14th Aug., 1740.

sider my most natural friend and ally; but I must know what there is to depend on there. Princes are ruled by their interest; can not follow their feelings. Let me have an explicit answer, say at Wesel, where I am to be on the 24th,'" ten days hence. Britannic Majesty is at Hanover, and can answer within that time. "This he twice told me, Wesel, 24th,' in the course of our interview. Permit me to recommend the matter to your Lordship"-my Lord Harrington, now attending the Britannic Majesty.

"During the whole audience," adds Dickens, "the King was in extreme good humor, and not only heard with attention all the considerations I offered, but was not the least offended at any objections I made to what he said. It is undoubtedly the best way to behave with frankness to him." These last are Dickens's own words; let them modestly be a memorandum to your Lordship. This King goes himself direct to the point, and straightforwardness, as a primary condition, will profit your lordship with him.1

Most true advice, this, and would perhaps be followed, were it quite easy. But things are very complicated. And the Britannic Majesty, much plagued with Spanish War and Parliamentary noises in that unquiet Island, is doubtless glad to get away to Hanover for a little, and would fain be on holiday in these fine rural months, wbich is not well possible either. Jenkins's Ear, rising at last like a fiery portent, has kindled the London Fog over yonder in a strange way, and the murky stagnancy is all getting on fire; the English intent, as seldom any Nation was, to give the Spaniards an effectual beating, which they hope they can, though unexpected difficulties will occur; and, in the mean while, what a riddle of potentialities for his poor Majesty to read, and pick his way from!

Bielfeld, in spite of all this, would fain be full of admiration for the Britannic Majesty. Confesses he is below the middle size-in fact, a tiny little creature-but then his shape is perfect; leg much to be commended, which his majesty knows, standing always with one leg slightly advanced, and the Order of the Garter on it, that mankind may take notice. Here is Bielfeld's description faithfully abridged:

“Big blue eyes, perhaps rather of parboiled character, though proud enough; eyes flush with his face or more, rather in relief than on a level with it"-à fleur de tête, after the manner of a fish, if one might "Attitude consay so, and betokening such an intellect behind them! strained, leg advanced in that way; his courtiers call it majestic. Biggish mouth, strictly shut in the crescent or horse-shoe form (fermée en croissant); curly wig (à nœuds, reminding you of lamb's wool, color

Dickens (in State-Paper Office), 17th August, 1740.

June-Sept., 1740. not known); eyebrows, however, you can see are ashy-blond; general tint is fundamentally livid; but when in good case, the royal skin will take tolerably bright colors (prend d'assez belles couleurs). As to the royal mind and understanding, what shall Bielfeld say? That his Majesty sometimes makes ingenious and just remarks, and is laudably serious at all times, and can majestically hold his tongue, and stand with advanced leg, and eyes rather more than flush. Sense of his dignity is high, as it ought to be; on great occasions you see pride and a kind of joy mantling in the royal countenance. Has been known to make explosions, and to be very furious to Prince Fred and others, when pricked into; but, my friend, what mortal is exempt from failings? Majesty reads the English Newspapers every morning in bed, which are often biting. Majesty has his Walmoden, a Hanoverian Improper-Female, Countess of Yarmouth so-called; quiet, autumnal, fair-complexioned, stupid, who is much a comfort to him. She keeps out of mischief, political or other, and gives Bielfeld a gracious nod now and then."12 Harrington is here too; and Britannic Majesty and he are busy governing the English Nation on these terms. We return now to the Prussian Majesty.

About six weeks after that of Dickens-Cleve Journey and much else now ended-Prätorius, the Danish Envoy, whom we slightly knew at Reinsberg once, gives this testimony, writing home to an Excellency at Copenhagen, whose name we need not inquire into:

"To give your Excellency a just idea of the new Government here, I must observe that hitherto the King of Prussia does as it were every thing himself; and that, excepting the Finance Minister von Boden, who preaches frugality, and finds for that doctrine uncommon acceptance, almost greater even than in the former reign, his Majesty allows no counseling from any Minister; so that Herr von Podewils, who is now the working hand in the department of Foreign Affairs, has nothing given him to do but to expedite the orders he receives from the Cabinet, his advice not being asked upon any matter; and so it is with the other Ministers. People thought the loss of Herr von Thulmeyer," veteran Foreign Minister whom we have transiently heard of in the Double-Marriage time, and perhaps have even seen at London or elsewhere,13 "would be irreparable, so expert was he, and a living archive in that business; however, his post seems to have vanished with himself. His salary is divided between Herr von Podewils," whom the reader will sometimes hear of again, “Kriegsrath (Councilor of War)

1a Bielfeld, i., 158.

14 Died 4th Angust (Rödenbeck, p. 20).

June-Sept., 1740.

von Ilgen," son of the old gentleman we used to know, "and Hofrath Sellentin, who is Rendant of the Legations-Kasse" (Embassadors' Paymaster, we could guess, Embassador Body having specialty of cash assigned it, comparable with the specialty of value received from it in this strict frugal Country), neither of which two latter names shall the reader be troubled with farther. "A good many resolutions and responses by the King I have seen: they combine laconic expression with an admirable business eye (Geschäftsblick). Unhappily"—at least for us in the Diplomatic line, for your Excellency and me unhappily-" there is nobody about the King who possesses his complete confidence, or whom we can make use of in regard to the necessary introductions and preliminary movements. Hereby it comes that-as certain things can only be handled with cautious foresight and circumlocution, and in the way of beginning wide-an Embassador here is more thrown out of his course than in any other Court, and knows not, though his object were steadily in sight, what road to strike into for getting toward it.”14

CHAPTER III.

FRIEDRICH MAKES AN EXCURSION, NOT OF DIRECT SORT, INTO THE CLEVE COUNTRIES.

KING Friedrich did not quite keep his day at Wesel; indeed, this 24th was not the first day, but the last of several he had appointed to himself for finis to that Journey in the Cleve CounHe has several tries-Journey rather complex to arrange. businesses ahead in those parts, and, as usual, will group them with good judgment and thrift of time; not inspections merely, but amusements, meetings with friends, especially French friends: the question is, how to group them with skill, so that the necessary elements may converge at the right moment, and one shot kill three or four birds. This is Friedrich's fine way, perceptible in all these Journeys. The French friends, flying each on his own track, with his own load of impediments, Voltaire with his Madame for instance, are a difficult element in such problem ; and there has been, and is, much scheming and corresponding about it, within the last month especially.

Voltaire is now at Brussels with his Du Châtelet, prosecuting that endless "lawsuit with the House of Honsbruck," which he,

14 Preuss, Thronbesteigung, p. 377 (2d October, 1740).

June-Sept., 1740. and we, are both desirous to have done with. He is at the Hague, too, now and then; printing, about to print, the AntiMachiavel; corresponding to right and left, quarreling with Van Duren the Printer; lives, while there, in the Vieille Cour, in the vast dusky rooms with faded gilding, and grand old Bookshelves "with the biggest spider-webs in Europe." Brussels is his place for Law-Consultations, general family residence; the Hague and that old spider-web Palace for correcting Proof-sheets; doing one's own private studies, which we never quite neglect. Fain would Friedrich see him, fain he Friedrich; but there is a divine Émilie, there is a Maupertuis, there are-in short, never were such difficulties in the cooking of an egg, with water boiling; and much vain correspondence has already been on that subject, as on others equally extinct-correspondence which is not pleasant at this time, the rather as no reader can, without endless searching, even understand it-correspondence left to us, not in the cosmic, elucidated, or legible state; left mainly as the Editorial rubbish-wagons chose to shoot it-like a tumbled quarry, like the ruins of a sacked city; avoidable by readers who are not forced into it! Take the following select bricks as sample, which are of some use; the general Heading is,

**

King Friedrich to M. de Voltaire (at the Hague, or at Brussels). “Charlottenburg, 12th June, 1740. My dear Voltaire, resist no longer the eagerness I have to see you. Do in my favor whatever your humanity allows. In the end of August I go to Wesel, and perhaps farther. Promise that you will come and join me; for I could not live happy, nor die tranquil, without having embraced you! Thousand compliments to the Marquise," divine Émilie. "I am busy with both hands" (Corn-Magazines, Free Press, Abolition of Torture, and much else); “working at the Army with the one hand, at the People and the Fine Arts with the other."

"Berlin, 5th August, 1740. ** I will write to Madame du Châtelet in compliance with your wish;" mark it, reader! "To speak to you frankly concerning her journey, it is Voltaire, it is you, it is my

1 Her Preuss's edition (Euvres de Frédéric, vol. xxi., xxii., xxiii.) has come out since the above was written: it is agreeably exceptional, being, for the first time, correctly printed, and the editor himself having mostly understood it, though the reader still can not, on the terms there allowed.

June-Sept., 1740. Friend that I desire to see; and the divine Émilie with all her divinity is only the Accessory of the Apollo Newtonized.

"I can not yet say whether I shall travel" (incognito into foreign parts a little)" or not travel," there have been rumors, perhaps private wishes; but- * * "Adieu, dear friend; sublime spirit, first-born of thinking beings. Love me always sincerely, and be persuaded that none can love and esteem you more than I. Vale. FÉDÉRIC."

Berlin, 6th August" (which is next day).-"You will have received a Letter from me dated yesterday; this is the second I write to you from Berlin; I refer you to what was in the other. If it must be (faut) that Émilie accompany Apollo, I consent; but if I could see you alone, that is what I would prefer. I should be too much dazzled; I could not stand so much splendor all at once; it would overpower me. I should need the veil of Moses to temper the united radiance of your two divinities.” ** * In short, don't bring her, if you please.

"Remusberg" (poetic for Reinsberg), " 8th August, 1740.- My dear Voltaire, I do believe Van Duren costs you more trouble and pains than you had with Henri Quatre. In versifying the Life of a Hero, you wrote the history of your own thoughts; but in coercing a scoundrel, you fence with an enemy who is not worthy of you." To punish him, and cut short his profits, "print, then, as you wish" (your own edition of the Anti-Machiavel, to go along with his, and trip the feet from it). “Faites rouler la presse; erase, change, correct; do as you see best; your judgment about it shall be mine." 'In eight days I leave for"—(where, thinks the reader? "Dantzig" deliberately print all the Editors, careful Preuss among them; overturning the terrestrial azimuths for us, and making day night!)" for Leipzig, and reckon on being at Frankfort on the 22d. In case you could be there, I expect, on my passage, to give you lodging! At Cleve or in Holland, I depend for certain on embracing you."

192

Intrinsically the Friedrich correspondence at this time, with Voltaire especially, among many friends now on the wing toward Berlin and sending letters, has-if you are forced into struggling for some understanding of it, and do get to read parts. of it with the eyes of Friedrich and Voltaire-has a certain amiability, and is nothing like so waste and dreary as it looks in the chaotic or sacked-city condition. Friedrich writes with brevity, oftenest on practicalities (the Anti-Machiavel, the com

2 Preuss, Œuvres de Frédéric, xx., p. 5, 19-21; Voltaire, Euvres, lxxii., 226, &c. (not worth citing, in comparison).