History of Friedrich II of Prussia V 11 [39]
lately; forming now one scheme of route for
him, now another; Newspapers, and even private friends, being a
good deal uncertain about his movements. Rumor now ran, since his
reappearance in the Cleve Countries, that Friedrich meant to have
a look at Holland before going home, And that had, in fact, been a
notion or intention of Friedrich's. "Holland? We could pass
through Brussels on the way, and see Voltaire!" thought he.
In Brussels this was, of course, the rumor of rumors.
As Voltaire's Letters, visibly in a twitter, still testify to us.
King of Prussia coming! Madame du Chatelet, the "Princess Tour"
(that is, Tour-and-Taxis), all manner of high Dames are on the
tiptoe. Princess Tour hopes she shall lodge this unparalleled
Prince in her Palace: "You, Madame?" answers the Du Chatelet,
privately, with a toss of her head: "His Majesty, I hope, belongs
more to M. de Voltaire and me: he shall lodge here, please
Heaven!" Voltaire, I can observe, has sublime hostelry
arrangements chalked out for his Majesty, in case he go to Paris;
which he does n't, as we know. Voltaire is all on the alert, awake
to the great contingencies far and near; the Chatelet-Voltaire
breakfast-table,--fancy it on those interesting mornings, while
the post comes round! [Voltaire, xxii. 238-256 (Letters 22d
August-22d September, 1740).]
Alas, in the first days of September,--Friedrich's Letter is dated
"Wesel, 2d" (and has the STRASBURD DOGGEREL enclosed in it),--the
Brussels Postman delivers far other intelligence at one's door;
very mortifying to Madame: "That his Majesty is fallen ill at
Wesel; has an aguish fever hanging on him, and only hopes to
come:" VOILA, Madame!--Next Letter, Wesel, Monday, 5th September,
is to the effect: "Do still much hope to come; to-morrow is my
trembling day; if that prove to be off!"--Out upon it, that proves
not to be off; that is on: next Letter, Tuesday, September 6th,
which comes by express (Courier dashing up with it, say on the
Thursday following) is,--alas, Madame!--here it is:--
KING FRIEDRICH TO M. DE VOLTAIRE AT BRUSSELS.
"WESEL, 6th September, 1740.
"MY DEAR VOLTAIRE,--In spite of myself, I have to yield to the
Quartan Fever, which is more tenacious than a Jansenist;
and whatever desire I had of going to Antwerp and Brussels, I find
myself not in a condition to undertake such a journey without
risk. I would ask of you, then, if the road from Brussels to Cleve
would not to you seem too long for a meeting; it is the one means
of seeing you which remains to me. Confess that I am unlucky;
for now when I could dispose of my person, and nothing hinders me
from seeing you, the fever gets its hand into the business, and
seems to intend disputing me that satisfaction.
"Let us deceive the fever, my dear Voltaire; and let me at least
have the pleasure of embracing you. Make my best excuses [polite,
rather than sincere] to Madame the MARQUISE, that I cannot have
the satisfaction of seeing her at Brussels. All that are about me
know the intention I was in; which certainly nothing but the fever
could have made me change.
"Sunday next I shall be at a little Place near Cleve,"--Schloss of
Moyland, which, and the route to which, this Courier can tell you
of;--"where I shall be able to possess you at my ease. If the
sight of you don't cure me, I will send for a Confessor at once.
Adieu; you know my sentiments and my heart. [Preuss,
OEuvres de Frederic, xxii. 27.] FREDERIC."
After which the Correspondence suddenly extinguishes itself;
ceases for about a fortnight,--in the bad misdated Editions even
does worse;--and we are left to thick darkness, to our own poor
shifts; Dryasdust being grandly silent on this small interest of
ours. What is to be done?
PARTICULARS OF FIRST INTERVIEW, ON SEVERE SCRUTINY.
Here, from a painful Predecessor whose Papers I inherit, are some
old documents and Studies on the subject,--sorrowful collection,
in fact, of what poor sparks of certainty were to
him, now another; Newspapers, and even private friends, being a
good deal uncertain about his movements. Rumor now ran, since his
reappearance in the Cleve Countries, that Friedrich meant to have
a look at Holland before going home, And that had, in fact, been a
notion or intention of Friedrich's. "Holland? We could pass
through Brussels on the way, and see Voltaire!" thought he.
In Brussels this was, of course, the rumor of rumors.
As Voltaire's Letters, visibly in a twitter, still testify to us.
King of Prussia coming! Madame du Chatelet, the "Princess Tour"
(that is, Tour-and-Taxis), all manner of high Dames are on the
tiptoe. Princess Tour hopes she shall lodge this unparalleled
Prince in her Palace: "You, Madame?" answers the Du Chatelet,
privately, with a toss of her head: "His Majesty, I hope, belongs
more to M. de Voltaire and me: he shall lodge here, please
Heaven!" Voltaire, I can observe, has sublime hostelry
arrangements chalked out for his Majesty, in case he go to Paris;
which he does n't, as we know. Voltaire is all on the alert, awake
to the great contingencies far and near; the Chatelet-Voltaire
breakfast-table,--fancy it on those interesting mornings, while
the post comes round! [Voltaire, xxii. 238-256 (Letters 22d
August-22d September, 1740).]
Alas, in the first days of September,--Friedrich's Letter is dated
"Wesel, 2d" (and has the STRASBURD DOGGEREL enclosed in it),--the
Brussels Postman delivers far other intelligence at one's door;
very mortifying to Madame: "That his Majesty is fallen ill at
Wesel; has an aguish fever hanging on him, and only hopes to
come:" VOILA, Madame!--Next Letter, Wesel, Monday, 5th September,
is to the effect: "Do still much hope to come; to-morrow is my
trembling day; if that prove to be off!"--Out upon it, that proves
not to be off; that is on: next Letter, Tuesday, September 6th,
which comes by express (Courier dashing up with it, say on the
Thursday following) is,--alas, Madame!--here it is:--
KING FRIEDRICH TO M. DE VOLTAIRE AT BRUSSELS.
"WESEL, 6th September, 1740.
"MY DEAR VOLTAIRE,--In spite of myself, I have to yield to the
Quartan Fever, which is more tenacious than a Jansenist;
and whatever desire I had of going to Antwerp and Brussels, I find
myself not in a condition to undertake such a journey without
risk. I would ask of you, then, if the road from Brussels to Cleve
would not to you seem too long for a meeting; it is the one means
of seeing you which remains to me. Confess that I am unlucky;
for now when I could dispose of my person, and nothing hinders me
from seeing you, the fever gets its hand into the business, and
seems to intend disputing me that satisfaction.
"Let us deceive the fever, my dear Voltaire; and let me at least
have the pleasure of embracing you. Make my best excuses [polite,
rather than sincere] to Madame the MARQUISE, that I cannot have
the satisfaction of seeing her at Brussels. All that are about me
know the intention I was in; which certainly nothing but the fever
could have made me change.
"Sunday next I shall be at a little Place near Cleve,"--Schloss of
Moyland, which, and the route to which, this Courier can tell you
of;--"where I shall be able to possess you at my ease. If the
sight of you don't cure me, I will send for a Confessor at once.
Adieu; you know my sentiments and my heart. [Preuss,
OEuvres de Frederic,
After which the Correspondence suddenly extinguishes itself;
ceases for about a fortnight,--in the bad misdated Editions even
does worse;--and we are left to thick darkness, to our own poor
shifts; Dryasdust being grandly silent on this small interest of
ours. What is to be done?
PARTICULARS OF FIRST INTERVIEW, ON SEVERE SCRUTINY.
Here, from a painful Predecessor whose Papers I inherit, are some
old documents and Studies on the subject,--sorrowful collection,
in fact, of what poor sparks of certainty were to