Friedrich himself had got to Meissen, Tuesday, 14th; no enemy on his
road, or none to speak of: Friedrich was there, or not yet far across,
all Wednesday; collecting himself, waiting, on the slip, for a signal
from Old Leopold. Sound of cannon, up the Elbe Dresden-ward, is
reported there to Friedrich, that afternoon: cannon, sure enough, notes
Friedrich; and deep dim-rolling peals, as of volleying small-arms;
"the sky all on fire over there," as the hoar-frosty evening fell. Old
Leopold busy at it, seemingly. That is the glare of the Old Dessauer's
countenance; who is giving voice, in that manner, to the earthly and the
heavenly powers; conquering Peace for us, let us hope!
Friedrich, as may be supposed, made his best speed next morning: "All
well!" say the messengers; all well, says Old Leopold, whom he meets
at Wilsdruf, and welcomes with a joyful embrace; "dismounting from his
horse, at sight of Leopold, and advancing to meet him with doffed hat
and open arms,"--and such words and treatments, that day, as made the
old man's face visibly shine. "Your Highness shall conduct me!" And the
two made survey together of the actual Field of Kesselsdorf; strewn with
the ghastly wrecks of battle,--many citizens of Dresden strolling about,
or sorrowfully seeking for their lost ones among the wounded and dead.
No hurt to these poor citizens, who dread none; help to them rather:
such is Friedrich's mind,--concerning which, in the Anecdote-Books,
there are Narratives (not worth giving) of a vapidly romantic character,
credible though inexact. [For the indisputable pa so we leave him
standing therrt, see Orlich, ii. 343, 344; and _OEuvres de
Frederic,_ iii. 170.] Friedrich, who may well be profuse of thanks and
praises, charms the Old Dessauer while they walk together; brave old man
with his holed roquelaure. For certain, he has done the work there,--a
great deal of work in his time! Joy looks through his old rough face, of
gunpowder color: the Herr Gott has not delivered him to those damned
Scoundrels in the end of his days.--On the morrow, Friday, Leopold
rolled grandly forward upon Dresden; Rutowski and Prince Karl vanishing
into the Metal Mountains, by Pirna, for Bohemia, at sound of him,--as he
had scarcely hoped they would.
On the Saturday evening, Dresden, capable of not the least defence, has
opened all its gates, and Friedrich and the Prussians are in Dresden;
Austrians and wrecked Saxons falling back diligently towards the Metal
Mountains for Bohemia, diligent to clear the road for him. Queen and
Junior Princes are here; to whom, as to all men, Friedrich is courtesy
itself; making personal visit to the Royalties, appointing guards of
honor, sacred respect to the Royal Houses; himself will lodge at the
Princess Lubomirski's, a private mansion.
"That ferocious, false, ambitious King of Prussia"--Well, he is not to
be ruined in open fight, on the contrary is ruinous there; nor by the
cunningest ambuscades, and secret combinations, in field or cabinet: our
overwhelming Winter Invasion of him--see where it has ended! Bruhl and
Polish Majesty--the nocturnal sky all on fire in those parts, and loud
general doomsday come--are a much-illuminated pair of gentlemen.
From the time Meissen Bridge was lost, Prince Karl too showing himself
so languid, even Bruhl had discerned that the case was desperate. On the
very day of Kesselsdorf,--not the day BEFORE, which would have been
such a thrift to Bruhl and others!--Friedrich had a Note from Villiers,
signifying joyfully that his Polish Majesty would accept Peace. Thanks
to his Polish Majesty:--and after Kesselsdorf, perhaps the Empress-Queen
too will! Friedrich's offers are precisely what they were, what they
have always been: "Convention of Hanover; that, in all its parts; old
treaty of Breslau, to be guaranteed, to be actually kept. To me Silesia
sure;--from you, Polish Majesty, one million crowns as damages for
the trouble and cost this Triple Ambuscade of yours has given me; one
million crowns, 150,000 pounds we will say; and all other requisitions
to cease on the day of signature. These are my terms: accept these; then
wholly, As you were, Empress-Queen and you, and all surviving creatures:
and I march home within a week." Villiers speeds rapidly from Prag, with
the due olive-branch; with Count Harrach, experienced Austrian, and full
powers. Harrach cannot believe his senses: "Such the terms to be still
granted, after all these beatings and rebeatings!"--then at last does
believe, with stiff thankfulness and Austrian bows. The Negotiation need
not occupy many hours.
"His Majesty of Prussia was far too hasty with this Peace," says Valori:
"he had taken a threap that he would have it finished before the Year
was done:"--in fact, he knows his own mind, MON GROS VALORI, and that
is what few do. You shear through no end of cobwebs with that fine
implement, a wisely fixed resolution of your own. A Peace slow enough
for Valori and the French: where could that be looked for?--Valori is at
Berlin, in complete disgrace; his Most Christian King having behaved so
like a Turk of late. Valori, horror-struck at such Peace, what shall
he do to prevent it, to retard it? One effort at least. D'Arget his
Secretary, stolen at Jaromirz, is safe back to him; ingenious, ingenuous
D'Arget was always a favorite with Friedrich: despatch D'Arget to
him. D'Arget is despatched; with reasons, with remonstrances, with
considerations. D'Arget's Narrative is given: an ingenuous off-hand
Piece;--poor little crevice, through which there is still to be had,
singularly clear, and credible in every point, a direct glimpse of
Friedrich's own thoughts, in that many-sounding Dresden,--so loud,
that week, with dinner-parties, with operas, balls, Prussian war-drums,
grand-parades and Peace-negotiations.
THE SIEUR D'ARGET TO EXCELLENCY VALORI (at Berlin).
"DRESDEN, 1745" (dateless otherwise, must be
December, between 18th and 25th).
"MONSEIGNEUR,--I arrived yesterday at 7 P.M.; as I had the honor of
forewarning you, by the word I wrote to the Abbe [never mind what Abbe;
another Valori-Clerk] from Sonnenwalde [my half-way house between Berlin
and this City]. I went, first of all, to M. de Vaugrenand," our Envoy
here; "who had the goodness to open himself to me on the Business now
on hand. In my opinion, nothing can be added to the excellent
considerations he has been urging on the King of Prussia and the Count
de Podewils.
"At half-past 8, I went to his Prussian Majesty's; I found he was
engaged with his Concert,"--lodges in the Lubomirski Palace, has his
snatch of melody in the evening of such discordant days,--"and I could
not see him till after half-past 9. I announced myself to M. Eichel; he
was too overwhelmed with affairs to give me audience. I asked for Count
Rothenburg; he was at cards with the Princess Lubomirski. At last, I did
get to the King: who received me in the most agreeable way; but was just
going to Supper; said he must put off answering till to-morrow morning,
morning of this day. M. de Vaugrenand had been so good as prepare me on
the rumors of a Peace with Saxony and the Queen of Hungary. I went to M.
Podewils; who said a great many kind things to me for you. I could only
sketch out the matter, at that time; and represented to Podewils the
brilliant position of his Master, who had become Arbiter of the Peace
of Europe; that the moment was come for making this Peace a General One,
and that perhaps there would be room for repentance afterwards, if the
opportunity were slighted. He said, his Master's object was that same;
and thus closed the conversation by general questions.
"This morning, I again presented myself at the King of Prussia's. I had
to wait, and wait; in fine, it was not till half-past 5 in the evening
that he returned, or gave me admittance; and I stayed with him till
after 7,"--when Concert-time was at hand again. Listen to a remarkable
Dialogue, of the Conquering Hero with a humble Friend whom he likes.
"His Majesty condescended (A DAIGNE) to enter with me into all manner of
details; and began by telling me,
"That M. de Valori had done admirably not to come, himself, with that
Letter from the King [Most Christian, OUR King; Letter, the sickly
Document above spoken of]; that there could not have been an Answer
expected,--the Letter being almost of ironical strain; his Majesty [Most
Christian] not giving him the least hope, but merely talking of his fine
genius, and how that would extricate him from the perilous entanglement,
and inspire him with a wise resolution in the matter! That he had, in
effect, taken a resolution the wisest he could; and was making his Peace
with Saxony and the Queen of Hungary. That he had felt all the dangers
of the difficult situations he had been in,"--sheer destruction
yawning all round him, in huge imminency, more than once, and no
friend heeding;--"that, weary of playing always double-or-quits, he had
determined to end it, and get into a state of tranquillity, which both
himself and his People had such need of. That France could not, without
difficulty, have remedied his mishaps; and that he saw by the King's
Letter, there was not even the wish to do it. That his, Friedrich's,
military career was completed,"--so far as HE could foresee or
decide! "That he would not again expose his Country to the Caprices of
Fortune, whose past constancy to him was sufficiently astonishing to
raise fears of a reverse (HEAR!). That his ambitions were fulfilled, in
having compelled his Enemies to ask Peace from him in their own Capital,
with the Chancellor of Bohemia [Harrach, typifying fallen Austrian
pride] obliged to co-operate.
"That he would always be attached to our King's interests, and set
all the value in the world on his friendship; but that he had not been
sufficiently assisted to be content. That, observing henceforth an
exact neutrality, he might be enabled to do offices of mediation; and to
carry, to the one side and to the other, words of peace. That he offered
himself for that object, and would be charmed to help in it; but that he
was fixed to stop there. That in regard to the basis of General Peace,
he had Two Ideas [which the reader can attend to, and see where they
differed from the Event, and where not]:--One was, That France should
keep Ypres, Furnes, Tournay [which France did not], giving up the
Netherlands otherwise, with Ostend, to the English [to the English!]
in exchange for Cape Breton. The other was, To give up more of our
Conquests [we gave them all up, and got only the glory, and our
Cod-fishery, Cape Breton, back, the English being equally generous], and
bargain for liberty to re-establish Dunkirk in its old condition [not
a word of your Dunkirk; there is your Cape Breton, and we also will go
home with what glory there is,--not difficult to carry!]. But that it
was by England we must make the overtures, without addressing ourselves
to the Court of Vienna; and put it in his, Friedrich's, power to propose
a receivable Project of Peace. That he well conceived the great point
was the Queen of Spain [Termagant and Jenkins's Ear; Termagant's
Husband, still living, is a lappet of Termagant's self]: but that she
must content herself with Parma and Piacenza for the Infant, Don Philip
[which the Termagant did]; and give back her hold of Savoy [partial
hold, of no use to her without the Passes] to the King of Sardinia." And
of the JENKINS'S-EAR question, generous England will say nothing? Next
to nothing; hopes a modicum of putty and diplomatic varnish may close
that troublesome question,--which springs, meanwhile, in the centre of
the world!--
"These kind condescensions of his Majesty emboldened me to represent to
him the brilliant position he now held; and how noble it would be,
after having been the Hero of Germany, to become, instead of one's own
pacificator, the Pacificator of Europe. 'I grant you,' said he, (MON
CHER D'Arget; but it is too dangerous a part for playing. A reverse
brings me to the edge of ruin: I know too well the mood of mind I
was in, last time I left Berlin with that Three-legged Immensity of
Atropos, NOT yet mown down at Hennersdorf by a lucky cut), ever to
expose myself to it again! If luck had been against me there, I saw
myself a Monarch without throne; and my subjects in the cruelest
oppression. A bad game that: always, mere CHECK TO YOUR KING; no other
move;--I refer it to you, friend D'Arget:--in fine, I wish to be at
peace.'
"I represented to him that the House of Austria would never, with a
tranquil eye, see his House in possession of Silesia. 'Those that come
after me,' said he, 'will do as they like; the Future is beyond man's
reach. Those that come after will do as they can. I have acquired; it is
theirs to preserve. I am not in alarm about the Austrians;--and this
is my answer to what you have been saying about the weakness of my
guarantees. They dread my Army; the luck that I have. I am sure of
their sitting quiet for the dozen years or so which may remain to me of
life;--quiet till I have, most likely, done with it. What! Are we never
to have any good of our life, then (NE DOIS-JE DONC JAMAIS JOUIR)? There
is more for me in the true greatness of laboring for the happiness of
my subjects, than in the repose of Europe. I have put Saxony out of a
condition to do hurt. She owes 14,775,000 crowns of debt [two millions
and a quarter sterling]; and by the Defensive Alliance which I form with
her, I provide myself [but ask Bruhl withal!] a help against Austria. I
would not henceforth attack a cat, except to defend myself.' ["These
are his very words," adds D'Arget;--and well worth noting.] (Ambition
(GLOIRE) and my interests were the occasion of my first Campaigns.
The late Kaiser's situation, and my zeal for France [not to mention
interests again], gave rise to these second: and I have been fighting
always since for my own hearths,--for my very existence, I might say!
Once more, I know the state I had got into:--if I saw Prince Karl at
the gates of Paris, I would not stir.'--'And us at the gates of Vienna,'
answered I promptly, 'with the same indifference?'--'Yes; and I swear
it to you, D'Arget. In a word, I want to have some good of my life (VEUX
JOUIR). What are we, poor human atoms, to get up projects that cost so
much blood? Let us live, and help to live.'
"The rest of the conversation passed in general talk, about Literature,
Theatres and such objects. My reasonings and objectings, on the great
matter, I need not farther detail: by the frank discourse his Prussian
Majesty was kind enough to go into, you may gather perhaps that my
arguments were various, and not ill-chosen;--and it is too evident they
have all been in vain."--Your Excellency's (really in a very faithful
way)-- D'ARGET. [Valori, i. 290-294 (no date, except "Dresden,
1745,"--sleepy Editor feeling no want of any).]
D'Arget, about a month after this, was taken into Friedrich's service;
Valori consenting, whose occupation was now gone;--and we shall hear of
D'Arget again. Take this small Note, as summary of him: "D'Arget (18th
January, 1746) had some title, 'Secretary at Orders (SECRETAIRE DES
COMMANDEMENTS),' bit of pension; and continued in the character of
reader, or miscellaneous literary attendant and agent, very much liked
by his Master, for six years coming. A man much heard of, during those
years of office. March, 1752, having lost his dear little Prussian Wife,
and got into ill health and spirits, he retired on leave to Paris; and
next year had to give up the thought of returning;--though he still, and
to the end, continued loyally attached to his old Master, and more
or less in correspondence with him. Had got, before long, not through
Friedrich's influence at Paris, some small Appointment in the ECOLE
MILITAIRE there. He is, of all the Frenchmen Friedrich had about him,
with the exception of D'Argens alone, the most honest-hearted. The above
Letter, lucid, innocent, modest, altogether rational and practical, is
a fair specimen of D'Arget: add to it the prompt self-sacrifice (and in
that fine silent way) at Jaromirz for Valori, and readers may conceive
the man. He lived at Paris, in meagre but contented fashion, RUE
DE L'ECOLE MILITAIRE, till 1778; and seems, of all the Ex-Prussian
Frenchmen, to have known most about Friedrich; and to have never spoken
any falsity against him. Duvernet, the 'M----' Biographer of VOLTAIRE,
frequented him a good deal; and any true notions, or glimmerings of
such, that he has about Prussia, are probably ascribable to D'Arget."
[See _OEuvres de Frederic,_ xx. (p. xii of PREFACE to the D'ARGET
CORRESPONDENCE there).]
The Treaty of Dresden can be read in Scholl, Flassan, Rousset, Adelung;
but, except on compulsion, no creature will now read it,--nor did this
Editor, even he, find it pay. Peace is made. Peace of Dresden is signed,
Christmas Day, 1745: "To me Silesia, without farther treachery or trick;
you, wholly as you were." Europe at large, as Friedrich had done, sees
"the sky all on fire about Dresden." The fierce big battles done against
this man have, one and all of them, become big defeats. The strenuous
machinations, high-built plans cunningly devised,--the utmost sum-total
of what the Imperial and Royal Potencies can, for the life of them, do:
behold, it has all tumbled down here, in loud crash; the final peal of
it at Kesselsdorf; and the consummation is flame and smoke, conspicuous
over all the Nations. You will let him keep his own henceforth, then,
will you? Silesia, which was NOT yours nor ever shall be? Silesia and
no afterthought? The Saxons sign, the high Plenipotentiaries all; in the
eyes of Villiers, I am told, were seen sublimely pious tears.
Harrach, bowing with stiff, almost incredulous, gratitude, swears and
signs;--hurries home to his Sovereign Lady, with Peace, and such a smile
on his face; and on her Imperial Majesty's such a smile!--readers shall
conceive it.
There are but Two new points in the Treaty of Dresden,--nay properly
there is but One point, about which posterity can have the least care
or interest; for that other, concerning "The Toll of Schidlo," and
settlement of haggles on the Navigation of the Elbe there, was not
kept by the Saxons, but continued a haggle still: this One point is
the Eleventh Article. Inconceivably small; but liable to turn up on
us again, in a memorable manner. That let us translate,--for M.
de Voltaire's sake, and time coming! STEUER means Land-Tax;
OBER-STEUER-EINNAHME will be something like Royal Exchequer, therefore;
and STEUER-SCHEIN will be approximately equivalent to Exchequer Bill.
Article Eleventh stipulates:
"All subjects and servants of his Majesty the King of Prussia who hold
bonds of the Saxon OBER-STEUER-EINNAHME shall be paid in full, capital
and interest, at the times, and to the amount, specified in said
STEUER-SCHEINE or Bonds." That is Article Eleventh.--"The Saxon
Exchequer," says an old Note on it, "thanks to Bruhl's extravagance, has
been as good as bankrupt, paying with inconvertible paper, with SCHEINE
(Things to be SHOWN), for some time past; which paper has accordingly
sunk, let us say, 25 per cent below its nominal amount in gold. All
Prussian subjects, who hold these Bonds, are to be paid in gold; Saxons,
and others, will have to be content with paper till things come round
again, if things ever do." Yes;--and, by ill chance, the matter will
attract M. de Voltaire's keen eye in the interim!
Friedrich stayed eight days in Dresden, the loud theme of Gazetteers and
rumors; the admired of two classes, in all Countries: of the many who
admire success, and also of the few who can understand what it is to
deserve success. Among his own Countrymen, this last Winter has kindled
all their admirations to the flaming pitch. Saved by him from imminent
destruction; their enemies swept home as if by one invincible; nay, sent
home in a kind of noble shame, conquered by generosity. These feelings,
though not encouraged to speak, run very high. The Dresdeners in private
society found him delightful; the high ladies especially: "Could you
have thought it; terrific Mars to become radiant Apollo in this manner!"
From considerable Collections of Anecdotes illustrating this fact, in a
way now fallen vapid to us,--I select only the Introduction:--
"Do readers recollect Friedrich's first visit to Dresden [in 1728],
seventeen years ago; and a certain charming young Countess Flemming,
at that time only fourteen; who, like a Hebe as she was, contrived
beautiful surprises for him, and among other things presented him, so
gracefully, on the part of August the Strong, with his first flute?"--No
reader of this History can recollect it; nor indeed, except in a
mythic sense, believe it! A young Countess Flemming (daughter of old
Feldmarschall Flemming) doubtless there might be, who presented him a
flute; but as to HIS FIRST flute--? "That same charming young Countess
Flemming is still here, age now thirty-one; charming, more than ever,
though now under a changed name; having wedded a Von Racknitz (Supreme
Gentleman-Usher, or some such thing) a few years ago, and brought him
children and the usual felicities. How much is changed! August the
Strong, where is he; and his famous Three Hundred and Fifty-four,
Enchantress Orzelska and the others, where are they? Enchantress
Orzelska wedded, quarrelled, and is in a convent: her charming destiny
concluded. Rutowski is not now in the Prussian Army: he got beaten,
Wednesday last, at Kesselsdorf, fighting against that Army. And the
Chevalier de Saxe, he too was beaten there;--clambering now across the
Metal Mountains, ask not of him. And the Marechal de Saxe, he takes
Cities, fights Battles of Fontenoy, 'mumbling a lead bullet all day;'
being dropsical, nearly dead of debaucheries; the most dissolute (or
probably so) of all the Sons of Adam in his day. August the Physically
Strong is dead. August the Spiritually Weak is fled to Prag with his
Bruhl. And we do not come, this time, to get a flute; but to settle
the account of Victories, and give Peace to Nations. Strange, here as
always, to look back,--to look round or forward,--in the mad huge whirl
of that loud-roaring Loom of Time!--One of Countess Racknitz's
Sons happened to leave MANUSCRIPT DIARIES [rather feeble, not too
exact-looking], and gives us, from Mamma's reminiscences"... Not a word
more. [Rodenbeck, _Beitrage,_ i. 440, et seq.]
The Peace, we said, was signed on Christmas-day. Next day, Sunday,
Friedrich attended Sermon in the Kreuzkirche (Protestant High-Church of
Dresden), attended Opera withal; and on Monday morning had vanished
out of Dresden, as all his people had done, or were diligently doing.
Tuesday, he dined briefly at Wusterhausen (a place we once knew well),
with the Prince of Prussia, whose it now is; got into his open carriage
again, with the said Prince and his other Brother Ferdinand; and drove
swiftly homeward. Berlin, drunk with joy, was all out on the streets,
waiting. On the Heath of Britz, four or five miles hitherward of Berlin,
a body of young gentlemen ("Merchants mostly, who had ridden out so
far") saluted him with "VIVAT FRIEDRICH DER GROSSE (Long live Friedrich
THE GREAT)!" thrice over;--as did, in a less articulate manner, Berlin
with one voice, on his arrival there; Burgher Companies lining the
streets; Population vigorously shouting; Pupils of the Koln Gymnasium,
with Clerical and School Functionaries in mass, breaking out into Latin
Song:--
"VIVAT, VIVAT FRIDERICUS REX;
VIVAT AUGUSTUS, MAGNUS, FELIX, PATER, PATRI-AE--!"
--and what not. [Preuss, i. 220; who cites _Beschreibung_ ("Description
of his Majesty's Triumphant Entry, on the" &c.) and other Contemporary
Pamphlets. Rodenbeck, i. 124.] On reaching the Portal of the Palace,
his Majesty stept down; and, glancing round the Schloss-Platz and the
crowded windows and simmering multitudes, saluted, taking off his hat;
which produced such a shout,--naturally the loudest of all. And so EXIT
King, into his interior. Tuesday, 2-3 P.M., 28th December, 1745: a King
new-christened in the above manner, so far as people could.
Illuminated Berlin shone like noon, all that night (the beginning of a
GAUDEAMUS which lasted miscellaneously for weeks):--but the King stole
away to see a friend who was dying; that poor Duhan de Jaudun, his early
Schoolmaster, who had suffered much for him, and whom he always much
loved. Duhan died, in a day or two. Poor Jordan, poor Keyserling (the
"Cesarion" of young days): them also he has lost; and often laments, in
this otherwise bright time. (In _OEuvres,_ xvii. 288; xviii. 141; IB.
142--painfully tender Letters to Frau von Camas and others, on these
events).