History of Friedrich II of Prussia — Volume 13Carlyle, Thomas
History
History of Friedrich II of Prussia — Volume 13
Carlyle, Thomas
Frederick II, King of Prussia, 1712-1786; Prussia (Germany) -- History -- Frederick II, 1740-1786; Social problems
French Belleisle we have seen; who is gone again, long since, on his
wide errands; fat Valori too we have seen, who is assiduously here. The
other figures, except the English, can remain dark to us. Of Montijos,
the eminent Spaniard, a brown little man, magnificent as the Kingdom of
the Incas, with half a page of titles (half a peck, five-and-twenty or
more, of handles to his little name, if you should ever require it);
who, finding matters so backward at Frankfurt, and nothing to do there,
has been out, in the interim, touring to while away the tedium; and
is here only as sequel and corroboration of Belleisle,--say as
bottle-holder, or as high-wrought peacock's-tail, to Belleisle:--of
the eminent Montijos I have to record next to nothing in the shape of
negotiation ("Treaty" with the Termagant was once proposed by him here,
which Friedrich in his politest way declined); and shall mention only,
That his domestic arrangements were sumptuous and commodious in the
extreme. Let him arrive in the meanest village, destitute of
human appliances, and be directed to the hut where he is to
lodge,--straightway from the fourgons and baggage-chests of Montijos
is produced, first of all, a round of arras hangings, portable tables,
portable stove, gold plate and silver; thus, with wax-lights, wines
of richest vintage, exquisite cookeries, Montijos lodges, a king
everywhere, creating an Aladdin's palace everywhere; able to say, like
the Sage Bias, OMNIA MEA NAECUM PORTO. These things are recorded of
Montijos. What he did in the way of negotiation has escaped men's
memory, as it could well afford to do.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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