History of Friedrich II of Prussia, vol 11 | Page 8

Thomas Carlyle
for this he already knows a builder; has silently had
him in his eye, these two years past,--Voltaire giving hint, in the
LETTER we once heard of at Loo. Builder shall be that sublime
Maupertuis; scientific lion of Paris, ever since his feat in the Polar
regions, and the charming Narrative he gave of it. "What a feat, what a
book!" exclaimed the Parisian cultivated circles, male and female, on
that occasion; and Maupertuis, with plenty of bluster in him carefully
suppressed, assents in a grandly modest way. His Portraits are in the
Printshops ever since; one very singular Portrait, just coming out (at
which there is some laughing): a coarse-featured, blusterous, rather
triumphant-looking man, blusterous, though finely complacent for the
nonce; in copious dressing-gown and fur cap; comfortably
SQUEEZING the Earth and her meridians flat (as if HE had done it),

with his left hand; and with the other, and its outstretched finger, asking
mankind, "Are not you aware, then?"-- "Are not we!" answers Voltaire
by and by, with endless waggeries upon him, though at present so
reverent. Friedrich, in these same days, writes this Autograph; which
who of men or lions could resist?
TO MONSIEUR DE MAUPERTUIS, at Paris.
(No date;--datable, June, 1740.)
"My heart and my inclination excited in me, from the moment I
mounted the throne, the desire of having you here, that you might put
our Berlin Academy into the shape you alone are capable of giving it.
Come, then, come and insert into this wild crab-tree the graft of the
Sciences, that it may bear fruit. You have shown the Figure of the Earth
to mankind; show also to a King how sweet it is to possess such a man
as you.
"Monsieur de Maupertuis,--votre tres-affectionne
"FEDERIC" (SIC). [ OEuvres, xvii. i. 334. The
fantastic "Federic," instead of "Frederic," is, by this time, the common
signature to French Letters.]
This Letter--how could Maupertuis prevent some accident in such a
case?--got into the Newspapers; glorious for Friedrich, glorious for
Maupertuis; and raised matters to a still higher pitch. Maupertuis is on
the road, and we shall see him before long.
AND EVERY ONE SHALL GET TO HEAVEN IN HIS OWN WAY.
Here is another little fact which had immense renown at home and
abroad, in those summer months and long afterwards.
June 22d, 1740, the GEISTLICHE DEPARTEMENT (Board of
Religion, we may term it) reports that the Roman-Catholic Schools,
which have been in use these eight years past, for children of soldiers
belonging to that persuasion, "are, especially in Berlin, perverted,

directly in the teeth of Royal Ordinance, 1732, to seducing Protestants
into Catholicism;" annexed, or ready for annexing, "is the specific
Report of Fiscal-General to this effect:"--upon which, what would it
please his Majesty to direct us to do?
His Majesty writes on the margin these words, rough and ready, which
we give with all their grammatical blotches on them; indicating a mind
made up on one subject, which was much more dubious then, to most
other minds, than it now is:--
"Die Religionen Musen (MUSSEN) alle Tollerirt (TOLERIRT) werden,
und Mus (MUSS) der Fiscal nuhr (NUR) das Auge darauf haben, das
(DASS) keine der andern abrug Tuhe (ABBRUCH THUE), den
(DENN) hier mus (MUSS) ein jeder nach seiner Fasson Selich
(FACON SELIG) werden." [Preuss, Thronbesteigung, italic> p. 333; Rodenbeck, IN DIE.
Which in English might run as follows:--
"All Religions must be tolerated (TOLLERATED), and the Fiscal must
have an eye that none of them make unjust encroachment on the other;
for in this Country every man must get to Heaven in his own way."
Wonderful words; precious to the then leading spirits, and which (the
spelling and grammar being mended) flew abroad over all the world:
the enlightened Public everywhere answering his Majesty, once more,
with its loudest "Bravissimo!" on this occasion. With what enthusiasm
of admiring wonder, it is now difficult to fancy, after the lapse of
sixscore years! And indeed, in regard to all these worthy acts of Human
Improvement which we are now concerned with, account should be
held (were it possible) on Friedrich's behalf how extremely original,
and bright with the splendor of new gold, they then were: and how
extremely they are fallen dim, by general circulation, since that.
Account should be held; and yet it is not possible, no human
imagination is adequate to it, in the times we are now got into.
FREE PRESS, AND NEWSPAPERS THE BEST INSTRUCTORS.

Toleration, in Friedrich's spiritual circumstances, was perhaps no great
feat to Friedrich: but what the reader hardly expected of him was
Freedom of the Press, or an attempt that way! From England, from
Holland, Friedrich had heard of Free Press, of Newspapers the best
Instructors: it is a fact that he hastens to plant a
Continue reading on your phone by scaning this QR Code

 / 65
Tip: The current page has been bookmarked automatically. If you wish to continue reading later, just open the Dertz Homepage, and click on the 'continue reading' link at the bottom of the page.