History of Friedrich II of Prussia, vol 10 | Page 7

us, in that frugal
establishment. There is Wolden for Hofmarschall, our old Custrin
friend; there is Colonel Senning, old Marlborough Colonel with the
wooden leg, who taught Friedrich his drillings and artillery-practices in
boyhood, a fine sagacious old gentleman this latter. There is a M.
Jordan, Ex-Preacher, an ingenious Prussian-Frenchman, still young,
who acts as "Reader and Librarian;" of whom we shall hear a good deal
more. "Intendant" is Captain (Ex-Captain) Knobelsdorf; a very sensible
accomplished man, whom we saw once at Baireuth; who has been to

Italy since, and is now returned with beautiful talents for Architecture:
it is he that now undertakes the completing of Reinsberg, [Hennert, p.
29.] which he will skilfully accomplish in the course of the next three
years. Twenty Musicians on wind or string; Painters, Antoine Pesne but
one of them; Sculptors, Glume and others of eminence; and
Hof-Cavaliers, to we know not what extent:--how was such a Court
kept up, in harmonious free dignity, and no halt in its finances, or mean
pinch of any kind visible? The Prince did get in debt; but not deep, and
it was mainly for the tall recruits he had to purchase. His
money-accounts are by no means fully known to me: but I should
question if his expenditure (such is my guess) ever reached 3,000
pounds a year; and am obliged to reflect more and more, as the ancient
Cato did, what an admirable revenue frugality is!
Many of the Cavaliers, I find, for one thing, were of the Regiment
Goltz; that was one evident economy. "Rittmeister van Chasot," as the
Books call him: readers saw that Chasot flying to Prince Eugene, and
know him since the Siege of Philipsburg. He is not yet Rittmeister, or
Captain of Horse, as he became; but is of the Ruppin Garrison;
Hof-Cavalier; "attended Friedrich on his late Prussian journey;" and is
much a favorite, when he can be spared from Ruppin. Captain Wylich,
afterwards a General of mark; the Lieutenant Buddenbrock who did the
parson-charivari at Ruppin, but is now reformed from those practices:
all these are of Goltz. Colonel Keyserling, not of Goltz, nor in active
military duty here, is a friend of very old standing; was officially
named as "Companion" to the Prince, a long while back; and got into
trouble on his account in the disastrous Ante-Custrin or Flight Epoch:
one of the Prince's first acts, when he got pardoned after Custrin, was to
beg for the pardon of this Keyserling; and now he has him here, and is
very fond of him. A Courlander, of good family, this Keyserling; of
good gifts too,--which, it was once thought, would be practically
sublime; for he carried off all manner of college prizes, and was the
Admirable-Crichton of Konigsberg University and the Graduates there.
But in the end they proved to be gifts of the vocal sort rather: and have
led only to what we see. A man, I should guess, rather of buoyant
vivacity than of depth or strength in intellect or otherwise. Excessively
buoyant, ingenious; full of wit, kindly exuberance; a loyal-hearted,

gay-tempered man, and much a favorite in society as well as with the
Prince. If we were to dwell on Reinsberg, Keyserling would come
prominently forward.
Major van Stille, ultimately Major-General von Stille, I should also
mention: near twenty years older than the Prince; a wise thoughtful
soldier (went, by permission, to the Siege of Dantzig lately, to improve
himself); a man capable of rugged service, when the time comes. His
military writings were once in considerable esteem with professional
men; and still impress a lay reader with favorable notions towards Stille,
as a man of real worth and sense. [ Campagnes du Roi de
Prusse; -- a posthumous Book; ANTERIOR to the
Seven-Years War.]
OF MONSIEUR JORDAN AND THE LITERARY SET.
There is, of course, a Chaplain in the Establishment: a Reverend "M.
Deschamps;" who preaches to them all,--in French no doubt. Friedrich
never hears Deschamps: Friedrich is always over at Ruppin on Sundays;
and there "himself reads a sermon to the Garrison," as part of the day's
duties. Reads finely, in a melodious feeling manner, says Formey, who
can judge: "even in his old days, he would incidentally," when some
Emeritus Parson, like Formey, chanced to be with him, "roll out choice
passages from Bossuet, from Massillon," in a voice and with a look,
which would have been perfection in the pulpit, thinks Formey.
[ Souvenirs d'un Citoyen (2de edition, Paris, 1797),
i. 37.]
M. Jordan, though he was called "LECTEUR (Reader)," did not read to
him, I can perceive; but took charge of the Books; busied himself
honestly to be useful in all manner of literary or quasi- literary ways.
He was, as his name indicates, from the French- refugee