appendix to history of friedrich ii of prussia-第6章

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tired　of　the　speaking；　and　his　Majesty　went　on　always　asking　about
villages；　which　stand　hereabouts　in　great　quantity；　and　I　had
always　to　name　the　owner；　and　say　what　sons　he　had　in　the　Army；I
brought　up　Herr　Amtsrath　Klausius　to　the　carriage；　and　said：

ICH。　〃'Your　Majesty；　this　is　the　Amtsrath　Klausius；　of　the　Amt
Neustadt；　in　whose　jurisdiction　the　Colonies　are。'

KING。　〃'So；　so！　that　is　very　good　（DAS　IST　MIR　LIEB）。
Bring　him　up。'

KING。　〃'What's　your　name？'　（from　this　point　the　King　spoke　mostly
with　Amtsrath　Klausius；　and　I　only　wrote　down　what　I　heard）。

KL。　〃'Klausius。'

KING。　〃'Klau…si…us。　Na；　have　you　many　cattle　here　on　the　Colonies？'

KL。　〃'1；887　head　of　cows；　your　Majesty。　There　would　have　been　above
3；000；　had　it　not　been　for　the　murrain　that　was　here。'

KING。　〃'Do　the　people　too　increase　well？　Are　there　jolly　children？'

KL。　〃'O　ja；　your　Majesty；　there　are　now　1；576　souls　upon
the　Colonies。'

KING。　〃'Are　you　married　too？'

KL。　〃'Ja；　your　Majesty。'

KING。　〃'And　have　you　children？'

KL。　〃'Step…children；　your　Majesty。'

KING。　〃'Why　not　of　your　own？'

KL。　〃'Don't　know　that；　your　Majesty；　as　it　happens。'

KING。　〃'Hear：　Is　it　far　to　the　Mecklenburg　border；　here　where
we　are？'

KL。　〃'Only　a　short　mile　＇5　miles　English＇。　But　there　are　some
villages　scattered　still　within　the　boundary　which　belong　to
Brandenburg。　There　are　Stetzebart；　Rosso　and　so　on。'

KING。　〃'Ja；　ja；　I　know　them。　But　I　should　not　have　thought　we　were
so　near　upon　the　Mecklenburg　country。'　＇TO　THE　HERR　AMTSRATH
KLAUSIUS＇　'Where　were　you　born？'

KL。　〃'At　Neustadt　on　the　Dosse。'

KING。　〃'What　was　your　father？'

KL。　〃'Clergyman。'

KING。　〃'Are　they　good　people；　these　Colonists？　The　first　generation
of　them　is　n't　usually　good　for　much。'

KL。　〃'They　are　getting　on；　better　or　worse。'

KING。　〃'Do　they　manage　their　husbandry　well？'

KL。　〃'O　ja；　your　Majesty。　His　Excellency　the　Minister　von　Derschau；
too；　has　given　me　a　Colony　of　75　acres；　to　show　the　other　Colonists
a　good　example　in　management。'

KING　（smiling）。　〃'Ha；　ha！　good　example！　But　tell　me；　I　see　no　wood
here：　where　do　the　Colonists　get　their　timber？'

KL。　〃'From　the　Ruppin　district。'

KING。　〃'How　far　is　that？'

KL。　〃'3　miles'　＇15　English＇。

KING。　〃'Well；　that's　a　great　way　。　It　should　have　been　contrived
that　they　could　have　it　nearer　hand。'　＇TO　ME＇　'What　man　is　that　to
the　right　there？'

ICH。　〃'Bauinspector　＇Buildings…Inspector＇　Menzelius；　who　has　charge
of　the　buildings　in　these　parts。'

KING。　〃'Am　I　in　Rome？　They　are　mere　Latin　names！Why　is　that
hedged　in　so　high？'

ICH。　〃'That　is　the　mule…stud。'

KING。　〃'What　is　the　name　of　this　Colony？'

ICH。　〃'Klausiushof。'

KL。　〃'Your　Majesty；　it　should　be　called　Klaushof。'

KING。　〃'Its　name　is　Klausiushof。　What　is　the　other　Colony　called？'

ICH。　〃'Brenkenhof。'

KING。　〃'That　is　not　its　name。'

ICH。　〃'Ja；　your　Majesty；　I　know　it　by　no　other！'

KING。　〃'Its　name　is　Brenken…hosius…hof！Are　these　the　Stollen
hills　that　lie　before　us？'

ICH。　〃'Ja；　your　Majesty。'

KING。　〃'Have　I　to　drive　through　the　village？'

ICH。　〃'It　is　not　indispensable；　but　the　change　of　horses　is　there。
If　your　Majesty　give　order；　I　will　ride　forward；　send　the　fresh
horses　out　of　the　village；　and　have　them　stationed　to　wait　at　the
foot　of　the　hills。'

KING。　〃'O　ja；　do　so！　Take　one　of　my　pages　with　you。'

〃I　now　took　measures　about　the　new　team　of　horses；　but　so　arranged
it；　that　when　his　Majesty　got　upon　the　hills　I　was　there　too。
At　dismounting　from　his　carriage　on　the　hill…top；　his　Majesty
demanded　a　prospect…glass；　looked　round　the　whole　region；　and　then
said：　'Well；　in　truth；　that　is　beyond　my　expectation！　That　is
beautiful！　I　must　say　this　to　you；　all　of　you　that　have　worked　in
this　business；　you　have　behaved　like　honorable　people！'＇TO　ME＇
'Tell　me　now；　is　the　Elbe　far　from　here？'

ICH。　〃'Your　Majesty；　it　is　2　miles　off　＇10　miles＇。　Yonder　is　Wurben
in　the　Altmark；　it　lies　upon　the　Elbe。'

KING。　〃'That　cannot　be！　Give　me　the　glass　again。Ja；　ja；　it　is
true；　though。　But　what　other　steeple　is　that？'

ICH。　〃'Your　Majesty；　that　is　Havelberg。'

KING。　〃'Na；　come　here；　all　of　you！'　（THERE　WERE　AMTSRATH　KLAUSIUS；
BAUINSPECTOR　MENZELIUS　AND　I。）　'Hear　now；　the　tract　of　moor　here　to
the　left　must　also　be　reclaimed；　and　what　is　to　the　right　too；　so
far　as　the　moor　extends。　What　kind　of　wood　is　there　on　it？'

ICH。　〃'Alders　（ELSEN）　and　oaks；　your　Majesty。'

KING。　〃'Na！　the　alders　you　may　root　out；　and　the　oaks　may　continue
standing；　the　people　may　sell　these；　or　use　them　otherwise。
When　once　the　ground　is　arable；　I　reckon　upon　300　families　for　it；
and　500　head　of　cows；ha？'Nobody　answered；　at　last　I　began；
and　said：

ICH。　〃'Ja；　your　Majesty；　perhaps！'

KING。　〃'Hear　now；　you　may　answer　me　with　confidence。　There　will　be
more　or　fewer　families。　I　know　well　enough　one　cannot；　all　at　once；
exactly　say。　I　was　never　there；　don't　know　the　ground；　otherwise　I
could　understand　equally　with　you　how　many　families　could　be　put
upon　it。'

THE　BAUINSPECTOR。　〃'Your　Majesty；　the　LUCH　is　still　subject　to
rights　of　common　from　a　great　many　hands。'

KING。　〃'No　matter　for　that。　You　must　make　exchanges；　give　them　an
equivalent；　according　as　will　answer　best　in　the　case。　I　want
nothing　from　anybody　except　at　its　value。'　＇TO　AMTSRATH　KLAUSIUS＇
'Na；　hear　now；　you　can　write　to　my　Kammer　＇BOARD；　Board…of…Works
that　does　NOT　sit　idle！＇；　what　it　is　that　I　want　reclaimed　to　the
plough；　the　money　for　it　I　will　give。'　＇TO　ME＇　'And　you；　you　go　to
Berlin；　and　explain　to　my　Geheimer…Rath　Michaelis；　by　word　of
mouth；　what　it　is　I　want　reclaimed。'

〃His　Majesty　now　stept　into　his　carriage　again　＇was　Gortz　sitting
all　the　while；　still　in　silence？　Or　had　he　perhaps　got　out　at　the
bottom　of　the　hill；　and　sat　down　to　a　contemplative　pipe　of
tobacco；　the　smoke　of　which；　heart…cheering　to　Gortz；　was　always
disagreeable　to　Friedrich？　Nobody　knows！＇and　drove　down　the　hill；
there　the　horses　were　changed。　And　now；　as　his　Majesty's　order　was
that　I　should　'attend　him　to　the　Stollen　hills；'　I　went　up　to　the
carriage；　and　asked：

ICH。　〃'Does　your　Majesty　command　that　I　should　yet　accompany
farther'　＇〃BEFEHLEN；　command；〃　in　the　plural　is　polite；　〃your
Majesty；　that　I　yet　farther　shall　WITH〃＇？

KING。　〃'No；　my　son；　ride；　in　God's　name；　home。'

〃The　Herr　Amtsrath　＇Klau…si…us＇　then　accompanied　his　Majesty　to
Rathenow；　where　he　＇THEY：　His　Majesty　is　plural＇　lodged　in　the
Post…house。　At　Rathenow；　during　dinner；　his　Majesty　was　uncommonly
cheerful：　he　dined　with　Herr　Lieutenant…Colonel　von　Backhof　of　the
Carabineers；　and　the　Herr　Lieutenant…Colonel　von　Backhof　himself
has　related　that　his　Majesty　said：

〃'My　good　Von　Backhof　（MEIN　LIEBER　VON　BACKHOF）：　if　He　＇you＇　have
not　for　a　long　time　been　in　the　Fehrbellin　neighborhood；　go
there。'〃　Fehrbellin；　the　Prussian　BANNOCKBURN；　where　the　Great
Elector　cut　the　hitherto　invincible　Swedes　IN　TWO；　among　the　DAMS
and　intricate　moory　quagmires；　with　a　vastly　inferior　force；　nearly
all　of　cavalry　（led　by　one　DERFLINGER；　who　in　his　apprentice　time
had　been　a　TAILOR）；　beat　one　end　of　them　all　to　rags；　then　galloped
off　and　beat　the　other　into　ditto；　quite　taking　the　conceit　out　of
the　Swedes；　or　at　least　clearing　Prussia　of　them　forever　and　a　day：
a　feat　much　admired　by　Friedrich：　〃'Go　there；'　he　says。
'That　region　is　uncommonly　improved　＇as　I　saw　to…day＇！　I　have　not
for　a　long　time　had　such　a　pleasant　drive。　I　decided　on　this
journey　because　I　had　no　REVIEW　on　hand；　and　it　has　given　me　such
pleasure　that　I　shall　certainly　have　another　by　and　by。'

〃'Tell　me　now：　how　did　you　get　on　in　the　last　War　＇KARTOFFEL　KRIEG；
no　fighting；　only　a　scramble　for　proviant　and　〃potatoes〃＇？
Most　likely　ill！　You　in　Saxony　too　could　make　nothing　out。
The　reason　was；　we　had　not　men　to　fight　against；　but　cannons！
I　might　have　done　a　thing　or　two；　but　I　should　have　sacrificed　more
than　the　half　of　my　Army；　and　shed　innocent　human　blood。　In　that
case　I　should　have　deserved　to　be　taken　to　the　Guard…house　door；
and　to　have　got　a　sixscore　there　（EINEN　OFFFENTLICHEN　PRODUKT）！
Wars　are　becoming　frightful　to　carry　on。'

〃'This　was　surely　touching　to　hear　fr