history of friedrich ii of prussia v 16-第56章

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nheard…of　violence　done　him；　the　signal　reparations　due；　and　disdained；　for　the　moment；　to　concern　himself　with　moneys　or　opening　of　seals：　〃Seals；　moneys？　Ye　atrocious　Highwaymen！〃

Upon　which；　they　sent　poor　Dorn　with　the　sealed　trunk　in　CORPORE；　to　have　it　opened　by　Voltaire　himself。　Collini；　in　THE　BILLY…GOAT；　next　morning　（July　7th））　says；　he　（Collini）　had　just　loaded　two　journey…pistols；　part　of　the　usual　carriage…furniture；　and　they　lay　on　the　table。　At　sight　of　poor　Dorn　darkening　his　chamber…door；　Voltaire；　the　prey　of　various　flurries　and　high…flown　vehemences；　snatched　one　of　the　pistols　（〃pistol　without　powder；　without　flint；　without　lock；〃　says　Voltaire；　〃efficient　pistol　just　loaded〃；　testifies　Collini）；snatched　said　pistol；　and　clicking　it　to　the　cock；　plunged　Dorn…ward；　with　furious　exclamations：　not　quite　unlikely　to　have　shot　Dorn　（in　the　fleshy　parts）；had　not　Collini　hurriedly　struck　up　his　hand；　〃MON　DIEU；　MONSIEUR！〃　and　Dorn；　with　trunk；　instantly　vanished。　Dorn；　naturally；　ran　to　a　Lawyer。　Voltaire；　dreading　Trial　for　intended　Homicide；　instantly　gathered　himself；　and　shot　away；　self　and　Pucelle　with　Collini；　clear　off；　leaving　Niece　Denis；　leaving　moneys　and　other　things；　to　wait　till　to…morrow；　and　settle　as　they　could。

After　due　lapse　of　days；　in　the　due　legal　manner；　the　Trunk　was　opened；　〃the　19　pounds　of　expenses〃　（19　pounds　and　odd　shillings；　not　100　pounds　or　more；　as　Voltaire　variously　gives　it）　was　accurately　taken　from　it　by　Schmidt　and　Freytag；　to　be　paid　where　due；（in　exact　liquidation；　〃Landlord　of　THE　BILLY…GOAT〃　so　much；　〃Hackney…Coachmen；　Riding　Constables　sent　in　chase；〃　so　much；　as　per　bill）；and　the　rest；　76　pounds　10s。　was　punctually　locked　up　again；　till　Voltaire　should　apply　for　it。　〃Send　it　after　him；〃　Friedrich　answered；　when　inquired　of；　〃send　it　after　him；　but　not　＇reflects　he＇　unless　there　is　somebody　to　take　his　Receipt　for　it；〃our　gentleman　being　the　man　he　is。　Which　case；　or　any　application　from　Voltaire；　never　turned　up。　〃Robbed　by　those　highwaymen　of　Prussian　Agents！〃　exclaimed　Voltaire　everywhere；　instead　of　applying。　Never　applied；　nor　ever　forgot。　Would　fain　have　engaged　Collini　to　apply；especially　when　the　French　Armies　had　got　into　Frankfurt；but　Collini　did　not　see　his　way。　＇Three　Letters　to　Collini　on　the　subject　（January…May；　1759）；　　Collini；　　pp。　208…211。＇

So　that；　except　as　consolatory　scolding…stock　for　the　rest　of　his　life；　Voltaire　got　nothing　of　his　76　pounds　10s。；　〃with　jewels　and　snuffbox；〃　always　lying　ready　in　the　Trunk　for　him。　And　it　had；　I　suppose；　at　the　long　last；　to　go　by　RIGHT　OF　WINDFALL　to　somebody　or　other：unless；　perhaps；　it　still　lie；　overwhelmed　under　dust　and　lumber；　in　the　garrets　of　the　old　Rathhaus　yonder；　waiting　for　a　legal　owner？　What　became　of　it；　no　man　knows；　but　that　no　doit　of　it　ever　went　Freytag's　or　King　Friedrich's　way；　is　abundantly　evident。　On　the　whole；　what　an　entertaining　Narrative　is　that　of　Voltaire's；　but　what　a　pity　he　had　ever　written　it！

This　was　the　finishing　Catastrophe；　tragical　exceedingly；　which　went　loud…sounding　through　the　world；　and　still　goes；the　more　is　the　pity。　Catastrophe　due　throughout　to　three　causes：　FIRST；　That　Fredersdorf；　not　Eichel；　wrote　the　Order；　and　introduced　the　indefinite　phrase　SKRIPTUREN；　instead　of　sticking　by　the　OEUVRE　DE　POESIES；　the　one　essential　point。　SECOND；　That　Freytag　was　of　heavy　pipe…clay　nature。　THIRD；　That　Voltaire　was　of　impatient　explosrve　nature；　and；　in　calamities；　was　wont；　not　to　be　silent　and　consider；　but　to　lift　up　his　voice　（having　such　a　voice）；　and　with　passionate　melody　appeal　to　the　Universe；　and　do　worse；　by　way　of　helping　himself！

〃The　poor　Voltaire；　after　all！〃　ejaculates　Smelfungus。　〃Lean；　of　no　health；　but　melodious　extremely　（in　a　shallow　sense）；　and　truly　very　lonely；　old　and　weak；　in　this　world。　What　an　end　to　Visit　Fifth；　began　in　Olympus；　terminates　in　the　Lock…up！　His　conduct；　except　in　the　Jew　Case；　has　nothing　of　bad；　at　least　of　unprovokedly　bad。　'Lost　my　teeth；'　said　he；　when　things　were　at　zenith。　'Thought　I　should　never　weep　again；'now　when　they　are　at　nadir。　A　sore　blow　to　one's　Vanity；　in　presence　of　assembled　mankind；　and　made　still　more　poignant　by　noises　of　one's　own　adding。　France　forbidden　to　him　＇by　expressive　signallings＇；　miraculous　Goshen　of　Prussia　shut：　（these　old　eyes；　which　I　thought　would　continue　dry　till　they　closed　forever；　were　streaming　in　tears；'〃　＇Letter　from　〃Mainz；　9th　July；〃　third　day　of　rout　or　flight；　To　Niece　Denis；　left　behind　（　OEuvres；　　lxxv。　220）。＇but　soon　brightened　up　again：　Courage！

How　Voltaire　now　wanders　about　for　several　years；　doing　his　ANNALES；　and　other　Works；　now　visiting　Lyon　City　（which　is　all　in　GAUDEAMUS　round　him；　though　Cardinal　Tencin　does　decline　him　as　dinner…guest）；　now　lodging　with　Dom　Calmet　in　the　Abbey　of　Senones　（ultimately　in　one's　own　first…floor；　in　Colmar　near　by）；　digging；　in　Calmet's　Benedictine　Libraries；　stuff　for　his　ANNALES；　wandering　about　（chiefly　in　Elsass；　latterly　on　the　Swiss　Border）；　till　he　find　rest　for　the　sole　of　his　foot：　＇Purchased　LES　DELICES　（The　Delights）；　as　he　named　it；　a　glorious　Summer　Residence；　on　the　Lake；　near　Geneva　（supplemented　by　a　Winter　ditto；　MONRION；　near　Lausanne）；　〃in　Febrnary；　1755〃　（　　OEuvres；　　xvii。　243　n。）；then　purchased　FERNEY；　not　far　off；　〃in　October；　1758；〃　and　continued　there；　still　more　glorious；　for　almost　twenty　years　thenceforth　（ib。　lxxvii。　398；　xxxix。　307：　thank　the　exact　〃Clog。〃　for　both　these　Notes）。＇　all　this　may　be　known　to　readers；　and　we　must　say　nothing　of　it。　Except　only　that；　next　year；　in　his　tent；　or　hired　lodgings　at　Colmar；　the　Angels　visited　him　（Abraham…　like；　after　a　sort）。　Namely；　that　one　evening　（late　in　October；　1754）；　a　knock　came　to　his　door；　〃Her　Serene　Highness　of　Baireuth　wishes　to　see　you；　at　the　Inn　over　there！〃　〃Inn；　Baireuth；　say　you？　Heavens；　what？〃Or；　to　take　it　in　the　prose　form：

〃January　26th；　1753；　about　eight　P。M。　＇while　Voltaire　sat　desolate　in　Francheville's；　far　away＇；　the　Palace　at　Baireuth；Margraf　with　candle　at　an　open　window；　and　gauze　curtains　nearhad　caught　fire；　inexorably　flamed　up；　and　burnt　itself　to　ashes；　it　and　other　fine　edifices　adjoining。　＇Holle；　STADT　BAYREUTH　（Bayreuth；　1833）；　p。　178。＇　Wilhelmina　is　always　very　ill　in　health；　they　are　now　rebuilding　their　Palace：　Margraf　has　suggested；　'Why　not　try　Montpellier；　let　us　have　a　winter　there！'　On　that　errand　they　are　（end　of　October；　1754）　got　the　length　of　Colmar；　and　do　the　Voltaire　miracle　in　passing。　Very　charming　to　the　poor　man；　in　his　rustication　here。

〃'Eight　hours　in　a　piece；　with　the　Sister　of　the　King　of　Prussia〃　writes　he：　think　of　that；　my　friends！　'She　loaded　me　with　bounties；　made　me　a　most　beautiful　present。　Insisted　to　see　my　Niece；　would　have　me　go　with　them　to　Montpellier。'　＇Letters　（in　　OEuvres；　　lxxv。　450；　452）；　〃Colmar；　23d　October；　&c。　1754。〃＇　Other　interviews　and　meetings　they　had；　there　and　farther　on：　Voltaire　tried　for　the　Montpellier；　but　could　not。　＇Wrote　to　Friedrich　about　it　（one　of　his　first　Letters　after　the　Explosion）；　applying　to　Friedrich　〃for　a　Passport〃　or　Letter　of　Protection；　which　Friedrich　answers　by　De　Prades；　openly　laughing　at　it　（　OEuvres；　　xxiii。　6）。＇　Wilhelmina　wintered　at　Montpellier；　without　Voltaire　〃Thank　your　stars！'　writes　Friedrich　to　her。　The　Friedrich…Wilhelmina　LETTERS　are　at　their　best　during　this　Journey；　here　unfortunately　very　few）。　＇　OEuvres　de　Frederic；　　xxvii。　iii。　248…273　（September；　1754；　and　onwards）。＇　Winter　done；　Wilhelmina　went　still　South；　to　Italy；　to　Naples；　back　by　Venice：at　Naples；　undergoing　the　Grotto　del　Cane　and　neighborhood；　Wilhelmina　plucked　a　Sprig　of　Laurel　from　Virgil's　Grave；　and　sent　it　to　her　Brother　in　the　prettiest　manner；is　home　at　Baireuth；　new　Palace　ready；　August；　1755。〃

These　points；　hurriedly　put　down；　careful　readers　will　mark；　and　perhaps　try　to　keep　in　mind。　Wilhelmina's　Tourings　are　not　without　interest　to　her　friends。　Of　her　Voltaire　acquaintanceship；　especially；　we　shall　hear　again。　With　Voltaire；　Friedrich　himself　had　no　farther　Correspondence；　or　as　good　as　none；　for　four　years　and　more。