History of Friedrich II of Prussia V 11 [17]
expense of money,--of diluted
mendacity too! Such haranguing, gesturing, symbolic fugling, all
grown half false:--avoid lying, even with your eyes, or knees, or
the coat upon your back, so far as you easily can!
Nothing of Coronation: but it is thought needful to have the
HULDIGUNGEN (Homagings) done, the Fealties sworn; and the young
Majesty in due course goes about, or gives directions, now here
now there, in his various Provinces, getting that accomplished.
But even in that, Friedrich is by no means strait-laced or
punctilious; does it commonly by Deputy: only in three places,
Konigsberg, Berlin, Cleve, does he appear in person. Mainly by
deputy; and always with the minimum of fuss, and no haranguing
that could be avoided. Nowhere are the old STANDE (Provincial
Parliaments) assembled, now or afterwards: sufficient for this and
for every occasion are the "Permanent Committees of the STANDE;"
nor is much speaking, unessential for despatch of business, used
to these.
"STANDE--of Ritterschaft mainly, of Gentry small and great--
existed once in all those Countries, as elsewhere," says one
Historian; "and some of them, in Preussen, for example, used to be
rather loud, and inclined to turbulence, till the curb, from a
judicious bridle-hand, would admonish them. But, for a long while
past,--especially since the Great Elector's time, who got an
'Excise Law' passed, or the foundations of a good Excise Law laid;
[Preuss, iv. 432; and Thronbesteigung,
pp. 379-383.] and, what with Excise, what with Domain-Farms, had a
fixed Annual Budget, which he reckoned fair to both parties,--they
have been dying out for want of work; and, under Friedrich
Wilhelm, may be said to have gone quite dead. What work was left
for them? Prussian Budget is fixed, many things are fixed:
why talk of them farther? The Prussian King, nothing of a fool
like certain others,"--which indeed is the cardinal point, though
my Author does not say so,--"is respectfully aware of the facts
round him; and can listen to the rumors too, so far as he finds
good. The King sees himself terribly interested to get into the
right course in all things, and avoid the wrong one! Probably he
does, in his way, seek 'wise Advice concerning the arduous matters
of the Kingdom;' nay I believe he is diligent to have it of the
wisest:--who knows if STANDE would always give it wiser;
especially STANDE in the haranguing condition?"--Enough, they are
not applied to. There is no Freedom in that Country. "No Freedom
to speak of," continues he: "but I do a little envy them their
Fixed Budget, and some other things. What pleasure there can be in
having your household arrangements tumbled into disorder every new
Year, by a new-contrived scale of expenses for you, I never could
ascertain!"--
Friedrich is not the man to awaken Parliamentary sleeping-dogs
well settled by his Ancestors. Once or twice, out of Preussen, in
Friedrich Wilhelm's time, there was heard some whimper, which
sounded like the beginning of a bark. But Friedrich Wilhelm was on
the alert for it: Are you coming in with your NIE POZWALAM (your
LIBERUM VETO), then? None of your Polish vagaries here. "TOUT LE
PAYS SERA RUINE (the whole Country will be ruined)," say you?
(Such had been the poor Marshal or Provincial SPEAKER'S
Remonstrance on one occasion): "I don't believe a word of that.
But I do believe the Government by JUNKERS [Country Squires] and
NIE POZWALAM will be ruined,"--as it is fully meant to be! "I am
establishing the King's Sovereignty like a rock of bronze (ICH
STABILIRE DIE SOUVERAINETAT WIE EINEN ROCHER VON BRONZE)," some
extremely strong kind of rock! [Forster, b. iii.
( Urkundenbuch, i. 50); Preuss, iv. 420 n.
"NIE POZWALAM" (the formula of LIBERUM VETO) signifies "I Don't
Permit!"] This was one of Friedrich Wilhelm's marginalia in
response to such a thing; and the mutinous whimper died out again.
Parliamentary Assemblages are sometimes Collective Wisdoms, but
by no means always so. In Magdeburg we remember
mendacity too! Such haranguing, gesturing, symbolic fugling, all
grown half false:--avoid lying, even with your eyes, or knees, or
the coat upon your back, so far as you easily can!
Nothing of Coronation: but it is thought needful to have the
HULDIGUNGEN (Homagings) done, the Fealties sworn; and the young
Majesty in due course goes about, or gives directions, now here
now there, in his various Provinces, getting that accomplished.
But even in that, Friedrich is by no means strait-laced or
punctilious; does it commonly by Deputy: only in three places,
Konigsberg, Berlin, Cleve, does he appear in person. Mainly by
deputy; and always with the minimum of fuss, and no haranguing
that could be avoided. Nowhere are the old STANDE (Provincial
Parliaments) assembled, now or afterwards: sufficient for this and
for every occasion are the "Permanent Committees of the STANDE;"
nor is much speaking, unessential for despatch of business, used
to these.
"STANDE--of Ritterschaft mainly, of Gentry small and great--
existed once in all those Countries, as elsewhere," says one
Historian; "and some of them, in Preussen, for example, used to be
rather loud, and inclined to turbulence, till the curb, from a
judicious bridle-hand, would admonish them. But, for a long while
past,--especially since the Great Elector's time, who got an
'Excise Law' passed, or the foundations of a good Excise Law laid;
[Preuss, iv. 432; and
pp. 379-383.] and, what with Excise, what with Domain-Farms, had a
fixed Annual Budget, which he reckoned fair to both parties,--they
have been dying out for want of work; and, under Friedrich
Wilhelm, may be said to have gone quite dead. What work was left
for them? Prussian Budget is fixed, many things are fixed:
why talk of them farther? The Prussian King, nothing of a fool
like certain others,"--which indeed is the cardinal point, though
my Author does not say so,--"is respectfully aware of the facts
round him; and can listen to the rumors too, so far as he finds
good. The King sees himself terribly interested to get into the
right course in all things, and avoid the wrong one! Probably he
does, in his way, seek 'wise Advice concerning the arduous matters
of the Kingdom;' nay I believe he is diligent to have it of the
wisest:--who knows if STANDE would always give it wiser;
especially STANDE in the haranguing condition?"--Enough, they are
not applied to. There is no Freedom in that Country. "No Freedom
to speak of," continues he: "but I do a little envy them their
Fixed Budget, and some other things. What pleasure there can be in
having your household arrangements tumbled into disorder every new
Year, by a new-contrived scale of expenses for you, I never could
ascertain!"--
Friedrich is not the man to awaken Parliamentary sleeping-dogs
well settled by his Ancestors. Once or twice, out of Preussen, in
Friedrich Wilhelm's time, there was heard some whimper, which
sounded like the beginning of a bark. But Friedrich Wilhelm was on
the alert for it: Are you coming in with your NIE POZWALAM (your
LIBERUM VETO), then? None of your Polish vagaries here. "TOUT LE
PAYS SERA RUINE (the whole Country will be ruined)," say you?
(Such had been the poor Marshal or Provincial SPEAKER'S
Remonstrance on one occasion): "I don't believe a word of that.
But I do believe the Government by JUNKERS [Country Squires] and
NIE POZWALAM will be ruined,"--as it is fully meant to be! "I am
establishing the King's Sovereignty like a rock of bronze (ICH
STABILIRE DIE SOUVERAINETAT WIE EINEN ROCHER VON BRONZE)," some
extremely strong kind of rock! [Forster, b. iii.
(
"NIE POZWALAM" (the formula of LIBERUM VETO) signifies "I Don't
Permit!"] This was one of Friedrich Wilhelm's marginalia in
response to such a thing; and the mutinous whimper died out again.
Parliamentary Assemblages are sometimes Collective Wisdoms, but
by no means always so. In Magdeburg we remember