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
"So we waited there, and a crowd of people with us. The team of horses
stood all ready (peasants' horses, poor little cats of things, but the
best that could be picked, for there were then no post-horses THAT COULD
RUN FAST);--the country-fellows that were to ride postilion all decked,
and ten head of horses for the King's coach: wheelers, four, which the
coachman drove from his box; then two successive pairs before, on each
pair a postilion-peasant; and upon the third pair, foremost of all, the
King's outriders were to go.
"And now, at last, came the FELDJAGER [Chacer, Hunting-groom], with his
big whip, on a peasant's, horse, a peasant with him as attendant. All
blazing with heat, he dismounted; said, The King would be here in five
minutes; looked at the relays, and the fellows with the water-buckets,
who were to splash the wheels; gulped down a quart of beer; and so,
his saddle in the interim having been fixed on another horse, sprang up
again, and off at a gallop. The King, then, was NOT to stay in Dolgelin!
Soon came the Page, mounted in like style; a youth of 17 or 18; utterly
exhausted; had to be lifted down from his horse, and again helped upon
the fresh one, being scarcely able to stand;--and close on the rear
of him arrived the King. He was sitting alone in an old-fashioned
glass-coach, what they call a VIS-A-VIS (a narrow carriage, two seats
fore and aft, and on each of them room for only one person). The coach
was very long, like all the old carriages of that time; between the
driver's box and the body of the coach was a space of at least four
feet; the body itself was of pear-shape, peaked below and bellied out
above; hung on straps, with rolled knuckles [WINDEN], did not rest on
springs; two beams, connecting fore wheels and hind, ran not UNDER the
body of the coach, but along the sides of it, the hind-wheels following
with a goodly interval.
"The carriage drew up; and the King said to his coachman [the far-famed
Pfund]: 'Is this Dolgelin?' 'Yes, your Majesty!'--'I stay here.'
'No,' said Pfund; 'The sun is not down yet. We can get on very well
to Muncheberg to-night [ten miles ahead, and a Town too, perfidious
Pfund!]--and then to-morrow we are much earlier in Potsdam.' 'NA,
HM,--well, if it must be so!'--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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