History of Friedrich II of Prussia — Volume 20Carlyle, Thomas
History
History of Friedrich II of Prussia — Volume 20
Carlyle, Thomas
Frederick II, King of Prussia, 1712-1786; Prussia (Germany) -- History -- Frederick II, 1740-1786; Social problems
"Schmidt too got away. The party sent after Schmidt found him in the
little Town of Nimptsch, half-way home again from his Wallis errand;
comfortably dining with some innocent hospitable people there. Schmidt
could not conceal his confusion; but pleading piteously a necessity of
nature, was with difficulty admitted to the--to the ABTRITT so called;
and there, by some long pole or rake-handle, vanished wholly through a
never-imagined aperture, and was no more heard of in the upper world.
The Prussian soldiery does not seem expert in thief-taking.
"Warkotsch came back about midnight that same Tuesday, 500 Wallis
Hussars escorting him; and took away his ready moneys, near 5,000
pounds in gold, reports Frau Kappel, who witnessed the ghastly operation
(Hussars in great terror, in haste, and unconscionably greedy as to
sharing);--after which our next news of him, the last of any clear
authenticity, is this Note to his poor Wife, which was read in the Law
Procedures on him six months hence: 'My Child (MEIN KIND),--The accursed
thought I took up against my King has overwhelmed me in boundless
misery. From the top of the highest hill I cannot see the limits of it.
Farewell; I am in the farthest border of Turkey.--WARKOTSCH.'" [Kuster,
_Lebens-Rettungen,_ p. 88: Kuster, pp. 65-188 (for the general
Narrative); Tempelhof, v. 346, &c. &c.]
Schmidt and he, after patient trial, were both of them beheaded and
quartered,--in pasteboard effigy,--in the Salt Ring (Great Square) of
Breslau, May, 1762:--in pasteboard, Friedrich liked it better than the
other way. "MEINETWEGEN," wrote he, sanctioning the execution,
"For aught I care; the Portraits will likely be as worthless as the
Originals." Rittmeister Rabenau had got off with a few days' arrest,
and the remark, "ER IST EIN DUMMER TEUFEL (You are a stupid devil)!"
Warkotsch's Estates, all and sundry, deducting the Baroness's jointure,
which was punctually paid her, were confiscated to the King,--and by him
were made over to the Schools of Breslau and Glogau, which, I doubt
not, enjoy them to this day. Reverend Gerlach in Schonbrunn, Kappel and
Kappel's Bursch, were all attended to, and properly rewarded, though
there are rumors to the contrary. Hussar-Colonel Wallis got no public
promotion, though it is not doubted the Head People had been well
cognizant of his ingenious intentions. Official Vienna, like mankind
in general, shuddered to own him; the great Counts Wallis at Vienna
published in the Newspapers, "Our House has no connection with that
gentleman;"--and, in fact, he was of Irish breed, it seems, the name of
him WallISCH (or Walsh), if one cared. Warkotsch died at Raab (THIS side
the farthest corner of Turkey), in 1769: his poor Baroness had vanished
from Silesia five years before, probably to join him. He had some
pension or aliment from the Austrian Court; small or not so small is a
disputed point.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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