History of Friedrich II of Prussia V 11 [51]
lofty tenor;
"Let Georgius Ludovicus go, foolish rash young Dilection (LIEBDEN,
not MAJESTY, we ourselves being the only Majesty), and I will
judge between you; otherwise--!" said the Kaiser, ponderously
shaking his Olympian wig, and lifting his gilt cane, or sceptre of
mankind, in an Olympian manner. Here are some touches of his
second sublimest DEHORTATORIUM addressed to Friedrich, in a very
compressed state: [ Helden-Geschichte,
ii. 127; a FIRST and milder (ibid. 73).]--
We Karl the Sixth, Kaiser of (TITLES ENOUGH), ... "Considering
these, in the Holy Roman Reich, almost unheard-of violent Doings
(THATLICHKEITEN), which We, in Our Supreme-Judge Office, cannot
altogether justify, nor will endure ... We have the trust that you
yourself will magnanimously see How evil counsellors have misled
your Dilection to commence your Reign, not by showing example of
Obedience to the Laws appointed for all members of the Reich, for
the weak and for the strong alike, but by such Doings
(THATHANDLUNGEN) as in all quarters must cause a great surprise.
"We give your Dilection to know, therefore, That you must
straightway withdraw those troops which have broken into the Liege
Territory; make speedy restitution of all that has been extorted;
--especially General von Borck to give back at once those 50 louis
d'or daily drawn by him, to renounce his demand of the 20,000
thalers, to make good all damage done, and retire with his whole
military force (MILITZ) over the Liege boundaries;--and in brief,
that you will, by law or arbitration, manage to agree with the
Prince Bishop of Liege, who wishes it very much. These things We
expect from your Dilection, as Kurfurst of Brandenburg, within the
space of Two Months from the Issuing of this; and remain,"--
Yours as you shall demean yourself,--KARL.
"Given at Wien, 4th of October, 1740."--The last Dehortatorium
ever signed by Karl VI. In two weeks after he ate too many
mushrooms,--and immense results followed!
Dehortatoriums had their interest, at Berlin and elsewhere, for
the Diplomatic circles; but did not produce the least effect on
Borck or Friedrich; though Friedrich noted the Kaiser's manner in
these things, and thought privately to himself, as was evident to
the discerning, "What an amount of wig on that old gentleman!"
A notable Kaiser's Ambassador, Herr Botta, who had come with some
Accession compliments, in these weeks, was treated slightingly by
Friedrich; hardly admitted to Audience; and Friedrich's public
reply to the last Dehortatorium had almost something of sarcasm in
it: Evil counsellors yourself, Most Dread Kaiser! It is you that
are "misled by counsellors, who might chance to set Germany on
fire, were others as unwise as they!" Which latter phrase was
remarkable to mankind.--There is a long account already run up
between that old gentleman, with his Seckendorfs, Grumkows, with
his dull insolencies, wiggeries, and this young gentleman, who has
nearly had his heart broken and his Father's house driven mad by
them! Borck remains at his post; rations duly delivered, and fifty
louis a day for his own private expenses; and there is no answer
to the Kaiser, or in sharp brief terms (about "chances of setting
Germany on fire"), rather worse than none.
Readers see, as well as Friedrich did, what the upshot of this
affair must be;--we will now finish it off, and wash our hands of
it, before following his Majesty to Berlin. The poor Bishop had
applied, shrieking, to the French for help;--and there came some
colloquial passages between Voltaire and Fenelon, if that were a
result. He had shrieked in like manner to the Dutch, but without
result of any kind traceable in that quarter: nowhere, except from
the Kaiser, is so much as a DEHORTATORIUM to be got. Whereupon the
once high-flying, now vainly shrieking Bishop discerns clearly
that there is but one course left,--the course which has lain wide
open for some years past, had not his flight gone too high for
seeing it. Before three weeks are over, seeing
"Let Georgius Ludovicus go, foolish rash young Dilection (LIEBDEN,
not MAJESTY, we ourselves being the only Majesty), and I will
judge between you; otherwise--!" said the Kaiser, ponderously
shaking his Olympian wig, and lifting his gilt cane, or sceptre of
mankind, in an Olympian manner. Here are some touches of his
second sublimest DEHORTATORIUM addressed to Friedrich, in a very
compressed state: [
ii. 127; a FIRST and milder (ibid. 73).]--
We Karl the Sixth, Kaiser of (TITLES ENOUGH), ... "Considering
these, in the Holy Roman Reich, almost unheard-of violent Doings
(THATLICHKEITEN), which We, in Our Supreme-Judge Office, cannot
altogether justify, nor will endure ... We have the trust that you
yourself will magnanimously see How evil counsellors have misled
your Dilection to commence your Reign, not by showing example of
Obedience to the Laws appointed for all members of the Reich, for
the weak and for the strong alike, but by such Doings
(THATHANDLUNGEN) as in all quarters must cause a great surprise.
"We give your Dilection to know, therefore, That you must
straightway withdraw those troops which have broken into the Liege
Territory; make speedy restitution of all that has been extorted;
--especially General von Borck to give back at once those 50 louis
d'or daily drawn by him, to renounce his demand of the 20,000
thalers, to make good all damage done, and retire with his whole
military force (MILITZ) over the Liege boundaries;--and in brief,
that you will, by law or arbitration, manage to agree with the
Prince Bishop of Liege, who wishes it very much. These things We
expect from your Dilection, as Kurfurst of Brandenburg, within the
space of Two Months from the Issuing of this; and remain,"--
Yours as you shall demean yourself,--KARL.
"Given at Wien, 4th of October, 1740."--The last Dehortatorium
ever signed by Karl VI. In two weeks after he ate too many
mushrooms,--and immense results followed!
Dehortatoriums had their interest, at Berlin and elsewhere, for
the Diplomatic circles; but did not produce the least effect on
Borck or Friedrich; though Friedrich noted the Kaiser's manner in
these things, and thought privately to himself, as was evident to
the discerning, "What an amount of wig on that old gentleman!"
A notable Kaiser's Ambassador, Herr Botta, who had come with some
Accession compliments, in these weeks, was treated slightingly by
Friedrich; hardly admitted to Audience; and Friedrich's public
reply to the last Dehortatorium had almost something of sarcasm in
it: Evil counsellors yourself, Most Dread Kaiser! It is you that
are "misled by counsellors, who might chance to set Germany on
fire, were others as unwise as they!" Which latter phrase was
remarkable to mankind.--There is a long account already run up
between that old gentleman, with his Seckendorfs, Grumkows, with
his dull insolencies, wiggeries, and this young gentleman, who has
nearly had his heart broken and his Father's house driven mad by
them! Borck remains at his post; rations duly delivered, and fifty
louis a day for his own private expenses; and there is no answer
to the Kaiser, or in sharp brief terms (about "chances of setting
Germany on fire"), rather worse than none.
Readers see, as well as Friedrich did, what the upshot of this
affair must be;--we will now finish it off, and wash our hands of
it, before following his Majesty to Berlin. The poor Bishop had
applied, shrieking, to the French for help;--and there came some
colloquial passages between Voltaire and Fenelon, if that were a
result. He had shrieked in like manner to the Dutch, but without
result of any kind traceable in that quarter: nowhere, except from
the Kaiser, is so much as a DEHORTATORIUM to be got. Whereupon the
once high-flying, now vainly shrieking Bishop discerns clearly
that there is but one course left,--the course which has lain wide
open for some years past, had not his flight gone too high for
seeing it. Before three weeks are over, seeing