History of Friedrich II of Prussia V 11 [46]
diligent to aid and abet the Herstal people in such their
mutinous acts. Obscure claims; of which this is the summary,
should the reader not prefer to skip it:--
"The Bishop of Liege's claims on Herstal (which lie wrapt from
mankind in the extensive jungle of his law-pleadings, like a
Bedlam happily fallen extinct) seem to me to have grown mainly
from two facts more or less radical.
"FACT FIRST. In Kaiser Barbarossa's time, year 1171, Herstal had
been given in pawn to the Church of Liege, for a loan, by the then
proprietor, Duke of Lorraine and Brabant. Loan was repaid, I do
not learn when, and the Pawn given back; to the satisfaction of
said Duke, or Duke's Heirs; never quite to the satisfaction of the
Church, which had been in possession, and was loath to quit, after
hoping to continue. 'Give us back Herstal; it ought to be ours!'
Unappeasable sigh or grumble to this effect is heard thenceforth,
at intervals, in the Chapter of Liege, and has not ceased in
Friedrich's time. But as the world, in its loud thoroughfares,
seldom or never heard, or could hear, such sighing in the Chapter,
nothing had come of it,--till--
"FACT SECOND. In Kaiser Karl V.'s time, the Prince Bishop of Liege
happened to be a Natural Son of old Kaiser Max's;--and had friends
at headquarters, of a very choice nature. Had, namely, in this
sort, Kaiser Karl for Nephew or Half-Nephew; and what perhaps was
still better, as nearer hand, had Karl's Aunt, Maria Queen of
Hungary, then Governess of the Netherlands, for Half-Sister.
Liege, in these choice circumstances, and by other good chances
that turned up, again got temporary clutch or half-clutch of
Herstal, for a couple of years (date 1546-1548, the Prince of
Orange, real proprietor, whose Ancestor had bought it for money
down, being then a minor); once, and perhaps a second time in like
circumstance; but had always to renounce it again, when the Prince
of Orange came to maturity. And ever since, the Chapter of Liege
sighs as before, 'Herstal is perhaps in a sense ours. We had once
some kind of right to it!'--sigh inaudible in the loud public
thoroughfares. That is the Bishop's claim. The name of him, if
anybody care for it, is 'Georg Ludwig, titular COUNT OF BERG,' now
a very old man: Bishop of Liege, he, and has been snatching at
Herstal again, very eagerly by any skirt or tagrag that might
happen to fly loose, these eight years past, in a rash and
provoking manner; [ Delices du Pais de Liege
(Liege, 1738); Helden-Geschichte,
ii. 57-62.]--age eighty-two at present; poor old fool, he had
better have sat quiet. There lies a rod in pickle for him, during
these late months; and will be surprisingly laid on, were the
time come!"
"I have Law Authority over Herstal, and power of judging there in
the last appeal," said this Bishop:--"You!" thought Friedrich
Wilhelm, who was far off, and had little time to waste.--
"Any Prussian recruiter that behaves ill, bring him to me!" said
the Bishop, who was on the spot. And accordingly it had been done;
one notable instance two years ago: a Prussian Lieutenant locked
in the Liege jail, on complaint of riotous Herstal; thereupon a
Prussian Officer of rank (Colonel Kreutzen, worthy old Malplaquet
gentleman) coming as Royal Messenger, not admitted to audience,
nay laid hold of by the Liege bailiff instead; and other unheard-
of procedures. [ Helden-Geschichte, ii.
63-73.] So that Friedrich Wilhelm had nothing but trouble with
this petty Herstal, and must have thought his neighbor Bishop a
very contentious high-flying gentleman, who took great liberties
with the Lion's whiskers, when he had the big animal at
an advantage.
The episcopal procedures, eight years ago, about the First
Homaging of Herstal, had been of similar complexion; nor had other
such failed in the interim, though this last outrage exceeded them
all. This last began in the end of 1738; and span itself out
through 1739, when Friedrich Wilhelm lay in his final sickness,
mutinous acts. Obscure claims; of which this is the summary,
should the reader not prefer to skip it:--
"The Bishop of Liege's claims on Herstal (which lie wrapt from
mankind in the extensive jungle of his law-pleadings, like a
Bedlam happily fallen extinct) seem to me to have grown mainly
from two facts more or less radical.
"FACT FIRST. In Kaiser Barbarossa's time, year 1171, Herstal had
been given in pawn to the Church of Liege, for a loan, by the then
proprietor, Duke of Lorraine and Brabant. Loan was repaid, I do
not learn when, and the Pawn given back; to the satisfaction of
said Duke, or Duke's Heirs; never quite to the satisfaction of the
Church, which had been in possession, and was loath to quit, after
hoping to continue. 'Give us back Herstal; it ought to be ours!'
Unappeasable sigh or grumble to this effect is heard thenceforth,
at intervals, in the Chapter of Liege, and has not ceased in
Friedrich's time. But as the world, in its loud thoroughfares,
seldom or never heard, or could hear, such sighing in the Chapter,
nothing had come of it,--till--
"FACT SECOND. In Kaiser Karl V.'s time, the Prince Bishop of Liege
happened to be a Natural Son of old Kaiser Max's;--and had friends
at headquarters, of a very choice nature. Had, namely, in this
sort, Kaiser Karl for Nephew or Half-Nephew; and what perhaps was
still better, as nearer hand, had Karl's Aunt, Maria Queen of
Hungary, then Governess of the Netherlands, for Half-Sister.
Liege, in these choice circumstances, and by other good chances
that turned up, again got temporary clutch or half-clutch of
Herstal, for a couple of years (date 1546-1548, the Prince of
Orange, real proprietor, whose Ancestor had bought it for money
down, being then a minor); once, and perhaps a second time in like
circumstance; but had always to renounce it again, when the Prince
of Orange came to maturity. And ever since, the Chapter of Liege
sighs as before, 'Herstal is perhaps in a sense ours. We had once
some kind of right to it!'--sigh inaudible in the loud public
thoroughfares. That is the Bishop's claim. The name of him, if
anybody care for it, is 'Georg Ludwig, titular COUNT OF BERG,' now
a very old man: Bishop of Liege, he, and has been snatching at
Herstal again, very eagerly by any skirt or tagrag that might
happen to fly loose, these eight years past, in a rash and
provoking manner; [
(Liege, 1738);
ii. 57-62.]--age eighty-two at present; poor old fool, he had
better have sat quiet. There lies a rod in pickle for him, during
these late months; and will be surprisingly laid on, were the
time come!"
"I have Law Authority over Herstal, and power of judging there in
the last appeal," said this Bishop:--"You!" thought Friedrich
Wilhelm, who was far off, and had little time to waste.--
"Any Prussian recruiter that behaves ill, bring him to me!" said
the Bishop, who was on the spot. And accordingly it had been done;
one notable instance two years ago: a Prussian Lieutenant locked
in the Liege jail, on complaint of riotous Herstal; thereupon a
Prussian Officer of rank (Colonel Kreutzen, worthy old Malplaquet
gentleman) coming as Royal Messenger, not admitted to audience,
nay laid hold of by the Liege bailiff instead; and other unheard-
of procedures. [
63-73.] So that Friedrich Wilhelm had nothing but trouble with
this petty Herstal, and must have thought his neighbor Bishop a
very contentious high-flying gentleman, who took great liberties
with the Lion's whiskers, when he had the big animal at
an advantage.
The episcopal procedures, eight years ago, about the First
Homaging of Herstal, had been of similar complexion; nor had other
such failed in the interim, though this last outrage exceeded them
all. This last began in the end of 1738; and span itself out
through 1739, when Friedrich Wilhelm lay in his final sickness,