History of Friedrich II of Prussia — Volume 02Carlyle, Thomas
History
History of Friedrich II of Prussia — Volume 02
Carlyle, Thomas
Frederick II, King of Prussia, 1712-1786; Prussia (Germany) -- History -- Frederick II, 1740-1786; Social problems
He ended, by apoplexy, or sudden spasm of the heart; terrible Zisca, as
it were, killing him at second-hand. For Zisca, stout and furious, blind
of one eye and at last of both, a kind of human rhinoceros driven mad,
had risen out of the ashes of murdered Huss, and other bad Papistic
doings, in the interim; and was tearing up the world at a huge rate.
Rhinoceros Zisca was on the Weissenberg, or a still nearer Hill of Prag
since called ZISCA-BERG (Zisca Hill): and none durst whisper of it
to the King. A servant waiting at dinner inadvertently let slip the
word:--"Zisca there? Deny it, slave!" cried Wenzel frantic. Slave durst
not deny. Wenzel drew his sword to run at him, but fell down dead:
that was the last pot broken by Wenzel. The hapless royal ex-imperial
Phantasm self-broken in this manner. [30th July, 1419 (Hormayr, vii.
119).] Poor soul, he came to the Kaisership too early; was a thin
violent creature, sensible to the charms and horrors of created objects;
and had terrible rhinoceros Ziscas and unruly horned-cattle to drive. He
was one of the worst Kaisers ever known,--could have done Opera-singing
much better;--and a sad sight to Bohemia. Let us leave him there: he was
never actual Elector of Brandenburg, having given it up in time; never
did any ill to that poor Country.
SIGISMUND IS KURFURST OF BRANDENBURG, BUT IS KING OF HUNGARY ALSO.
The real Kurfurst of Brandenburg all this while was Sigismund Wenzel's
next Brother, under tutelage of Cousin Jobst or otherwise;--real and yet
imaginary, for he never himself governed, but always had Jobst of Mahren
or some other in his place there. Sigismund, as above said, was to have
married a Daughter of Burggraf Friedrich V.; and he was himself, as was
the young lady, well inclined to this arrangement. But the old
people being dead, and some offer of a King's Daughter turning up for
Sigismund, Sigismund broke off; and took the King's Daughter, King of
Hungary's,--not without regret then and afterwards, as is believed.
At any rate, the Hungarian charmer proved a wife of small merit, and a
Hungarian successor she had was a wife of light conduct even; Hungarian
charmers, and Hungarian affairs, were much other than a comfort to
Sigismund.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account