appendix to history of friedrich ii of prussia-第6节
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upon it。'
THE BAUINSPECTOR。 〃'Your Majesty； the LUCH is still subject to
rights of common from a great many hands。'
KING。 〃'No matter for that。 You must make exchanges； give them an
equivalent； according as will answer best in the case。 I want
nothing from anybody except at its value。' ＇TO AMTSRATH KLAUSIUS＇
'Na； hear now； you can write to my Kammer ＇BOARD； Board…of…Works
that does NOT sit idle！＇； what it is that I want reclaimed to the
plough； the money for it I will give。' ＇TO ME＇ 'And you； you go to
Berlin； and explain to my Geheimer…Rath Michaelis； by word of
mouth； what it is I want reclaimed。'
〃His Majesty now stept into his carriage again ＇was Gortz sitting
all the while； still in silence？ Or had he perhaps got out at the
bottom of the hill； and sat down to a contemplative pipe of
tobacco； the smoke of which； heart…cheering to Gortz； was always
disagreeable to Friedrich？ Nobody knows！＇and drove down the hill；
there the horses were changed。 And now； as his Majesty's order was
that I should 'attend him to the Stollen hills；' I went up to the
carriage； and asked：
ICH。 〃'Does your Majesty command that I should yet accompany
farther' ＇〃BEFEHLEN； command；〃 in the plural is polite； 〃your
Majesty； that I yet farther shall WITH〃＇？
KING。 〃'No； my son； ride； in God's name； home。'
〃The Herr Amtsrath ＇Klau…si…us＇ then accompanied his Majesty to
Rathenow； where he ＇THEY： His Majesty is plural＇ lodged in the
Post…house。 At Rathenow； during dinner； his Majesty was uncommonly
cheerful： he dined with Herr Lieutenant…Colonel von Backhof of the
Carabineers； and the Herr Lieutenant…Colonel von Backhof himself
has related that his Majesty said：
〃'My good Von Backhof （MEIN LIEBER VON BACKHOF）： if He ＇you＇ have
not for a long time been in the Fehrbellin neighborhood； go
there。'〃 Fehrbellin； the Prussian BANNOCKBURN； where the Great
Elector cut the hitherto invincible Swedes IN TWO； among the DAMS
and intricate moory quagmires； with a vastly inferior force； nearly
all of cavalry （led by one DERFLINGER； who in his apprentice time
had been a TAILOR）； beat one end of them all to rags； then galloped
off and beat the other into ditto； quite taking the conceit out of
the Swedes； or at least clearing Prussia of them forever and a day：
a feat much admired by Friedrich： 〃'Go there；' he says。
'That region is uncommonly improved ＇as I saw to…day＇！ I have not
for a long time had such a pleasant drive。 I decided on this
journey because I had no REVIEW on hand； and it has given me such
pleasure that I shall certainly have another by and by。'
〃'Tell me now： how did you get on in the last War ＇KARTOFFEL KRIEG；
no fighting； only a scramble for proviant and 〃potatoes〃＇？
Most likely ill！ You in Saxony too could make nothing out。
The reason was； we had not men to fight against； but cannons！
I might have done a thing or two； but I should have sacrificed more
than the half of my Army； and shed innocent human blood。 In that
case I should have deserved to be taken to the Guard…house door；
and to have got a sixscore there （EINEN OFFFENTLICHEN PRODUKT）！
Wars are becoming frightful to carry on。'
〃'This was surely touching to hear from the mouth of a great
Monarch；' said Herr Lieutenant…Colonel von Backhof to me； and tears
came into that old soldier's eyes。〃 Afterwards his Majesty
had said：
〃Of the Battle of Fehrbellin I know everything； almost as if I
myself had been there！ While I was Crown…Prince； and lay in Ruppin；
there was an old townsman； the man was even then very old： he could
describe the whole Battle； and knew the scene of it extremely well。
Once I got into a carriage； took my old genius with me； who showed
me all over the ground； and described everything so distinctly； I
was much contented with him。 As we were coming back； I thought：
Come； let me have a little fun with the old blade；so I asked him：
'Father； don't you know； then； why the two Sovereigns came to
quarrel with one another？''O ja； your Royal HighnessES ＇from this
point we have Platt…Deutsch； PRUSSIAN dialect； for the old man's
speech； barely intelligible； as Scotch is to an ingenious
Englishman＇； DAT WILL ICK SE WOHL SEGGEN； I can easily tell you
that。 When our Chorforste ＇Kurfursts； Great Elector＇ was young； he
studied in Utrecht； and there the King of Sweden happened to be
too。 And now the two young lords picked some quarrel； got to
pulling caps ＇fell into one another's hair＇； AND DIT IS NU DE PICKE
DAVON； and this now was the upshot of it。'His Majesty spoke this
in Platt…Deutsch； as here given；but grew at table so weary that
he （they） fell asleep。〃 So far Backhof；and now again Fromme by
way of finish：
〃Of his Majesty's journey I can give no farther description。
For though his Majesty spoke and asked many things else； it would
be difficult to bring them all to paper。〃 And so ends the DAY WITH
FRIEDRICH THE GREAT； very flat； but I dare say very TRUE：
a Daguerrotype of one of his Days。
End
