History of Friedrich II of Prussia — Volume 09 by Thomas Carlyle
page 21 of 203 (10%)
page 21 of 203 (10%)
![]() | ![]() |
|
privately settled he is to marry the transcendent Archduchess,
peerless Maria Theresa herself; and is to reap, he, the whole harvest of that Pragmatic Sanction sown with such travail of the Universe at large. May be King of the Romans (which means successor to the Kaisership) any day; and actual Kaiser one day. We may as well say here, he did at length achieve these dignities, though not quite in the time or on the terms proposed. King of the Romans old Kaiser Karl never could quite resolve to make him,-- having always hopes of male progeny yet; which never came. For his peerless Bride he waited six years still (owing to accidents), "attachment mutual all the while;" did then wed, 1738, and was the happiest of men and expectant Kaisers:--but found, at length, the Pragmatic Sanction to have been a strange sowing of dragon's-teeth, and the first harvest reapable from it a world of armed men!--For the present he is on a grand Tour, for instruction and other objects; has been in England last; and is now getting homewards again, to Vienna, across Germany; conciliating the Courts as he goes. A pacific friendly eupeptic young man; Crown-Prince Friedrich, they say, took much to him in Berlin; did not quite swear eternal friendship; but kept up some correspondence for a while, and "once sends him a present of salmon."--But to proceed with the utterances to Grumkow. Utterance SECOND is probably of prior date; but introducible here, being an accidental Fragment, with the date lost:-- TO THE FELDMARSCHALL VON GRUMKOW (from the Crown-Prince; exact date lost). "... As to what you tell me of the Princess of Mecklenburg," for |
|