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History of Friedrich II of Prussia By: Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881) |
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FREDERICK THE GREAT By Thomas Carlyle FREDERICK THE GREAT.
Book I. BIRTH AND PARENTAGE. 1712.
Chapter I. PROEM: FRIEDRICH'S HISTORY FROM THE DISTANCE WE ARE AT. About fourscore years ago, there used to be seen sauntering on the
terraces of Sans Souci, for a short time in the afternoon, or you might
have met him elsewhere at an earlier hour, riding or driving in a rapid
business manner on the open roads or through the scraggy woods
and avenues of that intricate amphibious Potsdam region, a highly
interesting lean little old man, of alert though slightly stooping
figure; whose name among strangers was King FRIEDRICH THE SECOND, or
Frederick the Great of Prussia, and at home among the common people, who
much loved and esteemed him, was VATER FRITZ, Father Fred, a name of
familiarity which had not bred contempt in that instance. He is a King
every inch of him, though without the trappings of a King. Presents
himself in a Spartan simplicity of vesture: no crown but an old military
cocked hat, generally old, or trampled and kneaded into absolute
SOFTNESS, if new; no sceptre but one like Agamemnon's, a walking stick
cut from the woods, which serves also as a riding stick (with which he
hits the horse "between the ears," say authors); and for royal robes,
a mere soldier's blue coat with red facings, coat likely to be old, and
sure to have a good deal of Spanish snuff on the breast of it; rest of
the apparel dim, unobtrusive in color or out, ending in high over knee
military boots, which may be brushed (and, I hope, kept soft with an
underhand suspicion of oil), but are not permitted to be blackened or
varnished; Day and Martin with their soot pots forbidden to approach. The man is not of godlike physiognomy, any more than of imposing stature
or costume: close shut mouth with thin lips, prominent jaws and nose,
receding brow, by no means of Olympian height; head, however, is of
long form, and has superlative gray eyes in it. Not what is called a
beautiful man; nor yet, by all appearance, what is called a happy.
On the contrary, the face bears evidence of many sorrows, as they are
termed, of much hard labor done in this world; and seems to anticipate
nothing but more still coming. Quiet stoicism, capable enough of what
joy there were, but not expecting any worth mention; great unconscious
and some conscious pride, well tempered with a cheery mockery of
humor, are written on that old face; which carries its chin well
forward, in spite of the slight stoop about the neck; snuffy nose rather
flung into the air, under its old cocked hat, like an old snuffy lion
on the watch; and such a pair of eyes as no man or lion or lynx of that
Century bore elsewhere, according to all the testimony we have.
"Those eyes," says Mirabeau, "which, at the bidding of his great soul,
fascinated you with seduction or with terror (portaient, au gre de son
ame heroique, la seduction ou la terreur) ." [Mirabeau, Histoire
Secrete de la Cour de Berlin, Lettre 28?? (24 September, 1786) p. 128
(in edition of Paris, 1821)]. Most excellent potent brilliant eyes,
swift darting as the stars, steadfast as the sun; gray, we said, of the
azure gray color; large enough, not of glaring size; the habitual
expression of them vigilance and penetrating sense, rapidity resting on
depth. Which is an excellent combination; and gives us the notion of a
lambent outer radiance springing from some great inner sea of light and
fire in the man. The voice, if he speak to you, is of similar
physiognomy: clear, melodious and sonorous; all tones are in it, from
that of ingenuous inquiry, graceful sociality, light flowing banter
(rather prickly for most part), up to definite word of command, up to
desolating word of rebuke and reprobation; a voice "the clearest and
most agreeable in conversation I ever heard," says witty Dr. Moore.
[Moore, View of Society and Manners in France, Switzerland and Germany
(London, 1779), ii. 246... Continue reading book >>
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