History of Friedrich II of Prussia, vol 4 | Page 3

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Prepared by D.R. Thompson

Carlyle's "History of Friedrich II of Prussia"

BOOK IV.
FRIEDRICH'S APPRENTICESHIP, FIRST STAGE. 1713-1728.

CHAPTER I.
CHILDHOOD: DOUBLE EDUCATIONAL ELEMENT.
Of Friedrich's childhood, there is not, after all our reading, much that it
would interest the English public to hear tell of. Perhaps not much of
knowable that deserves anywhere to be known. Books on it, expressly
handling it, and Books on Friedrich Wilhelm's Court and History, of
which it is always a main element, are not wanting: but they are mainly
of the sad sort which, with pain and difficulty, teach us nothing, Books
done by pedants and tenebrific persons, under the name of men;
dwelling not on things, but, at endless length, on the outer husks of
things: of unparalleled confusion, too;--not so much as an Index
granted you; to the poor half-peck of cinders, hidden in these
wagon-loads of ashes, no sieve allowed! Books tending really to fill the
mind with mere dust-whirlwinds,--if the mind did not straightway blow
them out again; which it does. Of these let us say nothing. Seldom had
so curious a Phenomenon worse treatment from the Dryasdust, species.
Among these Books, touching on Friedrich's childhood, and treating of
his Father's Court, there is hardly above one that we can characterize as
fairly human: the Book written by his little Sister Wilhelmina, when
she grew to size and knowledge of good and evil; [ Memoires
de Frederique Sophie Wilhelmine de Prusse, Margrave de Bareith italic> (Brunswick, Paris et Londres, l8l2), 2 vols. 8vo.]--and this, of
what flighty uncertain nature it is, the world partly knows. A human
Book, however, not a pedant one: there is a most shrill female soul

busy with intense earnestness here; looking, and teaching us to look.
We find it a VERACIOUS Book, done with heart, and from eyesight
and insight; of a veracity deeper than the superficial sort. It is full of
mistakes, indeed; and exaggerates dreadfully, in its shrill female way;
but is above intending to deceive: deduct the due subtrahend, --say
perhaps twenty-five per cent, or in extreme cases as high as
seventy-five,--you will get some human image of credible actualities
from Wilhelmina. Practically she is our one resource on this matter. Of
the strange King Friedrich Wilhelm and his strange Court, with such an
Heir-Apparent growing up in it, there is no real light to be had, except
what Wilhelmina gives,--or kindles dark Books of others into giving.
For that, too, on long study, is the result of her, here and there. With so
flickery a wax-taper held over Friedrich's childhood,--and the other
dirty tallow-dips all going out in intolerable odor,--judge if our success
can be very triumphant!
We perceive the little creature has got much from Nature; not the big
arena only, but fine inward gifts, for he