On the day when Friedrich, overhung by the grim winter Mountains, was
approaching Glatz, same day when Segur was evacuating Linz on those sad
terms, that is, on the 24th day of January, 1742,--two Gentlemen were
galloping their best in the Frankfurt-Mannheim regions; bearing what
they reckoned glad tidings towards Mannheim and Karl Albert; who is
there "on a visit" (for good reasons), after his triumphs at Prag and
elsewhere. The hindmost of the two Gentlemen is an Official of rank
(little conscious that he is preceded by a rival in message-bearing);
Official Gentleman, despatched by the Diet of Frankfurt to inform Karl
Albert, That he now is actually Kaiser of the Holy Romish Empire; votes,
by aid of Heaven and Belleisle, having all fallen in his favor.
Gallop, therefore, my Official Gentleman:--alas, another Gentleman,
Non-official, knowing how it would turn, already sat booted and saddled,
a good space beyond the walls of Frankfurt, waiting till the cannon
should fire; at the first burst of cannon, he (cunning dog) gives his
horse the spur; and is miles ahead of the toiling Official Gentleman,
all the way. [Adelung, iii. A, 52.]
In the dreary mass of long-winded ceremonial nothingnesses, and
intricate Belleisle cobwebberies, we seize this one poor speck of
human foolery in the native state, as almost the memorablest in that
stupendous business. Stupendous indeed; with which all Germany has been
in travail these sixteen months, on such terms! And in verity has got
the thing called "German Kaiser" constituted, better or worse. Heavens,
was a Nation ever so bespun by gossamer; enchanted into paralysis, by
mountains of extinct tradition, and the want of power to annihilate
rubbish! There are glittering threads of the finest Belleisle
diplomacy, which seem to go beyond the Dog-star, and to be radiant, and
irradiative, like paths of the gods: and they are, seem what they might,
poor threads of idle gossamer, sunk already to dusty cobweb, unpleasant
to poor human nature; poor human nature concerned only to get them
well swept into the fire. The quantities of which sad litter, in this
Universe, are very great!--
Karl Albert, now at the top-gallant of his hopes: homaged Archduke of
Upper Austria, homaged King of Bohemia, declared Kaiser of the German
Nation,--is the highest-titled mortal going: and, poor soul, it is
tragical, once more, to think what the reality of it was for him.
Ejection from house and home; into difficulty, poverty, despair; life in
furnished lodgings, which he could not pay;--and at last heart-break,
no refuge for him but in the grave. All which is mercifully hidden at
present; so that he seems to himself a man at the top-gallant of his
wishes; and lives pleasantly, among his friends, with a halo round his
head to his own foolish sense and theirs.
"Karl Albert, Kurfurst of Baiern [lazy readers ought to be reminded],
whose achievements will concern us to an unpleasant extent, for some
years, is now a lean man of forty-five; lean, erect, and of middle
stature; a Prince of distinguished look, they say; of elegant manners,
and of fair extent of accomplishment, as Princes go. His experiences in
this world, and sudden ups and downs, have been and will be many. Note a
few particulars of them; the minimum of what are indispensable here.
"English readers know a Maximilian Kurfurst of Baiern, who took into
French courses in the great Spanish-Succession War; the Anti-Marlborough
Maximilian, who was quite ruined out by the Battle of Blenheim; put
under Ban of the Empire, and reduced to depend on Louis XIV. for a
living,--till times mended with him again; till, after the Peace of
Utrecht, he got reinstated in his Territories; and lived a dozen years
more, in some comparative comfort, though much sunk in debt. Well, our
Karl Albert is the son of that Anti-Marlborough Kurfurst Maximilian;
eldest surviving son; a daughter of the great Sobieski of Poland was his
mother. Nay, he is great-grandson of another still more distinguished
Maximilian, him of the Thirty-Years War,--(who took the Jesuits to his
very heart, and let loose Ate on his poor Country for the sake of them,
in a determined manner; and was the First of all the Bavarian KURFURSTS,
mere Dukes till then; having got for himself the poor Winter-King's
Electorship, or split it into two as ultimately settled, out of that bad
Business),--great-grandson, we say, of that forcible questionable First
Kurfurst Max; and descends from Kaiser Ludwig, 'Ludwig the BAIER,' if
that is much advantage to him.
"In his young time he had a hard upcoming; seven years old at the Battle
of Blenheim, and Papa living abroad under Louis XIV.'s shelter, the poor
Boy was taken charge of by the victorious Austrian Kaisers, and brought
up in remote Austrian Towns, as a young 'Graf von Wittelsbach'
(nothing but his family name left him), mere Graf and private nobleman
henceforth. However, fortune took the turn we know, and he became Prince
again; nothing the worse for this Spartan part of his breeding. He made
the Grand Tour, Italy, France, perhaps more than once; saw, felt, and
tasted; served slightly, at a Siege of Belgrade (one of the many Sieges
of Belgrade);--wedded, in 1722, a Daughter of the late Kaiser Joseph's,
niece of the late Kaiser Karl's, cousin of Maria Theresa's; making the
due 'renunciations,' as was thought; and has been Kurfurst himself
for the last fourteen Years, ever since 1726, when his Father died. A
thrifty Kurfurst, they say, or at least has occasionally tried to be
so, conscious of the load of debts left on him; fond of pomps withal,
extremely polite, given to Devotion and to BILLETS-DOUX; of gracious
address, generous temper (if he had the means), and great skill in
speaking languages. Likes hunting a little,--likes several things, we
see!--has lived tolerably with his Wife and children; tolerably with
his Neighbors (though sour upon the late Kaiser now and then); and is
an ornament to Munchen, and well liked by the population there. A
lean, elegaut, middle-sized gentleman; descended direct from Ludwig the
ancient Kaiser; from Maximilian the First Kurfurst, who walked by the
light of Father Lammerlein (LAMBKIN) and Company, thinking IT light from
Heaven; and lastly is son of Maximilian the Third Kurfurst, whom learned
English readers know as the Anti-Marlborough one, ruined out by the
Battle of Blenheim.
"His most important transaction hitherto has been the marriage with
Kaiser Joseph's Daughter;--of which, in Pollnitz somewhere, there is
sublime account; forgettable, all except the date (Vienna, 5th October,
1722), if by chance that should concern anybody. Karl Albert (KURPRINZ,
Electoral Prince or Heir-Apparent, at that time) made free renunciation
of all right to Austrian Inheritances, in such terms as pleased Karl
VI., the then Kaiser; the due complete 'renunciations' of inheriting in
Austria; and it was hoped he would at once sign the Pragmatic Sanction,
when published; but he has steadily refused to do so; 'I renounced for
my Wife,' says Kurfurst Karl, 'and will never claim an inch of Austrian
land on her account; but my own right, derived from Kaiser Ferdinand of
blessed memory, who was Father of my Great-grandmother, I did not, do
not, never will renounce; and I appeal to HIS Pragmatic Sanction, the
much older and alone valid one, according to which, it is not you, it is
I that am the real and sole Heir of Austria.'
"This he says, and has steadily said or meant: 'It is I that am to be
King of Bohemia; I that shall and will inherit all your Austrias, Upper,
Under, your Swabian Brisgau or Hither Austria, and what of the Tyrol
remained wanting to me. Your Archduchess will have Hungary, the
Styrian-Carinthian Territories; Florence, I suppose, and the Italian
ones. What is hers by right I will be one of those that defend for her;
what is not hers, but mine, I will defend against her, to the best of
my ability!' This was privately, what it is now publicly, his argument;
from which he never would depart; refusing always to accept Kaiser
Karl's new Pragmatic Sanction; getting Saxony (who likewise had a
Ferdinand great-grandmother) to refuse,--till Polish Election compelled
poor Saxony, for a time. Karl Albert had likewise secretly, in past
years, got his abstruse old Cousin of the Pfalz (who mended the
Heidelberg Tun) to back him in a Treaty; nay, still better, still more
secretly, had got France itself to promise eventual hacking:--and, on
the whole, lived generally on rather bad terms with the late Kaiser
Karl, his Wife's Uncle; any reconciliation they had proving always
of temporary nature. In the Rhenish War (1734), Karl Albert, far from
assisting the Kaiser, raised large forces of his own; kept drilling
them, in four or three camps, in an alarming manner; and would not even
send his Reich's Contingent (small body of 3,000 he is by law bound
to send), till he perceived the War was just expiring. He was in angry
controversy with the Kaiser, claiming debts,--debts contracted in the
last generation, and debts going back to the Thirty-Years War, amounting
to hundreds of millions,--when the poor Kaiser died; refusing payment to
the last, nay claiming lands left HIM, he says, by Margaret Mouthpoke:
[Michaelis, ii. 260; Buchholz, ii. 9; Hormayr, _Anemonen,_ ii. 182;
&c.] 'Cannot pay your Serene Highness (having no money); and would not,
if I could!' Leaving Karl Albert to protest to the uttermost;"--which,
as we ourselves saw in Vienna, he at once honorably did.
Karl Albert's subsequent history is known to readers; except the
following small circumstance, which occurred in his late transit,
flight, or whatever we may call it, to Mannheim, and is pleasantly made
notable to us by Wilhelmina. "His Highness on the way from Munchen,"
intimates our Princess, "passed through Baireuth in a very bad
post-chaise." This, as we elsewhere pick out, was on January 16th; Karl
Albert in post-haste for the marriage-ceremony, which takes place at
Mannheim to-morrow. [Adelung, iii. A, 51.] "My Margraf, accidentally
hearing, galloped after him, came up with him about fifteen miles away:
they embraced, talked half an hour; very content, both." [Wilhelmina,
ii. 334.]
And eight days afterwards, 24th January, 1742, busy Belleisle (how busy
for this year past, since we saw him in the OEil-de-Boeuf!) gets him
elected Kaiser;--and Segur, in the self-same hours, is packing out
of Linz; and one's Donau "Conquests," not to say one's Munchen, one's
Baiern itself, are in a fine way! The marriage-ceremony, witnessed on
the 17th, was one of the sublimest for Kur-Pfalz and kindred; and it too
had secretly a touch of tragedy in it for the Poor Karl Albert. A double
marriage: Two young Princesses, Grand-daughters, priceless Heiresses,
to old Kur-Pfalz; married, one of them to Duke Clement of Baiern, Karl
Albert's nephew, which is well enough: but married, the other and elder
of them, to Theodor of Deux-Ponts, who will one day--could we pierce the
merciful veil--be Kurfurst of Baiern, and succeed our own childless Son!
[Michaelis, ii. 265.]
"Kaiser Karl VII.," such the style he took, is to be crowned February
12th; makes sublime Public Entry into Frankfurt, with that view,
January 31st;--both ceremonies splendid to a wonder, in spite of finance
considerations. Which circumstance should little concern us, were it
not that Wilhelmina, hearing the great news (though in a dim ill-dated
state), decided to be there and see; did go;--and has recorded her
experiences there, in a shrill human manner. Wishful to see our
fellow-creatures (especially if bound to look at them), even when they
are fallen phantasmal, and to make persons of them again, we will give
this Piece; sorry that it is the last we have of that fine hand. How
welcome, in the murky puddle of Dryasdust, is any glimpse by a lively
glib Wilhelmina, which we can discern to be human! Hear what Wilhelmina
says (in a very condensed form):--
WILHELMINA AT THE CORONATION.
Wilhelmina, in the end of January, 1742,--Karl Albert having shot
past, one day lately, in a bad post-chaise, and kindled the thought
in her,--resolved to go and see him crowned at Frankfurt, by way of
pleasure-excursion. We will, struggling to be briefer, speak in her
person; and indicate withal where the very words are hers, and where
ours.
The Marwitz, elder Marwitz, her poor father being wounded at Mollwitz,
[_Militair-Lexikon,_ iii. 23; and _Preussische Adels-Lexikon,_ iii.
365.] had gone to Berlin to nurse him; but she returned just now,--not
much to my joy; I being, with some cause, jealous of that foolish minx.
The Duchess Dowager of Wurtemberg also came, sorrow on her; a foolish
talking woman, always cutting jokes, making eyes, giggling and
coquetting; "HAS some wit and manner, but wearies you at last: her
charms, now on the decline, were never so considerable as rumor said; in
the long-run she bores you with her French gayeties and sprightliness:
her character for gallantry is too notorious. She quite corrupted
Marwitz, in this and a subsequent visit; turned the poor girl's head
into a French whirligig, and undermined any little moral principle she
had. She was on the road to Berlin,"--of which anon, for it is not quite
nothing to us;--"but she was in no hurry, and would right willingly have
gone with us." And it required all our female diplomacy to get her
under way again, and fairly out of our course. January 28th, SHE off to
Berlin; WE, same day, to Frankfurt-on-Mayn. [Wilhelmina, ii. 334; see
pp. 335, 338, 347, &c. for the other salient points that follow.]
Coronation was to have been (or we Country-folk thought it was), January
31st: Let us be there INCOGNITO, the night before; see it, and return
the day after. That was our plan. Bad roads, waters all out; we had to
go night and day;--reached the gates of Frankfurt, 30th January late.
Berghover, our Legationsrath there, says we are known everywhere;
Coronation is not to be till February 12th! I was fatigued to death, a
bad cold on me, too: we turned back to the last Village; stayed there
overnight. Back again to Berghover, in secret (A LA SOURDINE), next
night; will see the Public Entry of Karl Albert, which is to be
to-morrow (not quite, my Princess; January 31st for certain, [Adelung,
iii. A, 63; &c. &c.] did one the least care). "It was a very grand thing
indeed (DES PLUS SUPERBES); but I will not stop describing it. Masked
ball that night; where I had much amusement, tormenting the masks; not
being known to anybody. We next day retired to a small private
House, which Berghover had got for us, out of Town, for fear of
being discovered; and lodged there, waiting February 12th, under
difficulties."
The weather was bitterly cold; we had brought no clothes; my dames and
I nothing earthly but a black ANDRIENNE each (whatever that may be),
to spare bulk of luggage: strictest incognito was indispensable.
The Marwitzes, for giggling, raillery, French airs, and absolute
impertinence, were intolerable, in that solitary place. We return to
Frankfurt again; have balls and theatres, at least: "of these latter I
missed none. One evening, my head-dress got accidentally shoved awry,
and exposed my face for a moment; Prince George of Hessen-Cassel,
who was looking that way, recognized me; told the Prince of Orange of
it;--they are in our box, next minute!"
Prince George of Hessen-Cassel, did readers ever hear of him before?
Transiently perhaps, in Friedrich's LETTERS TO HIS FATHER; but have
forgotten him again; can know him only as the outline of a shadow. A
fat solid military man of fifty; junior Brother of that solid WILHELM,
Vice-regent and virtual "Landgraf of Hessen"--(VICE an elder and eldest
Brother, FRIEDRICH, the now Majesty of Sweden, who is actual Hereditary
Landgraf, but being old, childless, idle, takes no hold of it, and quite
leaves it to Wilhelm),--of whom English readers may have heard, and will
hear. For it is Wilhelm that hires us those "subsidized 6,000," who go
blaring about on English pay (Prince George merely Commandant of them);
and Wilhelm, furthermore, has wedded his Heir-Apparent to an English
Princess lately; [Princess Mary (age only about seventeen), 28th June,
1740; Prince's name was Friedrich (became Catholic, 1749; WIFE made
family-manager in Consequence, &c. &c.).] which also (as the poor young
fellow became Papist by and by) costs certain English people, among
others, a good deal of trouble. Uncle George, we say, is merely
Commandant of those blaring 6,000; has had his own real soldierings
before this; his own labors, contradictions, in his time; but has borne
all patiently, and grown fat upon it, not quarrelling with his burdens
or his nourishments. Perhaps we may transiently meet him again.
As to the Prince of Orange, him we have seen more than once in times
past: a young fellow in comparison, sprightly, reckoned clever, but
somewhat humpbacked; married an English Princess, years ago ("Papa, if
he were as ugly as a baboon!")--which fine Princess, we find, has stopt
short at Cassel, too fatigued on the present occasion. "His ESPRIT,"
continues Wilhelmina, "and his conversation, delighted me. His Wife,
he said, was at Cassel; he would persuade her to come and make my
acquaintance;"--could not; too far, in this cold season. "These two
Serene Highnesses would needs take me home in their carriage; they asked
the Margraf to let them stay supper: from that hour they were never out
of our house. Next morning, by means of them, the secret had got abroad.
Kur-Koln [lanky hook-nosed gentleman, richest Pluralist in the Church]
had set spies on us; next evening he came up to me, and said, 'Madam,
I know your Highness; you must dance a measure with me!' That comes of
one's head-gear getting awry! We had nothing for it but to give up the
incognito, and take our fate!"
This dancing Elector of Koln, a man still only entering his forties, is
the new Emperor's Brother: [Clement August (Hubner, t. 134).] do readers
wonder to see him dance, being an Archbishop? The fact is certain,--let
the Three Kings and the Eleven Thousand Virgins say to it what they
will. "He talked a long time with me; presented to me the Princess
Clemence his Niece [that is to say, Wife of his Nephew ClemENT; one
of the Two whom his now Imperial Majesty saw married the other
day], [Michaelis, ii. 256, 123; Hubner, tt. 141, 134.] and then the
Princess"--in fact, presented all the three Sulzbach Princesses (for
there is a youngest, still to wed),--"and then Prince Theodor [happy
Husband of the eldest], and Prince Clement [ditto of the younger];" and
was very polite indeed. How keep our incognito, with all these people
heaping civilities upon us? Let us send to Baireuth for clothes,
equipages; and retire to our country concealment till they arrive.
"Just as we were about setting off thither, I waiting till the Margraf
were ready, the Xargraf entered, and a Lady with him; who, he informed
me, was Madame de Belleisle, the French Ambassador's Wife:"--Wife of
the great Belleisle, the soul of all these high congregatings,
consultations, coronations, who is not Kaiser but maker of Kaisers: what
is to be done!--"I had carefully avoided her; reckoning she would have
pretensions I should not be in the humor to grant. I took my resolution
at the moment [being a swift decisive creature]; and received her like
any other Lady that might have come to me. Her visit was not long. The
conversation turned altogether upon praises of the King [my Brother]. I
found Madame de Belleisle very different from the notion I had formed
of her. You could see she had moved in high company (SENTAIT SON MONDE);
but her air appeared to me that of a waiting-maid (SOUBRETTE), and her
manners insignificant." Let Madame take that.
"Monseigneur himself," when our equipages had come, "waited on me
several times,"--Monseigueur the grand Marechal de Belleisle, among the
other Principalities and Lordships: but of this lean man in black (who
has done such famous things, and will have to do the Retreat of Prag
within year and day), there is not a word farther said. Old Seckendorf
too is here; "Reich's-Governor of Philipsburg;" very ill with Austria,
no wonder; and striving to be well with the new Kaiser. Doubtless
old Seckendorf made his visit too (being of Baireuth kin withal),
and snuffled his respects: much unworthy of mention; not lovely to
Wilhelmina. Prince of Orange, hunchbacked, but sprightly and much the
Prince, bore me faithful company all the Coronation time; nor was George
of Hessen-Cassel wanting, good fat man.
Of the Coronation itself, though it was truly grand, and even of an
Oriental splendor,[_Anemonen,_ ubi supra.] I will say nothing. The poor
Kaiser could not enjoy it much. He was dying of gout and gravel, and
could scarcely stand on his feet. Poor gentleman; and the French are
driven dismally out of Linz; and the Austrians are spreading like a
lava-flood or general conflagration over Baiern--Demon Mentzel, whom
they call Colonel Mentzel, he (if we knew it) is in Munchen itself,
just as we are getting crowned here! And unless King Friedrich, who is
falling into Mahren, in the flank of them, call back this Infernal Chase
a little, what hope is there in those parts!--The poor Kaiser, oftenest
in his bed, is courting all manner of German Princes,--consulting with
Seckendorfs, with cunning old stagers. He has managed to lead my Margraf
into a foolish bargain, about raising men for him. Which bargain I, on
fairly getting sight of it, persuade my Margraf to back out of; and,
in the end, he does so. Meanwhile, it detains us some time longer in
Frankfurt, which is still full of Principalities, busy with visitings
and ceremonials.
Among other things, by way of forwarding that Bargain I was so averse
to, our Official People had settled that I could not well go without
having seen the Empress, after her crowning. Foolish people; entangling
me in new intricacies! For if she is a Kaiser's Daughter and Kaiser's
Spouse, am not I somewhat too? "How a King's Daughter and an Empress are
to meet, was probably never settled by example: what number of steps
down stairs does she come? The arm-chair (FAUTEUIL), is that to
be denied me?" And numerous other questions. The official people,
Baireuthers especially, are in despair; and, in fact, there were scenes.
But I held firm; and the Berlin ambassadors tempering, a medium was
struck: steps of stairs, to the due number, are conceded me; arm-chair
no, but the Empress to "take a very small arm-chair," and I to have a
big common chair (GRAND DOSSIER). So we meet, and I have sight of this
Princess, next day.
In her place, I confess I would have invented all manner of etiquettes,
or any sort of contrivance, to save myself from showing face. "Heavens!
The Empress is below middle size, and so corpulent (PUISSANTE), she
looks like a ball; she is ugly to the utmost (LAIDE AU POSSIBLE), and
without air or grace." Kaiser Joseph's youngest Daughter,--the gods,
it seems, have not been kind to her in figure or feature! And her mind
corresponds to her appearance: she is bigoted to excess; passes
her nights and days in her oratory, with mere rosaries and gaunt
superstitious platitudes of that nature; a dark fat dreary little
Empress. "She was all in a tremble in receiving me; and had so
discountenanced an air, she could n't speak a word. We took seats. After
a little silence, I began the conversation, in French. She answered me
in her Austrian jargon, That she did not well understand that language,
and begged I would speak to her in German. Our conversation was not
long. Her Austrian dialect and my Lower-Saxon are so different that,
till you have practised, you are not mutually intelligible in them.
Accordingly we were not. A by-stander would have split with laughing at
the Babel we made of it; each catching only a word here and there, and
guessing the rest. This Princess was so tied to her etiquette, she would
have reckoned it a crime against the Reich to speak to me in a foreign
language; for she knew French well enough.
"The Kaiser was to have been of this visit; but he had fallen so ill, he
was considered even in danger of his life. Poor Prince, what a lot had
he achieved for himself!" reflects Wilhelmina, as we often do. He was
soft, humane, affable; had the gift of captivating hearts. Not without
talent either; but then of an ambition far disproportionate to it.
"Would have shone in the second rank, but in the first went sorrowfully
eclipsed," as they say! He could not be a great man, nor had about him
any one that could; and he needed now to be so. This is the service a
Belleisle can do; inflating a poor man to Kaisership, beyond his natural
size! Crowned Kaiser, and Mentzel just entering his Munchen the while;
a Kaiser bedrid, stranded; lying ill there of gout and gravel, with
the Demon Mentzels eating him:--well may his poor little bullet of a
Kaiserinn pray for him night and day, if that will avail!--
THE DUCHESS DOWAGER OF WURTEMBERG, RETURNING FROM BERLIN FAVORS US WITH
ANOTHER VISIT.
I am sorry to say this is almost the last scene we shall get out of
Wilhelmina. She returns to Baireuth; breaks there conclusively that
unwise Frankfurt bargain; receives by and by (after several months,
when much has come and gone in the world) the returning Duchess of
Wurtemberg, effulgent Dowager "spoken of only as a Lais:" and has other
adventures, alluded to up and down, but not put in record by herself any
farther.--Sorrowfully let us hear Wilhelmina yet a little, on this Lais
Duchess, who will concern us somewhat. Dowager, much too effulgent, of
the late Karl Alexander, a Reichs-Feldmarschall (or FOURTH-PART of one,
if readers could remember) and Duke of Wurtemberg,--whom we once dined
with at Prag, in old Friedrich-Wilhelm and Prince-Eugene times:--
"This Princess, very famous on the bad side, had been at Berlin to see
her three Boys settled there, whose education she [and the STANDE of
Wurtemberg, she being Regent] had committed to the King. These Princes
had been with us on their road thither, just before their Mamma last
time. The Eldest, age fourteen, had gone quite agog (S'ETOIT AMOURACHE)
about my little Girl, age only nine; and had greatly diverted us by his
little gallantries [mark that, with an Alas!]. The Duchess, following
somewhat at leisure, had missed the King that time; who was gone for
Mahren, January 18th. ... I found this Princess wearing pretty well. Her
features are beautiful, but her complexion is faded and very yellow. Her
voice is so high and screechy, it cuts your ears; she does not want for
wit, and expresses herself well. Her manners are engaging for those whom
she wishes to gain; and with men are very free. Her way of thinking and
acting offers a strange contrast of pride and meanness. Her gallantries
had brought her into such repute that I had no pleasure in her visits."
[Wilhelmina, ii. 335.] No pleasure; though she often came; and her
Eldest Prince, and my little Girl--Well, who knows!
Besides her three Boys (one of whom, as Reigning Duke, will become
notorious enough to Wilhelmina and mankind), the Lais Duchess has left
at Berlin--at least, I guess she has now left him, in exchange perhaps
for some other--a certain very gallant, vagabond young Marquis d'Argens,
"from Constantinople" last; originally from the Provence countries;
extremely dissolute creature, still young (whom Papa has had to
disinherit), but full of good-humor, of gesticulative loyal talk, and
frothy speculation of an Anti-Jesuit turn (has written many frothy
Books, too, in that strain, which are now forgotten): who became a very
great favorite with Friedrich, and will be much mentioned in subsequent
times.
"In the end of July," continues Wilhelmina, "we went to Stouccard
[Stuttgard, capital of Wurtemberg, O beautiful glib tongue!], whither
the Duchess had invited us: but--" And there we are on blank paper;
our dear Wilhelmina has ceased speaking to us: her MEMOIRS end; and
oblivious silence wraps the remainder!--
Concerning this effulgent Dowager of Wurtemberg, and her late ways at
Berlin, here, from Bielfeld, is another snatch, which we will excerpt,
under the usual conditions:
"BERLIN, FEBRUARY, 1742 [real date of all that is not fabulous in
Bielfeld, who chaotically dates it "6th December" of that Year]. ... A
day or two after this [no matter WHAT] I went to the German Play, the
only spectacle which is yet fairly afoot in Berlin. In passing in, I
noticed the Duchess Dowager of Wurtemberg, who had arrived, during my
absence, with a numerous and brilliant suite, as well to salute the King
and the Queens [King off, on his Moravian Business, before she came],
and to unite herself more intimately with our Court, as to see the Three
Princes her Children settled in their new place, where, by consent of
the States of Wurtemberg, they are to be educated henceforth.
"As I had not yet had myself presented to the Duchess, I did not presume
to approach too near, and passed up into the Theatre. But she noticed
me in the side-scenes; asked who I was [such a handsome fashionable
fellow], and sent me order to come immediately and pay my respects. To
be sure, I did so; was most graciously received; and, of course, called
early next day at her Palace. Her Grand-Chamberlain had appointed me the
hour of noon. He now introduced me accordingly: but what was my surprise
to find the Princess in bed; in a negligee all new from the laundress,
and the gallantest that art could imagine! On a table, ready to her
hand, at the DOSSIER or bed-bead, stood a little Basin silver-gilt,
filled with Holy Water: the rest was decorated with extremely precious
Relics, with a Crucifix, and a Rosary of rock-crystal. Her dress, the
cushions, quilt, all was of Marseilles stuff, in the finest series of
colors, garnished with superb lace. Her cap was of Alencon lace, knotted
with a ribbon of green and gold. Figure to yourself, in this gallant
deshabille, a charming Princess, who has all the wit, perfection of
manner--and is still only thirty-seven, with a beauty that was once so
brilliant! Round the celestial bed were courtiers, doctors, almoners,
mostly in devotional postures; the three young Princes; and a Dame
d'Atours, who seemed to look slightly ENNUYEE or bored." I had the honor
to kiss her Serene Highness's hand, and to talk a great many peppered
insipidities suitable to the occasion.
Dinner followed, more properly supper, with lights kindled: "Only I
cannot dress, you know," her Highness had said; "I never do, except for
the Queen-Mother's parties;"--and rang for her maids. So that you are
led out to the Anteroom, and go grinning about, till a new and still
more charming deshabille be completed, and her Most Serene Highness
can receive you again: "Now Messieurs! Pshaw, one is always stupid,
no ESPRIT at all except by candlelight!"--After which, such a dinner,
unmatchable for elegance, for exquisite gastronomy, for Attic-Paphian
brilliancy and charm! And indeed there followed hereupon, for weeks on
weeks, a series of such unmatchable little dinners; chief parts, under
that charming Presidency, being done by "Grand-Chamberlain Baron de"
Something-or-other, "by your humble servant Bielfeld, M. Jordan, and
a Marquis d'Argens, famous Provencal gentleman now in the suite of her
Highness:" [Bielfeld, ii. 74-78.]--feasts of the Barmecide I much doubt,
poor Bielfeld being in this Chapter very fantastic, MISDATEful to a mad
extent; and otherwise, except as to general effect, worth little serious
belief.
We shall meet this Paphian Dowager again (Crucifix and Myrtle joined):
meet especially her D'Argens, and her Three little Princes more or
less;--wherefore, mark slightly (besides the D'Argens as above):--
"1. The Eldest little Prince, Karl Eugen; made 'Reigning Duke' within
three years hence [Mamma falling into trouble with the STANDE]: a man
still gloomily famous in Germany [Poet Schiller's Duke of Wurtemberg],
of inarticulate, extremely arbitrary turn,--married Wilhelmina's
Daughter by and by [with horrible usage of her]; and otherwise gave
Friedrich and the world cause to think of him.
"2. The Second little Prince, Friedrich Eugen, Prussian General of some
mark, who will incidentally turn up again, He was afterwards Successor
to the Dukedom [Karl Eugen dying childless]; and married his Daughter to
Paul of Russia, from whom descend the Autocrats there to this day.
"3. Youngest little Prince, Ludwig Eugen, a respectable Prussian
Officer, and later a French one: he is that 'Duc de Wirtemberg' who
corresponds with Voltaire [inscrutable to readers, in most of the
Editions]; and need not be mentioned farther." [See Michaelis, iii. 449;
Preuss, i. 476; &c. &c.]
But enough of all this. It is time we were in Mahren, where the
Expedition must be blazing well ahead, if things have gone as expected.