History of Friedrich II of Prussia — Volume 08Carlyle, Thomas
History
History of Friedrich II of Prussia — Volume 08
Carlyle, Thomas
Frederick II, King of Prussia, 1712-1786; Prussia (Germany) -- History -- Frederick II, 1740-1786; Social problems
And thus, after such Diplomatic earthquakes and travail of Nature, there
is at last birth; the Seventh Travail-throe has been successful, in
some measure successful. Here actually is Baby Carlos's Apanage; there
probably, by favor of Heaven and of the Sea-Powers, will the Kaiser's
Pragmatic Sanction be, one day. Treaty of Seville, most imminent of
all those dreadful Imminencies of War, has passed off as they all did;
peaceably adjusts itself into Treaty of Vienna: A Termagant, as it were,
sated; a Kaiser hopeful to be so, Pragmatic Sanction and all: for the
Sea-Powers and everybody mere halcyon weather henceforth,--not extending
to the Gulf of Florida and Captain Jenkins, as would seem! Robinson, who
did the thing,--an expert man, bred to business as old Horace Walpole's
Secretary, at Soissons and elsewhere, and now come to act on his own
score,--regards this Treaty of Vienna (which indeed had its multiform
difficulties) as a thing to immortalize a man.
Crown-Prince has, long since, by Papa's order, written to the Kaiser,
to thank Imperial Majesty for that beneficent intercession, which has
proved the saving of his life, as Papa inculcates. We must now see a
little how the saved Crown-Prince is getting on, in his eclipsed state,
among the Domain Sciences at Custrin.
Chapter V. -- INTERVIEW OF MAJESTY AND CROWN-PRINCE AT CUSTRIN.
Ever since the end of November last year, Crown-Prince Friedrich, in
the eclipsed state, at Custrin, has been prosecuting his probationary
course, in the Domain Sciences and otherwise, with all the patience,
diligence and dexterity he could. It is false, what one reads in some
foolish Books, that Friedrich neglected the functions assigned him as
assessor in the KRIEGS-UND DOMANEN-KAMMER. That would not have been the
safe course for him! The truth still evident is, he set himself with
diligence to learn the Friedrich-Wilhelm methods of administering
Domains, and the art of Finance in general, especially of Prussian
Finance, the best extant then or since;--Finance, Police, Administrative
Business;--and profited well by the Raths appointed as tutors to him,
in the respective branches. One Hille was his Finance-tutor; whose
"KOMPENDIUM," drawn up and made use of on this occasion, has been
printed in our time; and is said to be, in brief compass, a
highly instructive Piece; throwing clear light on the exemplary
Friedrich-Wilhelm methods. [Preuss, i. 59 n.] These the Prince did
actually learn; and also practise, all his life,--"essentially following
his Father's methods," say the Authorities,--with great advantage to
himself, when the time came.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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