History of Friedrich II of Prussia V 11 [24]
about to print, the ANTI-MACHIAVEL;
corresponding, to right and left, quarrelling with Van Duren the
Printer; lives, while there, in the VIEILLE COUR, in the vast
dusky rooms with faded gilding, and grand old Bookshelves "with
the biggest spider-webs in Europe." Brussels is his place for Law-
Consultations, general family residence; the Hague and that old
spider-web Palace for correcting Proof-sheets; doing one's own
private studies, which we never quite neglect. Fain would
Friedrich see him, fain he Friedrich; but there is a divine
Emilie, there is a Maupertuis, there are--In short, never were
such difficulties, in the cooking of an egg with water boiling;
and much vain correspondence has already been on that subject, as
on others equally extinct. Correspondence which is not pleasant
reading at this time; the rather as no reader can, without endless
searching, even understand it. Correspondence left to us, not in
the cosmic, elucidated or legible state; left mainly as the
Editorial rubbish-wagons chose to shoot it; like a tumbled quarry,
like the ruins of a sacked city;--avoidable by readers who are not
forced into it! [Herr Preuss's edition ( OEuvres de
Frederic, vols. xxi. xxii. xxiii.) has come out since
the above was written: it is agreeably exceptional; being, for the
first time, correctly printed, and the editor himself having
mostly understood it,--though the reader still cannot, on the
terms there allowed.] Take the following select bricks as sample,
which are of some use; the general Heading is,
KING FRIEDERIC TO M. DE VOLTAIRE (at the Hague, or at Brussels).
"CHARLOTTENBURG, 12th JUNE, 1740.--... My dear Voltaire, resist no
longer the eagerness I have to see you. Do in my favor whatever
your humanity allows. In the end of August, I go to Wesel, and
perhaps farther. Promise that you will come and join me; for I
could not live happy, nor die tranquil, without having embraced
you! Thousand compliments to the Marquise," divine Emilie. "I am
busy with both hands [Corn-Magazines, Free Press, Abolition of
Torture, and much else]; working at the Army with the one hand, at
the People and the Fine Arts with the other."
"BERLIN, 5th AUGUST, 1740.--... I will write to Madame du
Chatelet, in compliance with your wish:" mark it, reader.
"To speak to you frankly concerning her journey, it is Voltaire,
it is you, it is my Friend that I desire to see; and the divine
Emilie with all her divinity is only the Accessory of the Apollo
Newtonized.
"I cannot yet say whether I shall travel [incognito into foreign
parts a little] or not travel;" there have been rumors, perhaps
private wishes; but--... "Adieu, dear friend; sublime spirit,
first-born of thinking beings. Love me always sincerely, and be
persuaded that none can love and esteem you more than I.
VALE. FEDERIC."
"BERLIN, 6th AUGUST [which is next day].--You will have received a
Letter from me dated yesterday; this is the second I write to you
from Berlin; I refer you to what was in the other. If it must be
(FAUT) that Emilie accompany Apollo, I consent; but if I could see
you alone, that is what I would prefer. I should be too much
dazzled; I could not stand so much splendor all at once; it would
overpower me. I should need the veil of Moses to temper the united
radiance of your two divinities." ... In short, don't bring her,
if you please.
"REMUSBERG [poetic for REINSBERG], 8th AUGUST, 1740.--... My dear
Voltaire, I do believe Van Duren costs you more trouble and pains
than you had with HENRI QUATRE. In versifying the Life of a Hero,
you wrote the history of your own thoughts; but in coercing a
scoundrel you fence with an enemy who is not worthy of you."
To punish him, and cut short his profits, "PRINT, then, as you
wish [your own edition of the ANTI-MACHIAVEL, to go along with
his, and trip the feet from it]. FAITES ROULER LA PRESSE; erase,
change, correct; do as you see best; your judgment about it shall
be mine."--"In eight days
corresponding, to right and left, quarrelling with Van Duren the
Printer; lives, while there, in the VIEILLE COUR, in the vast
dusky rooms with faded gilding, and grand old Bookshelves "with
the biggest spider-webs in Europe." Brussels is his place for Law-
Consultations, general family residence; the Hague and that old
spider-web Palace for correcting Proof-sheets; doing one's own
private studies, which we never quite neglect. Fain would
Friedrich see him, fain he Friedrich; but there is a divine
Emilie, there is a Maupertuis, there are--In short, never were
such difficulties, in the cooking of an egg with water boiling;
and much vain correspondence has already been on that subject, as
on others equally extinct. Correspondence which is not pleasant
reading at this time; the rather as no reader can, without endless
searching, even understand it. Correspondence left to us, not in
the cosmic, elucidated or legible state; left mainly as the
Editorial rubbish-wagons chose to shoot it; like a tumbled quarry,
like the ruins of a sacked city;--avoidable by readers who are not
forced into it! [Herr Preuss's edition (
Frederic,
the above was written: it is agreeably exceptional; being, for the
first time, correctly printed, and the editor himself having
mostly understood it,--though the reader still cannot, on the
terms there allowed.] Take the following select bricks as sample,
which are of some use; the general Heading is,
KING FRIEDERIC TO M. DE VOLTAIRE (at the Hague, or at Brussels).
"CHARLOTTENBURG, 12th JUNE, 1740.--... My dear Voltaire, resist no
longer the eagerness I have to see you. Do in my favor whatever
your humanity allows. In the end of August, I go to Wesel, and
perhaps farther. Promise that you will come and join me; for I
could not live happy, nor die tranquil, without having embraced
you! Thousand compliments to the Marquise," divine Emilie. "I am
busy with both hands [Corn-Magazines, Free Press, Abolition of
Torture, and much else]; working at the Army with the one hand, at
the People and the Fine Arts with the other."
"BERLIN, 5th AUGUST, 1740.--... I will write to Madame du
Chatelet, in compliance with your wish:" mark it, reader.
"To speak to you frankly concerning her journey, it is Voltaire,
it is you, it is my Friend that I desire to see; and the divine
Emilie with all her divinity is only the Accessory of the Apollo
Newtonized.
"I cannot yet say whether I shall travel [incognito into foreign
parts a little] or not travel;" there have been rumors, perhaps
private wishes; but--... "Adieu, dear friend; sublime spirit,
first-born of thinking beings. Love me always sincerely, and be
persuaded that none can love and esteem you more than I.
VALE. FEDERIC."
"BERLIN, 6th AUGUST [which is next day].--You will have received a
Letter from me dated yesterday; this is the second I write to you
from Berlin; I refer you to what was in the other. If it must be
(FAUT) that Emilie accompany Apollo, I consent; but if I could see
you alone, that is what I would prefer. I should be too much
dazzled; I could not stand so much splendor all at once; it would
overpower me. I should need the veil of Moses to temper the united
radiance of your two divinities." ... In short, don't bring her,
if you please.
"REMUSBERG [poetic for REINSBERG], 8th AUGUST, 1740.--... My dear
Voltaire, I do believe Van Duren costs you more trouble and pains
than you had with HENRI QUATRE. In versifying the Life of a Hero,
you wrote the history of your own thoughts; but in coercing a
scoundrel you fence with an enemy who is not worthy of you."
To punish him, and cut short his profits, "PRINT, then, as you
wish [your own edition of the ANTI-MACHIAVEL, to go along with
his, and trip the feet from it]. FAITES ROULER LA PRESSE; erase,
change, correct; do as you see best; your judgment about it shall
be mine."--"In eight days