History of Friedrich II of Prussia — Volume 05Carlyle, Thomas
History
History of Friedrich II of Prussia — Volume 05
Carlyle, Thomas
Frederick II, King of Prussia, 1712-1786; Prussia (Germany) -- History -- Frederick II, 1740-1786; Social problems
If, with natural indignation, he shut his door, and refuse to come to
the Tabagie, they knock in a panel of his door; and force him out with
crackers, fire-works, rockets and malodorous projectiles. Once the poor
blockhead, becoming human for a moment, went clean away; to Halle where
his Brother was, or to some safer place: but the due inveiglements,
sublime apologies, increase of titles, salaries, were used; and the
indispensable Phosphorescent Blockhead, and President of the Academy of
Pedler's-French, was got back. Drink remained always as his consolation;
drink, and the deathless Volumes he was writing and printing. Sublime
returns came to him;--Kaiser's Portrait set in diamonds, on one
occasion,--for his Presentation-Copies in high quarters: immortal fame,
is it not his clear portion; still more clearly abundance of good wine.
Friedrich Wilhelm did not let him want for Titles;--raised him at last
to the Peerage; drawing out the Diploma and Armorial Blazonry, in a
truly Friedrich-Wilhelm manner, with his own hand. The Gundlings,
in virtue of the transcendent intellect and merits of this Founder
Gundling, are, and are hereby declared to be, of Baronial dignity to the
last scion of them; and in "all RITTER-RENNEN (Tournaments), Battles,
Fights, Camp-pitchings, Sealings, Sightings, shall and may use the
above-said Shield of Arms,"--if it can be of any advantage to them. A
Prussian Majesty who gives us 150 pounds yearly, with board and lodging
and the run of his cellar, and honors such as these, is not to be
lightly sneezed away, though of queer humors now and then. The
highest Personages, as we said, more than once made gifts to Gundling;
miniatures set in diamonds; purses of a hundred ducats: even Gundling,
it was thought, might throw in a word, mad or otherwise, which would
bear fruit. It was said of him, he never spoke to harm anybody with his
Majesty. The poor blown-up blockhead was radically not ill-natured,--at
least, if you let his "phosphorescences" alone.
But the grandest explosions, in Tobacco-Parliament, were producible,
when you got Two literary fools; and, as if with Leyden-jars, positive
and negative, brought their vanities to bear on one another. This
sometimes happened, when Tobacco-Parliament was in luck. Friedrich
Wilhelm had a variety of Merry-Andrew Raths of the Gundling sort,
though none ever came up to Gundling, or approached him, in worth as a
Merry-Andrew.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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