Meanwhile, over at Warsaw, there has an Event fallen out. Friedrich,
writing rapidly from vague reminiscence, as he often does, records it
as "during the marriage festivities;" [_OEuvres (Memoires de
Brandenbourg),_ i. 163.] but it was four good months earlier. Event we
must now look at for a moment.
In the end of January last, we left Grumkow in a low and hypochondriacal
state, much shaken by that drinking-bout at Crossen, when the Polish
Majesty and he were so anxious to pump one another, by copious priming
with Hungary wine. About a fortnight after, in the first days of
February following (day is not given), Grumkow reported something
curious. "In my presence," says Wilhelmina, "and that of forty persons,"
for the thing was much talked about, "Grumkow said to the King one
morning: 'Ah Sire, I am in despair; the poor Patroon is dead! I was
lying broad awake, last night: all on a sudden, the curtains of my bed
flew asunder: I saw him; he was in a shroud: he gazed fixedly at me:
I tried to start up, being dreadfully taken; but the phantom
disappeared!'" Here was an illustrious ghost-story for Berlin, in a day
or two when the Courier came. "Died at the very time of the phantom;
Death and phantom were the same night," say Wilhelmina and the
miraculous Berlin public,--but do not say WHAT night for either of them
it was. [Wilhelmina, ii. 98. Event happened, 1st February; news of it
came to Berlin, 4th February: Fassmann (p. 485); Buchholz; &c.] By help
of which latter circumstance the phantom becomes reasonably unmiraculous
again, in a nervous system tremulous from drink. "They had been sad at
parting," Wilhelmina says, "having drunk immensities of Hungary wine;
the Patroon almost weeping over his Grumkow: 'Adieu, my dear Grumkow,'
said he; 'I shall never see you more!'"
Miraculous or not, the catastrophe is true: August, the once Physically
Strong, lies dead;--and there will be no Partition of Poland for the
present. He had the Diet ready to assemble; waiting for him, at Warsaw;
and good trains laid in the Diet, capable of fortunate explosion under
a good engineer. Engineer, alas! The Grumkow drinking-bout had awakened
that old sore in his foot: he came to Warsaw, eager enough for business;
but with his stock of strength all out, and Death now close upon him.
The Diet met, 26th-27th January; engineer all alert about the good
trains laid, and the fortunate exploding of them; when, almost on the
morrow--"Inflammation has come on!" said the Doctors, and were futile
to help farther. The strong body, and its life, was done; and nothing
remained but to call in the Archbishop, with his extreme unctions and
soul-apparatus.
August made no moaning or recalcitrating; took, on the prescribed terms,
the inevitable that had come. Has been a very great sinner, he confesses
to the Archbishop: "I have not at present strength to name my many and
great sins to your Reverence," said he; "I hope for mercy on the"--on
the usual rash terms. Terms perhaps known to August to be rash; to have
been frightfully rash; but what can he now do? Archbishop thereupon
gives absolution of his sins; Archbishop does,--a baddish, unlikely kind
of man, as August well knows. August "laid his hand on his eyes," during
such sad absolution-mummery; and in that posture had breathed his last,
before it was well over. ["Sunday, 1st February, 1733, quarter past
4 A.M." (Fassmann, _Leben Frederici Augusti Konigs in Pohlen,_ pp.
994-997).] Unhappy soul; who shall judge him?--transcendent King of
edacious Flunkies; not without fine qualities, which he turned to such a
use amid the temptations of this world!
POLAND HAS TO FIND A NEW KING.
His death brought vast miseries on Poland; kindled foolish Europe
generally into fighting, and gave our Crown-Prince his first actual
sight and experience of the facts of War. For which reason, hardly for
another, the thing having otherwise little memorability at present,
let us give some brief synopsis of it, the briefer the better. Here,
excerpted from multifarious old Note-books, are some main heads of the
affair:--
"On the disappearance of August the Strong, his plans of Partitioning
Poland disappeared too, and his fine trains in the Diet abolished
themselves. The Diet had now nothing to do, but proclaim the coming
Election, giving a date to it; and go home to consider a little whom
they would elect. ["Interregnum proclaimed," 11th February; Preliminary
Diet to meet 21st April;--meets; settles, before May is done, that the
Election shall BEGIN 25th August: it must END in six weeks thereafter,
by law of the land.] A question weighty to Poland. And not likely to be
settled by Poland alone or chiefly; the sublime Republic, with LIBERUM
VETO, and Diets capable only of anarchic noise, having now reached such
a stage that its Neighbors everywhere stood upon its skirts; asking,
'Whitherward, then, with your anarchy? Not this way;--we say, that
way!'-and were apt to get to battle about it, before such a thing could
be settled. A house, in your street, with perpetual smoke coming through
the slates of it, is not a pleasant house to be neighbor to! One honest
interest the neighbors have, in an Election Crisis there, That the house
do not get on fire, and kindle them. Dishonest interests, in the way of
theft and otherwise, they may have without limit.
"The poor house, during last Election Crisis,--when August the Strong
was flung out, and Stanislaus brought in; Crisis presided over by
Charles XII., with Czar Peter and others hanging on the outskirts, as
Opposition party,--fairly got into flame; [Description of it in Kohler,
_Munzbelustigungen,_ vi. 228-230.] but was quenched down again by that
stout Swede; and his Stanislaus, a native Pole, was left peaceably as
King for the years then running. Years ran; and Stanislaus was thrown
out, Charles himself being thrown out; and had to make way for August
the Strong again:--an ejected Stanislaus: King only in title; known to
most readers of this time. [Stanislaus Lesczinsky, "Woywode of Posen,"
born 1677: King of Poland, Charles XII. superintending, 1704 (age then
27); driven out 1709, went to Charles XII. at Bender; to Zweibruck,
1714; thence, on Charles's death, to Weissenburg (Alsace, or Strasburg
Country): Daughter married to Louis XV., 1725. Age now 56.--Hubner, t.
97; _Histoire de Stanislas I., Roi de Pologlne_ (English Translation,
London, 1741), pp. 96-126; &c.]
"Poor man, he has been living in Zweibruck, in Weissenburg and such
places, in that Debatable French-German region,--which the French
are more and more getting stolen to themselves, in late
centuries:--generally on the outskirts of France he lives; having
now connections of the highest quality with France. He has had fine
Country-houses in that Zweibruck (TWO-BRIDGE, Deux-Ponts) region;
had always the ghost of a Court there; plenty of money,--a sinecure
Country-gentleman life;--and no complaints have been heard from him.
Charles XII., as proprietor of Deux-Ponts, had first of all sent him
into those parts for refuge; and in general, easy days have been the lot
of Stanislaus there.
"Nor has History spoken of him since, except on one small occasion:
when the French Politician Gentlemen, at a certain crisis of their game,
chose a Daughter of his to be Wife for young Louis XV., and bring
royal progeny, of which they were scarce. This was in 1724-1725; Duc de
Bourbon, and other Politicians male and female, finding that the best
move. A thing wonderful to the then Gazetteers, for nine days; but not
now worth much talk. The good young Lady, it is well known, a very pious
creature, and sore tried in her new station, did bring royal progeny
enough,--and might as well have held her hand, had she foreseen what
would become of them, poor souls! This was a great event for Stanislaus,
the sinecure Country-gentleman, in his French-German rustication. One
other thing I have read of him, infinitely smaller, out of those ten
years: in Zweibruck Country, or somewhere in that French-German region,
he 'built a pleasure-cottage,' conceivable to the mind, 'and called it
SCHUHFLICK (Shoe-Patch),' [Busching, _Erdbeschreibung,_ v. 1194.]--a
name that touches one's fancy on behalf of the innocent soul. Other
fact I will not remember of him. He is now to quit Shoe-Patch and his
pleasant Weissenburg Castle; to come on the public stage again, poor
man; and suffer a second season of mischances and disgraces still worse
than the first. As we shall see presently;--a new Polish Election Crisis
having come!
"What individual the Polish Grandees would have chosen for King if
entirely left alone to do it? is a question not important; and indeed
was never asked, in this or in late Elections. Not the individual who
could have BEEN a King among them were they, for a long time back, in
the habit of seeking after; not him, but another and indeed reverse kind
of individual,--the one in whom there lay most NOURISHMENT, nourishment
of any kind, even of the cash kind, for a practical Polish Grandee. So
that the question was no longer of the least importance, to Poland or
the Universe; and in point of fact, the frugal Destinies had ceased
to have it put, in that quarter. Not Grandees of Poland; but Intrusive
Neighbors, carrying Grandees of Poland 'in their breeches-pocket' (as
our phrase is), were the voting parties. To that pass it was come. Under
such stern penalty had Poland and its Grandees fallen, by dint of false
voting: the frugal Destinies had ceased to ask about their vote; and
they were become machines for voting with, or pistols for fighting
with, by bad Neighbors who cared to vote! Nor did the frugal Destinies
consider that the proper method, either; but had, as we shall see,
determined to abolish that too, in about forty years more."
OF THE CANDIDATES; OF THE CONDITIONS. HOW THE ELECTION WENT.
It was under such omens that the Polish Election of 1733 had to transact
itself. Austria, Russia, Prussia, as next Neighbors, were the chief
voting parties, if they cared to intrude;--which Austria and Russia were
clear for doing; Prussia not clear, or not beyond the indispensable
or evidently profitable. Seckendorf, and one Lowenwolde the Russian
Ambassador at Berlin, had, some time ago, in foresight of this
event, done their utmost to bring Friedrich Wilhelm into
co-operation,--offering fine baits, "Berg and Julich" again, among
others;--but nothing definite came of it: peaceable, reasonably safe
Election in Poland, other interest Friedrich Wilhelm has not in the
matter; and compliance, not co-operation, is what can be expected of him
by the Kaiser and Czarina. Co-operating or even complying, these three
could have settled it; and would,--had no other Neighbor interfered. But
other neighbors can interfere; any neighbor that has money to spend, or
likes to bully in such a matter! And that proved to be the case, in this
unlucky instance.
Austria aud Russia, with Prussia complying, had,--a year ago, before the
late August's decease, his life seeming then an extremely uncertain one,
and foresight being always good,--privately come to an understanding,
[31st December, 1731, "Treaty of Lowenwolde" (which never got completed
or became valid): Scholl, ii. 223.] in case of a Polish Election:--
"1. That France was to have no hand in it whatever,--no tool of France
to be King; or, as they more politely expressed it, having their eye
upon Stanislaus, No Piast or native Pole could be eligible.
"2. That neither could August's Son, the new August, who would then be
Kurfurst of Saxony, be admitted King of Poland.--And, on the whole,
"3. That an Emanuel Prince of Portugal would be the eligible man."
Emanuel of Portugal, King of Portugal's Brother; a gentleman without
employment, as his very Title tells us: gentleman never heard of before
or since, in those parts or elsewhere, but doubtless of the due harmless
quality, as Portugal itself was: he is to be the Polish King,--vote
these Intrusive Neighbors. What the vote of Poland itself may be, the
Destinies do not, of late, ask; finding it a superfluous question.
So had the Three Neighbors settled this matter:--or rather, I
should say, so had Two of them; for Friedrich Wilhelm wanted, now or
afterwards, nothing in this Election, but that it should not take fire
and kindle him. Two of the Neighbors: and of these two, perhaps we might
guess the Kaiser was the principal contriver and suggester; France and
Saxony being both hateful to him,--obstinate refusers of the Pragmatic
Sanction, to say nothing more. What the Czarina, Anne with the big
cheek, specially wanted, I do not learn,--unless it were peaceable hold
of Courland; or perhaps merely to produce herself in these parts, as
a kind of regulating Pallas, along with the Jupiter Kaiser of Western
Europe;--which might have effects by and by.
Emanuel of Portugal was not elected, nor so much as spoken of in the
Diet. Nor did one of these Three Regulations take effect; but much the
contrary,--other Neighbors having the power to interfere. France saw
good to interfere, a rather distant neighbor; Austria, Russia, could not
endure the French vote at all; and so the whole world got on fire by the
business.
France is not a near Neighbor; but it has a Stanislaus much concerned,
who is eminently under the protection of France:--who may be called the
"FATHER of France," in a sense, or even the "Grandfather;" his Daughter
being Mother of a young creature they call Dauphin, or "Child of
France." Fleury and the French Court decide that Stanislaus, Grandfather
of France, was once King of Poland: that it will behoove, for various
reasons, he be King again. Some say old Fleury did not care for
Stanislaus; merely wanted a quarrel with the Kaiser,--having got himself
in readiness, "with Lorraine in his eye;" and seeing the Kaiser not
ready. It is likelier the hot young spirits, Belleisle and others,
controlled old Fleury into it. At all events, Stanislaus is summoned
from his rustication; the French Ambassador at Warsaw gets his
instructions. French Ambassador opens himself largely, at Warsaw, by
eloquent speech, by copious money, on the subject of Stanislaus;
finds large audience, enthusiastic receptivity;--and readers will
now understand the following chronological phenomena of the Polish
Election:--
"AUGUST 25th, 1733. This day the Polish Election begins. So has the
Preliminary Diet (kind of Polish CAUCUS) ordered it;--Preliminary Diet
itself a very stormy matter; minority like to be 'thrown out of
window,' to be 'shot through the head,' on some occasions. [_History of
Stanislaus_ (cited above), p. 136.] Actual Election begins; continues
SUB DIO, 'in the Field of Wola,' in a very tempestuous fashion; bound
to conclude within six weeks. Kaiser has his troops assembled over the
border, in Silesia, 'to protect the freedom of election;' Czarina has
30,000 under Marshal Lacy, lying on the edge of Lithuania, bent on a
like object; will increase them to 50,000, as the plot thickens.
"So that Emanuel of Portugal is not heard of; and French interference
is, with a vengeance,--and Stanislaus, a born Piast, is overwhelmingly
the favorite. Intolerable to Austria, to Russia; the reverse to
Friedrich Wilhelm, who privately thinks him the right man. And Kurfurst
August of Saxony is the other Candidate,--with troops of his own in the
distance, but without support in Poland; and depending wholly on the
Kaiser and Czarina for his chance. And our 'three settled points' are
gone to water in this manner!
"August seeing there was not the least hope in Poland's own vote,
judiciously went to the Kaiser first of all: 'Imperial Majesty, I will
accept your Pragmatic Sanction root and branch, swallow it whole; make
me King of Poland!'--'Done!' answers Imperial Majesty; [16th July, 1733;
Treaty in Scholl, ii. 224-231.] brings the Czarina over, by good offers
of August's and his;--and now there is an effective Opposition Candidate
in the field, with strength of his own, and good backing close at hand.
Austrian, Russian Ambassadors at Warsaw lift up their voice, like the
French one; open their purse, and bestir themselves; but with no success
in the Field of Wola, except to the stirring up of noise and tumult
there. They must look to other fields for success. The voice of Wola and
of Poland, if it had now a voice, is enthusiastic for Stanislaus.
"SEPTEMBER 7th. A couple of quiet-looking Merchants arrive in
Warsaw,--one of whom is Stanislaus in person. Newspapers say he is in
the French Fleet of War, which is sailing minatory towards these Coasts:
and there is in truth a Gentleman in Stanislaus's clothes on board
there;--to make the Newspapers believe. Stanislaus himself drove through
Berlin, a day or two ago; gave the sentry a ducat at the Gate, to be
speedy with the Passports,--whom Friedrich Wilhelm affected to put
under arrest for such negligent speed. And so, on the 10th of the month,
Stanislaus being now rested and trimmed; makes his appearance on the
Field of Wola itself; and captivates all hearts by the kind look of him.
So that, on the second day after, 12th September, 1733, he is, as it
were, unanimously elected; with acclamation, with enthusiasm; and
sees himself actual King of Poland,--if France send proper backing
to continue him there. As, surely, she will not fail?--But there are
alarming news that the Russians are advancing: Marshal Lacy with 30,000;
and reinforcements in the rear of him.
"SEPTEMBER 22d. Russians advancing more and more, no French help arrived
yet, and the enthusiastic Polish Chivalry being good for nothing against
regular musketry,--King Stanislaus finds that he will have to quit
Warsaw, and seek covert somewhere. Quits Warsaw this day; gets covert in
Dantzig. And, in fact, from this 22d of September, day of the autumnal
equinox, 1733, is a fugitive, blockaded, besieged Stanislaus: an
Imaginary King thenceforth. His real Kingship had lasted precisely ten
days.
"OCTOBER 3d. Lacy and his Russians arrive in the suburbs of Warsaw,
intent upon 'protecting freedom of election.' Bridges being broken, they
do not yet cross the River, but invite the free electors to come across
and vote: 'A real King is very necessary,--Stanislaus being an imaginary
one, brought in by compulsion, by threats of flinging people out of
window, and the like.' The free electors do not cross. Whereupon a small
handful, now free enough, and NOT to be thrown out of window, whom Lacy
had about him, proceed to elect August of Saxony; he, on the 5th
of October, still one day within the legal six weeks, is chosen
and declared the real King:--'twelve senators and about six hundred
gentlemen' voting for him there, free they in Lacy's quarters, the rest
of Poland having lain under compulsion when voting for Stanislaus. That
is the Polish Election, so far as Poland can settle it. We said the
Destinies had ceased, some time since, to ask Poland for its vote; it is
other people who have now got the real power of voting. But that is the
correct state of the poll at Warsaw, if important to anybody."
August is crowned in Cracow before long; "August III.," whom we shall
meet again in important circumstances. Lacy and his Russians have voted
for August; able, they, to disperse all manner of enthusiastic Polish
Chivalry; which indeed, we observe, usually stands but one volley from
the Russian musketry; and flies elsewhither, to burn and plunder its
own domestic enemies. Far and wide, robbery and arson are prevalent in
Poland; Stanislaus lying under covert; in Dantzig,--an imaginary King
ever since the equinox, but well trusting that the French will give him
a plumper vote. French War-fleet is surely under way hither.
POLAND ON FIRE; DANTZIG STANDS SIEGE.
These are the news our Crown-Prince hears at Ruppin, in the first months
of his wedded life there. With what interest we may fancy. Brandenburg
is next neighbor; and these Polish troubles reach far enough;--the
ever-smoking house having taken fire; and all the street threatening
to get on blaze. Friedrich Wilhelm, nearest neighbor, stands anxious
to quench, carefully sweeping the hot coals across again from his
own borders; and will not interfere on one or the other side, for any
persuasion.
Dantzig, strong in confidence of French help, refuses to give up
Stanislaus when summoned; will stand siege rather. Stands siege, furious
lengthy siege,--with enthusiastic defence; "a Lady of Rank firing off
the first gun," against the Russian batteries. Of the Siege of Dantzig,
which made the next Spring and Summer loud for mankind (February-June,
1734), we shall say nothing,--our own poor field, which also grows loud
enough, lying far away from Dantzig,---except:
FIRST, That no French help came, or as good as none; the minatory
War-fleet having landed a poor 1,500 men, headed by the Comte de Plelo,
who had volunteered along with them; that they attempted one onslaught
on the Russian lines, and that Plelo was shot, and the rest were blown
to miscellaneous ruin, and had to disappear, not once getting into
Dantzig.
SECONDLY, That the Saxons, under Weissenfels, our poor old friend, with
proper siege-artillery, though not with enough, did, by effort (end
of May), get upon the scene; in which this is to be remarked, that
Weissenfels's siege-artillery "came by post;" two big mortars expressly
passing through Berlin, marked as part of the Duke of Weissenfels's
Luggage. And
THIRDLY, That Munnich, who had succeeded Lacy as Besieging General, and
was in hot haste, and had not artillery enough, made unheard-of assaults
(2,000 men, some say 4,000, lost in one night-attack upon a post they
call the Hagelberg; rash attack, much blamed by military men); [_OEuvres
de Frederic,_ xxvii. part 2d, p. 31.]--but nevertheless, having now
(by Russian Fleet, middle of June) got siege-artillery enough, advances
irrepressibly day by day.
So that at length, things being now desperate, Stanislaus, disguised as
a cattle-dealer, privately quitted Dantzig, night of 27th June, 1734;
got across the intricate mud-and-water difficulties of the Weichsel and
its mouths, flying perilously towards Preussen and Friedrich Wilhelm's
protection. [Narrative by himself, in HISTORY, pp. 235-248.] Whereby the
Siege of Dantzig ended in chamade, and levying of penalties; penalties
severe to a degree, though Friedrich Wilhelm interceded what he could.
And with the Siege of Dantzig, the blazing Polish Election went out
in like manner; [Clear account, especially of Siege, in Mannstein
(pp. 71-83), who was there as Munnich's Aide-de-damp.]--having already
kindled, in quarters far away from it, conflagrations quite otherwise
interesting to us. Whitherward we now hasten.