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
The March goes continually southeast; by Frankfurt, thence towards
Nurnberg Country ("be at Furth, September 6th"), and the skirts of the
Pine-Mountains (FICHTEL-GEBIRGE),--Anspach and Baireuth well to your
left;--end, lastly, in the OBER-PFALZ (Upper Palatinate), Town of Amberg
there. Before trying the Bohemian Passes, you shall have reinforcement.
Best part of the "Bavarian Army," now under Comte de Saxe, not under
D'Harcourt farther, is to cease collecting victual in the Donau-Iser
Countries (Deggendorf, north bank of Donau, its head-quarter); and to
get on march,--circling very wide, not northward, but by the Donan, and
even by the SOUTH, bank of it mainly (to avoid the hungry Mountains and
their Tolpatcheries),--and, at Amberg, is to join Maillebois. This is a
wide-lying game.
The great Marlborough used to play such, and win; making the wide
elements, the times and the spaces, hit with exactitude: but a
Maillebois?"He is called by the Parisians, 'VIEUX PETIT-MAITRE (dandy
of sixty,' so to speak); has a poor upturned nose, with baboon-face
to match, which he even helps by paint."... Here is one Scene; at
Frankfurt-on-Mayn; fact certain, day not given.
FRANKFURT, "LATTER END OF AUGUST," 1742. "At Frankfurt, his Army having
got into the neighborhood,"--not into Frankfurt itself, which, as a
REICHS-STADT, is sacred from Armies and their marchings,--"Marechal
de Maillebois, as in duty bound, waited on the Kaiser to pay his
compliments there: on which occasion, we regret to say, Marechal de
Maillebois was not so reverent to the Imperial Majesty as he should have
been. Angry belike at the Adventure now forced on him, and harassed with
many things; seeing in the Imperial Majesty little but an unfortunate
Play-actor Majesty, who lives in furnished lodgings paid for by France,
and gives France and Maillebois an infinite deal of trouble to little
purpose. Certain it is, he addressed the Imperial Majesty in the most
free-and-easy manner; very much the reverse of being dashed by the
sacred Presence: and his Officers in the ante-chamber, crowding about,
all day, for presentation to the Imperial Majesty, made a noise, and
kept up a babble of talk and laughter, as if it had been a mess-room,
instead of the Forecourt of Imperial Majesty. So that Imperial Majesty,
barely master of its temper and able to finish without explosion,
signified to Maillebois on the morrow, That henceforth it would
dispense with such visits, Poor Imperial Majesty; a human creature
doing Play-actorisms of too high a flight. He had the finest Palace in
Germany; a wonder to the Great Gustavus long ago: and now he has it not;
mere Meutzels and horrent shaggy creatures rule in Munchen and it: and
the Imperial quasi-furnished lodgings are respected in this manner!"
[Van Loon, _Kleine Schriften,_ ii. 271 (cited in Buchholz, ii. 71).
CAMPAGNES is silent; usually suppressing scenes of that kind.]--The wits
say of him, "He would be Kaiser or Nothing: see you, he is Kaiser and
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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