While the Camp at Radewitz is dissolving itself in this manner, in the
last days of June, Captain Guy Dickens, the oracles at Windsor having
given him their response as to Prince Friedrich's wild project, is
getting under way for Berlin again,--whither also Hotham has returned,
to wait for Dickens's arrival, and directly thereupon come home. Dickens
is henceforth to do the British Diplomacy here, any Diplomacy there can
well be; Dickens once installed, Hotham will, right gladly, wash his
hands of this Negotiation, which he considers to be as good as dead for
a longish while past. First, however, he has one unexpected adventure
to go through in Berlin; of most unexpected celebrity in the world: this
once succinctly set forth, History will dismiss him to the shades of
private life.
Guy Dickens, arriving we can guess about the 8th or 9th of July, brings
two important Documents with him to Berlin, FIRST, the English Response
(in the shape of "Instructions" to himself, which may be ostensible in
the proper quarter) in regard to the Crown-Prince's project of flight
into England. Response which is no other than might have been expected
in the circumstances: "Britannic Majesty sorry extremely for the
Crown-Prince's situation; ready to do anything in reason to alleviate
it. Better wait, however: Prussian Majesty will surely perhaps relent a
little: then also the affairs of Europe are in a ticklish state. Better
wait. As to that of taking temporary refuge in France, Britannic Majesty
thinks that will require a mature deliberation (MURE DELIBERATION). Not
even time now for inquiry of the French Court how they would take it;
which his Britannic Majesty thinks an indispensable preliminary,"--and
so terminates. The meaning, we perceive, is in sum: "Hm, you won't,
surely? Don't; at least Don't yet!" But Dryasdust, and any readers who
have patience, can here take the Original Paper; which is written
in French (or French of Stratford at the Bow), probably that the
Crown-Prince, if needful, might himself read it, one of these days:--
"Monsieur Guy Dickens pourrait donner au Prince les assurances les plus
fortes de la compassion que le Roi a du triste etat ou il se trouve,
et du desir sincere de Sa Majeste de concourir par tout ce qui dependra
d'elle a l'en tirer. M. Guy Dickens pourrait lui communiquer en meme
terns les Instructions donnees a Monsieur Hotham [_our Answer to the
Outrageous propositions, which amounts to nothing, and may be spared
the reader_], et lui marquer qu'on avait lieu d'esperer que Sa Majeste
Prussienne ne refuserait pas au moins de s'expliquer un peu plus en
detail qu'elle n'a fait jusqu'ici. Qu'en attendant les suites que cette
negociation pourrait avoir, Sa Majeste etait d'avis que le Prince
ferait bien de differer un peu l'execution de son dessein connu: Que
la situation ou les affaires de l'Europe se trouvaient dans ce moment
critique ne paraissait pas propre a l'execution d'un dessein de cette
nature: Que pour ce qui est de l'intention ou le Prince a temoigne
etre, de se retirer en France, Sa Majeste croit qu'elle demande une mure
deliberation, et que le peu de tems qui reste ne promet pas meme qu'on
puisse s'informer de ce que la Cour de France pourrait penser la-dessus;
dont Sa Majeste trouvait cependant absolument necessaire de l'assurer,
avant de pouvoir conseiller a un Prince qui lui est si cher de se
retirer en ce pays la." [Prussian Despatches, vol. xii.: No date or
signature; bound up along with Harrington's Despatch, "Windsor, 20th
June [1st July] 1730,"--on the morrow of which day we may fancy Captain
Dickens took the road for Berlin again,--where we auspiciously see him
on Monday, 10th July, probably a night or two after his arrival.] This
is Document FIRST; of no concernment to Hotham at this stage; but only
to us and our Crown-Prince. Document SECOND would at one time have much
interested Hotham: it is no other than a Grumkow Original seized at
St. Mary Axe, such as Hotham once solicited, "strong enough to break
Grumkow's back." Hotham now scarcely hopes it will be "strong enough."
No matter; he presents it as bidden. On introducing Dickens as
successor, Monday, 10th July, he puts the Document into his Prussian
Majesty's hand: and--the result was most unexpected! Here is Hotham's
Despatch to Lord Harrington; which it will be our briefest method to
give, with some minimum of needful explanation intercalated here and
there:--
"TO THE LORD HARRINGTON (from Sir Charles Hotham).
"BERLIN, 30th June (11th July), 1730.
"MY LORD,--Though the conduct of his Prussian Majesty has been such, for
some time past, that one ought to be surprised at nothing he does,--it
is nevertheless with great concern that I now have to acquaint your
Lordship with an extravagancy of his which happened yesterday," Monday,
10th July, 1730.
"The King of Prussia, had appointed me to be with him about noon, with
Captain Guy Dickens [who has just returned from England, on what secret
message your Lordship knows!].--We both attended his Prussian
Majesty, and I presented Captain Guy Dickens to him, who delivered his
credentials: after which the King talked to us a quarter of an hour
about indifferent matters. Seeing him in a very good humor, I took that
opportunity of telling him, 'That as General Grumkow had denied his
having held a Secret Correspondence with Reichenbach, or having written
the Letters I had some time ago delivered to his Majesty, I was now
ordered by the King my Master to put into his hands an Original Letter
of General Grumkow'"----Where is that Original Letter? ask some minute
readers. Minute readers, the IPSISSIMUM CORPUS of it is lost to mankind.
Official Copy of it lies safe here in the State-Paper Office (Prussian
Despatches, volume xli.; without date of its own, but near a Despatch
dated 20th June, 1730); has, adjoined to it, an Autograph jotting by
George Second to the effect, "Yes, send it," and also some preliminary
scribbles by Newcastle, to the like purport. No date of its own, we
say, though, by internal evidence and light of FASSMANN, [p. 404.] it
is conclusively datable "Berlin, 20th May," if anybody cared to date it.
The Letter mentions lightly that "pretended discovery [the St.-Mary-Axe
one, laid on the table of Tobacco-Parliament, 6th May or soon after],
innocent trifles all _I_ wrote; hope you burnt them, nevertheless,
according to promise: yours to me I did burn as they came, and will defy
the Devil to produce;" brags of his Majesty's fine spirits;--and is,
Jotting and all, as insignificant a Letter as any other portion of the
"Rookery Colloquy," though its fate was a little more distinguished.
Prussian Dryasdust is expected to give it in FAC-SIMILE, one
day,--surely no British Under-Secretary will exercise an unwise
discretion, and forbid him that small pleasure!--"which was an
undeniable proof of all the rest, and could not but convince his
Prussian Majesty of the truth of them."--Well?
"He took the Letter from me, cast his eye upon it; and seeing it to
be Grumkow's hand, said to me with all the anger imaginable [fancy the
thunder-burst!], _'Messieurs, j'ai eu assez de ces choses la;'_ threw
the Letter upon the ground, and immediately turning his back went out of
the room, and shut the door upon us,"--probably with a slam! And
that is the naked truth concerning this celebrated Intercepted Letter.
Majesty answered explosively,--his poor heart being in a burdened and
grieved condition, not unlike growing a haunted one,--"I have had enough
of that stuff before!" pitched the new specimen away, and stormily
whirled out with a slam of the door. That he stamped with his foot, is
guessable. That he "lifted his foot as if to kick the Honorable English
Excellency," [Wilhelmina, i. 228.] which the English Excellency never
could have stood, but must have died on the spot,--of this, though
several Books have copied it from Wilhelmina, there is no vestige of
evidence: and the case is bad enough without this.
"Your Lordship will easily imagine that Captain Guy Dickens and I were
not a little astonished at this most extraordinary behavior. I took up
the Letter he had thrown upon the floor [IPSISSIMUM CORPUS of it lost
to mankind, last seen going into Hotham's pocket in this manner]; and
returning home, immediately wrote one to his Prussian Majesty, of which
a copy is here enclosed."--Let us read that essential Piece: sound
substance, in very stiff indifferent French of Stratford,--which may as
well be made English at once:--
"TO HIS MAJESTY THE KING OF PRUSSIA.
"SIRE,--It is with the liveliest grief that I find myself under the
necessity,--after what has passed today at the audience I had of your
Majesty, where I neither did nor said anything in regard to that Letter
of Monsieur Grumkow's or to putting it into your Majesty's hands, that
was not by my Master's order,--it is, I say, Sire, with the liveliest
grief that I am obliged to inform your Majesty of the necessity there
lies on me to despatch a Courier to London to apprise the King my Master
of an incident so surprising as the one that has just happened. For
which reason I beg (SUPPLIE) your Majesty will be pleased to cause the
necessary Orders for Post-horses to be furnished me, not only for the
said Courier, but also for myself,--since, after what has just happened,
it is not proper for me to prolong my stay here (_faire un plus long
sejour ici_).
"I have the honor to be, your Majesty's, &c. &c. &c.
"CHARLES HOTHAM."
"About two hours afterwards, General Borck came to me; and told me He
was in the utmost affliction for what had happened; and beseeched me to
have a little patience, and that he hoped means would be found to make
up the matter to me. Afterwards he communicated to me, by word of
mouth, the Answer the King of Prussia had given to the last Orders I had
received by Captain Guy Dickens,"--Orders, "Come home immediately," to
which the "Answer" is conceivable.
"I told him that, after the treatment I had received at noon, and the
affront put upon the King my Master's character, I could no longer
receive nor charge myself with anything that came from his Prussian
Majesty. That as to what related to me personally, it was very easily
made up; but having done nothing but in obedience to the King my
Master's orders, it belonged to him only to judge what satisfaction was
due for the indignity offered to his character. Wherefore I did not look
upon myself as authorized to listen to any expedients till I knew his
Majesty's pleasure upon the matter.
"In the evening, General Borck wrote a Letter to Captain Guy Dickens
and two to me, the Copies of which are enclosed,"--fear not, reader! "The
purport of them was to desire That I would take no farther notice of
what had happened, and that the King of Prussia desired I would come and
dine with him next day."--Engaged otherwise, your Majesty, next day!" The
Answer to these Letters I also enclose to your Lordship,"--reader not
to be troubled with it. "I excused myself from dining with the King of
Prussia, not thinking myself at liberty to appear any more at Court till
I received his Majesty's," my own King's, "commands, and told General
Borck that I looked upon myself as indispensably obliged to acquaint the
King my Master with everything that had passed, it being to no purpose
to think of concealing it, since the thing was already become public,
and would soon be known in all the Courts of Europe.
"This, my Lord, is the true state of this unaccountable accident. You
will see, by General Borck's Letter, that the King of Prussia, being now
returned to his senses, is himself convinced of the extravagancy of this
proceeding; and was very desirous of having it concealed;--which was
impossible; for the whole Town knew it an hour after it had happened.
"As to my own part, I am not a little concerned at this unfortunate
incident. As it was impossible to foresee this fit of madness in the
King of Prussia, there was no guarding against it: and after it had
happened, I thought I could do no less than resent it in the manner I
have done,--without prostituting the character with which the King has
been pleased to honor me. I hope, however, this affair will be attended
with no ill consequences: for the King of Prussia himself is at present
so ashamed of his behavior, that he says, He will order Count Degenfeld
[Graf von Degenfeld, going at a leisurely pace to remove NOSTI from his
perch among you] [Supra, p. 197.] to hasten his journey to England, with
orders to endeavor to make up the affair immediately.
"As I had already received the King's Orders, by Captain Guy Dickens, To
return home forthwith, I thought, after what had happened, the sooner I
left this place the better; and the rather because it might be proper I
should make a report of it to his Majesty. I shall therefore set out
a few hours after this Messenger; and will make all the expedition
possible.
"The King of Prussia sets out for Anspach on Saturday next,"--11th
July is Tuesday, Saturday next will be 15th July, which proves correct.
[Fassmann, p. 410.] "I am, with the utmost respect, My Lord, Your
Lordship's most obedient and most humble servant,
CHARLES HOTHAM."
[State-Paper Office: Prussian Despatches, vol. xli.] No sooner was the
door slammed to than his Majesty began to repent. At sight of the demand
for Post-horses, he repented bitterly; sent Borck to ask Hotham to
dinner, with what success we have seen. Sent Borck to negotiate, to
correspond, to consult with Dickens, to do his utmost in pacifying
Hotham. All which Correspondence exists, but is not worth giving.
Borck's remonstrances are in rugged soldier-like style, full of
earnestness and friendliness. Do not wreck, upon trifles, a noble
interest we have in common; King is jealous about foreign interference
with his Ministers, but meant nothing; I tell you it is nothing
I--Hotham is polite, good-tempered; but remains inflexible: With myself,
on my own score, it were soon settled, or is already settled; but with
the King my Master,--no expedient but post-horses! The Diplomatist world
of Berlin is in a fuss; Queen Sophie and "the Minister of Denmark," with
other friendly Ministers, how busy! "All day," this day and the next,
"they spent in comings and goings" [Wilhelmina, i. 229, 230.] advising
Hotham to relent: Hotham could not relent. The Crown-Prince himself
writes, urged by a message from his Mother; Crown-Prince sends Katte off
from Potsdam with this Billet [Ib. i. 230.] (if this be a correct copy
to translate from)
TO HIS EXCELLENCY MONSIEUR THE CHEVALIER HOTHAM.
"POTSDAM, 11th July, 1730.
"MONSIEUR,--Having learned by M. de Leuvener," the Danish Minister,
a judicious well-affected man, "what the King my Father's ultimate
intentions are, I cannot doubt but you will yield to his desires. Think,
Monsieur, that my happiness and my Sister's depend on the resolution
you shall take, and that your answer will mean the union or the disunion
forever of the two Houses! I flatter myself that it will be favorable,
and that you will yield to my entreaties. I never shall forget such a
service, but recognize it all my life by the most perfect esteem," with
which I now am, TOUT A VOUS,
"FREDERIC."
This Billet Katte delivers: but to this also Hotham remains inexorable;
polite, hopeful even: No harm will come; Degenfeld will go, I
myself will help when at home; but for the present, no resource but
post-horses! Which they at last yield him, the very post-horses ready to
weep.
And so Hotham, spirited judicious English gentleman, rolls off
homewards, ["Wednesday," 12th (Dickens).] a few hours after his
Courier,--and retires honorably into the shades of private life, steady
there thenceforth. He has not been successful in Berlin: surely his
Negotiation is now OUT in all manner of senses! Long ago (to use our
former ignoble figure) he had "laid down the bellows, though there was
still smoke traceable:" but now, by this Grumkow Letter, he has, as
it were, struck the POKER through the business; and that dangerous
manoeuvre, not proving successful, has been fatal and final! Queen
Sophie and certain others may still flatter themselves; but it is
evident the Negotiation is at last complete. What may lie in flight
to England and rash desperate measures, which Queen Sophie trembles
to think of, we do not know: but by regular negotiation this thing can
never be.
It is darkly apprehended the Crown-Prince still meditates Flight; the
maternal heart and Wilhelmina's are grieved to see Lieutenant Katte
so much in his confidence--could wish him a wiser councillor in such
predicaments and emergencies! Katte is greatly flattered by the Prince's
confidence; even brags of it in society, with his foolish loose tongue.
Poor youth, he is of dissolute ways; has plenty of it "unwise intellect,"
little of the "wise" kind; and is still under the years of discretion.
Towards Wilhelmina there is traceable in him something,--something as
of almost loving a bright particular star, or of thrice-privately
worshipping it for his own behoof. And Wilhelmina, during the late
Radewitz time, when Mamma "gave four Apartments (or Royal Soirees)
weekly," was severe upon him, and inaccessible in these Court Soirees. A
rash young fool; carries a loose tongue:--still worse, has a Miniature,
recognizable as Wilhelmina; and would not give it up, either for the
Queen's Majesty or me!--"Thousand and thousand pardons, High Ladies
both; my loose tongue shall be locked: but these two Miniatures, the
Prince and Princess Royal, I copied them from two the Prince had lent
me and has got back, ask me not for these;--never, oh, I cannot
ever!"--Upon which Wilhelmina had to take a high attitude, and pass
him speechless in the Soirees. The foolish fellow:--and yet one is not
heartily angry either; only reserved in the Soirees; and anxious about
one's Brother in such hands.
Friedrich Wilhelm repents much that Hotham explosion; is heard saying
that he will not again treat in person with any Envoy from foreign
parts, being of too hot temper, but will leave his Ministers to do it.
[Dickens's Despatch, Berlin, 22d July (n.s.), 1730.] To Queen Sophie he
says coldly, "Wilhelmina's marriage, then, is off; an end to IT. Abbess
of Herford [good Protestant refuge for unprovided Females of Quality,
which is in our gift], let her be Abbess there;"--and writes to the then
extant Abbess to make Wilhelmina "Coadjutress," or Heir-Apparent to that
Chief-Nunship! Nay what is still more mortifying, my Brother says, "On
the whole, I had better, had not I?" The cruel Brother; but indeed the
desperate!--for things are mounting to a pitch in this Household.
Queen Sophie's thoughts,--they are not yet of surrender; that they
will never be, while a breath of life is left to Queen Sophie and her
Project: we may fancy Queen Sophie's mood. Nor can his Majesty be in a
sweet temper; his vexations lately have been many. First, England is now
off, not off-and-on as formerly: that comfortable possibility, hanging
always in one's thoughts, is fairly gone; and now we have nothing but
the Kaiser to depend on for Julich and Berg, and the other elements
of our salvation in this world! Then the St.-Mary-Axe discoveries,
harassing shadows of suspicion that will rise from them, and the
unseemly Hotham catastrophe and one's own blame in it; Womankind and
Household still virtually rebellious, and all things going awry; Majesty
is in the worst humor;--bullies and outrages his poor Crown-Prince
almost worse than ever. There have been rattan-showers, hideous to think
of, descending this very week [Guy Dickens's Despatch, 18th July, 1730.]
on the fine head, and far into the high heart of a Royal Young Man; who
cannot, in the name of manhood, endure, and must not, in the name of
sonhood, resist, and vainly calls to all the gods to teach him WHAT he
shall do in this intolerable inextricable state of matters.
Fate and these two Black-Artists have driven Friedrich Wilhelm nearly
mad; and he, in turn, is driving everybody so. He more than suspects
Friedrich of an intention to fly; which is horrible to Friedrich
Wilhelm: and yet he bullies him occasionally, as a spiritless wretch,
for bearing such treatment. "Cannot you renounce the Heir-Apparentship,
then; your little Brother is a fine youth. Give it up; and go,
unmolested, to the--in fact to the Devil: Cannot you?"--"If your
Majesty, against the honor of my Mother, declare that I am not your
eldest son: Yes, so; not otherwise, ever!" modestly but steadily
persists the young man, whenever this expedient is proposed to him,--as
perhaps it already sometimes is. Whereat the desperate Father can only
snort indignantly futile. A case growing nearly desperate. Desperate,
yes, on all hands: unless one had the "high mast" above alluded to, with
two pulleys and ropes; and could see a certain Pair of Scoundrels mount
rapidly thither, what hope is there for anybody? A violent crisis does
not last, however; that is one certainty in it. Either these agonistic
human beings, young and old, will all die, all go to Bedlam, with their
intolerable woes; or else something of explosive nature will take place
among them. The maddest boil, unless it kill you with its torments, does
at length burst, and become an abscess.
Of course Captain Dickens, the instant Hotham was gone, hastened privily
to see the Crown-Prince; saw Katte and him "at the Gate of the Potsdam
Palace at midnight," [Wilhelmina; Ranke, i. 301.] or in some other less
romantic way;--read him the Windsor Paper of "INSTRUCTIONS" known to us;
and preached from that text. No definite countenance from England, the
reverse rather, your Highness sees;--how can there be? Give it up, your
Highness; at least delay it!--Crown-Prince does not give it up a whit;
whether he delays it, we shall see.
A busy week for the Crown-Prince and Katte, this of the Hotham
Catastrophe; who have many consultations, the Journey to Anspach being
on Saturday next! Crown-Prince has given him in keeping a writing-case
with private letters; 1,000 ducats of money, money raised by loan, by
picking jewels off some miniatures of honor, and the like sore methods.
Katte has his very coat, a gray top-coat or travelling roquelaure, in
keeping;--and their schemes are many. Off we must and will be, by some
opportunity. Could not Katte get a "Recruiting Furlough," leave to go
into the REICH on that score; and join one there? Lieutenant Keith is at
Wesel; ready, always ready. Into France, into Holland, England? If the
English would not,--there is war to be in Italy, say all the Newspapers:
why not a campaign as Volunteers in Italy, till we saw how matters went?
Anything and all things are preferable to ignominy like this. No dog
could, endure it!