History of Friedrich II of Prussia — Volume 06Carlyle, Thomas
History
History of Friedrich II of Prussia — Volume 06
Carlyle, Thomas
Frederick II, King of Prussia, 1712-1786; Prussia (Germany) -- History -- Frederick II, 1740-1786; Social problems
The Visit, meanwhile, though there came no Duke of Edinburgh to see it,
was sublime in the extreme; Polish Majesty being magnificence itself;
and the frugal Friedrich Wilhelm lighting up his dim Court into
insurpassable brilliancy, regardless of expense; so that even the
Smoking Parliament (where August attended now and then) became luminous.
The Crown-Prince, who in late months had languished in a state of
miserable health, in a manner ominous to his physicians, confined mostly
to his room or his bed, was now happily on foot again;--and Wilhelmina
notes one circumstance which much contributed to his recovery: That the
fair Orzelska had attended her natural (or unnatural) Parent, on this
occasion; and seemed to be, as Wilhelmina thinks, uncommonly kind to
the Crown-Prince. The Heir-Apparent of Saxony, a taciturn, inoffensive,
rather opaque-looking gentleman, now turned of thirty, and gone over to
Papistry long since, with views to be King of Poland by and by, which
proved effectual as we shall find, was also here: Count Bruhl,
too, still in a very subaltern capacity, and others whom we and the
Crown-Prince shall have to know. The Heir-Apparent's Wife (actual
Kaiser's Niece, late Kaiser Joseph's Daughter, a severe Austrian lady,
haughtier than lovely) has stayed at home in Dresden.
But here, at first hand, is a slight view of that unique Polish Majesty,
the Saxon Man of Sin; which the reader may be pleased to accept out of
idle curiosity, if for no better reason. We abridge from Wilhelmina; [i.
124.] whom Fassmann, kindled to triple accuracy by this grand business,
is at hand to correct where needful: [_Des glorwurdigsten Fursten und
Herrn, Herrn Friedrich Augusti des Grossen Leben und Helden-Thaten_ (Of
that most glorious Prince and Lord, Lord Friedrich August the Great,
King of Poland, &c., the Life and Heroic Deeds), by D. F. (David
Fassmann), Frankfurt and Leipzig, 1734; 12mo, pp. 1040. A work written
with upturned eyes of prostrate admiration for "DERO MAJESTAT ('Theiro'
Majesty) AUGUST THE GREAT;" exact too, but dealing merely with the
CLOTHES of the matter, and such a matter: work unreadable, except on
compulsion, to the stupidest mortal. The same Fassmann, who was at the
Fair of St. Germain, who lodged sometimes with the Potsdam Giant, and
whose ways are all fallen dark to us.] "The King of Poland arrived upon
us at Berlin on the 29th of May," says Wilhelmina; had been at Potsdam,
under Friedrich Wilhelm's care, for three days past: Saturday afternoon,
29th May, 1728; that is with exactitude the ever-memorable date.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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