History of Friedrich II of Prussia, vol 6 | Page 4

it be not; once more, that the Father of
TRISTRAM SHANDY was in it: still a Lieutenant of foot, poor fellow;
brisk, small, hot-tempered, loving, 'liable to be cheated ten times a day
if nine will not suffice you.' He was in this Siege; shipped to the Rock
to make stand there; and would have done so with the boldest,--only he
got into duel (hot-tempered, though of lamb-like innocence), and was
run through the body; not entirely killed, but within a hair's breadth of
it; and unable for service while this sputtering went on. Little Lorry is
still living; gone to school in Yorkshire, after pranks enough, and
misventures,--half-drowning 'in the mill-race at Annamoe in Ireland,'
for one. [Laurence Sterne's Autobiography (cited
above).] The poor Lieutenant Father died, soldiering in the West Indies;
soon after this; and we shall not mention him again. But History ought

to remember that he is 'Uncle Toby,' this poor Lieutenant, and take her
measures!--The Siege of Gibraltar, we still see with our eyes, was in
itself Nothing."
Truly it might well enough have grown to universal flame of War. But
this always needs two parties; and pacific George would not be second
party in it. George, guided by pacific Walpole, backed by pacific
Fleury, answers the ardent firing by phlegmatic patience and
protocolling; not by counter-firing, except quite at his convenience,
from privateers, from war-ships here and there, and in sulky defence
from Gibraltar itself. Probably the Termagant, with all the fire she has,
will not do much damage upon Gibraltar? Such was George's hope.
Whereby the flame of war, ardent only in certain Spanish batteries
upon the point of San Roque, does not spread hitherto,--though all
mortals, and Friedrich Wilhelm as much as any, can see the imminent
likelihood there is. In such circumstances, what a stroke of policy to
have disjoined Friedrich Wilhelm from the Hanover Alliance, and
brought him over to our own! Is not Grumkow worth his pension?
"Grumkow serves honorably." Let the invaluable Seckendorf persevere.
CROWN-PRINCE SEEN IN DRYASDUST'S GLASS, DARKLY.
To know the special figure of the Crown-Prince's way of life in those
years, who his friends, companions were, what his pursuits and
experiences, would be agreeable to us; but beyond the outline already
given, there is little definite on record. He now resides habitually at
Potsdam, be the Court there or not; attending strictly to his military
duties in the Giant Regiment; it is only on occasion, chiefly perhaps in
"Carnival time," that he gets to Berlin, to partake in the gayeties of
society. Who his associates there or at Potsdam were? Suhm, the Saxon
Resident, a cultivated man of literary turn, famed as his friend in time
coming, is already at his diplomatic post in Berlin, post of difficulty
just now; but I know not whether they have yet any intimacy. [Preuss,
Friedrich mit seinen Verwandten und Freunden, p. 24.] This
we do know, the Crown-Prince begins to be noted for his sprightly
sense, his love of literature, his ingenuous ways; in the Court or other
circles, whatsoever has intelligence attracts him, and is attracted by him.

The Roucoulles Soirees,-- gone all to dim backram for us, though once
so lively in their high periwigs and speculations,--fall on Wednesday.
When the Finkenstein or the others fall,--no doubt his Royal Highness
knows it. In the TABAKS-COLLEGIUM, there also, driven by duty,
he sometimes appears; but, like Seckendorf and some others, he only
affects to smoke, and his pipe is mere white clay. Nor is the social
element, any more than the narcotic vapor which prevails there,
attractive to the young Prince,--though he had better hide his feelings
on the subject.
Out at Potsdam, again, life goes very heavy; the winged Psyche much
imprisoned in that pipe-clay element, a prey to vacancy and many
tediums and longings. Daily return the giant drill-duties; and daily, to
the uttermost of rigorous perfection, they must be done:--"This, then, is
the sum of one's existence, this?" Patience, young "man of genius," as
the Newspapers would now call you; it is indispensably beneficial
nevertheless! To swallow one's disgusts, and do faithfully the ugly
commanded work, taking no council with flesh and blood: know that
"genius," everywhere in Nature, means this first of all; that without this,
it means nothing, generally even less. And be thankful for your
Potsdam grenadiers and their pipe-clay!--
Happily he has his Books about him; his flute: Duhan, too, is here, still
more or less didactic in some branches; always instructive and
companionable, to him. The Crown-Prince reads a great deal; very
many French Books, new and old, he reads; among the new, we need
not doubt, the Henriade of M. Arouet Junior (who
now calls himself VOLTAIRE), which has risen like a star