appendix to history of friedrich ii of prussia-第1章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



Appendix　to　History　of　Friedrich　II　of　Prussia

by　Thomas　Carlyle








This　Piece；　it　would　seem；　was　translated　sixteen　years　ago；
some　four　or　five　years　before　any　part　of　the　present　HISTORY　OF
FRIEDRICH　got　to　paper。　The　intercalated　bits　of　Commentary　were；
as　is　evident；　all　or　mostly　written　at　the　same　time：these　also；
though　they　are　now　become；　in　parts；　SUPERFLUOUS　to　a　reader　that
has　been　diligent；　I　have　not　thought　of　changing；　where　not
compelled。　Here　and　there；　especially　in　the　Introductory　Part；
some　slight　additions　have　crept　in；which　the　above　kind　of
reader　will　possibly　enough　detect；　and　may　even　have；　for　friendly
reasons；　some　vestige　of　interest　in　assigning　to　their　new　date
and　comparing　with　the　old。　（NOTE　OF　1868。）



A　DAY　WITH　FRIEDRICH。
（23d　July；　1779。）

〃OBERAMTMANN　（Head…Manager）　Fromme〃　was　a　sister's　son　of　Poet；
Gleim；Gleim　Canon　of　Halberstadt；　who　wrote　Prussian　〃grenadier…
songs〃　in；　or　in　reference　to；　the　Seven…Years　War；　songs　still
printed；　but　worth　little；　who　begged　once；　after　Friedrich's
death；　an　OLD　HAT　of　his；　and　took　it　with　him　to　Halberstadt
（where　I　hope　it　still　is）；　who　had　a　〃Temple…of…Honor；〃　or　little
Garden…house　so　named；　with　Portraits　of　his　Friends　hung　in　it；
who　put　Jean　Paul　VERY　SOON　there；　with　a　great　explosion　of
praises；　and　who；　in　short；　seems　to　have　been　a　very　good
effervescent　creature；　at　last　rather　wealthy　too；　and　able　to
effervesce　with　some　comfort；Oberamtmann　Fromme；　I　say；　was　this
Gleim's　Nephew；　and　stood　as　a　kind　of　Royal　Land…Bailiff　under
Frederick　the　Great；　in　a　tract　of　country　called　the　RHYN…LUCH　（a
dreadfully　moory　country　of　sands　and　quagmires；　all　green　and
fertile　now；　some　twenty　or　thirty　miles　northwest　of　Berlin）；
busy　there　in　1779；　and　had　been　for　some　years　past。　He　had
originally　been　an　Officer　of　the　Artillery；　but　obtained　his
discharge　in　1769；　and　got；　before　long；　into　this　employment。
A　man　of　excellent　disposition　and　temper；　with　a　solid　and　heavy
stroke　of　work　in　him；　whatever　he　might　be　set　to；　and　who　in　this
OBERAMTMANNSHIP　〃became　highly　esteemed。〃　He　died　in　1798；　and　has
left　sons　（now　perhaps　grandsons　or　great…grandsons）；　who　continue
estimable　in　like　situations　under　the　Prussian　Government。

One　of　Fromme's　useful　gifts；　the　usefulest　of　all　for　us　at
present；　was　〃his　wonderful　talent　of　exact　memory。〃　He　could
remember　to　a　singular　extent；　and；　we　will　hope；　on　this　occasion；
was　unusually　conscientious　to　do　it。　For　it　so　happened；　in　July；
1779　（23d　July）；　Friedrich；　just　home　from　his　troublesome　Bavarian
War；　＇Had　arrived　at　Berlin　May　27th　（Rodenbeck；　iii。　201）。＇　and
again　looking　into　everything　with　his　own　eyes；　determined　to　have
a　personal　view　of　those　Moor　Regions　of　Fromme's；　to　take　a　day's
driving　through　that　RHYN…LUCH　which　had　cost　him　so　much　effort
and　outlay；　and　he　ordered　Fromme　to　attend　him　in　the　expedition。
Which　took　effect　accordingly；　Fromme　riding　swiftly　at　the　left
wheel　of　Friedrich's　carriage；　and　loudly　answering　questions　of
his；　all　day。Directly　on　getting　home；　Fromme　consulted　his
excellent　memory；　and　wrote　down　everything；　a　considerable　Paper；
of　which　you　shall　now　have　an　exact　Translation；　if　it　be　worth
anything。　Fromme　gave　the　Paper　to　Uncle　Gleim；　who；　in　his
enthusiasm；　showed　it　extensively　about；　and　so　soon　as　there　was
liberty；　had　it　〃printed；　at　his　own　expense；　for　the　benefit　of
poor　soldiers'　children。〃　＇〃Gleim's　edition；　brought　out　in　1786；
the　year　of　Friedrich's　death；　is　now　quite　gone；the　Book
undiscoverable。　But　the　Paper　was　reprinted　in　an　ANEKDOTEN…
SAMMLUNG　（Collection　of　Anecdotes；　Berlin；　1787；　8tes　STUCK；　where
I　discover　it　yesterday　（17th　July；　1852）　in　a　copy　of　mine；　much
to　my　surprise；　having　before　met　with　it　in　one　Hildebrandt's
ANEKDOTEN…SAMMLUNG　（Halberstadt；　1830；　4tes　STUCK；　a　rather
slovenly　Book）；　where　it　is　given　out　as　one　of　the　rarest　of　all
rarities；　and　as　having　been　specially　'furnished　by　a　Dr。　W。
Korte；'　being　unattainable　otherwise！　The　two　copies　differ
slightly　here　and　there；not　always　to　Dr。　Korte's　advantage；　or
rather　hardly　ever。　I　keep　them　both　before　me　in　translating〃
（MARGINALE　OF　1852）。

〃The　RHYN〃　or　Rhin；　is　a　little　river；　which；　near　its　higher
clearer　sources；　we　were　all　once　well　acquainted　with：
considerable　little　moorland　river；　with　several　branches　coming
down　from　Ruppin　Country；　and　certain　lakes　and　plashes　there；　in　a
southwest　direction；　towards　the　Elbe　valley；　towards　the　Havel
Stream；　into　which　latter；　through　another　plash　or　lake　called
GULPER　SEE；　and　a　few　miles　farther；　into　the　Elbe　itself；　it
conveys；　after　a　course　of　say　50　English　miles　circuitously
southwest；　the　black　drainings　of　those　dreary　and　intricate
Peatbog…and…Sand　countries。　〃LUCH；〃　it　appears；　signifies　LOCH　（or
Hole；　Hollow）；　and　〃Rhyn…Luch〃　will　mean；　to　Prussian　ears；　the
Peatbog　Quagmire　drained　by　the　RHYN。New　Ruppin；　where　this
beautiful　black　Stream　first　becomes　considerable；　and　of　steadily
black　complexion；　lies　between　40　and　50　miles　northwest　of　Berlin。
Ten　or　twelve　miles　farther　north　is　REINSBERG　（properly
RHYNSBERG）；　where　Friedrich　as　Crown…Prince　lived　his　happiest　few
years。　The　details　of　which　were　familiar　to　us　long　ago；and　no
doubt　dwell　clear　and　soft；　in　their　appropriate　〃pale　moonlight；〃
in　Friedrich's　memory　on　this　occasion。　Some　time　after　his
Accession；　he　gave　the　place　to　Prince　Henri；　who　lived　there　till
1802。　It　is　now　fallen　all　dim；　and　there　is　nothing　at　New　Ruppin
but　a　remembrance。

To　the　hither　edge　of　this　Rhyn…Luoh；　from　Berlin；　I　guess　there
may　be　five…and…twenty　miles；　in　a　northwest　direction；
from　Potsdam；　whence　Friedrich　starts　to…day；　about；　the　same
distance　north…by…west；　〃at　Seelenhorst；〃　where　Fromme　waits　him；
Friedrich　has　already　had　30　miles　of　driving；rate　10　miles　an
hour；　as　we　chance　to　observe。　Notable　things；　besides　the　Spade…
husbandries　he　is　intent　on；　solicit　his　remembrance　in　this
region。　Of　Freisack　and　〃Heavy…Peg〃　with　her　didactic　batterings
there；　I　suppose　he；　in　those　fixed　times；　knows　nothing；　probably
has　never　heard：　Freisack　is　on　a　branch　of　this　same　Rhyn；　and　he
might　see　it；　to　left　a　mile　or　two；　if　he　cared。

But　Fehrbellin　（〃Ferry　of　BellEEN〃）；　distinguished　by　the　shining
victory　which　〃the　Great　Elector；〃　Friedrich's　Great…Grandfather；
gained　there；　over　the　Swedes；　in　1675；　stands　on　the　Rhyn　itself；
about　midway；　and　Friedrich　will　pass　through　it　on　this　occasion。
General　Ziethen；　too；　lives　near　it　at　Wusterau　（as　will　be　seen）：
〃Old　Ziethen；〃　a　little　stumpy　man；　with　hanging　brows　and　thick
pouting　lips；　unbeautiful　to　look　upon；　but　pious；　wise；　silent；
and　with　a　terrible　blaze　of　fighting…talent　in　him；　full　of
obedience；　of　endurance；　and　yet　of　unsubduable　〃silent　rage〃
（which　has　brooked　even　the　vocal　rage　of　Friedrich；　on　occasion）；
a　really　curious　old　Hussar　General。　He　is　now　a　kind　of　mythical
or　demigod　personage　among　the　Prussians；　and　was　then　（1779）；　and
ever　after　the　Seven…Years　War；　regarded　popularly　as　their　Ajax
（with　a　dash　of　the　Ulysses　superadded）；Seidlitz；　another　Horse
General；　being　the　Achilles　of　that　service。

The　date　of　this　drive　through　the　moors　being　〃23d　July；　1779；〃　we
perceive　it　is　just　about　two　months　since　Friedrich　got　home　from
the　Bavarian　War　（what　they　now　call　〃POTATO　WAR；〃　so　barren　was　it
in　fighting；　so　ripe　in　foraging）；　victorious　in　a　sort；and　that
in　his　private　thought；　among　the　big　troubles　of　the　world　on　both
sides　of　the　Atlantic；　the　infinitesimally　small　business　of　the
MILLER　ARNOLD'S　LAWSUIT　is　beginning　to　rise　now　and　then。
＇Supra　415；　429。　Preuss；　i。　362；　&c。　&c。＇

Friedrich　is　now　67　years　old；　has　reigned　39：　the　Seven…Years　War
is　16　years　behind　us；　ever　since　which　time　Friedrich　has　been　an
〃old　man；〃having　returned　home　from　it　with　his　cheeks　all
wrinkled；　his　temples　white；　and　other　marks　of　decay；　at　the　age
of　51。　The　〃wounds　of　that　terrible　business；〃　as　they　say；　〃are
now　all　healed；〃　perhaps　above　100；000　burnt　houses　and　huts
rebuilt；　for　one　thi