History of Friedrich II of Prussia V 11 [44]
had an Army of
100,000 men. That was the moment to have read your amiable Verses
to him:"--yes; but then?--"Madame du Chatelet, who was to have
sent them to me, did not, NE L'A PA FAIT." Alas, no, they are
still at Brussels, those charming Verses; and I, for a month past,
am here in my cobweb Palace! But I swear to you, the instant I
return to Brussels, I, &c. &c. [Voltaire, lxii. 282.]
Finally, here is what Friedrich thought of it, ten days after
parting with Voltaire. We will read this also (though otherwise
ahead of us as yet); to be certified on all sides, and sated for
the rest of our lives, concerning the Friedrich-Voltaire
First Interview.
KING FRIEDRICH TO M. JORDAN (at Berlin).
POTSDAM, 24th September, 1740.
"Most respectable Inspector of the poor, the invalids, orphans,
crazy people and Bedlams,--I have read with mature meditation the
very profound Jordanic Letter which was waiting here;"--and do
accept your learned proposal.
"I have seen that Voltaire whom I was so curious to know; but I
saw him with the Quartan hanging on me, and my mind as unstrung as
my body. With men of his kind one ought not to be sick; one ought
even to be specially well, and in better health than common, if
one could.
"He has the eloquence of Cicero, the mildness of Pliny, the wisdom
of Agrippa; he combines, in short, what is to be collected of
virtues and talents from the three greatest men of Antiquity.
His intellect is at work incessantly; every drop of ink is a trait
of wit from his pen. He declaimed his MAHOMET to us, an admirable
Tragedy which he has done,"--which the Official people smelling
heresies in it ("toleration," "horrors of fanaticism," and the
like) will not let him act, as readers too well know:--"he
transported us out of ourselves; I could only admire and hold my
tongue. The Du Chatelet is lucky to have him: for of the good
things he flings out at random, a person who had no faculty but
memory might make a brilliant Book. That Minerva has just
published her Work on PHYSICS: not wholly bad. It was Konig"--whom
we know, and whose late tempest in a certain teapot--"that
dictated the theme to her: she has adjusted, ornamented here and
there with some touch picked from Voltaire at her Suppers.
The Chapter on Space is pitiable; the"--in short, she is still raw
in the Pure Sciences, and should have waited. ...
"Adieu, most learned, most scientific, most profound Jordan,--or
rather most gallant, most amiable, most jovial Jordan;--I salute
thee, with assurance of all those old feelings which thou hast the
art of inspiring in every one that knows thee. VALE.
"I write the moment of my arrival: be obliged to me, friend; for I
have been working, I am going to work still, like a Turk, or like
a Jordan." [ OEuvres de Frederic, xvii. 71.]
This is hastily thrown off for Friend Jordan, the instant after
his Majesty's circuitous return home. Readers cannot yet attend
his Majesty there, till they have brought the Affair of Herstal,
and other remainders of the Cleve Journey, along with them.
Chapter V.
AFFAIR OF HERSTAL.
This Rambonet, whom Voltaire found walking in the court of the old
Castle of Moyland, is an official gentleman, otherwise unknown to
History, who has lately been engaged in a Public Affair; and is
now off again about it, "on a hired hack" or otherwise,--with very
good instructions in his head. Affair which, though in itself but
small, is now beginning to make great noise in the world, as
Friedrich wends homewards out of his Cleve Journey. He has set it
fairly alight, Voltaire and he, before quitting Moyland; and now
it will go of itself. The Affair of Herstal, or of the Bishop of
Liege; Friedrich's first appearance on the stage of politics.
Concerning which some very brief notice, if intelligible, will
suffice readers of the present day.
Heristal, now called Herstal, was once a Castle known to all
mankind; King Pipin's Castle, who styled himself "Pipin of
Heristal," before he became King of the Franks and
100,000 men. That was the moment to have read your amiable Verses
to him:"--yes; but then?--"Madame du Chatelet, who was to have
sent them to me, did not, NE L'A PA FAIT." Alas, no, they are
still at Brussels, those charming Verses; and I, for a month past,
am here in my cobweb Palace! But I swear to you, the instant I
return to Brussels, I, &c. &c. [Voltaire, lxii. 282.]
Finally, here is what Friedrich thought of it, ten days after
parting with Voltaire. We will read this also (though otherwise
ahead of us as yet); to be certified on all sides, and sated for
the rest of our lives, concerning the Friedrich-Voltaire
First Interview.
KING FRIEDRICH TO M. JORDAN (at Berlin).
POTSDAM, 24th September, 1740.
"Most respectable Inspector of the poor, the invalids, orphans,
crazy people and Bedlams,--I have read with mature meditation the
very profound Jordanic Letter which was waiting here;"--and do
accept your learned proposal.
"I have seen that Voltaire whom I was so curious to know; but I
saw him with the Quartan hanging on me, and my mind as unstrung as
my body. With men of his kind one ought not to be sick; one ought
even to be specially well, and in better health than common, if
one could.
"He has the eloquence of Cicero, the mildness of Pliny, the wisdom
of Agrippa; he combines, in short, what is to be collected of
virtues and talents from the three greatest men of Antiquity.
His intellect is at work incessantly; every drop of ink is a trait
of wit from his pen. He declaimed his MAHOMET to us, an admirable
Tragedy which he has done,"--which the Official people smelling
heresies in it ("toleration," "horrors of fanaticism," and the
like) will not let him act, as readers too well know:--"he
transported us out of ourselves; I could only admire and hold my
tongue. The Du Chatelet is lucky to have him: for of the good
things he flings out at random, a person who had no faculty but
memory might make a brilliant Book. That Minerva has just
published her Work on PHYSICS: not wholly bad. It was Konig"--whom
we know, and whose late tempest in a certain teapot--"that
dictated the theme to her: she has adjusted, ornamented here and
there with some touch picked from Voltaire at her Suppers.
The Chapter on Space is pitiable; the"--in short, she is still raw
in the Pure Sciences, and should have waited. ...
"Adieu, most learned, most scientific, most profound Jordan,--or
rather most gallant, most amiable, most jovial Jordan;--I salute
thee, with assurance of all those old feelings which thou hast the
art of inspiring in every one that knows thee. VALE.
"I write the moment of my arrival: be obliged to me, friend; for I
have been working, I am going to work still, like a Turk, or like
a Jordan." [
This is hastily thrown off for Friend Jordan, the instant after
his Majesty's circuitous return home. Readers cannot yet attend
his Majesty there, till they have brought the Affair of Herstal,
and other remainders of the Cleve Journey, along with them.
Chapter V.
AFFAIR OF HERSTAL.
This Rambonet, whom Voltaire found walking in the court of the old
Castle of Moyland, is an official gentleman, otherwise unknown to
History, who has lately been engaged in a Public Affair; and is
now off again about it, "on a hired hack" or otherwise,--with very
good instructions in his head. Affair which, though in itself but
small, is now beginning to make great noise in the world, as
Friedrich wends homewards out of his Cleve Journey. He has set it
fairly alight, Voltaire and he, before quitting Moyland; and now
it will go of itself. The Affair of Herstal, or of the Bishop of
Liege; Friedrich's first appearance on the stage of politics.
Concerning which some very brief notice, if intelligible, will
suffice readers of the present day.
Heristal, now called Herstal, was once a Castle known to all
mankind; King Pipin's Castle, who styled himself "Pipin of
Heristal," before he became King of the Franks and