History of Friedrich II of Prussia — Volume 21Carlyle, Thomas
History
History of Friedrich II of Prussia — Volume 21
Carlyle, Thomas
Frederick II, King of Prussia, 1712-1786; Prussia (Germany) -- History -- Frederick II, 1740-1786; Social problems
Friedrich was not the least of a Free Trader, except where it
suited him: and his continual subventions and donations, guidances,
encouragements, commandings and prohibitions, wise supervision and
impulsion,--are a thing I should like to hear an intelligent Mirabeau
(Junior or Senior) discourse upon, after he had well studied them! For
example: "ON RENDIT LES PRETRES UTILES, The Priests, Catholic Priests,
were turned to use by obliging all the rich Abbeys to establish
manufactures: here it was weavers making damasks and table-cloths; there
oil-mills [oil from linseed]; or workers in copper, wire-drawers; as
suited the localities and the natural products,--the flaxes and
the metals, with water-power, markets, and so on." What a charming
resuscitation of the rich Abbeys from their dormant condition!
I should like still better to explain how, in Lower Silesia, "we (ON)
managed to increase the number of Husbandmen by 4,000 families. You will
be surprised how it was possible to multiply to this extent the people
living by Agriculture in a Country where already not a field was waste.
The reason was this. Many Lords of Land, to increase their Domain, had
imperceptibly appropriated to themselves the holdings (TERRES) of their
vassals. Had this abuse been suffered to go on, in time a great"--But
the commentary needed would be too lengthy; we will give only the
result: "In the long-run, every Village would have had its Lord, but
there would have been no tax-paying Farmers left." The Landlord, ruler
of these Landless, might himself (as Majesty well knows) have been made
to PAY, had that been all; but it was not. "To possess something; that
is what makes the citizen attached to his Country; those who have no
property, and have nothing to lose, what tie have they?" A weak one, in
comparison!"All these things being represented to the Landlord Class,
their own advantage made them consent to replace their Peasants on the
old footing."...
"To make head against so many extraordinary demands," adds the King
(looking over to a new Chapter, that of the MILITARY, which Department,
to his eyes, was not less shockingly dilapidated than the CIVIL,
and equally or more needed instant repair), "new resources had to
be devised. For, besides what was needed for re-establishment of the
Provinces, new Fortifications were necessary; and all our Cannon,
E'VASES (worn too wide in the bore), needed to be refounded; which
occasioned considerable new expense. This led us to improvement of the
Excises,"--concerning which there will have to be a Section by itself.
OF FRIEDRICH'S NEW EXCISE SYSTEM.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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