History of Friedrich II of Prussia, vol 3 | Page 7

it. A Prince of
Coxcombs I can discern him to have been; capable of shining in the
eyes of insincere foolish persons, and of doing detriment to them, not
benefit; a man without reverence for truth or human excellence; not
knowing in fact what is true from what is false, what is excellent from
what is sham-excellent and at the top of the mode; an apparently polite

and knowing man, but intrinsically an impudent, dark and merely
modish-insolent man;--who, if he fell in with Rhadamanthus on his
travels, would not escape a horse- whipping, Him we will willingly
leave to that beneficial chance, which indeed seems a certain one
sooner or later; and address ourselves to consider the theory itself, and
the facts it pretends to be grounded on.
"As to the theory, I must needs say, nothing can be falser, more
heretical or more damnable. My own poor opinion, and deep conviction
on that subject is well known, this long while. And, in fact, the
summary of all I have believed, and have been trying as I could to teach
mankind to believe again, is even that same opinion and conviction,
applied to all provinces of things. Alas, in this his sad theory about the
world, our poor impudent Pamphleteer is by no means singular at
present; nay rather he has in a manner the whole practical part of
mankind on his side just now; the more is the pity for us all!--
"It is very certain, if Beelzebub made this world, our Pamphleteer, and
the huge portion of mankind that follow him, are right. But if God
made the world; and only leads Beelzebub, as some ugly muzzled bear
is led, a longer or shorter temporary DANCE in this divine world, and
always draws him home again, and peels the unjust gains off him, and
ducks him in a certain hot Lake, with sure intent to lodge him there to
all eternity at last,--then our Pamphleteer, and the huge portion of
mankind that follow him, are wrong.
"More I will not say; being indeed quite tired of SPEAKING on that
subject. Not a subject which it concerns me to speak of; much as it
concerns me, and all men, to know the truth of it, and silently in every
hour and moment to do said truth. As indeed the sacred voice of their
own soul, if they listen, will conclusively admonish all men; and truly
if IT do not, there will be little use in my logic to them. For my own
share, I want no trade with men who need to be convinced of that fact.
If I am in their premises, and discover such a thing of them, I will quit
their premises; if they are in mine, I will, as old Samuel advised, count
my spoons. Ingenious gentlemen who believe that Beelzebub made this
world, are not a class of gentlemen I can get profit from. Let them keep

at a distance, lest mischief fall out between us. They are of the set
deserving to be called--and this not in the way of profane swearing, but
of solemn wrath and pity, I say of virtuous anger and inexorable
reprobation--the damned set. For, in very deed, they are doomed and
damned, by Nature's oldest Act of Parliament, they, and whatsoever
thing they do or say or think; unless they can escape from that
devil-element. Which I still hope they may!--
"But with regard to the facts themselves, 'DE NOTRE MAISON,' I take
leave to say, they too are without basis of truth. They are not so false as
the theory, because nothing can in falsity quite equal that. 'NOTRE
MAISON,' this Pamphleteer may learn, if he please to make study and
inquiry before speaking, did not rise by worship of Beelzebub at all in
this world; but by a quite opposite line of conduct. It rose, in fact, by
the course which all, except fools, stockjobber stags, cheating gamblers,
forging Pamphleteers and other temporary creatures of the damned sort,
have found from of old to be the one way of permanently rising: by
steady service, namely, of the Opposite of Beelzebub. By conforming
to the Laws of this Universe; instead of trying by pettifogging to evade
and profitably contradict them. The Hohenzollerns too have a History
still articulate to the human mind, if you search sufficiently; and this is
what, even with some emphasis, it will teach us concerning their
adventures, and achievements of success in the field of life. Resist the
Devil, good reader, and he will flee from you!"--So ends our indignant
friend.
How the Hohenzollerns got their big Territories, and came to what they
are in the world, will be seen. Probably they were not, any of them,
paragons of virtue. They did not walk