Book: History of Friedrich II of Prussia V 21

T >> Thomas Carlyle >> History of Friedrich II of Prussia V 21




Johann Georg Zimmermann: born 1728, at Brugg in the Canton of Bern,
where his Father seems to have had some little property and no
employment, "a RATHSHERR (Town-Councillor), who was much
respected." Of brothers or sisters, no mention. The Mother being
from the French part of the Canton, he learned to speak both
languages. Went to Bern for his Latin and high-schooling; then to
Gottingen, where he studied Medicine, under the once great Haller
and other now dimmed celebrities. Haller, himself from Bern, had
taken Zimmermann to board, and became much attached to him: Haller,
in 1752, came on a summer visit to native Bern: Zimmermann, who had
in the mean time been "for a few months" in France, in Italy and
England, now returned and joined him there; but the great man,
feeling very poorly and very old, decided that he would like to
stay in Bern, and not move any more;--Zimmermann, accordingly, was
sent to Gottingen to bring Mrs. Haller, with her Daughters,
bandboxes and effects, home to Bern. Which he did;--and not only
them, but a soft, ingenious, ingenuous and rather pretty young
Gottingen Lady along with them, as his own Wife withal. With her he
settled as STADTPHYSICUS (Town-Doctor) in native Brugg; where his
beloved Hallers were within reach; and practice in abundance, and
honors, all that the place yielded, were in readiness for him.

Here he continued some sixteen years; very busy, very successful in
medicine and literature; but "tormented with hypochondria;"--having
indeed an immense conceit of himself, and generally too thin a skin
for this world. Here he first wrote his Book on SOLITUDE, a Book
famed over all the world in my young days (and perhaps still
famed); he wrote it a second time, MUCH ENLARGED, about thirty
years after: [ Betrachtungen uber die Einsamkeit, von
Doctor J. G. Zimmermann, Stadtphysicus in Brugg
(Zurich, 1756),--as yet only "1 vol. 8vo, price 6d." (5 groschen);
but it grew with years; and (Leipzig, 1784) came out remodelled
into 4 vols.;--was translated into French, "with many omissions,"
by Mercier (Paris, 1790); into English from Mercier (London, 1791).
"Zurich, 1763-1764:" by and by, one "Dobson did it into English."]
I read it (in the curtailed English-Mercier form, no Scene in it
like the above), in early boyhood,--and thank it for nothing, or
nearly so. Zimmermann lived much alone, at Brugg and elsewhere;
all his days "Hypochondria" was the main company he had:--and it
was natural, but UNprofitable, that he should say, to himself and
others, the best he could for that bad arrangement: poor soul!
He wrote also on MEDICAL EXPERIENCE, a famed Book in its day;"
also on NATIONAL PRIDE; and became famed through the Universe, and
was Member of infinite Learned Societies.

All which rendered dull dead Brugg still duller and more dead;
unfit utterly for a man of such sublime accomplishments. Plenty of
Counts Stadion, Kings of Poland even, offered him engagements;
eager to possess such a man, and deliver him from dull dead Brugg;
but he had hypochondria, and always feared their deliverance might
be into something duller. At length,--in his fortieth year, 1768,
--the place of Court-Physician (HOFMEDICUS) at Hanover was offered
him by George the Third of pious memory, and this he resolved to
accept; and did lift anchor, and accept and occupy accordingly.

Alas, at the Gate of Hanover, "his carriage overset;" broke his
poor old Mother-in-law's leg (who had been rejoicing doubtless to
get home into her own Country), and was the end of her--poor old
soul;--and the beginning of misfortunes continual and too tedious
to mention. Spleen, envy, malice and calumny, from the Hanover
Medical world; treatment, "by the old buckram Hofdames who had
drunk coffee with George II.," "which was fitter for a laquais-de-
place" than for a medical gentleman of eminence: unworthy
treatment, in fact, in many or most quarters;--followed by
hypochondria, by dreadful bodily disorder (kind not given or
discoverable), "so that I suffered the pains of Hell," sat weeping,
sat gnashing my teeth, and could n't write a Note after dinner;
followed finally by the sickness, and then by the death, of my poor
Wife, "after five months of torment." Upon which, in 1771,
Zimmermann's friends--for he had many friends, being, in fact, a
person of fine graceful intellect, high proud feelings and tender
sensibilities, gone all to this sad state--rallied themselves;
set his Hanover house in order for him (governess for his children,
what not); and sent him off to Berlin, there to be dealt with by
one Meckel, an incomparable Surgeon, and be healed of his dreadful
disorder ("LEIBESSCHADE, of which the first traces had appeared in
Brugg"),--though to most people it seemed rather he would die;
"and one Medical Eminency in Hanover said to myself [Zimmermann]
one day: 'Dr. So-and-so is to have your Pension, I am told; now, by
all right, it should belong to me, don't you think so?'" What, "I"
thought of the matter, seeing the greedy gentleman thus "parting my
skin," may be conjectured!--

The famed Meckel received his famed patient with a nobleness worthy
of the heroic ages. Dodged him in his own house, in softest beds
and appliances; spoke comfort to him, hope to him,--the gallant
Meckel;--rallied, in fact, the due medical staff one morning;
came up to Zimmermann, who "stripped," with the heart of a lamb and
lion conjoined, and trusting in God, "flung himself on his bed" (on
his face, or on his back, we never know), and there, by the hands
of Meckel and staff, "received above 2,000 (TWO THOUSAND) cuts in
the space of an hour and half, without uttering one word or sound."
A frightful operation, gallantly endured, and skilfully done;
whereby the "bodily disorder" (LEIBESSCHADE), whatever it might be,
was effectually and forever sent about its business by the
noble Meckel.

Hospitalities and soft, hushed kindnesses and soothing
ministrations, by Meckel and by everybody, were now doubled and
trebled: wise kind Madam Meckel, young kind Mamsell Meckel and the
Son (who "now, in 1788, lectures in Gottingen"); not these only,
nor Schmucker Head Army-Surgeon, and the ever-memorable HERR
GENERALCHIRURGUS Madan, who had both been in the operation;
not these only, but by degrees all that was distinguished in the
Berlin world, Ramler, Busching, Sulzer, Prime Minister Herzberg,
Queen's and King's Equerries, and honorable men and women,--bore
him "on angel-wings" towards complete recovery. Talked to him, sang
and danced to him (at least, the "Muses" and the female Meckels
danced and sang), and all lapped him against eating cares, till,
after twelve weeks, he was fairly on his feet again, and able to
make jaunts in the neighborhood with his "life's savior," and enjoy
the pleasant Autumn weather to his farther profit.--All this,
though described in ridiculous superlative by Zimmermann, is really
touching, beautiful and human: perhaps never in his life was he so
happy, or a thousandth part so helped by man, as while under the
roof of this thrice-useful Meckel,--more power to Meckel!

Head Army-Surgeon Schmucker had gone through all the Seven-Years
War; Zimmermann, an ardent Hero-worshipper, was never weary
questioning him, listening to him in full career of narrative, on
this great subject,--only eight years old at that time. Among their
country drives, Meckel took him to Potsdam, twenty English miles
off; in the end of October, there to stay a night. This was the
ever-memorable Friday, when we first ascended the Hill of Sans-
Souci, and had our evening walk of contemplation:--to be followed
by a morrow which was ten times more memorable: as readers shall
now see. [Jordens, Lexikon (§ Zimmermann),
v. 632-658 (exact and even eloquent account, as these of Jordens,
unexpectedly, often are); Zimmermann himself, UNTERREDUNGEN MIT
FRIEDRICH DEM GROSSEN (ubi infra); Tissot, Vie de M.
Zimmermann (Lausanne, 1797): &c. &c.]

NEXT DAY, ZIMMERMANN HAS A DIALOGUE. Schmucker had his apartments
in "LITTLE SANS-SOUCI," where the King now lived (Big Sans-Souci,
or "Sans-Souci" by itself, means in those days, not in ours at all,
"New Palace, NEUE PALAIS," now in all its splendor of fresh
finish). De Catt, Friedrich's Reader, whom we know well, was a
Genevese, and knew Zimmermann from of old. Schmucker and De Catt
were privately twitching up Friedrich's curiosity,--to whom also
Zimmermann's name, and perhaps his late surgical operation, might
be known: "Can he speak French?"--"Native to him, your Majesty."
Friedrich had some notion to see Zimmermann; and judicious De Catt,
on this fortunate Saturday, "26th October, 1771," morrow after
Zimmermann's arrival at Potsdam, "came to our inn about, 1 P.M.
[King's dinner just done]; and asked me to come and look at the
beauties of Sans-Souci [Big Sans-Souci] for a little."
Zimmermann willingly went: Catt, left him in good hands to see the
beauties; slipt off, for his own part, to "LITTLE Sans-Souci;" came
back, took Zimmermann thither; left, him with Schmucker, all
trembling, thinking perhaps the King might call him. "I trembled
sometimes, then again I felt exceeding happiness:" I was in
Schmucker's room, sitting by the fire, mostly alone for a good
while, "the room that had once been Marquis d'Argens's" (who is now
dead, and buried far away, good old soul);--when, at last, about
half-past 4, Catt came jumping in, breathless with joy; snatched me
up: "His Majesty wants to speak with you this very moment!"
Zimmermann's self shall say the rest.

"I hurried, hand-in-hand with Catt, along a row of Chambers.
'Here,' said Catt, 'we are now at the King's room!'--My heart
thumped, like to spring out of my body. Catt went in; but next
moment the door again opened, and Catt bade me enter.

"In the middle of the room stood an iron camp-bed without curtains.
There, on a worn mattress, lay King Friedrich, the terror of
Europe, without coverlet, in an old blue roquelaure. He had a big
cocked-hat, with a white feather [hat aged, worn soft as duffel,
equal to most caps; "feather" is not perpendicular, but horizontal,
round the inside of the brim], on his head.

"The King took off his hat very graciously, when I was perhaps ten
steps from him; and said in French (our whole Dialogue proceeded in
French): 'Come nearer, M. Zimmermann.'

"I advanced to within two steps of the King; he said in the mean
while to Catt: 'Call Schmucker in, too.' Herr Schmucker came;
placed himself behind the King, his back to the wall; and Catt
stood behind me. Now the Colloquy began.

KING. "'I hear you have found your health again in Berlin; I wish
you joy of that.'

EGO. "'I have found my life again in Berlin; but at this moment,
Sire, I find here a still greater happiness!' [ACH!]

KING. "'You have stood a cruel operation: you must have suffered
horribly?'

EGO. "'Sire, it was well worth while.'

KING. "'Did, you let them bind you before the operation?'

EGO. "'No: I resolved to keep my freedom.'

KING (laughing in a very kind manner). "'Oh, you behaved like a
brave Switzer! But are you quite recovered, though?'

EGO. "'Sire, I have seen all the wonders of your creation in Sans-
Souci, and feel well in looking at them.'

KING. "'I am glad of that. But you must have a care, and especially
not get on horseback.'

EGO. "'It will be pleasant and easy for me to follow the counsels
of your Majesty.'

KING. "'From what Town in the Canton of Bern are you originally?'

EGO. "'From Brugg.'

KING. "'I don't know that Town.' [No wonder, thought I!]

KING. "'Where did you study?'

EGO. "'At Gottingen: Haller was my teacher.'

KING. "'What is M. Haller doing now?'

EGO. "'He is concluding his literary career with a romance.'
[USONG had just come out;--no mortal now reads a word of it;
and the great Haller is dreadfully forgotten already!]

KING. "'Ah, that is pretty!--On what system do you treat your
patients?'

EGO. "'Not on any system.'

KING. "'But there are some Physicians whose methods you prefer to
those of others?'

EGO. "'I especially like Tissot's methods, who is a familiar friend
of mine.'

KING. "'I know M. Tissot. I have read his writings, and value them
very much. On the whole, I love the Art of Medicine. My Father
wished me to get some knowledge in it. He often sent me into the
Hospitals; and even into those for venereal patients, with a view
of warning by example.'

EGO. "'And by terrible example!--Sire, Medicine is a very difficult
Art. But your Majesty is used to bring all Arts under subjection to
the force of your genius, and to conquer all that is difficult.'

KING. "'Alas, no: I cannot conquer all that is difficult!'
[Hard-mouthed Kaunitz, for example; stock-still, with his right ear
turned on Turkey: how get Kaunitz into step!]--Here the King became
reflective; was silent for a little moment, and then asked me, with
a most bright smile: 'How many churchyards have you filled?'
[A common question of his to Members of the Faculty.]

EGO. "'Perhaps, in my youth, I have done a little that way! But now
it goes better; for I am timid rather than bold.'

KING. "'Very good, very good.'

"Our Dialogue now became extremely brisk. The King quickened into
extraordinary vivacity; and examined me now in the character of
Doctor, with such a stringency as, in the year 1751, at Gottingen,
when I stood for my Degree, the learned Professors Haller, Richter,
Segner and Brendel (for which Heaven recompense them!) never
dreamed of! All inflammatory fevers, and the most important of the
slow diseases, the King mustered with me, in their order. He asked
me, How and whereby I recognized each of these diseases; how and
whereby distinguished them from the approximate maladies; what my
procedure was in simple and in complicated cases; and how I cured
all those disorders? On the varieties, the accidents, the mode of
treatment, of small-pox especially, the King inquired with peculiar
strictness;--and spoke, with much emotion, of that young Prince of
his House who was carried off, some years ago, by that disorder--
[suddenly arrested by it, while on march with his regiment, "near
Ruppin, 26th May, 1767." This is the Prince Henri, junior Brother
of the subsequent King, Friedrich Wilhelm II., who, among other
fooleries, invaded France, in 1792, with such success. Both Henri
and he, as boys, used to be familiar to us in the final winters of
the late War. Poor Henri had died at the age of nineteen,--as yet
all brightness, amiability and nothing else: Friedrich sent an
ELOGE of him to his ACADEMIE, [In OEuvres de Frederic,
vii. 37 et seq.] which is touchingly and strangely
filled with authentic sorrow for this young Nephew of his, but
otherwise empty,--a mere bottle of sighs and tears]. Then he came
upon Inoculation; went along over an incredible multitude of other
medical subjects. Into all he threw masterly glances; spoke of all
with the soundest [all in superlative] knowledge of the matter, and
with no less penetration than liveliness and sense.

"With heartfelt satisfaction, and with the freest soul, I made my
answers to his Majesty. It is true, he potently supported and
encouraged me. Ever and anon his Majesty was saying to me: 'That is
very good;--that is excellently thought and expressed;--your mode
of proceeding, altogether, pleases me very well;--I rejoice to see
how much our ways of thinking correspond.' Often, too, he had the
graciousness to add: 'But, I weary you with my many questions!'
His scientific questions I answered with simplicity, clearness and
brevity; and could not forbear sometimes expressing my astonishment
at the deep and conclusive (TIEFEN UND FRAPPANTEN) medical insights
and judgments of the King.

"His Majesty came now upon the history of his own maladies. He told
me them over, in their series; and asked my opinion and advice
about each. On the HAEMORRHOIDS, which he greatly complained of, I
said something that struck him. Instantly he started up in his bed;
turned his head round towards the wall, and said: 'Schmucker, write
me that down!' I started in fright at this word; and not without
reason! Then our Colloquy proceeded:--

KING. "'The Gout likes to take up his quarters with me; he knows I
am a Prince, and thinks I shall feed him well. But I feed him ill;
I live very meagrely.'

EGO. "'May Gout, thereby get disgusted, and forbear ever calling on
your Majesty!'

KING. "'I am grown old. Diseases will no longer have pity on me.'

EGO. "'Europe feels that your Majesty is not old; and your
Majesty's look (PHYSIOGNOMIE) shows that you have still the same
force as in your thirtieth year.'

KING (laughing and shaking his head). "'Well, well, well!'

"In this way, for an hour and quarter, with uninterrupted vivacity,
the Dialogue went on. At last the King gave me the sign to go;
lifting his hat very kindly, and saying: 'Adieu, my dear
M. Zimmermann; I am very glad to have seen you.'"

Towards 6 P.M. now, and Friedrich must sign his Despatches;
have his Concert, have his reading; then to supper (as spectator
only),--with Quintus Icilius and old Lord Marischal, to-night, or
whom? [Of Icilius, and a quarrel and estrangement there had lately
been, now happily reconciled, see Nicolai, Anekdoten, italic> vi. 140-142.]

"Herr von Catt accompanied me into the anteroom, and Schmucker
followed. I could not stir from the spot; could not speak, was so
charmed and so touched, that I broke into a stream of tears [being
very weak of nerves at the time!]. Herr von Catt said: 'I am now
going back to the King; go you into the room where I took you up;
about eight I will conduct you home.' I pressed my excellent
countryman's hand, I"--"Schmucker said, I had stood too near his
Majesty; I had spoken too frankly, with too much vivacity;
nay, what was unheard of in the world, I had 'gesticulated' before
his Majesty! 'In presence of a King,' said Herr Schmucker, 'one
must stand stiff and not stir.' De Catt came back to us at eight;
and, in Schmucker's presence [let him chew the cud of that!],
reported the following little Dialogue with the King:--

KING. "'What says Zimmermann?'

DE CATT. "'Zimmermann, at the door of your Majesty's room, burst
into a stream of tears.'

KING. "'I love those tender affectionate hearts; I love right well
those brave Swiss people!'

"Next morning the King was heard to say: 'I have found Zimmermann
quite what you described him.'--Catt assured me furthermore, 'Since
the Seven-Years War there had thousands of strangers, persons of
rank, come to Potsdam, wishing to speak with the King, and had not
attained that favor; and of those who had, there could not one
individual boast that his Majesty had talked with him an hour and
quarter at once.' [Fourteen years hence, he dismissed Mirabeau in
half an hour; which was itself a good allowance.]

"Sunday 27th, I left Potsdam, with my kind Meckels, in an
enthusiasm of admiration, astonishment, love and gratitude;
wrote to the King from Berlin, sent him a Tissot's Book (marked on
the margins for Majesty's use), which he acknowledged by some word
to Catt: whereupon I"--In short, I got home to Hanover, in a more
or less seraphic condition,--"with indescribable, unspeakable,"
what not,--early in November; and, as a healed man, never more
troubled with that disorder, though still troubled with many and
many, endeavored to get a little work out of myself again.
[Zimmermann, Meine Unterredungen (Dialogues)
with Friedrich the Great (8vo, Leipzig,
1788), pp. 305-326.]

"Zimmermann was tall, handsome of shape; his exterior was
distinguished and imposing," says Jordens. [Ubi supra, p. 643.]
"He had a firm and light step; stood gracefully; presented himself
well. He had a fine head; his voice was agreeable; and intellect
sparkled in his eyes:"--had it not been for those dreadful
hypochondrias, and confused disasters, a very pretty man. At the
time of this first visit to Friedrich he is 43 years of age, and
Friedrich is on the borders of 60. Zimmermann, with still more
famous DIALOGUES, will reappear on us from Hanover, on a sad
occasion! Meanwhile, few weeks after him, here is a Visit of far
more joyful kind.


SISTER ULRIQUE, QUEEN-DOWAGER OF SWEDEN, REVISITS HER
NATIVE PLACE (December, 1771-August, 1772).

Prince Henri was hardly home from Petersburg and the Swedish Visit,
when poor Adolf Friedrich, King of Sweden, died. [12th February,
1771.] A very great and sad event to his Queen, who had loved her
old man; and is now left solitary, eclipsed, in circumstances
greatly altered on the sudden. In regard to settlements, Accession
of the new Prince, dowager revenues and the like, all went right
enough; which was some alleviation, though an inconsiderable, to
the sorrowing Widow. Her two Princes were absent, touring over
Europe, when their Father died, and the elder of them, Karl Gustav,
suddenly saw himself King. They were in no breathless haste to
return; visited their Uncle, their Prussian kindred, on the way,
and had an interesting week at Potsdam and Berlin; [April 22d-
29th: Rodenbeck, iii. 45.] Karl Gustav flying diligently about,
still incognito, as "Graf von Gothland,"--a spirited young fellow,
perhaps too spirited;--and did not reach home till May-day was
come, and the outburst of the Swedish Summer at hand.

Some think the young King had already something dangerous and
serious in view, and wished his Mother out of the way for a time.
Certain it is she decided on a visit to her native Country in
December following: arrived accordingly, December 2d, 1771;
and till the middle of August next was a shining phenomenon in the
Royal House and upper ranks of Berlin Society, and a touching and
interesting one to the busy Friedrich himself, as may be supposed.
She had her own Apartments and Household at Berlin, in the Palace
there, I think; but went much visiting about, and receiving many
visits,--fond especially of literary people.

Friedrich's notices of her are frequent in his Letters of the time,
all affectionate, natural and reasonable. Here are the first two I
meet with: TO THE ELECTRESS OF SAXONY (three weeks after Ulrique's
arrival); "A thousand excuses, Madam, for not answering sooner!
What will plead for me with a Princess who so well knows the duties
of friendship, is, that I have been occupied with the reception of
a Sister, who has come to seek consolation in the bosom of her
kindred for the loss of a loved Husband, the remembrance of whom
saddens and afflicts her." And again, two months later: "... Your
Royal Highness deigns to take so obliging an interest in the visit
I have had [and still have] from the Queen of Sweden. I beheld her
as if raised from the dead to me; for an absence of eight-and-
twenty years, in the short space of our duration, is almost
equivalent to death. She arrived among us, still in great
affliction for the loss she had had of the King; and I tried to
distract her sad thoughts by all the dissipations possible. It is
only by dint of such that one compels the mind to shift away from
the fatal idea where grief has fixed it: this is not the work of a
day, but of time, which in the end succeeds in everything.
I congratulate your Royal Highness on your Journey to Bavaria [on a
somewhat similar errand, we may politely say]; where you will find
yourself in the bosom of a Family that adores you:" after which,
and the sight of old scenes, how pleasant to go on to Italy, as you
propose! [ OEuvres de Frederic, xxiv. 230,
235. "24th December 1771," "February, 1772." See also,
"Eptire a la Reine Douairiere de Suede" (Poem on the
Troubles she has had: OEuvres de Frederic,
xiii. 74, "written in December, 1770"), and "Vers a la
Reine de Suede," "January, 1771" (ib. 79).]

Queen Ulrique--a solid and ingenuous character (in childhood a
favorite of her Father's, so rational, truthful and of silent staid
ways)--appears to have been popular in the Berlin circles;
pleasant and pleased, during these eight months. Formey, especially
Thiebault, are copious on this Visit of hers; and give a number of
insipid Anecdotes; How there was solemn Session of the Academy made
for her, a Paper of the King's to be read there, ["DISCOURS DE
L'UTILITE DES SCIENCES ET DES ARTS DAM UN ETAT" (in
OEuvres de Frederic, ix. 169 et seq.): read "27th
January, 1772." Formey, ii. 16, &c. &c.]--reading beautifully done
by me, Thiebault (one of my main functions, this of reading the
King's Academy Papers, and my dates of THEM always correct);
how Thiebault was invited to dinner in consequence, and again
invited; how Formey dined with her Majesty "twenty-five times;"
and "preached to her in the Palace, August 19th" (should be August
9th): insipid wholly, vapid and stupid; descriptive of nothing,
except of the vapidities and vanities of certain persons.
Leaving these, we will take an Excerpt, probably our last, from
authentic Busching, which is at least to be depended on for perfect
accuracy, and has a feature or two of portraiture.

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