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
Of all which there is not, in this place, much more to be said.
Friedrich's element is itself wearing dim, sombre of hue; and the
records of it, too, seem to grow dimmer, more and more intermittent. Old
friends, of the intellectual kind, are almost all dead; the new are
of little moment to us,--not worth naming in comparison, The chief,
perhaps, is a certain young Marchese Lucchesini, who comes about this
time, ["Chamberlain [titular, with Pension, &c.], 9th May, 1780, age
then 28" (Preuss, iv. 211);-arrived when or how is not said.]
and continues in more and more favor both with Friedrich and his
Successor,--employed even in Diplomatics by the latter. An accomplished
young Gentleman, from Lucca; of fine intelligence, and, what was no less
essential to him here, a perfect propriety in breeding and carriage. One
makes no acquaintance with him in these straggling records, nor desires
to make any. It was he that brought the inane, ever scribbling
Denina hither, if that can be reckoned a merit. Inane Denina came as
Academician, October, 1782; saw Friedrich, [Rodenbeck, iii. 285, 286.]
at least once ("Academician, Pension; yes, yes!")--and I know not
whether any second time.
Friedrich, on loss of friends, does not take refuge in solitude;
he tries always for something of substitute; sees his man once or
twice,--in several instances once only, and leaves him to his pension in
sinecure thenceforth. Cornelius de Pauw, the rich Canon of Xanten
(Uncle of Anacharsis Klootz, the afterwards renowned), came on those
principles; hung on for six months, not liked, not liking; and was
then permitted to go home for good, his pension with him. Another,
a Frenchman, whose name I forget, sat gloomily in Potsdam, after his
rejection; silent (not knowing German), unclipt, unkempt, rough as
Nebuchadnezzar, till he died. De Catt is still a resource; steady till
almost the end, when somebody's tongue, it is thought, did him ill with
the King.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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