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
"At one o'clock we went to table, and sat till four. He spoke only of
very indifferent things; except saying to me: 'Do you know, the King
has promised 400,000 crowns (60,000 pounds) towards disengaging those
Bailliages of the Margraf of Baireuth's,'"--old Margraf, Bailliages
pawned to raise ready cash; readers remember what interminable
Law-pleading there was, till Friedrich Wilhelm put it into a liquid
state, "Pay me back the moneys, then!" [Supra, pp. 161-163.]--"'400,000
thalers to the old Margraf, in case his Prince (Wilhelmina's now
Bridegroom) have a son by my Sister.' I answered, I had heard nothing
of it.--'But,' said he, 'that is a great deal of money! And some hundred
thousands more have gone the like road, to Anspach, who never will be
able to repay. For all is much in disorder at Anspach. Give the Margraf
his Heron-hunt (CHASSE AU HERON), he cares for nothing; and his people
pluck him at no allowance.' I said: That if these Princes would regulate
their expenditure, they might, little by little, pay off their debts;
that I had been told at Vienna the Baireuth Bailliages were mortgaged on
very low terms, those who now held them making eight or ten per cent of
their money;"--that the Margraf ought to make an effort; and so on. "I
saw very well that these Loans the King makes are not to his mind.
"Directly on rising from table, he went away; excusing himself to me,
That he could not pass the night here; that the King would not like
his sleeping in the Town; besides that he had still several things
to complete in a Report he was sending off to his Majesty. He went
to Nassin, and slept there. For my own share, I did not press him to
remain; what I did was rather in the way of form. There were with him
President Munchow," civil gentleman whom we know, "an Engineer Captain
Reger, and the three Gentlemen of his Court," Wolden, Rohwedel, Katzmer
who once twirled his finger in a certain mouth, the insipid fellow.
[MAP GOES HERE----------------missing]
"He is no great eater; but I observed he likes the small dishes (PETITS
PLATS) and the high tastes: he does not care for fish; though I had very
fine trouts, he never touched them. He does not take brown soup (SOUPE
AU BOUILLON). It did not seem to me he cared for wine: he tastes at all
the wines; but commonly stands by burgundy with water.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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