20th Oct., 1740. he had few hours to live, he would not believe it, and bantered his Physicians on the sad news. 'Look me in the eyes,' said he; 'have I the air of one dying? When you see my sight growing dim, then let the sacraments be administered, whether I order or not."" Doctors insisting, the Kaiser replied: "Since you are foolish fellows, who know neither the cause nor the state of my disorder, I command that, once I am dead, you open my body, to know what the matter was; you can then come and let me know!'"2 in which also there is perhaps a glimmering of distorted truth, though, as Monsieur mistakes even the day ("18th October," says he, not 20th), one can only accept it as rumor from the outside.

Here, by an extremely sombre domestic Gentleman of great punctuality and great dullness, are the authentic particulars, such as it was good to mention in Vienna circles.3 An extremely dull Gentleman, but to appearance an authentic, and so little defective in reverence that he delicately expresses some astonishment at Death's audacity this year in killing so many Crowned Heads. "This year 1740," says he, "though the weather throughout Europe had been extraordinarily fine," or fine for a cold year, "had already witnessed several Deaths of Sovereigns: Pope Clement XII., Friedrich Wilhelm of Prussia, the Queen Dowager of Spain" (Termagant's old stepmother, not Termagant's self by a great way). "But that was not enough: unfathomable Destiny ventured now on Imperial Heads (wagte sich auch an Kaiserkronen): Karl VI., namely, and Russia's great Monarchess" -an audacity to be remarked. Of Russia's great Monarchess (Czarina Anne, with the big cheek) we will say nothing at present; but of Karl VI. only-abridging much, and studying arrangement:

Thursday, October 13th, returning from Halbthurn, a Hunting Seat of his," over in Hungary some fifty miles, "to the Palace Favorita at Vienna, his Imperial Majesty felt slightly indisposed"-indigestion of mushrooms, or whatever it was: had begun at Halbthurn the night before, we rather understand, and was the occasion of his leaving. "The

2 Anecdotes Germaniques (Paris, 1769), p. 692.

3 (Anonymous) Des &c. Römischen Kaiser's Carl VI. Leben und Thaten (Frankfurt und Leipzig, 1741), p. 220–227.

20th Oct., 1740. Doctors called it cold on the stomach, and thought it of no consequence. In the night of Saturday it became alarming;" inflammation, thought the Doctors, inflammation of the liver, and used their potent appliances, which only made the danger come and go; “and on the Tuesday, all day, the Doctors did not doubt his Imperial Majesty was dying.” (“Look me in the eyes; pack of fools; you will have to dissect me; you will then know." Any truth in all that? No matter.)

“At noon of that Tuesday he took the Sacrament, the Pope's Nuncio administering. His Majesty showed uncommonly great composure of soul and resignation to the Divine Will,” being indeed "certain”—so he expressed it to " a principal Official Person sunk in grief” (Bartenstein, shall we guess?), who stood by him—" certain of his cause," not afraid in contemplating that dread Judgment now near: Look at me! A man that is certain of his cause can enter on such a Journey with good courage and a composed mind (mit gutem und gelassenem Muth).” To the Doctors, dubitating what the disease was, he said, "If Gazelli," my late worthy Doctor, "were still here, you would soon know; but as it is, you will learn when you dissect me"-and once asked to be shown the Cup where his heart would lie after that operation.

ness.

"Sacrament being over," Tuesday afternoon," he sent for his Family, to bless them each separately. He had a long conversation with Grand-Duke Franz," titular of Lorraine, actual of Tuscany," who had assiduously attended him, and continued to do so during the entire illThe Grand-Duke's Spouse"-Maria Theresa, the noble-hearted and the overwhelmed, who is now in an interesting state again withal; a little Kaiserkin (Joseph II.) coming in five months; first child, a little girl, is now two years old-" had been obliged to take to bed three days ago; laid up of grief and terror (vor Schmerzen und Schrecken) ever since Sunday the 16th. Nor would his Imperial Majesty permit her to enter this death-room on account of her condition, so important to the world; but his Majesty, turning toward that side where her apartment was, raised his right hand, and commanded her Husband, and the Archduchess her younger Sister, to tell his Theresa That he blessed her herewith, notwithstanding her absence." Poor Kaiser, poor Theresa! “Most distressing of all was the scene with the Kaiserin. The night before, on getting knowledge of the sad certainty, she had fainted utterly away (starke Ohnmacht), and had to be carried into the Grand Duchess's" (Maria Theresa's) "room. Being summoned now with her children for the last blessing, she cried as in despair, ‘Do not leave me, Your Dilection, do not (Ach Euer Liebden verlassen mich doch nicht)!' Poor good souls! "Her Imperial Majesty would not quit the room again, but remained to the last.

“Wednesday, 19th, all day, anxiety, mournful suspense;" poor weep

20th Oct., 1740. ing Kaiserin and all the world waiting; the Inevitable visibly struggling on. "And in the night of that day" (night of 19th-20th Oct., 1740), “between one and two in the morning, Death snatched away this most invaluable Monarch (den preiswürdigsten Monarchen), in the 56th year of his life;" and Kaiser Karl VI., and the House of Hapsburg and its Five tough Centuries of good and evil in this world, had ended. The poor Kaiserin "closed the eyes" that could now no more behold her; "kissed his hands, and was carried out more dead than alive."4

A good, affectionate Kaiserin, I do believe; honorable, truthful, though unwitty of speech, and converted by Grandpapa in a peculiar manner. For her Kaiser too, after all, I have a kind of love. Of brilliant articulate intellect there is nothing, nor of inarticulate (as in Friedrich Wilhelm's case) any thing considerable; in fact, his Shadow-Hunting, and Dueling with the Termagant, seemed the reverse of wise. But there was something of a high proud heart in it, too, if we examine; and even the Pragmatic Sanction, though in practice not worth one regiment of iron ramrods, indicates a profoundly fixed determination, part"He ly of loyal nature, such as the gods more or less reward. had been a great builder," say the Histories; "was a great musician, fit to lead orchestras, and had composed an Opera"-poor Kaiser. There came out large traits of him, in Maria Theresa again, under an improved form, which were much admired by the world. He looks, in his Portraits, intensely serious; a handsome man, stoically grave; much the gentleman, much the Kaiser or Supreme Gentleman, as, in life and fact, he was; "something solemn in him, even when he laughs," the people used to say.

4

Anonymous, ut suprà, p. 220–227. Adelung, Pragmatische Staatsgeschichte (Gotha, 1762–1767), ii., 120. Johan Christoph Adelung; the same who did the Dictionary and many other deserving Books; here is the precise Title: “Pragmatische Staatsgeschichte Europens,” that is, "Documentary History of Europe, from Kaiser Karl's death, 1740, till Peace of Paris, 1763." A solid, laborious, and meritorious Work of its kind; extremely extensive (9 vols. 4to, some of which are double and even treble), mostly in the undigested, sometimes in the quite uncooked or raw condition; perhaps about a fifth part of it consists of "Documents" proper, which are skipable. It can not help being dull, waste, dreary, but is every where intelligible (excellent Indexes too), and offers an unhappy reader by far the best resource attainable for survey of that sad Period.

20th Oct., 1740.

A man honestly doing his very best with his poor Kaisership, and dying of chagrin by it. "On opening the body, the liverregion proved to be entirely deranged; in the place where the gall-bladder should have been, a stone of the size of a pigeon's egg was found grown into the liver, and no gall-bladder now there."

That same morning, with earliest daylight, "Thursday, 20th, six A.M.," Maria Theresa is proclaimed by her Heralds over Vienna: "According to Pragmatic Sanction, Inheritress of all the," &c., &c-Sovereign Archduchess of Austria, Queen of Hungary and Bohemia, for chief items. "At seven her Majesty took the Oath from the Generals and Presidents of Tribunalssaid, through her tears, All was to stand on the old footing, each in his post”—and the other needful words. Couriers shoot forth toward all Countries-one express courier to Regensburg, and the Enchanted Wiggeries there, to say That a New Kaiser will be needed; Reichs-Vicar or Vicars (Kur-Sachsen and whoever more, for they are sometimes disagreed about it) will have to administer in the interim.

A second courier we saw arrive at Reinsberg; he likewise may be important. The Bavarian Minister, Karl Albert KurBaiern's man, shot off his express like the others: answer is, by return of courier, or even earlier (for a messenger was already on the road), Make protest! "We, Kur-Baiern, solemnly protest against Pragmatic Sanction, and the assumption of such Titles by the Daughter of the late Kaiser. King of Bohemia, and in good part even of Austria, it is not you, Madam, but of right we, as, by Heaven's help, it is our fixed resolution to make good!" Protest was presented, accordingly, with all the solemnities, without loss of a moment; to which Bartenstein and the Authorities answered "Pooh-pooh!" as if it were nothing. It is the first ripple of an immeasurable tide or deluge in that kind, threatening to submerge the new Majesty of Hungary, as had been foreseen at Reinsberg, though Bartenstein and the Authorities made light of it, answering "Pooh-pooh!" or almost "Ha-ha!" for the present.

Her Hungarian Majesty's chief Generals, Seckendorf, Wallis,

20th Oct., 1740. Neipperg, sit in their respective prison-wards at this time (from which she soon liberates them): Kur-Baiern has lodged protest; at Reinsberg there will be an important resolution ready; and in the Austrian Treasury (which employs 40,000 persons, big and little) there is of cash or available resource 100,000 florins, that is to say, £10,000 net.5 And unless Pragmatic sheepskin hold tighter than some persons expect, the affairs of Austria and of this young Archduchess are in a threatening way.

His Britannic Majesty was on the road home, about Helvoetsluys or on the sea for Harwich, that night the Kaiser died, of whose illness he had heard nothing. At London, ten days after, the sudden news struck dismally upon his Majesty and the Political Circles there: "No help, then, from that quarter, in our Spanish War; perhaps far other than help!" Nay, certain Gazetteers were afraid the grand new Anti-Spanish Expedition itself, which was now, at the long last, after such confusions and delays, lying ready, in great strength, Naval and Military, would be countermanded, on Pragmatic Sanction considerations, and the crisis probably imminent. But it was not countermanded; it sailed all the same, "November 6th" (seventh day after the bad news), and made toward-Shall we tell the reader, what is Officially a dead secret, though by this time well guessed at by the Public, English and also Spanish?―toward Carthagena, to re-enforce fiery Vernon in the tropical latitudes, and overset Spanish America, beginning with that important Town!

Commodore Anson, he also, after long fatal delays, is off several weeks ago,7 round Cape Horn, hoping (or perhaps already not hoping) to co-operate from the Other Ocean, and be simultaneous with Vernon-on these loose principles of keeping time! Commodore Anson does, in effect, make a Voyage which is beautiful, and to mankind memorable; but as to keeping tryste with Vernon, the very gods could not do it on those terms!

5 Mailath, Geschichte des Ostreichischen Kaiserstaats (Hamburg, 1850), v. 8. • London Newspapers (31st Oct.-6th Nov., 1740).

7 29th (18th) September, 1740.