登陆注册
14812200000337

第337章

Contradictory noises had to abate. In the end, sound purpose, built on fact and the Laws of Nature, carried it; lies, vituperations, rumors and delusion sank to zero; and the true result remained. In 1738, the Salzburg Emigrant Community in Preussen held, in all their Churches, a Day of Thanksgiving;and admitted piously that Heaven's blessing, of a truth, had been upon this King and them. There we leave them, a useful solid population ever since in those parts; increased by this time we know not how many fold.

It cost Friedrich Wilhelm enormous sums, say the Old Histories;probably "ten TONS OF GOLD,"--that is to say, ten hundred thousand thalers; almost 150,000 pounds, no less! But he lived to see it amply repaid, even in his own time; how much more amply since;--being a man skilful in investments to a high degree indeed.

Fancy 150,000 pounds invested there, in the Bank of Nature herself; and a hundred millions invested, say at Balaclava, in the Bank of Newspaper rumor: and the respective rates of interest they will yield, a million years hence! This was the most idyllic of Friedrich Wilhelm's feats, and a very real one the while.

We have only to add or repeat, that Salzburgers to the number of about 7,000 souls arrived at their place this first year; and in the year or two following, less noted by the public, but faring steadily forward upon their four groschen a day, 10,000 more.

Friedrioh Wilhelm would have gladly taken the whole; "but George II. took a certain number," say the Prussian Books (George II., or pious Trustees instead of him), "and settled them at Ebenezer in Virginia,"--read, Ebenezer IN GEORGIA, where General Oglethorpe was busy founding a Colony. [Petition to Parliament, 10th (21st)May, 1733, by Oglethorpe and his Trustees, for 10,000 pounds to carry over these Salzburgers; which was granted; Tindal's RAPIN(London, 1769), xx. 184.] There at Ebenezer I calculate they might go ahead, too, after the questionable fashion of that country, and increase and swell;--but have never heard of them since.

Salzburg Emigration was a very real transaction on Friedrich Wilhelm's part; but it proved idyllic too, and made a great impression on the German mind. Readers know of a Book called <italic> Hermann and Dorothea? <end italic> It is written by the great Goethe, and still worth reading. The great Goethe had heard, when still very little, much talk among the elders about this Salzburg Pilgrimage; and how strange a thing it was, twenty years ago and more. [1749 was Goethe's birth-year.] In middle life he threw it into Hexameters, into the region of the air; and did that unreal Shadow of it; a pleasant work in its way, since he was not inclined for more.

Chapter IV.

PRUSSIAN MAJESTY VISITS THE KAISER.

Majesty seeing all these matters well in train,--Salzburgers under way, Crown-Prince betrothed according to his Majesty's and the Kaiser's (not to her Majesty's, and high-flying little George of England my Brother the Comedian's) mind and will,--begins to think seriously of another enterprise, half business, half pleasure, which has been hovering in his mind for some time. "Visit to my Daughter at Baireuth," he calls it publicly; but it means intrinsically Excursion into Bohmen, to have a word with the Kaiser, and see his Imperial Majesty in the body for once.

Too remarkable a thing to be omitted by us here.

Crown-Prince does not accompany on this occasion; Crown-Prince is with his Regiment all this while; busy minding his own affairs in the Ruppin quarter;--only hears, with more or less interest, of these Salzburg-Pilgrim movements, of this Excursion into Bohmen.

Here are certain scraps of Letters; which, if once made legible, will assist readers to conceive his situation and employments there. Letters otherwise of no importance; but worth reading on that score. The FIRST (or rather first three, which we huddle into one) is from "Nauen," few miles off Ruppin; where one of our Battalions lies; requiring frequent visits there:--1. TO GRUMKOW, AT BERLIN (from the Crown-Prince).

"NAUEN, 26th April, 1732.

"MONSIEUR MY DEAREST FRIEND,--I send you a big mass of papers, which a certain gentleman named Plotz has transmitted me.

In faith, I know not in the least what it is: I pray you present it [to his Majesty, or in the proper quarter], and make me rid of it.

"To-morrow I go to Potsdam [a drive of forty miles southward], to see the exercise, and if we do it here according to pattern.

NEUE BESEN KEHREN GUT [New brooms sweep clean, IN GERMAN]; I shall have to illustrate my new character" of Colonel; "and show that Iam EIN TUCHTIGER OFFICIER (a right Officer). Be what I may, Ishall to you always be", &c. &c.

NAUEN, 7th MAY, 1732. "... Thousand thanks for informing me how everything goes on in the world. Things far from agreeable, those leagues [imaginary, in Tobacco-Parliament] suspected to be forming against our House! But if the Kaiser don't abandon us; ... if God second the valor of 80,000 men resolved to spend their life, ...

let us hope there will nothing bad happen.

"Meanwhile, till events arrive, I make a pretty stir here (ME TREMOUSSE ICI D'IMPORTANCE), to bring my Regiment to its requisite perfection, and I hope I shall succeed. The other day Idrank your dear health, Monsieur; and I wait only the news from my Cattle-stall that the Calf I am fattening there is ready for sending to you. I unite Mars and Housekeeping, you see. Send me your Secretary's name, that I may address your Letters that way,"--our Correspondence needing to be secret in certain quarters.

... "With a" truly infinite esteem, "FREDERIC."NAUEN, 10th MAY, 1732. "You will see by this that I am exact to follow your instruction; and that the SCHULZ of Tremmen [Village in the Brandenburg quarter, with a SCHULZ or Mayor to be depended on], becomes for the present the mainspring of our correspondence.

I return you all the things (PIECES) you had the goodness to communicate to me,--except <italic> Charles Douze, <end italic>

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 总裁,别碰我妈咪!

    总裁,别碰我妈咪!

    “大宝,这个男人,说要追我们妈咪!”大宝坐在沙发上,手里拿着一张照片!“不够帅!你去解决!”大宝把手里的照片丢进了一边的垃圾筒里。“好的!”小宝接到命令,从沙发上跳了下来!“大宝,这个男人,说是我们的爹地!”小宝指着被自己带回来的男人。事情从这个男人出现之后发生了。
  • 当火影晓穿越到海贼

    当火影晓穿越到海贼

    轻小说,不压抑,不虐人,不悲伤,略轻浮,恶搞文。若是有剧情显得崩坏,不要在意这些细节。
  • 超级念力网游

    超级念力网游

    地下城?英雄联盟?CF?虚拟神朝?念力:100属性:增加运气+50%装备爆率+50%念力:200属性:魅力+100%念力:300属性:未知新书等阶,念者,念师,念王,念灵,念皇,念帝,念神!想要念力?先保住小命!吾乃色念神!
  • 魔法少女小圆之命运的逆转

    魔法少女小圆之命运的逆转

    沙耶香、小圆、杏子即将复活,复活后发现自己失去了记忆……没有人能理解焰的痛苦,焰已经被封所在了焰自己的世界里……小圆、沙耶香、杏子能想起一切吗?她们能拯救被封锁的焰吗?就在小圆要想起来的时候,焰突然消失了……而格式化的圆什么也记不清!就在这时,麻美复活了。麻美记得清一切,与小圆慢慢讲解……小圆想起来了,曾经的朋友、曾经的同学、曾经的战友……听说焰已经被封锁在自己的世界里,急忙去找丘比……可是已经来不及了,焰已经死在了自己的世界里……这样的命运能否逆转?小圆能改变这一切吗?焰能否复活?
  • 我们的修仙之旅

    我们的修仙之旅

    三千大道,三千片天。灵力是这个世界的根源。在这个现代世界里,藏着修行者无数。我叫盛伟,本一名普通人,却因玩而入修仙一道。在这个奇幻的世界上,又隐藏着哪些不为人知的秘密呢??本书等级制度:入灵。渡阴阳。炼体。化灵。凝丹。炼丹。炼生死。破天??
  • 太空勇敢者联盟

    太空勇敢者联盟

    这是一部讲述太空时代一群英雄如何与邪恶力量对抗的故事
  • 暗杀师

    暗杀师

    提刀扫六合,血眸何邪哉,挥手决浮云,诸魔尽西来。天欲倾,国横灾,刀难入鞘,杀意难平。且看阎罗龙共虎,百年一赋登天谣。
  • 攻克锦州

    攻克锦州

    本书是《中国现代史演义》系列之一:《中国现代史演义》以演义体的形式,叙述了从辛亥革命孙中山缔造共和到今天海峡两岸企盼统一的现状。它把孙中山、蒋介石、毛泽东、邓小平历史巨人在百年中国历史上的惊涛骇浪表现的淋漓尽致。该书还展现了当今海峡两岸重要人物的重大活动。这是一本给读者以深思的书。
  • 绝神典

    绝神典

    在丰元大陆这个庞大无比的位面,有着十大域界。有豪情盖世的大英雄,有柔情似水的美人儿,有让人爱恨两难的绝世枭雄大反派。看主角在这精彩纷呈的世界演绎他的爱恨情仇。左手刀右手剑,看我斩破这苍天!
  • 南北客

    南北客

    远方的旅行,一直是时雨阳的向往,科举秋试,他差点落榜,阴差阳错,被迫选了一趟远北的旅行,机缘巧合,他遇到了一群奇葩的旅友,命运捉弄,目睹了令人费解的社会怪象,旅行生活给他带来偶有的喜悦,难得的自由,但也有不请自来的烦恼,奇人异事,他乡异客……