FREDERICK THE GREAT.
With youthful ardor, unconscious that his head was uncovered, the
emperor hurried down the staircase into the street. Looking neither to
the right nor to the left, his eyes fixed upon the spot whence the king
was advancing, the emperor rushed onward, for the first time in his life
slighting the people who thronged around, full of joy at sight of his
elegant and handsome person.
Frederick was coming with equal rapidity, and now, in the very centre of
the square, the monarchs met.
At this moment all was quiet. The military, ranged in lines around, were
glistening with gold lace and brightened arms. Behind them came the
people, who far and near were seen flowing in one great stream toward
the square, while on the balconies and through the open windows of the
houses around richly-dressed matrons and beautiful maidens enclosed the
scene, like one long wreath of variegated flowers.
They met; and in the joy of his youthful enthusiasm, the emperor threw
himself into the arms of the King of Prussia, and embraced him with a
tenderness that was almost filial. The king returned the caress, and
pressed the young monarch to his heart.
While the King of Prussia had been advancing, the people in silence were
revolving in their minds the blood, the treasure, the long years of
struggle which Austrians had owed to this warlike Frederick. But when
they saw how Joseph greeted him, they forgot every thing, and he now
seemed to their excited imaginations to come like a resplendent sun of
peace, whose rays streamed far into the distance of a happy and
prosperous futurity.
It was peace! peace!--the hopes of peace that filled every eye with
tears, and bowed every unconscious knee in prayer to Almighty God.
From the midst of the kneeling multitude, a voice was heard to cry out,
"Long live peace!" A thousand other voices echoed the words, "Long live
peace!"
"Long live the emperor and the king!" cried the same voice; and now the
air was rent with shouts, while from street and square, and from every
house, the cry went up to heaven, "Long live the emperor! Long live the
king!"
Frederick withdrew from Joseph's embrace, and bowed to the multitude
with that bright and fascinating smile which no one was ever known to
resist.
He then turned to the emperor, and presenting the young Prince of
Prussia and the two Princes of Brunswick, he pointed to the white
uniforms which they wore, and said: "Sire, I bring you some new
recruits. [Footnote: The king wore the Austrian uniform, embroided with
silver. The princes and the king's suite also wore it.] We are all
desirous of serving under your banner. And we feel that it would be an
honor," continued he, looking around the square, "to be the
companions-in-arms of your majesty's soldiers, for each man looks like a
true son of Mars."
"If so," replied the emperor, "they have reason to rejoice, since to-day
they are permitted, for the first time, to do homage to their father."
Frederick smiled, and taking Joseph's arm, they walked together to the
palace. The king was conducted at once to the apartments prepared for
his occupation, whence he shortly emerged to join the noble company
assembled in the hall that led into the dining-room.
The brilliant suite of the emperor were awaiting the princely pair, and
when they entered the hall together, followed by the cortege of Prussia,
every head bowed with deferential awe, and every eye sought the ground.
One head only bent slightly, and one pair of eyes looked boldly into the
face of Frederick the Great.
The eagle eye of the king remarked him at once, and with an affable
smile he approached the haughty minister.
"I rejoice, at last, to meet Prince Kaunitz face to face," said he, in
his soft and musical voice. "We need no introduction to one another. I
am not such a barbarian as to require that he should be pointed out to
me whom all Europe knows, admires, and respects."
Something happened to which Kaunitz was totally unaccustomed--he
blushed. In spite of himself, he smiled and bowed very, very low; but he
found no words wherewith to reply to Frederick's flattering address.
"Sire," said the emperor, coming to the rescue, "you are making the most
self-possessed men in Austria grow speechless with ecstasy. Even Kaunitz
is at a loss to answer you; and as for poor De Ligne, he is completely
dazzled. But by an by, he will get accustomed to the sun's splendor, and
then he will recover his accustomed address." [Footnote: The emperor's
words. "Conversations with Frederick the Great," by Prince de Ligne, p.
11.]
"I know him well," said Frederick, with another bewitching smile. "I
have read your letter to Jean Jacques Rousseau, prince; and I know it to
be genuine, for it is too beautiful to be a forgery."
"Ah, sire!" replied De Ligne, "I am not of such renown that obscure
writers should seek to forge my name." [Footnote: Not long before this,
a letter had been written to Jean Jacques, and signed with the king's
name. The writer of this letter was Horace Walpole.]
The king bowed, and turned to Field-Marshal von Lacy.
"Your majesty need not present this man either," said he, laying his hand
upon Lacy's shoulder, "he has given me entirely too much trouble for me
not to be familiar with his features. I have good reason to remember Von
Lacy, and to rejoice that he is not quartermaster-general to-day; for in
that capacity, I and my soldiers have suffered enough from him."
"But where is Loudon?" asked the emperor. "He is very late to-day."
"That is not his habit," replied Frederick, quickly, "I have seldom been
able to come upon the field as soon as he. But, sire, we have done him
injustice, for he is here, punctual as though he waited his enemies, not
his friends."
Crossing over to Loudon, and disregarding his stiff demeanor, Frederick
took his hand, and greeted him with the most cordial expressions of
regard.
"If it be agreeable to your majesty," said the emperor, as the doors
were flung open, "we will proceed to dinner." And he offered his arm.
Frederick took it, but he still kept his eyes upon Loudon.
"Sire," said he to Joseph, "if I am to have the honor of sitting beside
your majesty at the table, pray, let me have Loudon on the other side. I
would much rather have him there than opposite--I feel safer."
So saying, the king walked on, and the company passed into the
dining-room.
"If he turns the heads of all the court with his flattery," muttered
Kaunitz, following just after the princely pair, "he shall not succeed
with me. What fine things, to be sure! But flattery indiscriminately
bestowed leaves a bitter taste in the mouth. He wishes Loudon for his
neighbor, forsooth, as if a man could have any rational intercourse with
such an ignorant, ill-bred, awkward dolt as he is."
And Kaunitz, who was secretly chagrined at the choice of the king, took
the seat which bad been assigned to him by the emperor. It was at
Joseph's own table, directly opposite the two sovereigns
"Ah!" exclaimed Frederick, laughing and nodding to Kaunitz, "now I am
satisfied. If I would rather have Loudon beside me, I would rather have
the greatest statesman in Europe before me, for it is only when I can
see him that I feel quite safe from his diplomatic grasp. I take shelter
under your highness's eye. Be indulgent to an old soldier, whose sword
has so often been struck from his hands by your magic pen."
"Your majesty's pen is as sharp as your sword," replied Kaunitz, "and
the world has learned to fear and admire the one as much as the other.
We offer resistance to neither; but pay willing homage to the prince who
is at once a statesman, an author, and a warrior."
The emperor whispered to Frederick: "Sire, a compliment from Kaunitz is
like the flower upon the aloe-it blooms once in a century."