History of Friedrich II of Prussia, vol 16 | Page 4

sad Prussian Repositories, where the
grain of perennial, of significant and still memorable, lies overwhelmed
under rubbish- mountains of the fairly extinct, the poisonously dusty
and forgettable;--ACH HIMMEL! Which indispensable preliminary
process, how can an English Editor, at this time, do it; no Prussian, at
any time, having thought of trying it! From a painful Predecessor of
mine, I collect, rummaging among his dismal Paper-masses, the
following Three Fragments, worth reading here:-- 1. "Friedrich was as
busy, in those Years, as in the generality of his life; and his actions, and
salutary conquests over difficulties, were many, profitable to Prussia
and to himself. Very well worth keeping in mind. But not fit for
History; or at least only fit in the summary form; to be delineated in
little, with large generic strokes,--if we had the means;--such details
belonging to the Prussian Antiquary, rather than to the English
Historian of Friedrich in our day. A happy Ten Years of time. Perhaps
the time for Montesquieu's aphorism, 'Happy the People whose Annals
are blank in History-Books!' The Prussian Antiquary, had he once got
any image formed to himself of Friedrich, and of Friedrich's History in
its human lineaments and organic sequences, will glean many

memorabilia in those Years: which his readers then (and not till then)
will be able to intercalate in their places, and get human good of. But
alas, while there is no intelligible human image, nothing of lineaments
or organic sequences, or other than a jumbled mass of Historical
Marine-Stores, presided over by Dryasdust and Human Stupor
(unsorted, unlabelled, tied up in blind sacks), the very Antiquary will
have uphill work of it, and his readers will often turn round on him
with a gloomy expression of countenance!" 2. "Friedrich's Life--little as
he expected it, that day when he started up from his ague-fit at
Reinsberg, and grasped the fiery Opportunity that was shooting past--is
a Life of War. The chief memory that will remain of him is that of a
King and man who fought consummately well. Not Peace and the
Muses; no, that is denied him, --though he was so unwilling, always, to
think it denied! But his Life-Task turned out to be a Battle for Silesia. It
consists of Three grand Struggles of War. And not for Silesia only;--
unconsciously, for what far greater things to his Nation and to him!
"Deeply unconscious of it, they were passing their 'Trials,' his Nation
and he, in the great Civil-Service-Examination Hall of this Universe:
'Are you able to defend yourselves, then; and to hang together coherent,
against the whole world and its incoherencies and rages?' A question
which has to be asked of Nations, before they can be recognized as
such, and be baptized into the general commonwealth; they are mere
Hordes or accidental Aggregates, till that Question come. Question
which this Nation had long been getting ready for; which now, under
this King, it answered to the satisfaction of gods and men: 'Yes, Heaven
assisting, we can stand on our defence; and in the long-run (as with air
when you try to annihilate it, or crush it to NOTHING) there is even an
infinite force in us; and the whole world does not succeed in
annihilating us!' Upon which has followed what we term National
Baptism;--or rather this was the National Baptism, this furious one in
torrent whirlwinds of fire; done three times over, till in gods or men
there was no doubt left. That was Friedrich's function in the world; and
a great and memorable one;--not to his own Prussian Nation only, but
to Teutschland at large, forever memorable. "'Is Teutschland a Nation;
is there in Teutschland still a Nation?' Austria, not dishonestly, but
much sunk in superstitions and involuntary mendacities, and liable to
sink much farther, answers always, in gloomy proud tone, 'Yes, I am

the Nation of Teutschland!'--but is mistaken, as turns out. For it is not
mendacities, conscious or other, but veracities, that the Divine Powers
will patronize, or even in the end will put up with at all. Which you
ought to understand better than you do, my friend. For, on the great
scale and on the small, and in all seasons, circumstances, scenes and
situations where a Son of Adam finds himself, that is true, and even a
sovereign truth. And whoever does not know it,--human charity to him
(were such always possible) would be, that HE were furnished with
handcuffs as a part of his outfit in this world, and put under guidance of
those who do. Yes; to him, I should say, a private pair of handcuffs
were much usefuler than a ballot-box,--were the times once settled
again, which they are far from being!" ... "So that, if there be only
Austria for Nation, Teutschland is in ominous case. Truly so.