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
Pitt being gone, Friedrich's English Subsidy lags: this time Friedrich
concludes it is cut off;--silent on the subject; no words will express
one's thoughts on it. Not till April 9th has poor Mitchell the sad
errand of announcing formally That such are our pressures, Portuguese
War and other, we cannot afford it farther. Answered by I know not what
kind of glance from Friedrich; answered, I find, by words few or none
from the forsaken King: "Good; that too was wanting," thought the proud
soul: "Keep your coin, since you so need it; I have still copper, and my
sword!" The alloy this Year became as 3 to 1:--what other remedy?
From the same cause, I doubt not, this Year, for the first time in human
memory, came that complete abeyance of the Gift-moneys (DOUCEUR-GELDER),
which are become a standing expectation, quasi-right, and necessary item
of support to every Prussian Officer, from a Lieutenant upwards: not a
word, in the least official, said of them this Year; still less a penny
of them actually forthcoming to a wornout expectant Army. One of the
greatest sins charged upon Friedrich by Prussian or Prussian-Military
public opinion: not to be excused at all;--Prussian-Military and even
Prussian-Civil opinion having a strange persuasion that this King has
boundless supply of money, and only out of perversity refuses it for
objects of moment. In the Army as elsewhere much has gone awry; [See
Mollendorf's two or three LETTERS (Preuss, iv. 407-411).] many rivets
loose after such a climbing of the Alps as there has been, through dense
and rare.
It will surprise everybody that Friedrich, with his copper and other
resources, actually raised his additional 60,000; and has for himself
70,000 to recover Schweidnitz, and bring Silesia to its old state;
40,000 for Prince Henri and Saxony, with a 10,000 of margin for Sweden
and accidental sundries. This is strange, but it is true. [Stenzel,
v. 297, 286; Tempelhof, vi. 2, 10, 63.] And has not been done without
strivings and contrivings, hard requisitions on the places liable; and
has involved not a little of severity and difficulty,--especially a
great deal of haggling with the collecting parties, or at least with
Prince Henri, who presides in Saxony, and is apt to complain and
mourn over the undoable, rather than proceed to do it. The King's
Correspondence with Henri, this Winter, is curious enough; like a
Dialogue between Hope on its feet, and Despair taking to its bed. "You
know there are Two Doctors in MOLIERE," says Friedrich to him once; "a
Doctor TANT-MIEUX (So much the Better) and a Doctor TANT-PIS (So much
the Worse): these two cannot be expected to agree!"--Instead of infinite
arithmetical details, here is part of a Letter of Friedrich's to
D'Argens; and a Passage, one of many, with Prince Henri;--which command
a view into the interior that concerns us.
THE KING TO D'ARGENS (at Berlin).
"BRESLAU, 18th January, 1762.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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