Book: History of Friedrich II of Prussia V 21

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




FEBRUARY-AUGUST, 1763, just while the Treaty of Hubertsburg was
blessing everybody with the return of Peace, and for long months
after Peace had returned to everybody, Polish Majesty was in sore
trouble. Trouble in regard to Courland, to his poor Son Karl, who
fancied himself elected, under favor and permission of the late
Czarina our gracious Protectress and Ally, to the difficult post of
Duke in Courland; and had proceeded, three or four years ago, to
take possession,--but was now interrupted by Russian encroachments
and violences. Not at all well disposed to him, these new Peters,
new Catharines. They have recalled their Bieren from Siberia;
declare that old Bieren is again Duke, or at least that young
Bieren is, and not Saxon Karl at all; and have proceeded, Czarina
Catharine has, to install him forcibly with Russian soldiers.
Karl declares, "You shall kill ME before you or he get into this
Palace of Mietau!"--and by Domestics merely, and armed private
Gentlemen, he does maintain himself in said Palatial Mansion;
valiantly indignant, for about six months; the Russian Battalions
girdling him on all sides, minatory more and more, but loath to
begin actual bloodshed. [Rulhiere, ii. (livre v.) 81 et antea;
Hermann, v. 348 et seq.] A transaction very famed in those parts,
and still giving loud voice in the Polish Books, which indeed get
ever noisier from this point onward, till they end in inarticulate
shrieks, as we shall too well hear.

Empress Catharine, after the lapse of six months, sends an
Ambassador to Warsaw (Kayserling by name), who declares, in tone
altogether imperative, that Czarish Majesty feels herself weary of
such contumacy, weary generally of Polish Majesty's and Polish
Republic's multifarious contumacies; and, in fine, cruelest of all,
that she has troops on the frontier; that Courland is not the only
place where she has troops. What a stab to the poor old man!
"Contumacies?" Has not he been Russia's patient stepping-stone, all
along; his anarchic Poland and he accordant in that, if in nothing
else? "Let us to Saxony," decides he passionately, "and leave all
this." In Saxony his poor old Queen is dead long since; much is
dead: Saxony and Life generally, what a Golgotha! He immediately
sends word to Karl, "Give up Courland; I am going home!"--and did
hastily make his packages, and bid adieu to Warsaw, and, in a few
weeks after to this anarchic world altogether. Died at Dresden,
5th October, 1763.

Polish Majesty had been elected 5th October, 1733; died, you
observe, 5th October, 1763;--was King of Poland ("King," save the
mark!) for 30 years to a day. Was elected--do readers still
remember how? Leaves a ruined Saxony lying round him; a ruined life
mutely asking him, "Couldst thou have done no better, then?"
Wretched Bruhl followed him in four or five weeks. Nay, in about
two months, his Son and Successor, "Friedrich Christian" (with whom
we dined at Moritzburg), had followed him; [Prince died 17th
December (Bruhl, 18th November), 1763.] leaving a small Boy, age
13, as new Kurfurst, "Friedrich August" the name of him, with
guardians to manage the Minority; especially with his Mother as
chief guardian,--of whom, for two reasons, we are now to say
something. Reason FIRST is, That she is really a rather brilliant,
distinguished creature, distinguished more especially in
Friedrich's world; whose LETTERS to her are numerous, and, in their
kind, among the notablest he wrote;--of which we would gladly give
some specimen, better or worse; and reason SECOND, That in so
doing, we may contrive to look, for a moment or two, into the
preliminary Polish Anarchies at first-hand; and, transiently and
far off, see something of them as if with our own eyes.

Marie-Antoine, or Marie-Antoinette, Electress of Saxony, is still a
bright Lady, and among the busiest living; now in her 40th year:
"born 17th July, 1724; second child of Kaiser Karl VII.;"--a living
memento to us of those old times of trouble. Papa, when she came to
him, was in his 27th year; this was his second daughter;
three years afterwards he had a son (born 1727; died 1777), who
made the "Peace of Fussen," to Friedrich's disgust, in 1745, if
readers recollect;--and who, dying childless, will give rise to
another War (the "Potato War" so called), for Friedrich's behoof
and ours. This little creature would be in her teens during that
fatal Kaisership (1742-1745, her age then 18-21),--during those
triumphs, flights and furnished-lodging intricacies. Her Mamma,
whom we have seen, a little fat bullet given to devotion, was four
years younger than Papa. Mamma died "11th December, 1756," Germany
all blazing out in War again; she had been a Widow eleven years.

Marie-Antoine was wedded to Friedrich Christian, Saxon Kurprinz,
"20th June, 1747;" her age 23, his 25:--Chronology itself is
something, if one will attend to it, in the absence of all else!
The young pair were Cousins, their Mothers being Sisters;
Polish Majesty one's Uncle, age now 51,--who was very fond of us,
poor indolent soul, and glad of our company on an afternoon, "being
always in his dressing-gown by 2 o'clock." Concerning which the
tongue of Court scandal was not entirely idle,--Hanbury
chronicling, as we once noticed. All which I believe to be mere
lying wind. The young Princess was beautiful; extremely clever,
graceful and lively, we can still see for ourselves: no wonder poor
Polish Majesty, always in his dressing-gown by 2, was charmed to
have her company,--the rather as I hope she permitted him a little
smoking withal.

Her husband was crook-backed; and, except those slight, always
perfectly polite little passages, in Schmettau's Siege (1759), in
the Hubertsburg Treaty affair, in the dinner at Moritzburg, I never
heard much history of him. He became Elector 5th October, 1763;
but enjoyed the dignity little more than two months. Our Princess
had borne him seven children,--three boys, four girls,--the eldest
about 13, a Boy, who succeeded; the youngest a girl, hardly 3.
The Boy is he who sent Gellert the caparisoned Horse, and had
estafettes on the road while Gellert lay dying. This Boy lived to
be 77, and saw strange things in the world; had seen Napoleon and
the French Revolution; was the first "King of Saxony" so called;
saw Jena, retreat of Moscow; saw the "Battle of the Nations"
(Leipzig, 15th-18th October, 1813), and his great Napoleon
terminate in bankruptcy. He left no Son. A Brother, age 72,
succeeded him as King for a few years; whom again a Brother would
have succeeded, had not he (this third Brother, age now 66)
renounced, in favor of HIS Son, the present King of Saxony.
Enough, enough!--

August 28th, 1763, while afflicted Polish Majesty is making his
packages at Warsaw, far away,--Marie-Antoinette, in Dresden, had
sent Friedrich an Opera of her composing, just brought out by her
on her Court-theatre there. Here is Friedrich's Answer,--to what
kind of OPERA I know not, but to a Letter accompanying it which is
extremely pretty.


FRIEDRICH TO THE ELECTORAL PRINCESS (at Dresden).

"POTSDAM, 5th September, 1763.

"MADAM MY SISTER,--The remembrance your Royal Highness sends is the
more flattering to me, as I regret infinitely not to have been
spectator and hearer of the fine things [Opera THALESTRIS, words
and music entirely lost to us] which I have admired for myself in
the silent state.

"I wish I could send you things as pleasant out of these parts:
but, Madam, I am obliged to give you a hint, which may be useful if
you can have it followed. In Saxony, however, my Letters get
opened;--which obliges me to send this by a special Messenger;
and him, that he may cause no suspicion, I have charged with fruits
from my garden. You will have the goodness to say [if anybody is
eavesdropping] that you asked them of me at Moritzburg, when I was
happy enough to see you there [six months ago, coming home from the
Seven-Years War]. The hint I had to give was this:--

"In Petersburg people's minds are getting angry at the stubbornness
your friends show in refusing to recognize Duke Bieren [home from
Siberia, again Duke of Courland, by Russian appointment, as if
Russia had that right; Polish Majesty and his Prince Karl resisting
to the uttermost]. I counsel you to induce the powerful in your
circle to have this condescension [they have had it, been obliged
to have it, though Friedrich does not yet know]; for it will turn
out ill to them, if they persist in being obstinately stiff.
It begins already to be said That there are more than a million
Russian subjects at this time refugees in Poland; whom, by I forget
what cartel, the Republic was bound to deliver up. Orders have been
given to Detachments of Military to enter certain places, and bring
away these Russians by force. In a word, you will ruin your affairs
forever, unless you find means to produce a change of conduct on
the part of him they complain of. Take, Madam, what I now say as a
mark of the esteem and profound regard with which--"--F.
[ OEuvres de Frederic, xxiv. 46.]

This hint, if the King knew, had been given, in a less kind shape,
by Necessity itself; and had sent Polish Majesty, and his Bruhls
and "powerful people," bodily home, and out of that Polish Russian
welter, in a headlong and tragically passionate condition.
Electoral Princess, next time she writes, is become Electress all
at once.


ELECTRESS MARIE-ANTOINE TO FRIEDRICH.

"DRESDEN, 5th October, 1763.

"SIRE,--Your Majesty has given me such assurance of your goodness
and your friendship, that I will now appeal to that promise.
You have assured us, too, that you would with pleasure contribute
to secure Poland for us. The moment is come for accomplishing that
promise. The King is dead [died this very day; see if _I_ lose time
in sentimental lamentations!]--with him these grievances of Russia
[our stiffness on Courland and the like] must be extinct;
the rather as we [the now reigning] will lend ourselves willingly
to everything that can be required of us for perfect reconcilement
with that Power.

"You can do all, if you will it; you can contribute to this
reconcilement. You can render it favorable to us. You will, give me
that proof of the flattering sentiments I have been so proud of
hitherto,"--won't you, now? "Russia cannot disapprove the mediation
you might deign to offer on that behalf;--our intentions being so
honestly amicable, and all ground of controversy having died with
the late King. Russia reconciled, our views on the Polish Crown
might at once be declared (ECLATER)." Oh, do it, your Majesty;--"my
gratitude shall only end with life!--M. A." [ OEuvres de
Frederic, xxiv. 47.]

Friedrich, who is busy negotiating his Treaty with Russia
(perfected 11th April next), and understands that they will mean
not to have a Saxon, but to have a Piast, and perhaps dimly even
what Piast (Stanislaus Poniatowski, the EMERITUS Lover), who will
be their own, and not Saxony's at all,--must have been a little
embarrassed by such an appeal from his fair friend at this moment.
"Wait a little; don't answer yet," would have occurred to the
common mind. But that was not Friedrich's resource: he answers by
return of post, as always in such cases;--and in the following
adroit manner brushes off, without hurt to it, with kisses to it
rather, the beautiful hand that has him by the button:--


TO THE ELECTRESS MARIE-ANTOINE (at Dresden).

"BERLIN, 8th October, 1763.

"MADAM MY SISTER,--I begin by making my condolences and my
congratulations to your Electoral Highness on the death of the King
your Father-in-law, and on your Accession to the Electorate.

"Your Electoral Highness will remember what I wrote, not long
since, on the affairs of Poland. I am afraid, Madam, that Russia
will be more contrary to you than you think. M. de Woronzow [famous
Grand-Chancellor of Russia; saved himself dexterously in the late
Peter-Catharine overturn; has since fallen into disfavor for his
notions about our Gregory Orlof, and is now on his way to Italy,
"for health's sake," in consequence], who is just arrived here,
["Had his audience 7th October" (yesterday): Rodenbeck, ii. 224.]
told me, too, of some things which raise an ill augury of this
affair. If you do not disapprove of my speaking frankly to you, it
seems to me that it would be suitable in you to send some discreet
Diplomatist to that Court to notify the King's death; and you would
learn by him what you have to expect from her Czarish Majesty [the
Empress, he always calls her, knowing she prefers that title].
It seems to me, Madam, that it would be precipitate procedure
should I wish to engage you in an Enterprise, which appears to
myself absolutely dubious (HASARDEE), unless approved by that
Princess. As to me, Madam, I have not the ascendant there which you
suppose: I act under rule of all the delicacies and discretions
with a Court which separated itself from my Enemies when all Europe
wished to crush me: but I am far from being able to regulate the
Empress's way of thinking.

"It is the same with the quarrels about the Duke of Courland;
one cannot attempt mediation except by consent of both parties.
I believe I am not mistaken in supposing that the Court of Russia
does not mean to terminate that business by foreign mediation.
What I have heard about it (what, however, is founded only on vague
news) is, That the Empress might prevail upon herself (POURRAIT SE
RESOUDRE) to purchase from Bruhl the Principality of Zips [Zips, on
the edge of Hungary; let readers take note of that Principality, at
present in the hand of Bruhl,--who has much disgusted Poland by his
voracity for Lands; and is disgorging them all again, poor soul!],
to give it to Prince Karl in compensation: but that would lead to a
negotiation with the Court of Vienna, which might involve the
affair in other contentions.

"I conjure you, Madam, I repeat it, Be not precipitate in anything;
lest, as my fear is, you replunge Europe into the troubles it has
only just escaped from! As to me, I have found, since the Peace, so
much to do within my own borders, that I have not, I assure you,
had time, Madam, to think of going abroad. I confine myself to
forming a thousand wishes for the prosperity of your Electoral
Highness, assuring you of the high esteem with which I am,--F."
[ OEuvres de Frederic, xxiv. 48.]

After some farther Letters, of eloquently pressing solicitation on
the part of the Lady, and earnest advising, as well as polite
fencing, on the part of Friedrich, the latter writes:--


FRIEDRICH TO ELECTRESS.

"MADAM MY SISTER,--At this moment I receive a Letter from the

Empress of Russia, the contents of which do not appear to me
favorable, Madam, to your hopes. She requires (EXIGE) that I should
instruct my Minister in Poland to act entirely in concert with the
Count Kayserling; and she adds these very words: 'I expect, from
the friendship of your Majesty, that you will not allow a passage
through your territory, nor the entry into Poland, to Saxon troops,
who are to be regarded there absolutely as strangers.'

"Unless your Letters, Madam [Madam had said that she had written to
the Empress, assuring her &c.] change the sentiments of the
Empress, I do not see in what way the Elector could arrive at the
throne of Poland; and consequently, whether I deferred to the
wishes of the Empress in this point, or refused to do so, you would
not the more become Queen; and I might commit myself against a
Power which I ought to keep well with (MENAGER). I am persuaded,
Madam, that your Electoral Highness enters into my embarrassment;
and that, unless you find yourself successful in changing the
Empress's own ideas on this matter, you will not require of me that
I should embroil myself fruitlessly with a neighbor who deserves
the greatest consideration from me.

"All this is one consequence of the course which Count Bruhl
induced his late Polish Majesty to take with regard to the
interests of Prince Karl in Courland; and your Electoral Highness
will remember, that I often represented to you the injury which
would arise to him from it.

"I will wish, Madam, that other opportunities may occur, where it
may be in my power to prove to your Electoral Highness the profound
esteem and consideration with which I am--"--F. [ OEuvres
de Frederic, xxiv. 52.]


ELECTRESS TO FRIEDRICH.

"DRESDEN, 11th November, 1763.

"SIRE,--I am not yet disheartened. I love to flatter myself with
your friendship, Sire, and I will not easily renounce the hope that
you will give me a real mark of it in an affair which interests me
so strongly. Nobody has greater ascendency over the mind of the
Empress of Russia than your Majesty; use it, Sire, to incline it to
our favor. Our obligation will be infinite. ... Why should she be
absolutely against us? What has she to fear from us? The Courland
business, if that sticks with her, could be terminated in a
suitable manner."--Troops into Poland, Sire? "My Husband so little
thinks of sending troops thither, that he has given orders for the
return of those already there. He does not wish the Crown except
from the free suffrages of the Nation: if the Empress absolutely
refuse to help him with her good offices, let her, at least, not be
against him. Do try, Sire." [Ib. xxiv. 53.]--Friedrich answers,
after four days, or by return of post--But we will give the rest in
the form of Dialogue.

FRIEDRICH (after four days). ... "If, Madam, I had Crowns to give
away, I would place the first on your head, as most worthy to bear
it. But I am far from such a position. I have just got out of a
horrible War, which my enemies made upon me with a rage almost
beyond example; I endeavor to cultivate friendship with all my
neighbors, and to get embroiled with nobody. With regard to the
affairs of Poland, an Empress whom I ought to be well with, and to
whom I owe great obligations, requires me to enter into her
measures; you, Madam, whom I would fain please if I could, you want
me to change the sentiments of this Empress. Do but enter into my
embarrassment! ... According to all I hear from Russia, it appears
to me that every resolution is taken there; and that the Empress is
resolved even to sustain the party of her partisans in Poland with
the forces she has all in readiness at the borders. As for me,
Madam, I wish, if possible, not to meddle at all with this
business, which hitherto is not complicated, but which may, any
day, become so by the neighbors of Poland taking a too lively part
in it. Ready, otherwise, on all occasions, to give to your
Electoral Highness proofs of my--" [ OEuvres de Frederic,
xxiv, 54: "Potsdam, 16th November, 1763."]

Electress (after ten days). ... "Why should the Empress be so much
against us? We have not deserved her hatred. On the contrary, we
seek her friendship. She declares, however, that she will uphold
the freedom of the Poles in the election of their King. You, Sire"
--[Ib. xxiv. 55: "Dresden, 26th November, 1763."] But we must cut
short, though it lasts long months after this. Great is the
Electress's persistence,--"My poor Husband being dead, cannot our
poor Boy, cannot his uncle Prince Xavier try? O Sire!" Our last
word shall be this of Friedrich's; actual Election-time now
drawing nigh:--

FRIEDRICH. "I am doing like the dogs who have fought bitterly till
they are worn down: I sit licking my wounds. I notice most European
Powers doing the same; too happy if, whilst Kings are being
manufactured to right and left, public tranquillity is not
disturbed thereby, and if every one may continue to dwell in peace
beside his hearth and his household gods." ["Sans-Souci, 26th June,
1764" (Ib. p. 69).] Adieu, bright Madam.

No reader who has made acquaintance with Polish History can well
doubt but Poland was now dead or moribund, and had well deserved to
die. Anarchies are not permitted in this world. Under fine names,
they are grateful to the Populaces, and to the Editors of
Newspapers; but to the Maker of this Universe they are eternally
abhorrent; and from the beginning have been forbidden to be.
They go their course, applauded or not applauded by self and
neighbors,--for what lengths of time none of us can know; for a
long term sometimes, but always for a fixed term; and at last their
day comes. Poland had got to great lengths, two centuries ago, when
poor John Casimir abdicated his Crown of Poland, after a trial of
twenty years, and took leave of the Republic in that remarkable
SPEECH to the Diet of 1667.

This John is "Casimir V.," last Scion of the Swedish House of
Vasa,--with whom, in the Great Elector's time, we had some slight
acquaintance; and saw at least the three days' beating he got
(Warsaw, 28th-30th July, 1656) from Karl Gustav of Sweden and the
Great Elector, [Supra, v. 284-286.] ancestors respectively of Karl
XII. and of our present Friedrich. He is not "Casimir the Great" of
Polish Kings; but he is, in our day, Casimir the alone Remarkable.
It seems to me I once had IN EXTENSO this Valedictory Speech of
his; but it has lapsed again into the general Mother of Dead Dogs,
and I will not spend a week in fishing for it. The gist of the
Speech, innumerable Books and Dead Dogs tell you, [HISTOIRE DES
TROIS DEMEMBREMENS does, and many others do;--copied in
Biographie Universelle, vii. 278 (? Casimir).] is
"lamentation over the Polish Anarchies" and "a Prophecy," which is
very easily remembered. The poor old Gentleman had no doubt eaten
his peck of dirt among those Polacks, and swallowed chagrins till
he felt his stomach could no more, and determined to have done with
it. To one's fancy, in abridged form, the Valediction must have run
essentially as follows:--

"Magnanimous Polack Gentlemen, you are a glorious Republic, and
have NIE POZWALAM, and strange methods of business, and of behavior
to your Kings and others. We have often fought together, been
beaten together, by our enemies and by ourselves; and at last I,
for my share, have enough of it. I intend for Paris; religious-
literary pursuits, and the society of Ninon de l'Enclos. I wished
to say before going, That according to all record, ancient and
modern, of the ways of God Almighty in this world, there was not
heretofore, nor do I expect there can henceforth be, a Human
Society that would stick together on those terms. Believe me, ye
Polish Chivalries, without superior except in Heaven, if your
glorious Republic continue to be managed in such manner, not good
will come of it, but evil. The day will arrive [this is the
Prophecy, almost IN IPSISSIMIS VERBIS], the day perhaps is not so
far off, when this glorious Republic will get torn into shreds,
hither, thither; be stuffed into the pockets of covetous neighbors,
Brandenburg; Muscovy, Austria; and find itself reduced to zero, and
abolished from the face of the world.

"I speak these words in sorrow of soul; words which probably you
will not believe. Which only Fate can compel you to believe, one
day, if they are true words:--you think, probably, they are not?
Me at least, or interest of mine, they do not regard. I speak them
from the fulness of my heart, and on behest of friendship and
conviction alone; having the honor at this moment to bid you and
your Republic a very long farewell. Good-morning, for the last
time!" and so EXIT: to Rome (had been Cardinal once); to Paris and
the society of Ninon's Circle for the few years left him of life.
["Died 16th December, 1672, age 63."]

This poor John had had his bitter experiences: think only of one
instance. In 1662, the incredible Law of LIBERUM VETO had been
introduced, in spite of John and his endeavors. LIBERUM VETO; the
power of one man to stop the proceedings of Polish Parliament by
pronouncing audibly "NIE POZWALAM, I don't permit!"--never before
or since among mortals was so incredible a Law. Law standing
indisputable, nevertheless, on the Polish Statute-Book for above
two hundred years: like an ever-flowing fountain of Anarchy, joyful
to the Polish Nation. How they got any business done at all, under
such a Law? Truly they did but little; and for the last thirty
years as good as none. But if Polish Parliament was universally in
earnest to do some business, and Veto came upon it, Honorable
Members, I observe, gathered passionately round the vetoing
Brother; conjured, obtested, menaced, wept, prayed; and, if the
case was too urgent and insoluble otherwise, the NIE POZWALAM
Gentleman still obstinate, they plunged their swords through him,
and in that way brought consent. The commoner course was to
dissolve and go home again, in a tempest of shrieks and curses.

The Right of Confederation, too, is very curious: do readers know
it? A free Polack gentleman, aggrieved by anything that has
occurred or been enacted in his Nation, has the right of swearing,
whether absolutely by himself I know not, but certainly with two or
three others of like mind, that he will not accept said occurrence
or enactment, and is hereby got into arms against its abettors and
it. The brightest jewel in the cestus of Polish Liberty is this
right of confederating; and it has been, till of late, and will be
now again practised to all lengths: right of every Polish,
gentleman to confederate with every other against, or for,
whatsoever to them two may seem good; and to assert their
particular view of the case by fighting for it against all comers,
King and Diet included. It must be owned, there never was in Nature
such a Form of Government before; such a mode of social existence,
rendering "government" impossible for some generations past.

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