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
EGO. "'Well, then, not at all. She has sometimes lectured me about my
strayings, but very maternally: she is sorry for me, and quite sure
that I shall return to the right path. She said to me, some time ago,
"I don't know how you do, you are the intimate friend of Father Griffet;
the Bishop of Neustadt has always spoken well of you; likewise the
Archbishop of Malines; and the Cardinal [name Sinzendorf, or else not
known to me, dignity and red hat sufficiently visible] loves you much."'
"Why cannot I remember the hundred luminous things which escaped the
King in this conversation! It lasted till the trumpet at Head-quarters
announced dinner. The King went to take his place; and I think it was on
this occasion that, some one having asked why M. de Loudon had not come
yet, he said, 'That is not his custom: formerly he often arrived before
me. Please let him take this place next me; I would rather have him at
my side than opposite.'"
That is very pretty. And a better authority gives it, The King said to
Loudon himself, on Loudon's entering, _"Mettez-vous aupres de moi, M.
de Loudon; j'aime mieux vous avoir a cote de moi que vis-a-vis."_ He was
very kind to Loudon; "constantly called him M. LE FELDMARECHAL [delicate
hint of what should have been, but WAS not for seven years yet]; and,
at parting, gave him [as he did to Lacy also] two superb horses,
magnificently equipped." [Pezzl, _Vie de Loudon,_ ii. 29.]
"Another day," continues Prince de Ligne, "the Manoeuvres being over
in good time, there was a Concert at the Kaiser's. Notwithstanding the
King's taste for music, he was pleased to give me the preference; and
came where I was, to enchant me with the magic of his conversation, and
the brilliant traits, gay and bold, which characterize him. He asked
me to name the general and particular Officers who were present, and
to tell him those who had served under Marshal Traun: 'For, ENFIN,' he
said, 'as I think I have told you already, he is my Master; he corrected
me in the Schooling I was at.'
EGO. "'Your Majesty was very ungrateful, then; you never paid him
his lessons. If it was as your Majesty says, you should at least have
allowed him to beat you; and I do not remember that you ever did.'
KING. "'I did not get beaten, because I did not fight.'
EGO. "'It is in this manner that the greatest Generals have often
conducted their wars against each other. One has only to look at the two
Campaigns of M. de Montecuculi and M. de Turenne, in the Valley of
the Rench [Strasburg Country, 1674 and 1675, two celebrated Campaigns,
Turenne killed by a cannon-shot in the last].
KING. "'Between Traun and the former there is not much difference; but
what a difference, BON DIEU, between the latter and me!'
"I named to him the Count d'Althan, who had been Adjutant-General, and
the Count de Pellegrini. He asked me twice which was which, from the
distance we were at; and said, He was so short-sighted, I must excuse
him.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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