History of Friedrich II of Prussia V 11 [11]
and other old comrades, in whom he had
discovered fitness, it is no doubt abundantly grateful to him to
recognize and employ it. As he notably does, in these and in other
instances. But before all things he has decided to remember that
he is King; that he must accept the severe laws of that trust, and
do IT, or not have done anything.
An inverse sign, pointing in the same way, is the passionate
search he is making in Foreign Countries for such men as will suit
him. In these same months, for example, he bethinks him of two
Counts Schmettau, in the Austrian Service, with whom he had made
acquaintance in the Rhine Campaign; of a Count von Rothenburg,
whom he saw in the French Camp there; and is negotiating to have
them if possible. The Schmettaus are Prussian by birth, though in
Austrian Service; them he obtains under form of an Order home,
with good conditions under it; they came, and proved useful men
to him. Rothenburg, a shining kind of figure in Diplomacy as well
as Soldiership, was Alsatian German, foreign to Prussia; but him
too Friedrich obtained, and made much of, as will be notable by
and by. And in fact the soul of all these noble tendencies in
Friedrich, which surely are considerable, is even this, That he
loves men of merit, and does not love men of none; that he has an
endless appetite for men of merit, and feels, consciously and
otherwise, that they are the one thing beautiful, the one thing
needful to him.
This, which is the product of all fine tendencies, is likewise
their centre or focus out of which they start again, with some
chance of fulfilment;--and we may judge in how many directions
Friedrich was willing to expand himself, by the multifarious kinds
he was inviting, and negotiating for. Academicians,--and not
Maupertuis only, but all manner of mathematical geniuses (Euler
whom he got, 's Gravesande, Muschenbroek whom he failed of);
and Literary geniuses innumerable, first and last. Academicians,
Musicians, Players, Dancers even; much more Soldiers and Civil-
Service men: no man that carries any honest "CAN DO" about with
him but may expect some welcome here. Which continued through
Friedrich's reign; and involved him in much petty trouble, not
always successful in the lower kinds of it. For his Court was the
cynosure of ambitious creatures on the wing, or inclined for
taking wing: like a lantern kindled in the darkness of the world;
--and many owls impinged upon him; whom he had to dismiss
with brevity.
Perhaps it had been better to stand by mere Prussian or German
merit, native to the ground? Or rather, undoubtedly it had!
In some departments, as in the military, the administrative,
diplomatic, Friedrich was himself among the best of judges: but in
various others he had mainly (mainly, by no means blindly or
solely) to accept noise of reputation as evidence of merit; and in
these, if we compute with rigor, his success was intrinsically not
considerable. The more honor to him that he never wearied of
trying. "A man that does not care for merit," says the adage,
"cannot himself have any." But a King that does not care for
merit, what shall we say of such a King!--
BEHAVIOR TO HIS MOTHER; TO HIS WIFE.
One other fine feature, significant of many, let us notice:
his affection for his Mother. When his Mother addressed him as
"Your Majesty," he answered, as the Books are careful to tell us:
"Call me Son; that is the Title of all others most agreeable to
me!" Words which, there can be no doubt, came from the heart.
Fain would he shoot forth to greatness in filial piety, as
otherwise; fain solace himself in doing something kind to his
Mother. Generously, lovingly; though again with clear view of the
limits. He decrees for her a Title higher than had been customary,
as well as more accordant with his feelings; not "Queen Dowager,"
but "Her Majesty the Queen Mother." He decides to build her a new
Palace; "under the Lindens" it is to be, and of due magnificence:
in a month or two, he had even got bits of the foundation dug,
and the Houses
discovered fitness, it is no doubt abundantly grateful to him to
recognize and employ it. As he notably does, in these and in other
instances. But before all things he has decided to remember that
he is King; that he must accept the severe laws of that trust, and
do IT, or not have done anything.
An inverse sign, pointing in the same way, is the passionate
search he is making in Foreign Countries for such men as will suit
him. In these same months, for example, he bethinks him of two
Counts Schmettau, in the Austrian Service, with whom he had made
acquaintance in the Rhine Campaign; of a Count von Rothenburg,
whom he saw in the French Camp there; and is negotiating to have
them if possible. The Schmettaus are Prussian by birth, though in
Austrian Service; them he obtains under form of an Order home,
with good conditions under it; they came, and proved useful men
to him. Rothenburg, a shining kind of figure in Diplomacy as well
as Soldiership, was Alsatian German, foreign to Prussia; but him
too Friedrich obtained, and made much of, as will be notable by
and by. And in fact the soul of all these noble tendencies in
Friedrich, which surely are considerable, is even this, That he
loves men of merit, and does not love men of none; that he has an
endless appetite for men of merit, and feels, consciously and
otherwise, that they are the one thing beautiful, the one thing
needful to him.
This, which is the product of all fine tendencies, is likewise
their centre or focus out of which they start again, with some
chance of fulfilment;--and we may judge in how many directions
Friedrich was willing to expand himself, by the multifarious kinds
he was inviting, and negotiating for. Academicians,--and not
Maupertuis only, but all manner of mathematical geniuses (Euler
whom he got, 's Gravesande, Muschenbroek whom he failed of);
and Literary geniuses innumerable, first and last. Academicians,
Musicians, Players, Dancers even; much more Soldiers and Civil-
Service men: no man that carries any honest "CAN DO" about with
him but may expect some welcome here. Which continued through
Friedrich's reign; and involved him in much petty trouble, not
always successful in the lower kinds of it. For his Court was the
cynosure of ambitious creatures on the wing, or inclined for
taking wing: like a lantern kindled in the darkness of the world;
--and many owls impinged upon him; whom he had to dismiss
with brevity.
Perhaps it had been better to stand by mere Prussian or German
merit, native to the ground? Or rather, undoubtedly it had!
In some departments, as in the military, the administrative,
diplomatic, Friedrich was himself among the best of judges: but in
various others he had mainly (mainly, by no means blindly or
solely) to accept noise of reputation as evidence of merit; and in
these, if we compute with rigor, his success was intrinsically not
considerable. The more honor to him that he never wearied of
trying. "A man that does not care for merit," says the adage,
"cannot himself have any." But a King that does not care for
merit, what shall we say of such a King!--
BEHAVIOR TO HIS MOTHER; TO HIS WIFE.
One other fine feature, significant of many, let us notice:
his affection for his Mother. When his Mother addressed him as
"Your Majesty," he answered, as the Books are careful to tell us:
"Call me Son; that is the Title of all others most agreeable to
me!" Words which, there can be no doubt, came from the heart.
Fain would he shoot forth to greatness in filial piety, as
otherwise; fain solace himself in doing something kind to his
Mother. Generously, lovingly; though again with clear view of the
limits. He decrees for her a Title higher than had been customary,
as well as more accordant with his feelings; not "Queen Dowager,"
but "Her Majesty the Queen Mother." He decides to build her a new
Palace; "under the Lindens" it is to be, and of due magnificence:
in a month or two, he had even got bits of the foundation dug,
and the Houses