History of Friedrich II of Prussia — Volume 19Carlyle, Thomas
History
History of Friedrich II of Prussia — Volume 19
Carlyle, Thomas
Frederick II, King of Prussia, 1712-1786; Prussia (Germany) -- History -- Frederick II, 1740-1786; Social problems
In the Temple Library, London, I have since found a Copy: and, on
strict survey, am obliged to pronounce the whole Pamphlet a
FORGERY,--especially the Two Letters to "Berryer MINISTER OF MARINE;"
who was not yet Minister of anything, nor thought of as likely to be,
for many months after the date of these Letters addressed to him as
such! Internal evidence too, were such at all wanted, is abundant in
these BERRYER Letters; which are of gross and almost stupid structure in
comparison to the MOLE one. As this latter has already got into various
Books, and been argued of in Parliaments and high places (Lord Shelburne
asserting it to be spurious, Lord Mansfield to be genuine: REPORT OF
PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES in _Gentleman's Magazine_ for NOVEMBER and for
DECEMBER, 1777, pp. 515, 560),--it may be allowed to continue here
in the CONDEMNED state. Forger, probably, some Ex-Canadian, or other
American ROYALIST, anxious to do the Insurgent Party and their British
Apologists an ill turn, in that critical year;--had shot off his
Pamphlet to voracious Almon; who prints without preface or criticism,
and even without correcting the press. (NOTE OF JULY, 1868.)
Montcalm had been in the Belleisle RETREAT FROM PRAG (December, 1742);
in the terrible EXILLES Business (July, 1747), where the Chevalier de
Belleisle and 4 or 5,000 lost their lives in about an hour. Captain
Cook was at Quebec, Master in the Royal Navy; "sounding the River,
and putting down buoys." Bougainville, another famous Navigator, was
Aide-de-Camp of Montcalm. There have been far-sounding Epics built
together on less basis than lies ready here, in this CAPTURE OF
QUEBEC;--which itself, as the Decision that America is to be English and
not French, is surely an Epoch in World-History! Montcalm was 48 when
he perished; Wolfe 33. Montcalm's skull is in the Ursulines Convent
at Quebec,--shown to the idly curious to this day. [Lieutenant-Colonel
Beatson, pp. 28, 15.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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