History of Friedrich II of Prussia — Volume 14Carlyle, Thomas
History
History of Friedrich II of Prussia — Volume 14
Carlyle, Thomas
Frederick II, King of Prussia, 1712-1786; Prussia (Germany) -- History -- Frederick II, 1740-1786; Social problems
May 25th, 1744, just while Barberina began her pirouettings at Berlin,
poor Karl Edzard, Prince of East Friesland, long a weak malingering
creature, died, rather suddenly; childless, and the last of his House,
which had endured there about 300 years. Our clever Wilhelmina at
Baireuth, though readers have forgotten the small circumstance, had
married a superfluous Sister-in-law of hers to this Karl Edward;
and, they say, it was some fond hope of progeny, suddenly dashed into
nothingness, that finished the poor man, that night of May 25th. In
any case, his Territory falls to Prussia, by Reich's Settlement of long
standing (1683-1694); which had been confirmed anew to the late King,
Friedrich Wilhelm:--we remember how he returned with it, honest man,
from that KLADRUP JOURNEY in 1732, and was sniffed at for bringing
nothing better. And in the interim, his royal Hanover Cousins, coveting
East Friesland, had clapt up an ERBVERBRUDERUNG with the poor Prince
there (Father, I think, of the one just dead): "A thing ULTRA VIRES,"
argued Lawyers; "private, quasi-clandestine; and posterior (in a sense)
to Reich's CONCLUSUM, 1694."
On which ground, however, George II. now sued Fricdrich at Reich's
Law,--Friedrich, we need not say, having instantly taken possession of
Ost-Friesland. And there ensued arguing enough between them, for years
coming; very great expenditure of parchment, and of mutual barking
at the moon (done always by proxy, and easy to do); which doubtless
increased the mutual ill-feeling, but had no other effect. Friedrich,
who had been well awake to Ost-Friesland for some time back, and had
given his Official people (Cocceji his Minister of Justice, Chancellor
by and by, and one or two subordinates) their precise Instructions, laid
hold of it, with a maximum of promptitude; thereby quashing a great deal
of much more dangerous litigation than Uncle George's.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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