History of Friedrich II of Prussia — Volume 16Carlyle, Thomas
History
History of Friedrich II of Prussia — Volume 16
Carlyle, Thomas
Frederick II, King of Prussia, 1712-1786; Prussia (Germany) -- History -- Frederick II, 1740-1786; Social problems
We will not detail the Lawsuit;--what I chiefly admire in it is its
brevity. Cocceji has not reformed in vain. Good Advocates, none other
allowed; and no Advocate talks; he merely endeavors to think, see and
discover; holds his tongue if he can discover nothing: that doubtless
is one source of the brevity!--Many lies are stated by Hirsch, many by
Voltaire: but the Judges, without difficulty, shovel these aside; and
come step by step upon the truth. Hirsch says plainly, He was sent to
buy STEUER-SCHEINE at 35 per cent discount; Voltaire entirely denies
the Steuer-Notes; says, It was an affair of Peltries and Jewelries,
originating in loans of money to this ungrateful Jew. Which necessitates
much wriggling on the part of M. de Voltaire;--but he has himself
written in a Lawyer's Office, in his young days, and knows how to
twist a turn of expression. The Judges are not there to judge
about Steuer-Notes; but they give you to understand that Voltaire's
Peltry-and-Jewelry story is moonshine. Hirsch produces the Voltaire
Scraps of Writing, already known to our readers; Voltaire says,
"Mere extinct jottings; which Hirsch has furtively picked out of the
grate,"--or may be said to have picked; Papers annihilated by our
Bargain of December 16th, and which should have been in the grate, if
they were not; this felon never having kept his word in that respect.
Peltries and Jewelries, I say: he will not give me back that Paris
Bill which was protested; pays me the other 3,000 crowns (Draft of 650
pounds) in Jewels overvalued by half.--"Jewels furtively changed since
Plaintiff had them of me!" answers Hirsch;--and the steady Judges keep
their sieves going.
The only Documents produced by Voltaire are Two; of 19th DECEMBER and of
24th DECEMBER;--which the reader has not yet seen, but ought now to gain
some notion of, if possible. They affect once more, as that of December
16th had done, to be "Final Settlements" (or Final Settlement of 19th,
with CODICIL of 24th); and turn on confused Lists of Jewels, bought,
returned, re-bought (that "Topaz ring" torn from one's hand, a
conspicuous item), which no reader would have patience to understand,
except in the succinct form. Let all readers note them, however,--at
least the first of them, that of December 19th; especially the words we
mark in Italics, which have merited a sad place for IT in the history
of human sin and misery. Klein has given both Documents in engraved
fac-simile; we must help ourselves by simpler methods. Berlin, December
19th, 1750; Voltaire writes, Hirsch signs;--and the Italics are believed
to be words foisted in by M. de Voltaire, weeks after, while the Hirsch
pleadings were getting stringent! Read,--a very sad memorial of M. de
Voltaire,--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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