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
Of his young Madam, or Princess-Royal, peaceably resident at Berlin or
at Schonhausen, and doing the vacant officialities, formal visitings
and the like, we hear nothing; of Queen Sophie and the others, nothing:
anxious, all of them, no doubt, about the event at Potsdam, and
otherwise silent to us. His Majesty's illness comes and goes; now
hope, and again almost none. Margraf of Schwedt and his young Bride, we
already know, were married in November; and Lieutenant Chasot (two days
old in Berlin) told us, there was Dinner by the Crown-Prince to all the
Royal Family on that occasion;--poor Majesty out at Potsdam languishing
in the background, meanwhile.
His Carnival the Crown-Prince passes naturally at Berlin. We find he
takes a good deal to the French Ambassador, one Marquis de la Chetardie;
a showy restless character, of fame in the Gazettes of that time; who
did much intriguing at Petersburg some years hence, first in a signally
triumphant way, and then in a signally untriumphant; and is not now
worth any knowledge but a transient accidental one. Chetardie came
hither about Stanislaus and his affairs; tried hard, but in vain, to
tempt Friedrich Wilhelm into interference;--is naturally anxious to
captivate the Crown-Prince, in present circumstances.
Friedrich Wilhelm lay at Potsdam, between death and life, for almost
four months to come; the Newspapers speculating much on his situation;
political people extremely anxious what would become of him,--or in
fact, when he would die; for that was considered the likely issue.
Fassmann gives dolorous clippings from the _Leyden Gazette,_ all in a
blubber of tears, according to the then fashion, but full of impertinent
curiosity withal. And from the Seckendorf private Papers there are
Extracts of a still more inquisitive and notable character: Seckendorf
and the Kaiser having an intense interest in this painful occurrence.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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