History of Friedrich II of Prussia V 11 [37]
in red wig. Through the sensitive
transparent being of M. de Voltaire, you may see that feeling
almost painfully busy in every Letter he writes to the Flattener
of the Earth.
Chapter IV.
VOLTAIRE'S FIRST INTERVIEW WITH FRIEDRICH.
At Wesel, in the rear of all this travelling and excitement,
Friedrich falls unwell; breaks down there into an aguish feverish
distemper, which, for several months after, impeded his movements,
would he have yielded to it. He has much business on hand, too,--
some of it of prickly nature just now;--but is intent as ever on
seeing Voltaire, among the first things. Diligently reading in the
Voltaire-Friedrich Correspondence (which is a sad jumble of
misdates and opacities, in the common editions), [Preuss (the
recent latest Editor, and the only well-informed one, as we said)
prints with accuracy; but cannot be read at all (in the sense of
UNDERSTOOD) without other light.] this of the aguish condition
frequently turns up; "Quartan ague," it seems; occasionally very
bad; but Friedrich struggles with it; will not be cheated of any
of his purposes by it.
He had a busy fortnight here; busier than we yet imagine.
Much employment there naturally is of the usual Inspection sort;
which fails in no quarter of his Dominions, but which may be
particularly important here, in these disputed Berg-Julich
Countries, when the time of decision falls. How he does his
Inspections we know;--and there are still weightier matters afoot
here, in a silent way, of which we shall have to speak before
long, and all the world will speak. Business enough, parts of it
grave and silent, going on, and the much that is public,
miscellaneous, small: done, all of it, in a rapid-punctual precise
manner;--and always, after the crowded day, some passages of
Supper with the Sages, to wind up with on melodious terms. A most
alert and miscellaneously busy young King, in spite of the ague.
It was in these Cleve Countries, and now as probably as
afterwards, that the light scene recorded in Laveaux's poor
HISTORY, and in all the Anecdote-Books, transacted itself one day.
Substance of the story is true; though the details of it go all at
random,--somewhat to this effect:--
"Inspecting his Finance Affairs, and questioning the parties
interested, Friedrich notices a certain Convent in Cleve, which
appears to have, payable from the Forest-dues, considerable
revenues bequeathed by the old Dukes, 'for masses to be said on
their behalf.' He goes to look at the place; questions the Monks
on this point, who are all drawn out in two rows, and have broken
into TE-DEUM at sight of him: 'Husht! You still say those Masses,
then?' 'Certainly, your Majesty!'--'And what good does anybody get
of them?' 'Your Majesty, those old Sovereigns are to obtain
Heavenly mercy by them, to be delivered out of Purgatory by
them.'--'Purgatory? It is a sore thing for the Forests, all this
while! And they are not yet out, those poor souls, after so many
hundred years of praying?' Monks have a fatal apprehension, No.
'When will they be out, and the thing complete?' Monks cannot say.
'Send me a courier whenever it is complete!' sneers the King, and
leaves them to their TE-DEUM." [C. Hildebrandt's Modern Edition
of the (mostly dubious) Anekdoten und Charakterzuge aus
dem Leben Friedrichs des Grossen (and a very ignorant
and careless Edition it is; 6 vols. 12mo, Halberstadt, 1829), ii.
160; Laveaus (whom we already cited), Vie de Frederic;
&c. &c. Nicolai's Anekdoten
alone, which are not included in this Hildebrandt Collection, are
of sure authenticity; the rest, occasionally true, and often with
a kind of MYTHIC truth in them worth attending to, are otherwise
of all degrees of dubiety, down to the palpably false and absurd.]
Mournful state of the Catholic Religion so called! How long must
these wretched Monks go on doing their lazy thrice-deleterious
torpid blasphemy; and a King, not histrionic but real, merely
signify that he laughs
transparent being of M. de Voltaire, you may see that feeling
almost painfully busy in every Letter he writes to the Flattener
of the Earth.
Chapter IV.
VOLTAIRE'S FIRST INTERVIEW WITH FRIEDRICH.
At Wesel, in the rear of all this travelling and excitement,
Friedrich falls unwell; breaks down there into an aguish feverish
distemper, which, for several months after, impeded his movements,
would he have yielded to it. He has much business on hand, too,--
some of it of prickly nature just now;--but is intent as ever on
seeing Voltaire, among the first things. Diligently reading in the
Voltaire-Friedrich Correspondence (which is a sad jumble of
misdates and opacities, in the common editions), [Preuss (the
recent latest Editor, and the only well-informed one, as we said)
prints with accuracy; but cannot be read at all (in the sense of
UNDERSTOOD) without other light.] this of the aguish condition
frequently turns up; "Quartan ague," it seems; occasionally very
bad; but Friedrich struggles with it; will not be cheated of any
of his purposes by it.
He had a busy fortnight here; busier than we yet imagine.
Much employment there naturally is of the usual Inspection sort;
which fails in no quarter of his Dominions, but which may be
particularly important here, in these disputed Berg-Julich
Countries, when the time of decision falls. How he does his
Inspections we know;--and there are still weightier matters afoot
here, in a silent way, of which we shall have to speak before
long, and all the world will speak. Business enough, parts of it
grave and silent, going on, and the much that is public,
miscellaneous, small: done, all of it, in a rapid-punctual precise
manner;--and always, after the crowded day, some passages of
Supper with the Sages, to wind up with on melodious terms. A most
alert and miscellaneously busy young King, in spite of the ague.
It was in these Cleve Countries, and now as probably as
afterwards, that the light scene recorded in Laveaux's poor
HISTORY, and in all the Anecdote-Books, transacted itself one day.
Substance of the story is true; though the details of it go all at
random,--somewhat to this effect:--
"Inspecting his Finance Affairs, and questioning the parties
interested, Friedrich notices a certain Convent in Cleve, which
appears to have, payable from the Forest-dues, considerable
revenues bequeathed by the old Dukes, 'for masses to be said on
their behalf.' He goes to look at the place; questions the Monks
on this point, who are all drawn out in two rows, and have broken
into TE-DEUM at sight of him: 'Husht! You still say those Masses,
then?' 'Certainly, your Majesty!'--'And what good does anybody get
of them?' 'Your Majesty, those old Sovereigns are to obtain
Heavenly mercy by them, to be delivered out of Purgatory by
them.'--'Purgatory? It is a sore thing for the Forests, all this
while! And they are not yet out, those poor souls, after so many
hundred years of praying?' Monks have a fatal apprehension, No.
'When will they be out, and the thing complete?' Monks cannot say.
'Send me a courier whenever it is complete!' sneers the King, and
leaves them to their TE-DEUM." [C. Hildebrandt's Modern Edition
of the (mostly dubious)
dem Leben Friedrichs des Grossen
and careless Edition it is; 6 vols. 12mo, Halberstadt, 1829), ii.
160; Laveaus (whom we already cited),
alone, which are not included in this Hildebrandt Collection, are
of sure authenticity; the rest, occasionally true, and often with
a kind of MYTHIC truth in them worth attending to, are otherwise
of all degrees of dubiety, down to the palpably false and absurd.]
Mournful state of the Catholic Religion so called! How long must
these wretched Monks go on doing their lazy thrice-deleterious
torpid blasphemy; and a King, not histrionic but real, merely
signify that he laughs