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
Chancellor Furst is not a willing horse in this case; but he is
obliged to go. December 7th, Kammergericht sits on the Arnold Appeal;
Kammergericht's view is: "Custrin papers all here, not the least delay
permitted; you, Judge Rannsleben, take these Papers to you; down
upon them: let us, if humanly possible, have a Report by to-morrow."
Rannsleben takes the Papers in hand December 7th; works upon them all
day, and all night following, at a rate of energy memorable among Legal
gentlemen; and December 8th attends with lucid Report upon them, or
couple of Reports; one on Arnold VERSUS Schmettau, in six folios; one on
Arnold VERSUS Gersdorf, in two ditto; draws these two Documents from his
pocket December 8th; reads them in assembled Court (six of the Judges
present) [Preuss, iii. 496.],--which, with marked thankfulness to the
swift Rannsleben, at once adopts his Report, and pronounces upon the
Custrin Raths, "Right in every particular." Witness our hands: every one
affixing his signature, as to a matter happily got done with.
It was Friday, 10th December, 1779, before Friedrich got this fine bit
of news; Saturday 11th, before he authentically saw their Sentence. He
is lying miserably ill of gout in the Schloss of Berlin; and I suppose,
since his Father, of blessed memory, took cudgel to certain Judges and
knocked out teeth from them, and broke the judicial crowns, nobody in
that Schloss has been in such humor against men of Law. "Attend me here
at 2 P.M. with the Three Raths who signed in Arnold's Case:" Saturday,
about 11 A.M., Chancellor Furst receives this command; gets Rannsleben,
and two others, Friedel, Graun,--and there occurred such a scene--But it
will be better to let Rannsleben himself tell the story; who has left
an AUTOBIOGRAPHY, punctually correct, to all appearance, but except this
alone notable passage of it, still unpublished, and like to continue
so:--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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