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 writer of these Letters is a serious, rather long-nosed young
English gentleman, not without intelligence, and of a wholesome and
honest nature; who became Lord Lyttelton, FIRST of those Lords, called
also "the Good Lord," father of "the Bad:" a lineal descendant of that
Lyttelton UPON whom Coke sits, or seems to sit, till the end of things:
author by and by of a _History of Henry the Second_ and other well-meant
books: a man of real worth, who attained to some note in the world. He
is now upon the Grand Tour,--which ran, at that time, by Luneville and
Lorraine, as would appear; at which point we shall first take him up. He
writes to his Father, Sir Thomas, at Hagley among the pleasant Hills of
Worcestershire,--date shortly after the assembling of that Congress to
rear of him;--and we strive to add a minimum of commentary. The "piece
of negligence," the "Mr. D.,"--none of mortals now knows who or what
they were:--
TO SIR THOMAS LYTTELTON, BART., AT HAGLEY.
"LUNEVILLE 21st July" 1728.
"DEAR SIR,--I thank you for so kindly forgiving the piece of negligence
I acquainted you of in my last. Young fellows are often guilty of
voluntary forgetfulness in those affairs; but I assure you mine was
quite accidental:"--Never mind it, my Son!
"Mr. D. tells you true that I am weary of losing money at cards; but it
is no less certain that without them I shall soon be weary of Lorraine.
The spirit of quadrille [obsolete game at cards] has possessed the land
from morning till midnight; there is nothing else in every house in
Town.
"This Court is fond of strangers, but with a proviso that strangers love
quadrille. Would you win the hearts of the Maids of Honor, you must lose
your money at quadrille; would you be thought a well-bred man, you must
play genteelly at quadrille; would you get a reputation of good sense,
show judgment at quadrille. However in summer one may pass a day without
quadrille; because there are agreeable promenades, and little parties
out of doors. But in winter you are reduced to play at it, or sleep,
like a fly, till the return of spring.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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