, has on no side deserted him at present.
A trace of airy exuberance, of natural exultancy, not quite
repressible, on the sudden change to freedom and supreme power
from what had gone before: perhaps that also might be legible, if
in those opaque bead-rolls which are called Histories of Friedrich
anything human could with certainty be read! He flies much about
from place to place; now at Potsdam, now at Berlin, at
Charlottenburg, Reinsberg; nothing loath to run whither business
calls him, and appear in public: the gazetteer world, as we
noticed, which has been hitherto a most mute world, breaks out
here and there into a kind of husky jubilation over the great
things he is daily doing, and rejoices in the prospect of having a
Philosopher King; which function the young man, only twenty-eight
gone, cannot but wish to fulfil for the gazetteers and the world.
He is a busy man; and walks boldly into his grand enterprise of
"making men happy," to the admiration of Voltaire and an
enlightened public far and near.
Bielfeld speaks of immense concourses of people crowding about
Charlottenburg, to congratulate, to solicit, to &c.; tells us how
he himself had to lodge almost in outhouses, in that royal village
of hope, His emotions at Reinsberg, and everybody's, while
Friedrich Wilhelm lay dying, and all stood like greyhounds on the
slip; and with what arrow-swiftness they shot away when the great
news came: all this he has already described at wearisome length,
in his fantastic semi-fabulous way. [Bielfeld, i. 68-77; ib. 81.]'
Friedrich himself seemed moderately glad to see Bielfeld; received
his high-flown congratulations with a benevolent yet somewhat
composed air; and gave him afterwards, in the course of weeks, an
unexpectedly small appointment: To go to Hanover, under Truchsess
von Waldburg, and announce our Accession. Which is but a simple,
mostly formal service; yet perhaps what Bielfeld is best equal to.
The Britannic Majesty, or at least his Hanover people have been
beforehand with this civility; Baron Munchhausen, no doubt by
orders given for such contingency, had appeared at Berlin with the
due compliment and condolence almost on the first day of the New
Reign; first messenger of all on that errand; Britannic Majesty
evidently in a conciliatory humor,--having his dangerous Spanish
War on hand. Britannic Majesty in person, shortly after, gets
across to Hanover; and Friedrich despatches Truchsess, with
Bielfeld adjoined, to return the courtesy.
Friedrich does not neglect these points of good manners;
along with which something of substantial may be privately
conjoined. For example, if he had in secret his eye on Julich and
Berg, could anything be fitter than to ascertain what the French
will think of such an enterprise? What the French; and next to
them what the English, that is to say, Hanoverians,