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
The very first spectacle his Highness saw, a private one, and of no
intense interest to him, we shall mention here for our own behoof. "An
hour after his arrival the Duke was carried away to his Excellency Herr
Creutz the Finance-Minister's; to attend a wedding there, along with
his Majesty. Wedding of Excellency Creutz's only Daughter to the Herr
HOFJAGERMEISTER von Hacke."--HOFJAGERMEISTER (Master of the Hunt), and
more specifically Captain Hacke, of the Potsdam Guard or Giant regiment,
much and deservedly a favorite with his Majesty. Majesty has known,
a long while, the merits military and other of this Hacke; a valiant
expert exact man, of good stature, good service among the Giants and
otherwise, though not himself gigantic; age now turned of thirty;--and
unluckily little but his pay to depend on. Majesty, by way of increment
to Hacke, small increment on the pecuniary side, has lately made him
"Master of the Hunt;" will, before long, make him Adjutant-General, and
his right-hand man in Army matters, were he only rich;--has, in the mean
while, made this excellent match for him; which supplies that defect.
Majesty was the making of Creutz himself; who is grown very rich, and
has but one Daughter: "Let Hacke have her!" his Majesty advised;--and
snatches off the Duke of Lorraine to see it done. [Fassmann, p. 430.]
Did the reader ever hear of Finance-Minister Creutz, once a poor
Regiment's Auditor, when his Majesty, as yet Crown-Prince, found talent
in him? Can readers fish up from their memory, twenty years back,
anything of a terrific Spectre walking in the Berlin Palace, for certain
nights, during that "Stralsund Expedition" or famed Swedish-War time,
to the terror of mankind? Terrific Spectre, thought to be in Swedish
pay,--properly a spy Scullion, in a small concern of Grumkow VERSUS
Creutz? [Antea, vol. v. pp. 356-358; Wilhelmina.] This is the same
Creutz; of whom we have never spoken more, nor shall again, now that his
rich Daughter is well married to Hacke, a favorite of his Majesty's and
ours. It was the Duke's first sight in Berlin; February 26th; prologue
to the flood of scenic wonders there.
But perhaps the wonderfulest thing, had he quite understood it, was that
of the 10th March, which he was invited to. Last obligation laid upon
the Crown-Prince, "to bind him to the House of Austria," that evening.
Of which take this account, external and internal, from authentic
Documents in our hand.
BETROTHAL OF THE CROWN-PRINCE TO THE BRUNSWICK CHARMER, NIECE OF
IMPERIAL MAJESTY, MONDAY EVENING, 10th MARCH, 1732.
Document FIRST is of an internal nature, from the Prince's own hand,
written to his Sister four days before:--
TO THE PRINCESS WILHELMINA AT BAIREUTH.
"BERLIN, 6th March, 1732.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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