history of friedrich ii of prussia v 16-第45节

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privately　got　his　DOCTOR　AKAKIA　ready。　Compared　to　which；　the　former　missile　is　as　a　popgun　to　a　park　of　artillery　shotted　with　old　nails　and　broken　glass！Such　a　constraint；　at　the　Royal　dinner…table；　amid　wine　and　wit；　could　not　continue。　The　credible　account　is；　it　soon　cracked　asunder；　and；　after　the　conceivable　sputterings；　sparklings　and　flashings　of　various　complexion；　issued　in　lambent　airs　of　〃tacit　mutual　understanding；　and　in　reading　of　AKAKIA　together；with　peals　of　laughter　from　the　King；〃　as　the　common　French　Biographers　assert。

〃Readers　know　AKAKIA；〃　＇DIATRIBE　DU　DOCTEUR　AKAKIA　（in　Voltaire；　　OEuvres；　　lxi。　19…62）。＇　says　Smelfungus：　〃it　is　one　of　the　famous　feats　of　Satirical　Pyrotechny；　only　too　pleasant　to　the　corrupt　Race　of　Adam！　There　is　not　much；　or　indeed　anything；　of　true　poetic　humor　in　it：　but　there　is　a　gayety　of　malice；　a　dexterity；　felicity；　inexhaustibility　of　laughing　mockery　and　light　banter；　capable　of　driving　a　Perpetual　President　delirious。　What　an　Explosion　of　glass…crackers；　fire…balls；　flaming…serpents；generally；　of　sleeping　gunpowder；　in　its　most　artistic　forms；flaming　out　sky…high　over　all　the　Parish；　on　a　sudden！　The　almost…sublime　of　Maupertuis；　which　exists　in　large　quantities；　here　is　a　new　artist　who　knows　how　to　treat　it。　The　engineer　of　the　Sublime　（always　painfully　engineering　thitherward　without　effect）；an　engineer　of　the　Comic　steps　in　on　him；　blows　him　up　with　his　own　petards　in　a　most　unexampled　manner。　Not　an　owlery　has　that　poor　Maupertuis；　in　the　struggle　to　be　sublime　（often　nearly　successful；　but　never　once　quite）；　happened　to　drop　from　him；　but　Voltaire　picks　it　up；　manipulates　it；　reduces　it　to　the　sublimely　ridiculous；　lodges　it；　in　the　form　of　burning　dust；　about　the　head　of　MON　PRESIDENT。　Needless　to　say　of　the　Comic　engineer　that　he　is　unfair；　perversely　exaggerative；　reiterative；　on　the　owleries　of　poor　Maupertuis；it　is　his　function　to　BE　all　that。　Clever；　but　wrong；　do　you　say？　Well；　yes：and　yet　the　ridiculous　does　require　ridicule；　wise　Nature　has　silently　so　ordered。　And　if　ever　truculent　President　in　red　wig；　with　his　absurd　truculences；　tyrannies　and　perpetual　struggles　after　the　sublime；　did　deserve　to　be　exploded　in　laughter；　it　could　not　have　been　more　consummately　done；though　perversely　always；　as　must　be　owned。

〃'The　hole　bored　through　the　Earth；'　for　instance：　really；　one　sometimes　reflects　on　such　a　thing；　How　you　would　see　daylight；　and　the　antipodal　gentleman　（if　he　bent　a　little　over）　foot　to　foot；　how　a　little　stone　flung　into　it　would　exactly　（but　for　air　and　friction）　reach　the　other　side　of　the　world；　would　then；　in　a　computable　few　moments；　come　back　quiescent　to　your　hand；　and　so　continue　forevermore；with　other　the　like　uncriminal　fancies。

〃'The　Latin　Town；'　again：　truly；　if　learning　the　Ancient　Languages　be　human　Education；　it　might；　with　a　Greek　Ditto；　supersede　the　Universities；　and　prove　excellently　serviceable　in　our　struggle　Heavenward　by　that　particular　route。　I　can　assure　M。　de　Voltaire；　it　was　once　practically　proposed　to　this　King's　Great…grandfather；　the　Grosse　Kurfurst；who　looked　into　it；　with　face　puckered　to　the　intensest；　in　his　great　care　for　furtherance　of　the　Terrestrial　Sciences　and　Wisdoms；　but　forbore　for　that　time。　＇Minute　details　about　it　in　Stenzel；　ii。　234…238；　who　quotes　〃Erman〃　（a　poor　old　friend　of　ours）　〃SUR　LE　PROJET　D'UNE　VILLE　SAVANTE　DANS　LE　BRANDEBOURG　（Berlin；　1792）：〃　date　of　the　Project　was　1667。＇　Then　as　to　'Dissecting　the　Brains　of　Patagonians；'　what　harm；　if　you　can　get　them　gross　enough？　And　as　to　that　of　（exalting　your　mind　to　predict　the　future；'　does　not；　in　fact；　man　look　BEFORE　and　AFTER；　are　not　Memory　and　（in　a　small　degree）　Prophecy　the　Two　Faculties　he　has？

〃These　thingswhich　are　mostly　to　be　found　in　the　'LETTRES　DE　MAUPERTUIS'　（Dresden；　1752；　then　a　brand…new　Book）；　but　are　now　clipt　out　from　the　Maupertuis　Treatiseswe　can　fancy　to　be　almost　sublimities。Almost；　unfortunately　not　altogether。　And　then　there　is　such　a　Sisyphus…effort　visible　in　dragging　them　aloft　so　far：　and　the　nimble　wicked　Voltaire　so　seizes　his　moment；　trips　poor　Sisyphus；　and　sends　him　down；　heels…over…head；　in　a　torrent　of　roaring　debris！　'From　gradual　transpiration　of　our　vital　force　comes　Death；　which　perhaps；　by　precautions；　might　be　indefinitely　retarded；'　says　Maupertuis。　'Yes；　truly；'　answers　the　other：　'if　we　got　ourselves　japanned；　coated　with　resinous　varnish　（INDUITS　DE　POIX　RESINEUX）；　who　knows！'　Not　a　sublime　owlery　can　you　drop；　but　it　is　manipulated；　ground　down；　put　in　rifled　cannon；　comes　back　on　you　as　tempests　of　burning　dust。〃　Enough　to　send　Maupertuis　pirouetting　through　the　world；　with　red　wig　unquenchably　on　fire！

Peals　of　laughter　（once　you　are　allowed　to　be　non…official）　could　not　fail；　as　an　ovation；　from　the　King；so　report　the　French　Biographers。　But　there　was；　besides；　strict　promise　that　the　Piece　should　be　suppressed：　〃Never　do　to　send　our　President　pirouetting　through　the　world　in　this　manner；　with　his　wig　on　fire；　promise　me；　on　your　honor！〃　Voltaire　promised。　But；　alas；　how　could　Voltaire　perform！　Once　more　the　Rhadamanthine　fact　is：　Voltaire；　as　King's　Chamberlain；　was　bound；　without　any　promise；　to　forbear；　and　rigidly　suppress　such　an　AKAKIA　against　the　King's　Perpetual　President。　But　withal　let　candid　readers　consider　how　difficult　it　was　to　do。　The　absurd　blusterous　Turkey…cock；　who　has；　every　now　and　then；　been　tyrannizing　over　you　for　twenty　years；　here　you　have　him　filled　with　gunpowder；　so　to　speak；　and　the　train　laid。　There　wants　but　one　spark；（edition　printed　in　Holland；　edition　done　in　Berlin；　plenty　of　editions　made　or　makable　by　a　little　surreptitious　legerdemain；and　I　never　knew　whether　it　was　AKAKIA　in　print；　or　AKAKIA　in　manuscript；　that　King　and　King's　Chamberlain　were　now　reading　together；　nor　does　it　matter　much）：your　Turkey　surreptitiously　stuffed　with　gunpowder；　I　say；　train　ready　waiting；　one　flint…spark　will　shoot　him　aloft；　scatter　him　as　flaming　ruin　on　all　the　winds：　and　you　are；　once　and　always；　to　withhold　said　spark。　Perhaps；　had　AKAKIA　not　yet　been　writtenBut　all　lies　ready　there；　one　spark　will　do　it；　at　any　moment；and　there　are　unguarded　moments；　and　the　Tempter　must　prevail！

On　what　day　AKAKIA　blazed　out　at　Berlin；　surreptitiously　forwarded　from　Holland　or　otherwise；　I　could　never　yet　learn　（so　stupid　these　reporters）。　But　〃on　November　2d〃　the　King　makes　a　Visit　to　sick　Maupertuis；　which　is　published　in　all　the　Newspapers；　＇Rodenbeck；　IN　DIE；　　Helden…Geschichte；　　iii。　531；　〃2d　November；　1752；　5　P。M。〃＇and　one　might　guess　the　AKAKIA　conflagration；　and　cruel　haha…ings　of　mankind；　to　have　been　tacitly　the　cause。　Then　or　later；　sure　enough；　AKAKIA　does　blaze　aloft　about　that　time；　and　all　Berlin；　and　all　the　world；　is　in　conversation　over　Maupertuis　and　it；30；000　copies　sold　in　Paris：　and　Friedrich　naturally　was　in　a　towering　passion　at　his　Chamberlain。　Nothing　for　the　Chamberlain　but　to　fly　his　presence；　to　shriek；　piteously；　〃Accident；　your　Majesty！　Fatal　treachery　and　accident；　after　such　precautions　too！〃and　fall　sick　to　death　（which　is　always　a　resource　one　has）；　and　get　into　private　lodgings　in　the　TAUBEN…STRASSE；　＇At　a　〃Hofrath　Francheville's〃　（kind　of　subaltern　Literary　Character；　see　Denina；　ii。　67）；　〃TAUBEN…STRASSE　（Dove　Street）；　No。　20：〃　stayed　there　till　〃March；　1753〃　（Note　by　Preuss；　　OEuvres　de　Frederic；　　xxii。　306　n。）。＇　till　one　either　die；　or　grow　fit　to　be　seen　again：　〃Ah；　Sire〃let　us　give　the　Voltaire　shriek　of　NOT…GUILTY；　with　the　Friedrich　Answer；　both　dateless　unluckily：

VOLTAIRE。　〃AH；　MON　DIEU；　Sire；　in　the　state　I　am　in！　I　swear　to　you　again；　on　my　life；　which　I　could　renounce　without　pain；　that　it　is　a　frightful　calumny。　I　conjure　you　to　summon　all　my　people；　and　confront　them。　What？　You　will　judge　me　without　hearing　me！　I　demand　justice　or　death。〃

FRIEDRICH。　〃Your　effrontery　astonishes　me。　After　what　you　have　done；　and　what　is　clear　as　day；　you　persist；　instead　of　owning　yourself　culpable。　Do　not　imagine　you　will　make　people　believe　that　black　is　white；　when　one　＇ON；　meaning　_I_＇　does　not　see；　the　reason　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　？ONE　p。　218；　book　XVI　＋＋＋＋＋＋＋＋＋＋＋＋＋＋＋＋＋　is；　one　does　not　want　to　see　everything。　But　if　you　drive　the　affair　to　extremity；all　shall　be　made　public；　and　it　will　be　seen　whether；　if　your　Works　deserve　statues；　your　conduct　does　not　deserve　chains。〃　＇　OEuvres　de　Frederic；　　xxii。　302；　301。＇

Most　dark　element　（not　in　date　only）；　with　terrific　thunder…and…　lightning。　Nothing　for　it　but　to　keep　one's　room；　mostly　one's　bed；〃Ah；　Sire；　sick　to　death！〃

December　24th；　1752；　there　is　one　thing　dismally　distinct；　Voltaire　himself　looking　on　（they　say）；　from　his　windows　in　Dove　Street：　the　Public　Burning　of　AKAKIA；　near　there；　by　the　common　Hangman。　Figure　it；　and　Voltaire's　reflections　on　it：haggardly　clear　that　Act　Third　is　culminating；　and　that　the　final　catastrophe　is　inevitable　and　nigh。　We　must　be　brief。　On　the　eighth　day　after　this　dread　spectacle　（New…year's…day　1753）；　Voltaire　sends；　in　a　Packet　to　the　Palace；　his　Gold　Key　and　Cross　of　Merit。　On　the　interior　wrappage　is　an　Inscription　in　verse：　〃I　received　them　with　lovi