history of friedrich ii of prussia v 16-第3节

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ch　are　worth　nothing；　not　hoistable；　nor　of　use　when　hoisted；　all　palavering　and　pulling　different　ways。　Must　have　a　Stadtholder；　and　one　that　stands　firm　on　some　basis　of　his　own。　Stadtholder　of　Holland；　King　of　Prussia；you　then；　in　such　position；　take　the　reins　of　this　poor　floundering　English…　Dutch　Germanic　Anti…French　War；　you；　and　drive　it　in　the　style　you　have。　Conquer　back　the　Netherlands　to　us；　French　Netherlands　as　well。　French　and　Austrian　Netherlands　together；　yours　in　perpetuity；　Dutch　Stadtholderate　as　good　as　ditto：　this；　with　Prussia　and　its　fighting　capabilities；　will　be　a　pleasant　Protestant　thing。　Austria　cares　little　about　the　Netherlands；　in　comparison。　Austria；　getting　back　its　Lorraine　and　Alsace；　will　be　content；　will　be　strong　on　its　feet。　What　if　it　should　even　lose　Italy？　France；　Spain；　Sardinia；　the　Italian　Petty　Principalities　and　Anarchies：　suppose　they　tug　and　tussle；　and　collapse　there　as　they　can？　But　let　France　try　to　look　across　the　Rhine　again；　and　to　threaten　Teutschland；　England；　and　the　Cause　of　Human　Liberty　temporal　or　spiritual！〃

This　is　authentically　the　purport　of　Herr　Ranke's　extraordinary　Document；　＇Ranke；　iii。　359。＇　guessable　as　due　to　CARTERETUS　or　DIABOLUS。　Here　is　an　outlook；　here　is　a　career　as　Conquering　Hero；　if　that　were　one's　line！　A　very　magnificent　ground…plan；　hung　up　to　kindle　the　fancy　of　a　young　King；who　is　far　too　prudent　to　go　into　it　at　all。　More　definite　quasi…official　offers；　it　seems；　were　made　him　from　the　same　quarter：　Subsidies　to　begin　with；　such　subsidies　as　nobody　ever　had　before；　say　1；000；000　pounds　sterling　by　the　Year。　To　which　Friedrich　answered；　〃Subsidies；　your　Excellency？〃　（Are　We　a　Hackney…Coachman；　then？）and；　with　much　contempt；　turned　his　back　on　that　offer。　No　fighting　to　be　had；　by　purchase　or　seduction；　out　of　this　young　man。　Will　not　play　the　Conquering　Hero　at　all；　nor　the　Hackney…Coachman　at　all；　has　decided　〃not　to　fight　a　cat〃　if　let　alone；　but　to　do　and　endeavor　a　quite　other　set　of　things；　for　the　rest　of　his　life。

Friedrich；　readers　can　observe；　is　not　uplifted　with　his　greatness。　He　has　been　too　much　beaten　and　bruised　to　be　anything　but　modestly　thankful　for　getting　out　of　such　a　deadly　clash　of　chaotic　swords。　Seems　to　have　little　pride　even　in　his　〃Five　Victories；〃　or　hides　it　well。　Talks　not　overmuch　about　these　things；　talks　of　them；　so　far　as　we　can　hear；　with　his　old　comrades　only；　in　praise　of　THEIR　prowesses；　as　a　simple　human　being；　not　as　a　supreme　of　captains；　and　at　times　acknowledges；　in　a　fine　sincere　way；　the　omnipotence　of　Luck　in　matters　of　War。

One　of　the　most　characteristic　traits；　extensively　symbolical　of　Friedrich's　intentions　and　outlooks　at　this　Epoch；　is　his　installing　of　himself　in　the　little　Dwelling…House；　which　has　since　become　so　celebrated　under　the　name　of　Sans…Souci。　The　plan　of　Sans…Soucian　elegant　commodious　little　〃Country　Box；〃　quite　of　modest　pretensions；　one　story　high；　on　the　pleasant　Hill…top　near　Potsdam；　with　other　little　green　Hills；　and　pleasant　views　of　land　and　water；　all　roundhad　been　sketched　in　part　by　Friedrich　himself；　and　the　diggings　and　terracings　of　the　Hill…side　were　just　beginning；　when　he　quitted　for　the　Last　War。　〃April　14th；　1745；〃　while　he　lay　in　those　perilous　enigmatic　circumstances　at　Neisse　with　Pandours　and　devouring　bugbears　round　him；　〃the　foundation…　stone　was　laid〃　（Knobelsdorf　being　architect；　once　more；　as　in　the　old　Reinsberg　case）：　and　the　work；　which　had　been　steadily　proceeding　while　the　Master　struggled　in　those　dangerous　battles　and　adventures　far　away　from　it；　was　in　good　forwardness　at　his　return。　An　object　of　cheerful　interest　to　him；　prophetic　of　calmer　years　ahead。

It　was　not　till　May；　1747；　that　the　formal　occupation　took　place：　〃Mayday；　1747；〃　he　had　a　grand　House…heating；　or　〃First　Dinner；　of　200　covers：　and　May　19th…20th　was　the　first　night　of　his　sleeping　there。〃　For　the　next　Forty　Years；　especially　as　years　advanced；　he　spent　the　most　of　his　days　and　nights　in　this　little　Mansion；　which　became　more　and　more　his　favorite　retreat；　whenever　the　noises　and　scenic　etiquettes　were　not　inexorable。　〃SANS…SOUCI；〃　which　we　may　translate　〃No…Bother。〃　A　busy　place　this　too；　but　of　the　quiet　kind；　and　more　a　home　to　him　than　any　of　the　Three　fine　Palaces　（ultimately　Four）；　which　lay　always　waiting　for　him　in　the　neighborhood。　Berlin　and　Charlottenburg　are　about　twenty　miles　off；　Potsdam；　which；　like　the　other　two；　is　rather　consummate　among　Palaces；　lies　leftwise　in　front　of　him　within　a　short　mile。　And　at　length；　to　RIGHT　hand；　in　a　similar　distance　and　direction；　came　the　〃NEUE　SCHLOSS〃　（New　Palace　of　Potsdam）；　called　also　the　〃PALACE　of　Sans…Souci；〃　in　distinction　from　the　Dwelling…House；　or　as　it　were　Garden…House；　which　made　that　name　so　famous。

Certainly　it　is　a　significant　feature　of　Friedrich；　and　discloses　the　inborn　proclivity　he　had　to　retirement；　to　study　and　reflection；　as　the　chosen　element　of　human　life。　Why　he　fell　upon　so　ambitious　a　title　for　his　Royal　Cottage？　〃No…Bother〃　was　not　practically　a　thing　he；　of　all　men；　could　consider　possible　in　this　world：　at　the　utmost　perhaps；　by　good　care；　〃LESS…Bother〃！　The　name；　it　appears；　came　by　accident。　He　had　prepared　his　Tomb；　and　various　Tombs；　in　the　skirts　of　this　new　Cottage：　looking　at　these；　as　the　building　of　them　went　on；　he　was　heard　to　say；　one　day　（Spring　1746）；　D'Argens　strolling　beside　him：　〃OUI；　ALORS　JE　SERAI　SANS　SOUCI　（Once　THERE；　one　will　be　out　of　bother）！〃　A　saying　which　was　rumored　of；　and　repeated　in　society；　being　by　such　a　man。　Out　of　which　rumor　in　society；　and　the　evident　aim　of　the　Cottage　Royal；　there　was　gradually　born；　as　Venus　from　the　froth　of　the　sea；　this　name；　〃Sans…Souci；〃which　Friedrich　adopted；　and；　before　the　Year　was　out；　had　put　upon　his　lintel　in　gold　letters。　So　that；　by　〃Mayday；　1747；〃　the　name　was　in　all　men's　memories；　and　has　continued　ever　since。　＇Preuss；　i。　268；　&c。；　Nicolai；　iii。　1200。＇　Tourists　know　this　Cottage　Royal：　Friedrich's　〃Three　Rooms　in　it；　one　of　them　a　Library；　in　another；　a　little　Alcove　with　an　iron　Bed〃　（iron；　without　curtains；　old　softened　HAT　the　usual　royal　nightcap）altogether　a　soldier's　lodging：all　this　still　stands　as　it　did。　Cheerfully　looking　down　on　its　garden…terraces；　stairs；　Greek　statues；　and　against　the　free　sky：perhaps　we　may　visit　it　in　time　coming；　and　take　a　more　special　view。　In　the　Years　now　on　hand；　Friedrich；　I　think；　did　not　much　practically　live　there；　only　shifted　thither　now　and　then。　His　chief　residence　is　still　Potsdam　Palace；　and　in　Carnival　time；　that　of　Berlin；　with　Charlottenburg　for　occasional　festivities；　especially　in　summer；　the　gardens　there　being　fine。

This　of　Sans…Souci　is　but　portion　of　a　wider　Tendency；　wider　set　of　endeavors　on　Friedrich's　part；　which　returns　upon　him　now　that　Peace　has　returned：　That　of　improving　his　own　Domesticities；　while　he　labors　at　so　many　public　improvements。　Gazing　long　on　that　simmering　〃Typhoon　of　Marine…stores〃　above　mentioned；　we　do　trace　Three　great　Heads　of　Endeavor　in　this　Peace　Period。　FIRST；　the　Reform　of　Law；　which；　as　above　hinted；　is　now　earnestly　pushed　forward　again；　and　was　brought　to　what　was　thought　completion　before　long。　With　much　rumor　of　applause　from　contemporary　mankind。　Concerning　which　we　are　to　give　some　indications；　were　it　only　dates　in　their　order：　though；　as　the　affair　turned　out　not　to　be　completed；　but　had　to　be　taken　up　again　long　after；　and　is　an　affair　lying　wide　of　British　ken；there　need　not；　and　indeed　cannot；　be　much　said　of　it　just　now。　SECONDLY；　there　is　eager　Furthering　of　the　Husbandries；　the　Commerces；　Practical　Arts；　especially　at　present；　that　of　Foreign　Commerce；　and　Shipping　from　the　Port　of　Embden。　Which　shall　have　due　notice。　And　THIRDLY；　what　must　be　our　main　topic　here；　there　is　that　of　Improving　the　Domesticities；　the　Household　Enjoyments　such　as　they　were；　especially　definable　as　Renewal　of　the　old　Reinsberg　Program；　attempt　more　strenuous　than　ever　to　realize　that　beautiful　ideal。　Which；　and　the　total　failure　of　which；　and　the　consequent　quasi…　abandonment　of　it　for　time　coming；　are　still；　intrinsically　and　by　accident；　of　considerable　interest　to　modern　readers。

Curious；　and　in　some　sort　touching；　to　observe　how　that　old　original　Life…Program　still　re…emerges　on　this　King：　〃Something　of　melodious　possible　in　one's　poor　life；　is　not　there？　A　Life　to　the　Practical　Duties；　yes；　but　to　the　Muses　as　well！〃Of　Friedrich's　success　in　his　Law…Reforms；　in　his　Husbandries；　Commerces　and　Furtherances；　conspicuously　great　as　it　was；　there　is　no　possibility　of　making　careless　readers　cognizant　at　this　day。　Only　by　the　great　resultsa　〃Prussia　QUADRUPLED〃　in　his　time；　and　the　likecan　studious　readers　convince　themselves；　in　a　cold　and　merely　statistic　way。　But　in　respect　of　Life　to　the　Muses；　we　have　happily　the　means　of　showing　that　in　actual　vitality；　in　practical　struggle　towards　fulfillment；and　how　extremely　disappointing　the　result　was。　In　a　word；　Voltaire　pays　his　Fifth　and　final　Visit　in　this　Period；　the　Voltaire　matter　comes　to　its　consummation。　To　that；　as　to　one　of　the　few　things　which　are　perfectly　knowable　in　this　Period　of　TEN…YEARS　PEACE；　and　in　which　mankind　still　take　interest；　we　purpose　mostly　to　de