History of Friedrich II of Prussia V 11 [21]
(quantity not mentioned) rained down upon
them, in due succession; and were scrambled for, in the usual way.
"His Majesty," they write, and this is perhaps the one point worth
notice, "his Majesty, contrary to custom and to etiquette,
remained on the Balcony, some time after the ceremony, perhaps a
full half-hour;"--silent there, "with his look fixed attentively
on the immeasurable multitude before the Schloss; and seemed sunk
in deep reflection (BETRACHTUNG):"--an almost awfully eloquent
though inarticulate phenomenon to his Majesty, that of those
multitudes scrambling and huzzaing there! [Preuss,
Thronbesteigung, p. 389.]
These, with the Cleve one, are all the Hornagings Friedrich was
personally present at; the others he did by Deputy, all in one day
(2d August); and without fuss. Scenic matters these; in which,
except where he can, as in the Konigsberg case, combine
inspections and grave businesses with them, he takes no interest.
However, he is now, for the sake chiefly of inspections and other
real objects, bent on a Journey to Cleve;--the fellow of that to
Konigsberg: Konigsberg, Preussen, the easternmost outlying wing of
his long straggling Dominions; and then Cleve-Julich, its
counterpart on the southwestern side,--there also, with such
contingencies hanging over Cleve-Julich, it were proper to make
some mustering of the Frontier garrisons and affairs. [In regard
to the Day of HULDIGUNG at Cleve, which happily is not of the
least moment to us, Preuss ( Thronbesteigung,
p, 390) and Helden-Geschichte, (i. 423) seem
to be in flat contradiction.] His Majesty so purposes: and we
purpose again to accompany,--not for inspection and mustering, but
for an unexpected reason. The grave Journey to Cleve has an
appendage, or comic side-piece, hanging to it; more than one
appendage; which the reader must not miss!--Before setting out,
read these two Fractions, snatched from the Diplomatist Wastebag;
looking well, we gain there some momentary view of Friedrich on
the business side. Of Friedrich, and also of Another:--
Sunday, 14th August, 1740, Dickens, who has been reporting
hitherto in a favorable, though in a languid exoteric manner, not
being in any height of favor, England or he,--had express Audience
of his Majesty; being summoned out to Potsdam for that end:
"Sunday evening, about 7 P.M."--Majesty intending to be off on the
Cleve Journey to-morrow. Let us accompany Dickens. Readers may
remember, George II. has been at Hanover for some weeks past;
Bielfeld diligently grinning euphemisms and courtly graciosities
to him; Truchsess hinting, on opportunity, that there are perhaps
weighty businesses in the rear; which, however, on the Britannic
side, seem loath to start. Britannic Majesty is much at a loss
about his Spanish War, so dangerous for kindling France and the
whole world upon him. In regard to which Prussia might be so
important, for or against.--This, in compressed form, is what
Dickens witnesses at Potsdam that Sunday evening from 7 P.M.:--
"Audience lasted above an hour: King turned directly upon
business; wishes to have 'Categorical Answers' as to Three Points
already submitted to his Britannic Majesty's consideration.
Clear footing indispensable between us. What you want of me? say
it, and be plain. What I want of you is, These three things:--
"1. Guarantee for Julich and Berg. All the world knows WHOSE
these Duchies are. Will his Britannic Majesty guarantee me there?
And if so, How, and to what lengths, will he proceed about it?
"2. Settlement about Ost-Friesland. Expectancy of Ost-Friesland
soon to fall heirless, which was granted me long since, though
Hanover makes hagglings, counter-claimings: I must have some
Settlement about that.
"3. The like about those perplexities in Mecklenburg.
No difficulty there if we try heartily, nor is there such pressing
haste about it.
"These are my three claims on England; and I will try to serve
England as far in return, if it will tell
them, in due succession; and were scrambled for, in the usual way.
"His Majesty," they write, and this is perhaps the one point worth
notice, "his Majesty, contrary to custom and to etiquette,
remained on the Balcony, some time after the ceremony, perhaps a
full half-hour;"--silent there, "with his look fixed attentively
on the immeasurable multitude before the Schloss; and seemed sunk
in deep reflection (BETRACHTUNG):"--an almost awfully eloquent
though inarticulate phenomenon to his Majesty, that of those
multitudes scrambling and huzzaing there! [Preuss,
Thronbesteigung,
These, with the Cleve one, are all the Hornagings Friedrich was
personally present at; the others he did by Deputy, all in one day
(2d August); and without fuss. Scenic matters these; in which,
except where he can, as in the Konigsberg case, combine
inspections and grave businesses with them, he takes no interest.
However, he is now, for the sake chiefly of inspections and other
real objects, bent on a Journey to Cleve;--the fellow of that to
Konigsberg: Konigsberg, Preussen, the easternmost outlying wing of
his long straggling Dominions; and then Cleve-Julich, its
counterpart on the southwestern side,--there also, with such
contingencies hanging over Cleve-Julich, it were proper to make
some mustering of the Frontier garrisons and affairs. [In regard
to the Day of HULDIGUNG at Cleve, which happily is not of the
least moment to us, Preuss (
p, 390) and
to be in flat contradiction.] His Majesty so purposes: and we
purpose again to accompany,--not for inspection and mustering, but
for an unexpected reason. The grave Journey to Cleve has an
appendage, or comic side-piece, hanging to it; more than one
appendage; which the reader must not miss!--Before setting out,
read these two Fractions, snatched from the Diplomatist Wastebag;
looking well, we gain there some momentary view of Friedrich on
the business side. Of Friedrich, and also of Another:--
Sunday, 14th August, 1740, Dickens, who has been reporting
hitherto in a favorable, though in a languid exoteric manner, not
being in any height of favor, England or he,--had express Audience
of his Majesty; being summoned out to Potsdam for that end:
"Sunday evening, about 7 P.M."--Majesty intending to be off on the
Cleve Journey to-morrow. Let us accompany Dickens. Readers may
remember, George II. has been at Hanover for some weeks past;
Bielfeld diligently grinning euphemisms and courtly graciosities
to him; Truchsess hinting, on opportunity, that there are perhaps
weighty businesses in the rear; which, however, on the Britannic
side, seem loath to start. Britannic Majesty is much at a loss
about his Spanish War, so dangerous for kindling France and the
whole world upon him. In regard to which Prussia might be so
important, for or against.--This, in compressed form, is what
Dickens witnesses at Potsdam that Sunday evening from 7 P.M.:--
"Audience lasted above an hour: King turned directly upon
business; wishes to have 'Categorical Answers' as to Three Points
already submitted to his Britannic Majesty's consideration.
Clear footing indispensable between us. What you want of me? say
it, and be plain. What I want of you is, These three things:--
"1. Guarantee for Julich and Berg. All the world knows WHOSE
these Duchies are. Will his Britannic Majesty guarantee me there?
And if so, How, and to what lengths, will he proceed about it?
"2. Settlement about Ost-Friesland. Expectancy of Ost-Friesland
soon to fall heirless, which was granted me long since, though
Hanover makes hagglings, counter-claimings: I must have some
Settlement about that.
"3. The like about those perplexities in Mecklenburg.
No difficulty there if we try heartily, nor is there such pressing
haste about it.
"These are my three claims on England; and I will try to serve
England as far in return, if it will tell