History of Friedrich II of Prussia — Volume 09Carlyle, Thomas
History
History of Friedrich II of Prussia — Volume 09
Carlyle, Thomas
Frederick II, King of Prussia, 1712-1786; Prussia (Germany) -- History -- Frederick II, 1740-1786; Social problems
Neither of those fine plans took effect; nor did anything take effect,
as we shall see. But in regard to that "survey from the steeple of
Waghausel, and ride home again between the Lines,"--in regard to that,
here is an authentic fraction of anecdote, curiously fitting in, which
should not be omitted. A certain Herr van Suhm, Saxon Minister at
Berlin, occasionally mentioned here, stood in much Correspondence with
the Crown-Prince in the years now following: Correspondence which was
all published at the due distance of time; Suhm having, at his decease,
left the Prince's Letters carefully assorted with that view, and
furnished with a Prefatory "Character of the Prince-Royal _(Portrait
du Prince-Royal, par M. de Suhm)."_ Of which Preface this is a small
paragraph, relating to the Siege of Philipsburg; offering us a momentary
glance into one fibre of the futile War now going on there. Of Suhm,
and how exact he was, we shall know a little by and by. Of "Prince
von Lichtenstein," an Austrian man and soldier of much distinction
afterwards, we have only to say that he came to Berlin next year on
Diplomatic business, and that probably enough he had been eye-witness to
the little fact,--fact credible perhaps without much proving. One rather
regretted there was no date to it, no detail to give it whereabout
and fixity in our conception; that the poor little Anecdote, though
indubitable, had to hang vaguely in the air. Now, however, the above
dated LETTER does, by accident, date Suhm's Anecdote too; date "July 8"
as good as certain for it; the Siege itself having ended (July 18) in
ten days more. Herr von Suhm writes (not for publication till after
Friedrich's death and his own):--
"It was remarked in the Rhine Campaign of 1734, that this Prince has a
great deal of intrepidity (BEAUCOUP DE VALEUR). On one occasion, among
others [to all appearance, this very day, "July 8," riding home from
Waghausel between the lines], when he had gone to reconnoitre the Lines
of Philipsburg, with a good many people about him,--passing, on his
return, along a strip of very thin wood, the cannon-shot from the Lines
accompanied him incessantly, and crashed down several trees at his side;
during all which he walked his horse along at the old pace, precisely as
if nothing were happening, nor in his hand upon the bridle was there
the least trace of motion perceptible. Those who gave attention to the
matter remarked, on the contrary, that he did not discontinue speaking
very tranquilly to some Generals who accompanied him; and who admired
his bearing, in a kind of danger with which he had not yet had occasion
to familiarize himself. It is from the Prince von Lichtenstein that I
have this anecdote." [_Correspondance de Frederic II. avec M. de Suhm _
(Berlin, 1787); Avant-propos, p. xviii. (written 28th April, 1740). The
CORRESPONDANCE is all in _OEuvres de Frederic_ (xvi, 247-408); but the
Suhm Preface not.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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