History of Friedrich II of Prussia V 11 [64]
into the interior privacies, "to long
conferences with his Majesty that day, and for the next four days;
Majesty and they even dining privately together;" grave business
of state, none guesses how grave, evidently going on.
The resolution Friedrich laid before them, fruit of these two days
since the news from Vienna, was probably the most important ever
formed in Prussia, or in Europe during that Century: Resolution to
make good our Rights on Silesia, by this great opportunity, the
best that will ever offer. Resolution which had sprung, I find,
and got to sudden fixity in the head of the young King himself;
and which met with little save opposition from all the other sons
of Adam, at the first blush and for long afterwards. And, indeed,
the making of it good (of it, and of the immense results that hung
by it) was the main business of this young King's Life henceforth;
and cost him Labors like those of Hercules, and was in the highest
degree momentous to existing and not yet existing millions of
mankind,--to the readers of this History especially.
It is almost touching to reflect how unexpectedly, like a bolt out
of the blue, all this had come upon Friedrich; and how it overset
his fine program for the winter at Reinsberg, and for his Life
generally. Not the Peaceable magnanimities, but the Warlike, are
the thing appointed Friedrich this winter, and mainly henceforth.
Those "GOLDEN or soft radiances" which we saw in him, admirable to
Voltaire and to Friedrich, and to an esurient philanthropic
world,--it is not those, it is "the STEEL-BRIGHT or stellar kind,"
that are to become predominant in Friedrich's existence:
grim hail-storms, thunders and tornado for an existence to him,
instead of the opulent genialities and halcyon weather,
anticipated by himself and others! Indisputably enough to us, if
not yet to Friedrich, "Reinsberg and Life to the Muses" are done.
On a sudden, from the opposite side of the horizon, see,
miraculous Opportunity, rushing hitherward,--swift, terrible,
clothed with lightning like a courser of the gods: dare you clutch
HIM by the thundermane, and fling yourself upon him, and make for
the Empyrean by that course rather? Be immediate about it, then;
the time is now, or else never!--No fair judge can blame the young
man that he laid hold of the flaming Opportunity in this manner,
and obeyed the new omen. To seize such an opportunity, and
perilously mount upon it, was the part of a young magnanimous
King, less sensible to the perils, and more to the other
considerations, than one older would have been.
Schwerin and Podewils were, no doubt, astonished to learn what the
Royal purpose was; and could not want for commonplace objections
many and strong, had this been the scene for dwelling on them, or
dressing them out at eloquent length. But they knew well this was
not the scene for doing more than, with eloquent modesty, hint
them; that the Resolution, being already taken, would not alter
for commonplace; and that the question now lying for honorable
members was, How to execute it? It is on this, as I collect, that
Schwerin and Podewils in the King's company did, with extreme
intensity, consult during those four days; and were, most
probably, of considerable use to the King, though some of their
modifications adopted by him turned out, not as they had
predicted, but as he. On all the Military details and outlines,
and on all the Diplomacies of this business, here are two Oracles
extremely worth consulting by the young King.
To seize Silesia is easy: a Country open on all but the south
side; open especially on our side, where a battalion of foot might
force it; the three or four fortresses, of which only two, Glogau
and Neisse, can be reckoned strong, are provided with nothing as
they ought to be; not above 3,000 fighting men in the whole
Province, and these little expecting fight. Silesia can be seized:
but the maintaining of it?--We must try to maintain it,
thinks Friedrich.
At Reinsberg it is not yet known that Kur-Baiern has protested;
conferences with his Majesty that day, and for the next four days;
Majesty and they even dining privately together;" grave business
of state, none guesses how grave, evidently going on.
The resolution Friedrich laid before them, fruit of these two days
since the news from Vienna, was probably the most important ever
formed in Prussia, or in Europe during that Century: Resolution to
make good our Rights on Silesia, by this great opportunity, the
best that will ever offer. Resolution which had sprung, I find,
and got to sudden fixity in the head of the young King himself;
and which met with little save opposition from all the other sons
of Adam, at the first blush and for long afterwards. And, indeed,
the making of it good (of it, and of the immense results that hung
by it) was the main business of this young King's Life henceforth;
and cost him Labors like those of Hercules, and was in the highest
degree momentous to existing and not yet existing millions of
mankind,--to the readers of this History especially.
It is almost touching to reflect how unexpectedly, like a bolt out
of the blue, all this had come upon Friedrich; and how it overset
his fine program for the winter at Reinsberg, and for his Life
generally. Not the Peaceable magnanimities, but the Warlike, are
the thing appointed Friedrich this winter, and mainly henceforth.
Those "GOLDEN or soft radiances" which we saw in him, admirable to
Voltaire and to Friedrich, and to an esurient philanthropic
world,--it is not those, it is "the STEEL-BRIGHT or stellar kind,"
that are to become predominant in Friedrich's existence:
grim hail-storms, thunders and tornado for an existence to him,
instead of the opulent genialities and halcyon weather,
anticipated by himself and others! Indisputably enough to us, if
not yet to Friedrich, "Reinsberg and Life to the Muses" are done.
On a sudden, from the opposite side of the horizon, see,
miraculous Opportunity, rushing hitherward,--swift, terrible,
clothed with lightning like a courser of the gods: dare you clutch
HIM by the thundermane, and fling yourself upon him, and make for
the Empyrean by that course rather? Be immediate about it, then;
the time is now, or else never!--No fair judge can blame the young
man that he laid hold of the flaming Opportunity in this manner,
and obeyed the new omen. To seize such an opportunity, and
perilously mount upon it, was the part of a young magnanimous
King, less sensible to the perils, and more to the other
considerations, than one older would have been.
Schwerin and Podewils were, no doubt, astonished to learn what the
Royal purpose was; and could not want for commonplace objections
many and strong, had this been the scene for dwelling on them, or
dressing them out at eloquent length. But they knew well this was
not the scene for doing more than, with eloquent modesty, hint
them; that the Resolution, being already taken, would not alter
for commonplace; and that the question now lying for honorable
members was, How to execute it? It is on this, as I collect, that
Schwerin and Podewils in the King's company did, with extreme
intensity, consult during those four days; and were, most
probably, of considerable use to the King, though some of their
modifications adopted by him turned out, not as they had
predicted, but as he. On all the Military details and outlines,
and on all the Diplomacies of this business, here are two Oracles
extremely worth consulting by the young King.
To seize Silesia is easy: a Country open on all but the south
side; open especially on our side, where a battalion of foot might
force it; the three or four fortresses, of which only two, Glogau
and Neisse, can be reckoned strong, are provided with nothing as
they ought to be; not above 3,000 fighting men in the whole
Province, and these little expecting fight. Silesia can be seized:
but the maintaining of it?--We must try to maintain it,
thinks Friedrich.
At Reinsberg it is not yet known that Kur-Baiern has protested;