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History of Friedrich II of Prussia — Volume 08 by Thomas Carlyle
page 42 of 84 (50%)
Privy-Councillor Walden," Prince's Hofmarschall, a solid legal
man, "is ordered by his Majesty to bring the Crown-Prince over
from his house; who accordingly in a few minutes, attended by
Rohwedel and Natzmer," the two Kammerjunkers, "entered the room
where his Majesty and we were.

"So soon as his Majesty, turning round, had sight of him, the
Crown-Prince fell at his feet. Having bidden him rise, his Majesty
said with a severe mien:--

"'You will now bethink yourself what passed year and day ago;
and how scandalously you saw fit to behave yourself, and what a
godless enterprise you took in hand. As I have had you about me
from the beginning, and must know you well, I did all in the world
that was in my power, by kindness and by harshness, to make an
honorable man of you. As I rather suspected your evil purpose, I
treated you in the harshest and sharpest way in the Saxon Camp,'
at Radewitz, in those gala days, 'in hopes you would consider
yourself, and take another line of conduct; would confess your
faults to me, and beg forgiveness. But all in vain; you grew ever
more stiffnecked. When a young man gets into follies with women,
one may try to overlook it as the fault of his age: but to do with
forethought basenesses (LACHETEEN) and ugly actions; 'that is
unpardonable. You thought to carry it through with your headstrong
humor: but hark ye, my lad (HORE, MEIN KERL), if thou wert sixty
or seventy instead of eighteen, thou couldst not cross my
resolutions.' It would take a bigger man to do that, my lad!
'And as, up to this date (BIS DATO) I have managed to sustain
myself against any comer, there will be methods found of bringing
thee to reason too!--
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