History of Friedrich II of Prussia — Volume 15Carlyle, Thomas
History
History of Friedrich II of Prussia — Volume 15
Carlyle, Thomas
Frederick II, King of Prussia, 1712-1786; Prussia (Germany) -- History -- Frederick II, 1740-1786; Social problems
The Peace, we said, was signed on Christmas-day. Next day, Sunday,
Friedrich attended Sermon in the Kreuzkirche (Protestant High-Church of
Dresden), attended Opera withal; and on Monday morning had vanished
out of Dresden, as all his people had done, or were diligently doing.
Tuesday, he dined briefly at Wusterhausen (a place we once knew well),
with the Prince of Prussia, whose it now is; got into his open carriage
again, with the said Prince and his other Brother Ferdinand; and drove
swiftly homeward. Berlin, drunk with joy, was all out on the streets,
waiting. On the Heath of Britz, four or five miles hitherward of Berlin,
a body of young gentlemen ("Merchants mostly, who had ridden out so
far") saluted him with "VIVAT FRIEDRICH DER GROSSE (Long live Friedrich
THE GREAT)!" thrice over;--as did, in a less articulate manner, Berlin
with one voice, on his arrival there; Burgher Companies lining the
streets; Population vigorously shouting; Pupils of the Koln Gymnasium,
with Clerical and School Functionaries in mass, breaking out into Latin
Song:--
"VIVAT, VIVAT FRIDERICUS REX;
VIVAT AUGUSTUS, MAGNUS, FELIX, PATER, PATRI-AE--!"
--and what not. [Preuss, i. 220; who cites _Beschreibung_ ("Description
of his Majesty's Triumphant Entry, on the" &c.) and other Contemporary
Pamphlets. Rodenbeck, i. 124.] On reaching the Portal of the Palace,
his Majesty stept down; and, glancing round the Schloss-Platz and the
crowded windows and simmering multitudes, saluted, taking off his hat;
which produced such a shout,--naturally the loudest of all. And so EXIT
King, into his interior. Tuesday, 2-3 P.M., 28th December, 1745: a King
new-christened in the above manner, so far as people could.
Illuminated Berlin shone like noon, all that night (the beginning of a
GAUDEAMUS which lasted miscellaneously for weeks):--but the King stole
away to see a friend who was dying; that poor Duhan de Jaudun, his early
Schoolmaster, who had suffered much for him, and whom he always much
loved. Duhan died, in a day or two. Poor Jordan, poor Keyserling (the
"Cesarion" of young days): them also he has lost; and often laments, in
this otherwise bright time. (In _OEuvres,_ xvii. 288; xviii. 141; IB.
142--painfully tender Letters to Frau von Camas and others, on these
events).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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