History of Friedrich II of Prussia, vol 9 | Page 9

Goldstick
could perceive. [Wolden's LETTER to Friedrich Wilhelm, "5th
February, 1732:" in Preuss, ii. part 2d (or URKUNDENOUCH), p. 206.
Mamma's answer to the message brought her by this return estafette, a
mere formal VERY-WELL, written from the fingers outward, exists
( OEuvres, xxvi. 65); the rest have happily
vanished.]
What the Prince's actual amount of joy was, we shall learn better from
the following three successive utterances of his, confidentially
despatched to Grumkow in the intermediate days, before Berlin or this
"Duke of Lorraine" (whom our readers and the Crown-Prince are to
wait upon), with actual sight of Papa and the Intended, came in course.
Grumkow's Letters to the Crown-Prince in this important interval are
not extant, nor if they were could we stand them: from the Prince's
Answers it will be sufficiently apparent what the tenor of them was.
Utterance first is about a week after that of the estafette at midnight:--
TO GENERAL FELDMARSCHALL VON GRUMKOW, AT
POTSDAM (from the Crown-Prince).
"CUSTRIN, 11th February, 1732.
"MY DEAR GENERAL AND FRIEND,--I was charmed to learn by
your Letter that my affairs are on so good a footing [Papa so well
satisfied with my professions of obedience]; and you may depend on it
I am docile to follow your advice. I will lend myself to whatever is
possible for me; and provided I can secure the King's favor by my
obedience, I will do all that is within my power.
"Nevertheless, in making my bargain with the Duke of Bevern, manage
that the CORPUS DELICTI [my Intended] be brought up under her
Grandmother [Duchess of Brunswick-Wolfenbuttel, Ludwig Rudolf's
Spouse, an airy coquettish Lady,--let her be the tutoress and model of

my Intended, O General]. For I should prefer being made a"--what shall
we say? by a light wife,--"or to serve under the haughty FONTANGE
[Species of topknot; so named from Fontange, an unfortunate female of
Louis Fourteenth's, who invented the ornament.] of my Spouse [as
Ludwig Rudolf does, by all accounts], than to have a blockhead who
would drive me mad by her ineptitudes? and whom I should be
ashamed to produce.
"I beg you labor at this affair. When one hates romance heroines as
heartily as I do, one dreads those 'virtues' of the ferocious type [LES
VERTUS FAROUCHES, so terribly aware that they are virtuous]; and
I had rather marry the greatest--[unnamable]--in Berlin, than a devotee
with half a dozen ghastly hypocrites (CAGOTS) at her beck. If it were
still MOGLICH [possible, in German] to make her Calvinist
[REFORMEE; our Court-Creed, which might have an allaying
tendency, and at least would make her go with the stream]? But I doubt
that:--I will insist, however, that her Grandmother have the training of
her. What you can do to help in this, my dear Friend, I am persuaded
you will do.
"It afflicted me a little that the King still has doubts of me, while I am
obeying in such a matter, diametrically opposite to my own ideas. In
what way shall I offer stronger proofs? I may give myself to the Devil,
it will be to no purpose; nothing but the old song over again, doubt on
doubt.--Don't imagine I am going to disoblige the Duke, the Duchess or
the Daughter, I beseech you! I know too well what is due to them, and
too much respect their merits, not to observe the strictest rules of what
is proper,-- even if I hated their progeny and them like the pestilence.
"I hope to speak to you with open heart at Berlin.--You may think, too,
how I shall be embarrassed, having to do the AMOROSO perhaps
without being it, and to take an appetite for mute ugliness,--for I don't
much trust Count Seckendorf's taste in this article,"--in spite of his
testimonies in Tobacco-Parliament and elsewhere. "Monsieur! Once
more, get this Princess to learn by heart the ECOLE DES MARIS and
the ECOLE DES FEMMES; that will do her much more good than
TRUE CHRISTIANITY by the late Mr. Arndt! [Johann Arndt ("late"

this long while back), Von wahren Christenthum,
Magdeburg, 1610.] If, besides, she would learn steadiness of humor
(TOUJOURS DANSER SUR UN PIED), learn music; and, NOTA
BENE, become rather too free than too virtuous,-- ah then, my dear
General, then I should feel some liking for her, and a Colin marrying a
Phyllis, the couple would be in accordance: but if she is stupid,
naturally I renounce the Devil and her.-- It is said she has a Sister, who
at least has common sense. Why take the eldest, if so? To the King it
must be all one. There is also a Princess Christina Marie of Eisenach
[real name being Christina WILHELMINA, but no matter], who would
be quite my fit, and whom I