appendix to history of friedrich ii of prussia-第5章

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investigation　gone　into；　and　it　was　found　that　I　had　not　oppressed
the　tenants；　but　had　always　gone　upon　my　right；　and　merely　held
them　to　do　their　duty。　Nevertheless　the　matter　stood　as　it　was：
the　tenants　are　not　punished；　your　Majesty　puts　always　the　tenants
in　the　right；　the　poor　Beamte　is　always　in　the　wrong！'

KING。　〃'Ja：　that　you；　my　son；　will　contrive　to　get　justice；　you；　I
cannot　but　believe！　You　will　send　your　Departmentsrath　＇Judge　of
these　affairs＇　such　pretty　gifts　of　butter；　capons；　poults！'

ICH。　〃'No；　your　Majesty；　we　cannot。　Corn　brings　no　price：　if　one
did　not　turn　a　penny　with　other　things；　how　could　one　raise　the
rent　at　all？'

KING。　〃'Where　do　you　send　your　butter；　capons　and　poults　（PUTER）
for　sale？'

ICH。　〃'To　Berlin。'

KING。　〃'Why　not　to　Ruppin？'

ICH。　〃'Most　of　the　Ruppin　people　keep　cows；　as　many　as　are　needed
for　their　own　uses。　The　soldier　eats　nothing　but　old　＇salt＇　butter；
he　cannot　buy　fresh。'

KING。　〃'What　do　you　get　for　your　butter　in　Berlin？'

ICH。　〃'Four　groschen　the　pound；　now　the　soldier　at　Ruppin　buys　his
salt　butter　at　two。'

KING。　〃'But　your　capons　and　poults；　you　could　bring　these
to　Ruppin？'

ICH。　〃'In　the　regiment　there　are　just　four　Staff…Officers；　they　can
use　but　little：　the　burghers　don't　live　delicately；　they　thank　God
when　they　can　get　a　bit　of　pork　or　bacon。'

KING。　〃'Yes；　there　you　are　in　the　right！　The　Berliners；　again；　like
to　eat　some　dainty　article。Na！　do　what　you　will　with　the　tenants
＇UNTERTHANEN；　not　quite　ADSCRIPTS　at　that　time　on　the　Royal
Demesnes；　but　tied　to　many　services；　and　by　many　shackles；　from
which　Friedrich　all　his　days　was　gradually　delivering　them＇；
only　don't　oppress　them。'

ICH。　〃'Your　Majesty；　that　would　never　be　my　notion；　nor　any
reasonable　Beamte's。'

KING。　〃'Tell　me；　then；　where　does　Stollen　lie？'

ICH。　〃'Stollen　your　Majesty　cannot　see　just　here。　Those　big　hills
there　on　the　left　are　the　hills　at　Stollen；　there　your　Majesty　will
have　a　view　of　all　the　Colonies。'

KING。　〃'So？　That　is　well。　Then　ride　you　with　us　thither。'

〃Now　his　Majesty　came　upon　a　quantity　of　peasants　who　were　mowing
rye；　they　had　formed　themselves　into　two　rows；　were　wiping　their
scythes；　and　so　let　his　Majesty　drive　through　them。

KING。　〃'What　the　Devil；　these　people　will　be　wanting　money　from　me；
I　suppose？'

ICH。　〃'Oh　no；　your　Majesty！　They　are　full　of　joy　that　you　are　so
gracious　as　to　visit　this　district。'

KING。　〃'I'll　give　them　nothing；　though。What　village　is　that；
there　ahead　of　us？'

ICH。　〃'Barsekow。'

KING。　〃'To　whom　belongs　it？'

ICH。　〃'To　Herr　von　Mitschepfal。'

KING。　〃'What　Mitschepfal　is　that？'

ICH。　〃'He　was　Major　in　the　regiment　which　your　Majesty　had　when
Crown…Prince。'　＇Supra；　vii。　403。＇

KING。　〃'Mein　Gott！　Is　he　still　alive？'

ICH。　〃'No；　HE　is　dead；　his　daughter　has　the　estate。'

〃We　now　came　into　the　village　of　Barsekow；　where　the　Manor…house　is
in　ruins。

KING。　〃'Hear！　Is　that　the　manor…house　（EDELHOF）？'

ICH。　〃'Ja。'

KING。　〃'That　does　look　miserable。'　Here　Mitschepfal's　daughter；　who
has　married　a　baronial　Herr　von　Kriegsheim　from　Mecklenburg；　came
forward　while　the　horses　were　changing。　Kriegsheim　came　on　account
of　her　into　this　country：　the　King　has　given　them　a　Colony　of　200
MORGEN　（acres）。　　Coming　to　the　carriage；　Frau　von　Kriegsheim　
handed　some　fruit　to　his　Majesty。　His　Majesty　declined　with　thanks；
asked；　who　her　father　was；　when　he　died；　&c。　On　a　sudden；　she
presented　her　husband；　began　to　thank　for　the　200　MORGEN；
mounted　on　the　coach…step；　wished　to　kiss；　if　not　his　Majesty's
hand；　at　least　his　coat。　His　Majesty　shifted　quite　to　the　other
side　of　the　carriage；　and　cried〃good　old　Fritz！〃'Let　be；　my
daughter；　let　be！　It　is　all　well！Amtmann；　let　us　get　along　（MACHT
DASS　WIR　FORTKOMMEN）！'

KING。　〃'Hear　now：　these　people　are　not　prospering　here？'

ICH。　〃'Far　from　it；　your　Majesty；　they　are　in　the　greatest　poverty。'

KING。　〃'That　is　bad。Tell　me　though；　there　lived　a　Landrath　here
before：　he　had　a　quantity　of　children：　can't　you　recollect
his　name？'

ICH。　〃'That　will　have　been　the　Landrath　von　Gorgas　of　Genser。'

KING。　〃'Ja；　ja；　that　was　he。　Is　he　dead　now？'

ICH。　〃'Ja；　your　Majesty。　He　died　in　1771：　and　it　was　very　singular；
in　one　fortnight　he；　his　wife　and　four　sons　all　died。　The　other
four　that　were　left　had　all　the　same　sickness　too；　which　was　a　hot
fever；　and　though　the　sons；　being　in　the　Army；　were　in　different
garrisons；　and　no　brother　had　visited　the　other；　they　all　got　the
same　illness；　and　came　out　of　it　with　merely　their　life　left。'

KING。　〃'That　was　a　desperate　affair　（VERZWEIFELTER　UMSTAND
GEWESEN）！　Where　are　the　four　sons　that　are　still　in　life？'

ICH。　〃'One　is　in　the　Ziethen　Hussars；　one　in　the　Gens…d'…Armes；
another　was　in　the　regiment　Prinz　Ferdinand；　and　lives　on　the
Estate　Dersau。　The　fourth　is　son…in…law　of　Herr　General　von
Ziethen。　He　was　lieutenant　in　the　Ziethen　Regiment；　but　in　the　last
war　（POTATO…WAR；　1778）；　on　account　of　his　ill　health；　your　Majesty
gave　him　his　discharge；　and　he　now　lives　in　Genser。'

KING。　〃'So？　That　is　one　of　the　Gorgases；　then！Are　you　still
making　experiments　with　the　foreign　kinds　of　corn？'

ICH。　〃'O　ja；　this　year　I　have　sown　Spanish　barley。　But　it　will　not
rightly　take　hold；　I　must　give　it　up　again。　However；　the　Holstein
STOOLing…rye　（STAUDENROGGEN）　has　answered　very　well。'

KING。　〃'What　kind　of　rye　is　that？'

ICH。　〃'It　grows　in　Holstein　in　the　Low　Grounds　（NIEDERUNG）。
Never　below　the　10th　grain　＇10　reaped　for　1　sown＇　have　I　yet
had　it。'

KING。　〃'Nu；　nu　＇Ho；　ho＇；　surely　not　the　10th　grain　all　at　once！'

ICH。　〃'That　is　not　much。　Please　your　Majesty　to　ask　the　Herr
General　von　Gortz　＇who　has　not　spoken　a　syllable　all　day＇；　he　knows
this　is　not　reckoned　much　in　Holstein：'（the　General　Graf　von
Gortz　I　first　had　the　honor　to　make　acquaintance　with　in　Holstein）。

〃They　now　talked；　for　a　while；　of　the　rye；　in　the　carriage
together。　Presently　his　Majesty　called　to　me　from　the　carriage；
'Na；　stand　by　the　Holstein　STAUDEN…rye；　then；　and　give　some　to　the
tenants　too。'

ICH。　〃'Yes；　your　Majesty。'

KING。　〃'But　give　me　some　idea：　what　kind　of　appearance　had　the　Luch
before　it　was　drained？'

ICH。　〃'It　was　mere　high　rough　masses　of　hillocks　（HULLEN）；
between　them　the　water　settled；　and　had　no　flow。　In　the　driest
years　we　couldn't　cart　the　hay　out；　but　had　to　put　it　up　in　big
ricks。　Only　in　winter；　when　the　frost　was　sharp；　could　we　get　it
home。　But　now　we　have　cut　away　the　hillocks；　and　the　trenches　that
your　Majesty　got　made　for　us　take　the　water　off。　And　now　the　Luch
is　as　dry　as　your　Majesty　sees；　and　we　can　carry　out　our　hay　when
we　please。'

KING。　〃'That　is　well。　Have　your　tenants；　too；　more　cattle
than　formerly？'

ICH。　〃'Ja！'

KING。　〃'How　many　more？'

ICH。　〃'Many　have　one　cow；　many　two；　according　as　their
means　admit。'

KING。　〃'But　how　many　more　have　they　in　all？　About　how　many；
that　is？'

ICH。　〃'About　150　head。'

〃His　Majesty　must　lately　have　asked　the　Herr　General　von　Gortz；　how
I　came　to　know　him；as　I　told　his　Majesty　to　ask　General　von　Gortz
about　the　Holstein　rye；and　presumably　the　Herr　General　must　have
answered；　what　was　the　fact；　That　he　had　first　known　me　in
Holstein；　where　I　dealt　in　horses；　and　that　I　had　been　at　Potsdam
with　horses。　Suddenly　his　Majesty　said：　'Hear！　I　know　you　are　fond
of　horses。　But　give　up　that；　and　prefer　cows；　you　will　find　your
account　better　there。'

ICH。　〃'Your　Majesty；　I　no　longer　deal　in　horses。　I　merely　rear　a
few　foals　every　year。'

KING。　〃'Rear　calves　instead；　that　will　be　better。'

ICH。　〃'Oh；　your　Majesty；　if　one　takes　pains　with　it；　there　is　no
loss　in　breeding　horses。　I　know　a　man　who　got；　two　years　ago；　1；000
thalers　for　a　stallion　of　his　raising。'

KING。　〃'He　must　have　been　a　fool　that　gave　it。'

ICH。　〃'Your　Majesty；　he　was　a　Mecklenburg　nobleman。'

KING。　〃'But　nevertheless　a　fool。'

〃We　now　came　upon　the　territory　of　the　Amt　Neustadt；　and　here　the
Amtsrath　Klausius；　who　has　the　Amt　in　farm；　was　in　waiting　on　the
boundary；　and　let　his　Majesty　drive　past。　But　as　I　began　to　get
tired　of　the　speaking；　and　his　Majesty　went　on　always　asking　about
villages；　which　stand