Not that his Majesty, while at the deepest in domestic intricacies,
ever neglects Public Business. This very summer he is raising Hussar
Squadrons; bent to introduce the Hussar kind of soldiery into his
Army;--a good deal of horse-breaking and new sabre-exercise needed for
that object. [Fassmann, pp. 417, 418.] The affairs of the Reich have at
no moment been out of his eye; glad to see the Kaiser edging round to
the Sea-Powers again, and things coming into their old posture, in spite
of that sad Treaty of Seville.
Nay, for the last two years, while the domestic volcanoes were at their
worst, his Majesty has been extensively dealing with a new question
which has risen, that of the SALZBURG PROTESTANTS; concerning which we
shall hear more anon. Far and wide, in the Diets and elsewhere, he has
been diligently, piously and with solid judgment, handling this question
of the poor Salzburgers; and has even stored up moneys in intended
solace of them (for he foresees what the end will be);--moneys which,
it appears about this time, a certain Official over in Preussen has been
peculating! In the end of June, his Majesty sets off to Preussen on
the usual Inspection Tour; which we should not mention, were it not in
regard to that same Official, and to something very rhadamanthine and
particular which befell him; significant of what his Majesty can do in
the way of prompt justice.
CASE OF SCHLUBHUT.
The Konigsberg Domain-Board (KRIEGS-UND DOMANEN-KAMMER) had fallen awry,
in various points, of late; several things known to be out-at-elbows in
that Country; the Kammer Raths evidently lax at their post; for which
reason they have been sharply questioned, and shaken by the collar, so
to speak. Nay there is one Rath, a so-called Nobleman of those parts, by
name Schlubhut, who has been found actually defaulting; peculating
from that pious hoard intended for the Salzburgers: he is proved, and
confesses, to have put into his own scandalous purse no less than 11,000
thalers, some say 30,000 (almost 5,000 pounds), which belonged to the
Public Treasury and the Salzburg Protestants! These things, especially
this latter unheard-of Schlubhut thing, the Supreme Court at Berlin
(CRIMINAL-COLLEGIUM) have been sitting on, for some time; and, in regard
to Schlubhut, they have brought out a result, which Friedrich Wilhelm
not a little admires at. Schlubhut clearly guilty of the defamation, say
they; but he has moneys, landed properties: let him refund, principal
and interest; and have, say, three or four years' imprisonment, by
way of memento. "Years' imprisonment? Refund? Is theft in the highest
quarters a thing to be let off for refunding?" growls his Majesty; and
will not confirm this sentence of his Criminal-Collegium; but leaves it
till he get to the spot, and see with his own eyes. Schlubhut, in arrest
or mild confinement all this while, ought to be bethinking himself more
than he is!
Once on the spot, judge if the Konigsberg Domain-Kammer had not a stiff
muster to pass; especially if Schlubhut's drill-exercise was gentle!
Schlubhut, summoned to private interview with his Majesty, carries his
head higher than could be looked for: Is very sorry; knows not how it
happened; meant always to refund; will refund, to the last penny, and
make all good.--"Refund? Does He (ER) know what stealing means, then?
How the commonest convicted private thief finds the gallows his portion;
much more a public Magistrate convicted of theft? Is He aware that He,
in a very especial manner, deserves hanging, then?"--Schlubhut looks
offended dignity; conscious of rank, if also of quasi-theft: "ES IST
NICHT MANIER (it is not the polite thing) to hang a Prussian Nobleman on
those light terms!" answers Schlubhut, high mannered at the wrong time:
"I can and will pay the money back!"--NOBLE-man? Money back? "I will
none of His scoundrelly money." To strait Prison with this SCHURKE!--And
thither he goes accordingly: unhappiest of mortals; to be conscious of
rank, not at the right place, when about to steal the money, but at the
wrong, when answering to Rhadamanthus on it!
And there, sure enough, Schlubhut lies, in his prison on the
SCHLOSSPLATZ, or Castle Square, of Konigsberg, all night; and hears,
close by the DOMANEN-KAMMER, which is in the same Square, DOMANEN-KAMMER
where his Office used to be, a terrible sound of carpentering go
on;--unhappiest of Prussian Noblemen. And in the morning, see, a high
gallows built; close in upon the Domain-Kammer, looking into the very
windows of it;--and there, sure enough, the unfortunate Schlubhut dies
the thief's death, few hours hence, speaking or thinking what, no man
reports to me. Death was certain for him; inevitable as fate. And so he
vibrates there, admonitory to the other Raths for days,--some say for
weeks,--till by humble petition they got the gallows removed. The
stumps of it, sawed close by the stones, were long after visible in that
Schlossplatz of Konigsberg. Here is prompt justice with a witness! Did
readers ever hear of such a thing? There is no doubt about the fact,
[Benekendorf (Anonymous), _Karakterzuge aus dem Leben Konig Friedrich
Wilhelm I._ (Berlin, 1788), vii. 15-20; Forster (ii. 268), &c. &c.]
though in all Prussian Books it is loosely smeared over, without the
least precision of detail; and it was not till after long searching
that I could so much as get it dated: July, 1731, while Friedrich
Crown-Prince is still in eclipse at Custrin, and some six weeks after
Wilhelmina's betrothal. And here furthermore, direct from the then
Schlubhut precincts, is a stray Note, meteorological chiefly; but worth
picking up, since it is authentic. "Wehlau," we observe, is on the road
homewards again,--on our return from uttermost Memel,--a day's journey
hitherwards of that place, half a day's thitherwards of Konigsberg:--
"TUESDAY, 10th JULY, 1731. King dining with General Dockum at
Wehlau,"--where he had been again reviewing, for about forty hours, all
manner of regiments brought to rendezvous there for the purpose, poor
"General Katte with his regiment" among them;--King at dinner with
General Dockum after all that, "took the resolution to be off to
Konigsberg; and arrived here at the stroke of midnight, in a deluge of
rain." This brings us within a day, or two days, of Schlubhut's death,
Terrible "combat of Bisons (URI, or AUEROCHSEN, with such manes, such
heads), of two wild Bisons against six wild Bears," then ensued; and the
Schlubhut human tragedy; I know not in what sequence,--rather conjecture
the Schlubhut had gone FIRST. Pillau, road to Dantzig, on the narrow
strip between the Frische Haf and Baltic, is the next stage homewards;
at Pillau, General Finkenstein (excellent old Tutor of the Crown-Prince)
is Commandant, and expects his rapid Majesty, day and hour given, to
me not known, Majesty goes in three carriages; Old Dessauer, Grumkow,
Seckendorf, Ginkel are among his suite; weather still very electric:--
"At Fischhausen, half-way to Pillau, Majesty had a bout of elk-hunting;
killed sixty elks [Melton-Mowbray may consider it],--creatures of the
deer sort, nimble as roes, but strong as bulls, and four palms higher
than the biggest horse,--to the astonishment of Seckendorf, Ginkel and
the strangers there. Half an hour short of Pillau, furious electricity
again; thunder-bolt shivered an oak-tree fifteen yards from Majesty's
carriage. And at Pillau itself, the Battalion in Garrison there, drawn
out in arms, by Count Finkenstein, to receive his Majesty [rain over
by this time, we can hope], had suddenly to rush forward and take new
ground; Frische Haf, on some pressure from the elements, having suddenly
gushed out, two hundred paces beyond its old watermark in that place."
[See Mauvillon, ii. 293-297;--CORRECTING by Fassmann, p. 422.]
Pillau, Fischhausen,--this is where the excellent old Adalbert stamped
the earth with his life "in the shape of a crucifix" eight hundred years
ago: and these are the new phenomena there!--The General Dockum, Colonel
of Dragoons, whom his Majesty dined with at Wehlau, got his death not
many months after. One of Dockum's Dragoon Lieutenants felt insulted at
something, and demanded his discharge: discharge given, he challenged
Dockum, duel of pistols, and shot him dead. [7th April, 1732
(_Militair-Lexikon,_ i. 365).] Nothing more to be said of Dockum, nor of
that Lieutenant, in military annals.
CASE OF THE CRIMINAL-COLLEGIUM ITSELF.
And thus was the error of the Criminal-Collegium rectified IN RE
Schlubhut. For it is not in name only, but in fact, that this Sovereign
is Supreme Judge, and bears the sword in God's stead,--interfering
now and then, when need is, in this terrible manner. In the same dim
authentic Benekendorf (himself a member of the Criminal-Collegium
in later times), and from him in all the Books, is recorded another
interference somewhat in the comic vein; which also we may give.
Undisputed fact, again totally without precision or details; not even
datable, except that, on study, we perceive it may have been before this
Schlubhut's execution, and after the Criminal-Collegium had committed
their error about him,--must have been while this of Schlubhut was still
vividly in mind; Here is the unprecise but indubitable fact, as the
Prussian Dryasdust has left us his smear of it:--
"One morning early" (might be before Schlubhut was hanged, and while
only sentence of imprisonment and restitution lay on him), General Graf
von Donhof, Colonel of a Musketeer Regiment, favorite old soldier,--who
did vote on the mild side in that Court-Martial on the Crown-Prince
lately; but I hope has been forgiven by his Majesty, being much esteemed
by him these long years past;--this Donhof, early one morning, calls
upon the King, with a grimly lamenting air. "What is wrong, Herr
General?"--"Your Majesty, my best musketeer, an excellent soldier, and
of good inches, fell into a mistake lately,--bad company getting round
the poor fellow; they, he among them, slipt into a house and stole
something; trifle and without violence: pay is but three halfpence, your
Majesty, and the Devil tempts men! Well, the Criminal-Collegium have
condemned him to be hanged; an excellent soldier and of good inches,
for that one fault. Nobleman Schlubhut was 'to make restitution,' they
decreed: that was their decree on Schlubhut, one of their own set; and
this poor soldier, six feet three, your Majesty, is to dance on the top
of nothing for a three-halfpenny matter!"--So would Donhof represent
the thing,--"fact being," says my Dryasdust, "it was a case of
house-breaking with theft to the value of 6,000 thalers and this
musketeer the ringleader!"--Well; but was Schlubhut sentenced
to hanging? Do you keep two weights and two measures, in that
Criminal-Collegium of yours, then?
Friedrich Wilhelm feels this sad contrast very much; the more, as the
soldier is his own chattel withal, and of superlative inches: Friedrich
Wilhelm flames up into wrath; sends off swift messengers to bring these
Judges, one and all instantly into his presence. The Judges are still in
their dressing-gowns, shaving, breakfasting; they make what haste
they can. So soon as the first three or four are reported to be in the
anteroom, Friedrich Wilhelm, in extreme impatience has them called in;
starts discoursing with them upon the two weights and two measures.
Apologies, subterfuges do but provoke him farther; it is not long till
he starts up, growling terribly: "IHR SCHURKEN (Ye Scoundrels), how
could you?" and smites down upon the crowns of them with the Royal
Cudgel itself. Fancy the hurry-scurry, the unforensic attitudes and
pleadings! Royal Cudgel rains blows, right and left: blood is drawn,
crowns cracked, crowns nearly broken; and "several Judges lost a few
teeth, and had their noses battered," before they could get out. The
second relay meeting them in this dilapidated state, on the staircases,
dashed home again without the honor of a Royal interview. [Benekendorf,
vii. 33; Forster, ii. 270.] Let them learn to keep one balance, and
one set of weights, in their Law-Court hence forth.--This is an actual
scene, of date Berlin, 1731, or thereby; unusual in the annals of
Themis. Of which no constitutional country can hope to see the fellow,
were the need never so pressing.--I wish his Majesty had been a thought
more equal, when he was so rhadamanthine! Schlubhut he hanged, Schlubhut
being only Schlubhut's chattel; this musketeer, his Majesty's own
chattel, he did not hang, but set him shouldering arms again, after some
preliminary dusting!--
His Majesty was always excessively severe on defalcations; any
Chancellor, with his Exchequer-bills gone wrong, would have fared ill
in that country. One Treasury dignitary, named Wilke (who had "dealt in
tall recruits," as a kind of by-trade, and played foul in some slight
measure), the King was clear for hanging; his poor Wife galloped to
Potsdam, shrieking mercy; upon which Friedrich Wilhelm had him whipt by
the hangman, and stuck for life into Spandau. Still more tragical--was
poor Hesse's case. Hesse, some domain Rath out at Konigsberg, concerned
with moneys, was found with account-books in a state of confusion,
and several thousands short, when the outcome was cleared up. What has
become of these thousands, Sir? Poor old Hesse could not tell: "God is
my witness, no penny of them eyer stuck to me," asseverated poor
old Hesse; "but where they are--? My account-books are in such a
state;--alas, and my poor old memory is not what it was!" They brought
him to Berlin; in the end they actually hanged the poor old soul;--and
then afterwards in his dusty lumber-rooms, hidden in pots, stuffed into
this nook and that, most or all of the money was found! [Forster (ii.
269), &c. &c.] Date and document exist for all these cases, though my
Dryasdust gives none; and the cases are indubitable; very rhadamanthine
indeed. The soft quality of mercy,--ah, yes, it is beautiful and
blessed, when permissible (though thrice-accursed, when not): but it is
on the hard quality of justice, first of all, that Empires are built up,
and beneficent and lasting things become achievable to mankind, in this
world!--
SKIPPER JENKINS IN THE GULF OF FLORIDA.
A couple of weeks before Schlubhut's death, the English Newspapers are
somewhat astir,--in the way of narrative merely, as yet. Ship Rebecca,
Captain Robert Jenkins Master, has arrived in the Port of London, with
a strange story in her log-book. Of which, after due sifting, this is
accurately the substance:--
"LONDON, 23d-27th JUNE, 1731. Captain Jenkins left this Port with the
Rebecca, several months ago; sailed to Jamaica, for a cargo of sugar.
He took in his cargo at Jamaica; put to sea again, 6th April, 1731, and
proceeded on the Voyage homewards; with indifferent winds for the first
fortnight. April 20th, with no wind or none that would suit, he was
hanging about in the entrance of the Gulf of Florida, not far from
the Havana,"--almost too near it, I should think; but these baffling
winds!--"not far from the Havana, when a Spanish Guarda-Costa hove in
sight; came down on Jenkins, and furiously boarded him: 'Scoundrel,
what do YOU want; contrabanding in these seas? Jamaica, say you? Sugar?
Likely! Let us see your logwood, hides, Spanish pieces-of-eight!' And
broke in upon Jenkins, ship and person, in a most extraordinary
manner. Tore up his hatches; plunged down, seeking logwood, hides,
pieces-of-eight; found none,--not the least trace of contraband on board
of Jenkins. They brought up his quadrants, sextants, however; likewise
his stock of tallow candles: they shook and rummaged him, and all
things, for pieces-of-eight; furiously advised him, cutlass in hand,
to confess guilt. They slashed the head of Jenkins, his left ear almost
off. Order had been given, 'Scalp him!'--but as he had no hair, they
omitted that; merely brought away the wig, and slashed:--still
no confession, nor any pieces-of-eight. They hung him up to the
yard-arm,--actual neck-halter, but it seems to have been tarry, and
did not run:--still no confession. They hoisted him higher, tied his
cabin-boy to his feet; neck-halter then became awfully stringent upon
Jenkins; had not the cabin-boy (without head to speak of) slipt through,
noose being tarry; which was a sensible relief to Jenkins. Before very
death, they lowered Jenkins, 'Confess, scoundrel, then!' Scoundrel could
not confess; spoke of 'British Majesty's flag, peaceable English subject
on the high seas.'--'British Majesty; high seas!' answered they, and
again hoisted. Thrice over they tried Jenkins in this manner at the
yard-arm, once with cabin-boy at his feet: never had man such a day,
outrageous whiskerando cut-throats tossing him about, his poor Rebecca
and him, at such rate! Sun getting low, and not the least trace of
contraband found, they made a last assault on Jenkins; clutched the
bloody slit ear of him; tore it mercilessly off; flung it in his face,
'Carry that to your King, and tell him of it!' Then went their way;
taking Jenkins's tallow candles, and the best of his sextants with
them; so that he could hardly work his passage home again, for want of
latitudes;--and has lost in goods 112 pounds, not to speak of his ear.
Strictly true all this; ship's company, if required, will testify on
their oath." [Daily Journal (and the other London Newspapers), 12th-17th
June (o.s.), 1731. Coxe's _Walpole,_ i. 579, 560 (indistinct, and
needing correction).]
These surely are singular facts; calculated to awaken a maritime public
careful of its honor. Which they did,--after about eight years, as
the reader will see! For the present, there are growlings in the
coffee-houses; and, "THURSDAY, 28th JUNE," say the Newspapers, "This day
Captain Jenkins with his Owners," ear in his pocket, I hope, "went
out to Hampton Court to lay the matter before his Grace of Newcastle:"
"Please your Grace, it is hardly three months since the illustrious
Treaty of Vienna was signed; Dutch and we leading in the Termagant of
Spain, and nothing but halcyon weather to be looked for on that side!"
Grace of Newcastle, anxious to avoid trouble with Spain, answers I can
only fancy what; and nothing was done upon Jenkins and his ear;
["The Spaniards own they did a witty thing,
Who cropt our ears, and sent them to the King."
--POPE (date not given me).]
--may "keep it in cotton," if he like; shall have "a better ship"
for some solacement. This is the first emergence of Jenkins and his
ear upon negligent mankind. He and it will marvellously re-emerge, one
day!--
BABY CARLOS GETS HIS APANAGE.
But in regard to that Treaty of Vienna, seventh and last of the
travail-throes for Baby Carlos's Apanage, let the too oblivious reader
accept the following Extract, to keep him on a level with Public
"Events," as they are pleased to denominate themselves:--
"By that dreadful Treaty of Seville, Cardinal Fleury and the Spaniards
should have joined with England, and coerced the Kaiser VI ET ARMIS to
admit Spanish Garrisons [instead of neutral] into Parma and Piacenza,
and so secure Baby Carlos his heritage there, which all Nature was
in travail till he got. 'War in Italy to a certainty!' said all the
Newspapers, after Seville: and Crown-Prince Friedrich, we saw, was
running off to have a stroke in said War;--inevitable, as the Kaiser
still obstinately refused. And the English, and great George their King,
were ready. Nevertheless, no War came. Old Fleury, not wanting war,
wanting only to fish out something useful for himself,--Lorraine how
welcome, and indeed the smallest contributions are welcome!--Old Fleury
manoeuvred, hung back; till the Spaniards and Termagant Elizabeth lost
all patience, and the very English were weary, and getting auspicious.
Whereupon the Kaiser edged round to the Sea-Powers again, or they to
him; and comfortable AS-YOU-WERE was got accomplished: much to the joy
of Friedrich Wilhelm and others. Here are some of the dates to these
sublime phenomena:
"MARCH 16th, 1731, Treaty of Vienna, England and the Kaiser coalescing
again into comfortable AS-YOU-WERE. Treaty done by Robinson [Sir
Thomas, ultimately Earl of Grantham, whom we shall often hear of in time
coming]; was confirmed and enlarged by a kind of second edition, 22d
July, 1731; Dutch joining, Spain itself acceding, and all being now
right. Which could hardly have been expected.
"For before the first edition of that Treaty, and while Robinson at
Vienna was still laboring like Hercules in it,--the poor Duke of Parma
died. Died; and no vestige of a 'Spanish Garrison' yet there, to induct
Baby Carlos according to old bargain. On the contrary, the Kaiser
himself took possession,--'till once the Duke's Widow, who declares
herself in the family-way, be brought to bed! If of a Son, of course
he must have the Duchies; if of a Daughter only, then Carlos SHALL get
them, let not Robinson fear.' The due months ran, but neither son nor
daughter came; and the Treaty of Vienna, first edition and also second,
was signed; and, "OCTOBER 20th, 1731, Spanish Garrisons, no longer an
but a bodily fact, 6,000 strong, 'convoyed by the British Fleet,' came
into Leghorn, and proceeded to lodge themselves in the long-litigated
Parma and Piacenza;--and, in fine, the day after Christmas, blessed be
Heaven.
"DECEMBER 26th, Baby Carlos in highest person came in: Baby Carlos (more
power to him!) got the Duchies, and we hope there was an end. No young
gentleman ever had such a pother to make among his fellow-creatures
about a little heritable property. If Baby Carlos's performance in it be
anything in proportion, he will be a supereminent sovereign!--
"There is still some haggle about Tuscany, the Duke of which is old and
heirless; Last of the Medici, as he proved. Baby Carlos would much like
to have Tuscany too; but that is a Fief of the Empire, and might easily
be better disposed of, thinks the Kaiser. A more or less uncertain
point, that of Tuscany; as many points are! Last of the Medici
complained, in a polite manner, that they were parting his clothes
before he had put them off: however, having no strength, he did not
attempt resistance, but politely composed himself, 'Well, then!'
[Scholl, ii. 219-221; Coxe's _Walpole,_ i. 346; Coxe's _House of
Austria_ (London, 1854), iii. 151.] Do readers need to be informed that
this same Baby Carlos came to be King of Naples, and even ultimately
to be Carlos III. of Spain, leaving a younger Son to be King of Naples,
ancestor of the now Majesty there?"
And thus, after such Diplomatic earthquakes and travail of Nature, there
is at last birth; the Seventh Travail-throe has been successful, in
some measure successful. Here actually is Baby Carlos's Apanage; there
probably, by favor of Heaven and of the Sea-Powers, will the Kaiser's
Pragmatic Sanction be, one day. Treaty of Seville, most imminent of
all those dreadful Imminencies of War, has passed off as they all did;
peaceably adjusts itself into Treaty of Vienna: A Termagant, as it were,
sated; a Kaiser hopeful to be so, Pragmatic Sanction and all: for the
Sea-Powers and everybody mere halcyon weather henceforth,--not extending
to the Gulf of Florida and Captain Jenkins, as would seem! Robinson, who
did the thing,--an expert man, bred to business as old Horace Walpole's
Secretary, at Soissons and elsewhere, and now come to act on his own
score,--regards this Treaty of Vienna (which indeed had its multiform
difficulties) as a thing to immortalize a man.
Crown-Prince has, long since, by Papa's order, written to the Kaiser,
to thank Imperial Majesty for that beneficent intercession, which has
proved the saving of his life, as Papa inculcates. We must now see a
little how the saved Crown-Prince is getting on, in his eclipsed state,
among the Domain Sciences at Custrin.