history of friedrich ii of prussia v 16-第47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！
ls of Pages。 Men and women of the Country ＇shivering Natives； cheering their dull abode＇ go and eat there。 Steward Royal sends the invitations。 At eleven； everybody has withdrawn。 Other days； this Queen eats by herself。 Stewardess Royal and three Maids of Honor have their separate table； two dishes the whole。 She is shabbily lodged ＇in my opinion＇； when at the Palace。 Her Monbijou； which is close to Berlin ＇now well within it＇； would be pretty enough； for a private person。
〃The Queen Regnant is the best woman in the world。 All the year ＇NOT QUITE＇ she dines alone。 Has Apartment on Thursdays； everybody gone at nine o'clock。 Her morsels are cut for her； her steps are counted； and her words are dictated； she is miserable； and does what she can to hide it〃according to our Small Devil。 〃She has scarcely the necessaries of life allowed her；〃spends regularly two…thirds of her income in charitable objects； translates French…Calvinist Devotional Works； for benefit of the German mind； and complains to no Small Devil； of never so sympathizing nature。 〃At Court she is lodged on the second floor ＇scandalous＇。 Schonhausen her Country House； with the exception of the Garden which is pretty enough；our Shopkeepers of the Rue St。 Honore would sniff at such a lodging。
〃Princess Amelia is rather amiable ＇thank you for nothing； Small Devil＇； often out of temper becausethis is so shocking a place for Ladies； especially for maiden Ladies。 Lives with her Mother； special income very small；Coadjutress of Quedlinburg； will be actual Abbess〃 in a year or two。 ＇11th April； 1756： Preuss； xxvii。 p。 xxxiv （of PREFACE）。＇
〃Eldest Prince； Heir…Apparent；〃do not speak of him； Small Devil； for you are misinformed in every feature and particular：enough； 〃he is fac…simile of his Brother。 He has only 18；000 pounds a year； for self； Wife； Household and Children ＇two； both Boys＇；and is said ＇falsely＇ to hoard； and to follow Trade； extensive Trade with his Brother's Woods。
〃Prince Henri； who is just going to be married；〃thank you； Demon； for reminding us of that。 Bride is Wilhelmina； Princess of Hessen… Cassel。 Marriage； 25th June； 1752；did not prove； in the end； very happy。 A small contemporary event； which would concern Voltaire and others that concern us。 Three months ago； April 14th； 1752； the Berlin Powder…Magazine flew aloft with horrible crash； ＇In Helden…Geschichte （iii。 531） the details。＇and would be audible to Voltaire； in this his Second Act。 Events； audible or not； never cease。
〃Prince Henri；〃 in Demon's opinion； 〃is the amiablest of the House。 He is polite； generous； and loves good company。 Has 12；000 pounds a year left him by Papa。〃 Not enough； as it proved。 〃If； on this Marriage； his Brother； who detests him ＇witness Reinsberg and other evidences； now and onward＇； gives him nothing； he won't be well off。 They are furnishing a House for him； where he will lodge after wedding。 Is reported to bePOTZDAMISTE ＇says the scandalous Small Devil； whom we are weary of contradicting＇；Potsdamite； in certain respects。 Poor Princess； what a destiny for you！
〃Prince Ferdinand； little scraping of a creature （PETIT CHAFOUIN）； crapulous to excess； niggardly in the extreme； whom everybody avoids；〃much more whose Portrait； by a Magic…lantern of this kind： which let us hastily shut； and fling into the cellar！ 〃Little Ferdinand； besides his 15；000 pounds a year； Papa's bequest； gets considerable sums given him。 Has lodging in the King's House； goes shifting and visiting about； wherever he can live gratis； and strives all he can to amass money。 Has to be in boots and uniform every three days。 Three months of the year practically with his regiment： but the shifts he has for avoiding expense are astonishing。〃 。。。
What an illuminative 〃Idea〃 are the Walpole…Selwyn Circles picking up for their money！
Chapter XI。
THIRD ACT AND CATASTROPHE OF THE VOLTAIRE VISIT。
Meantime there has a fine Controversy risen； of mathematical； philosophical and at length of very miscellaneous nature； concerning that Konig…Maupertuis dissentience on the LAW OF THRIFT。 Wonderful Controversy； much occupying the so…called Philosophic or Scientific world； especially the idler population that inhabit there。 Upon this item of the Infinitely Little；which has in our time sunk into Nothing…at…all； and but for Voltaire； and the accident of his living near it； would be forgotten altogether；we must not enter into details； but a few words to render Voltaire's share in it intelligible will be； in the highest degree； necessary。 Here； in brief form； rough and ready； are the successive stages of the Business； the origin and first stage of which have been known to us for some time past：
〃SEPTEMBER； 1750； Konig； his well…meant visit to Berlin proving so futile； had left Maupertuis in the humor we saw；pirouetting round his Apartment； in tempests of rage at such contradiction of sinners on his sublime Law of Thrift； and fulminating permission to Konig： 'No time to read your Paper of Contradictions； publish it in Leipzig； in Jericho； anywhere in the Earth； in Heaven； in the Other Place； where you have the opportunity！' Konig； returning on these terms； had nothing for it but to publish his Paper； and did publish it； in the Leipzig Acta Eruditorum for March； 1751。 There it stands； legible to this day： and if any of the human species should again think of reading it； I believe it will be found a reasonable； solid and decisive Paper； of steadfast； openly articulate； by no means insolent； tone； considerably modifying Maupertuis's Law of Thrift； or Minimum of Action；fatal to the claim of its being a 'Sublime Discovery；' or indeed； so far as TRUE； any discovery at all。 ＇In Acta Eruditorum （Lipsiae； 1751）： 〃De universali Principio AEquilibrii et Motus。〃 By no means uncivil to Maupertuis； though obliged to controvert him。 For example： 〃Quoe itaque de Minima Actionis in modificationibus modum obtinente in genere proferuntur vehementer laudo；〃 〃continent nempe facundum longeque pulcherrimum Dynamices sublimioris principium； cujus vim in difficillimis quoestionibus soepe expertus fui。〃 ＇ By way of finis to the Paper； there is given； what proves extremely important to us； an Excerpt from an old LETTER OF LEIBNITZ'S； which perhaps it will be better to present here IN CORPORE； as so much turned on it afterwards。 Konig thus winds up：
〃I add only a word； in finishing； and that is； that it appears Mr。 Leibnitz had a theory of Action； perhaps much more extensive than one would suspect at present。 There is a Letter written by him to Mr。 Hermann ＇an ancient mathematical sage at Basel＇； where he uses these expressions： 'Action； is not what you think； the consideration of Time enters into it； Action is as the product of the mass by the space and the velocity； or as the time by the VIS VIVA。 I have remarked that in the modifications of motion； the action becomes usually a maximum or a minimum：and from this there might several propositions of great consequence be deduced。 It might serve to determine the curves described by bodies under attraction to one or more centres。 I had meant to treat of these things in the Second Part of my DYNAMIQUE； which I suppressed； the reception of the First； by prejudice in many quarters； having disgusted me。'〃 ＇MAUPERTUISIANA； No。 ii。 22 （from Acta Eruditorum； ubi supra）。 In MAUPERTUISIANA； No。 iv。 166； is the whole Letter； 〃Hanover； 16th October； 1707；〃 no ADDRESS left； judged to be to Hermann。 MAUPERTUISIANA （Hamburg； 1753） is a mere Bookseller's or even Bookbinder's Farrago； with printed TITLE… PAGE and LIST； of the chief Pamphlets which had appeared on this Business （sixteen by count； various type； all 8vo size； in my copy）。 Of which only No。 ii。 （Konig's APPEL AU PUBLIC） and No。 iv。 （2d edition of said APPEL； with APPENDIX OF CORRESPONDENCE） are illuminative to read。＇ Your Minimum of Action； it would appear； then； is in some cases a Maximum； nothing can be said but that； in every case it is EITHER a Maximum or Minimum。 What a stroke for our LAW OF THRIFT； the 〃at last conclusive Proof〃 of an Intelligent Creator； as the Perpetua
