History of Friedrich II of Prussia — Volume 04Carlyle, Thomas
History
History of Friedrich II of Prussia — Volume 04
Carlyle, Thomas
Frederick II, King of Prussia, 1712-1786; Prussia (Germany) -- History -- Frederick II, 1740-1786; Social problems
Strange as it sounds in the Republic of Letters, we are tempted to call
Friedrich Wilhelm a man of genius;--genius fated and promoted to work
in National Husbandry, not in writing Verses or three-volume Novels. A
silent genius. His melodious stanza, which he cannot bear to see halt in
any syllable, is a rough fact reduced to order; fact made to stand firm
on its feet, with the world-rocks under it, and looking free towards
all the winds and all the stars. He goes about suppressing platitudes,
ripping off futilities, turning deceptions inside out. The realm of
Disorder, which is Unveracity, Unreality, what we call Chaos, has no
fiercer enemy. Honest soul, and he seemed to himself such a stupid
fellow often; no tongue-learning at all; little capable to give a reason
for the faith that was in him. He cannot argue in articulate logic,
only in inarticulate bellowings, or worse. He must DO a thing, leave it
undemonstrated; once done, it will itself tell what kind of thing it is,
by and by. Men of genius have a hard time, I perceive, whether born
on the throne or off it; and must expect contradictions next to
unendurable,--the plurality of blockheads being so extreme!
I find, except Samuel Johnson, no man of equal veracity with Friedrich
Wilhelm in that epoch: and Johnson too, with all his tongue-learning,
had not logic enough. In fact, it depends on how much conviction you
have. Blessed be Heaven, there is here and there a man born who loves
truth as truth should be loved, with all his heart and all his soul; and
hates untruth with a corresponding perfect hatred. Such men, in polite
circles, which understand that certainly truth is better than untruth,
but that you must be polite to both, are liable to get to the end of
their logic. Even Johnson had a bellow in him; though Johnson could at
any time withdraw into silence, HIS kingdom lying all under his own hat.
How much more Friedrich Wilhelm, who had no logic whatever; and whose
kingdom lay without him, far and wide, a thing he could not withdraw
from. The rugged Orson, he needed to be right. From utmost Memel down to
Wesel again, ranked in a straggling manner round the half-circumference
of Europe, all manner of things and persons were depending on him, and
on his being right, not wrong, in his notion.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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