altogether rational and practical, is a fair specimen of D'Arget:
add to it the prompt self-sacrifice (and in that fine silent way)
at Jaromirz for Valori, and readers may conceive the man. He lived
at Paris, in meagre but contented fashion, RUE DE L'ECOLE
MILITAIRE, till 1778; and seems, of all the Ex-Prussian Frenchmen,
to have known most about Friedrich; and to have never spoken any
falsity against him. Duvernet, the 'M----' Biographer of VOLTAIRE,
frequented him a good deal; and any true notions, or glimmerings of
such, that he has about Prussia, are probably ascribable to
D'Arget." [See <italic> OEuvres de Frederic, <end italic> xx.
(p. xii of PREFACE to the D'ARGET CORRESPONDENCE there).]

The Treaty of Dresden can be read in Scholl, Flassan, Rousset,
Adelung; but, except on compulsion, no creature will now read it,--
nor did this Editor, even he, find it pay. Peace is made. Peace of
Dresden is signed, Christmas Day, 1745: "To me Silesia, without
farther treachery or trick; you, wholly as you were." Europe at
large, as Friedrich had done, sees "the sky all on fire about
Dresden." The fierce big battles done against this man have, one
and all of them, become big defeats. The strenuous machinations,
high-built plans cunningly devised,--the utmost sum-total of what
the Imperial and Royal Potencies can, for the life of them, do:
behold, it has all tumbled down here, in loud crash; the final peal
of it at Kesselsdorf; and the consummation is flame and smoke,
conspicuous over all the Nations. You will let him keep his own
henceforth, then, will you? Silesia, which was NOT yours nor ever
shall be? Silesia and no afterthought? The Saxons sign, the high
Plenipotentiaries all; in the eyes of Villiers, I am told, were
seen sublimely pious tears. Harrach, bowing with stiff, almost
incredulous, gratitude, swears and signs;--hurries home to his
Sovereign Lady, with Peace, and such a smile on his face; and on
her Imperial Majesty's such a smile!--readers shall conceive it.

There are but Two new points in the Treaty of Dresden,--nay
properly there is but One point, about which posterity can have the
least care or interest; for that other, concerning "The Toll of
Schidlo," and settlement of haggles on the Navigation of the Elbe
there, was not kept by the Saxons, but continued a haggle still:
this One point is the Eleventh Article. Inconceivably small;
but liable to turn up on us again, in a memorable manner. That let
us translate,--for M. de Voltaire's sake, and time coming!
STEUER means Land-Tax; OBER-STEUER-EINNAHME will be something like
Royal Exchequer, therefore; and STEUER-SCHEIN will be approximately
equivalent to Exchequer Bill. Article Eleventh stipulates:

"All subjects and servants of his Majesty the King of Prussia who
hold bonds of the Saxon OBER-STEUER-EINNAHME shall be paid in full,
capital and interest, at the times, and to the amount, specified in
said STEUER-SCHEINE or Bonds." That is Article Eleventh.--
"The Saxon Exchequer," says an old Note on it, "thanks to Bruhl's
extravagance, has been as good as bankrupt, paying with
inconvertible paper, with SCHEINE (Things to be SHOWN), for some
time past; which paper has accordingly sunk, let us say, 25 per
cent below its nominal amount in gold. All Prussian subjects, who
hold these Bonds, are to be paid in gold; Saxons, and others, will
have to be content with paper till things come round again, if
things ever do." Yes;--and, by ill chance, the matter will attract
M. de Voltaire's keen eye in the interim!

Friedrich stayed eight days in Dresden, the loud theme of
Gazetteers and rumors; the admired of two classes, in all
Countries: of the many who admire success, and also of the few who
can understand what it is to deserve success. Among his own
Countrymen, this last Winter has kindled all their admirations to
the flaming pitch. Saved by him from imminent destruction;
their enemies swept home as if by one invincible; nay, sent home in
a kind of noble shame, conquered by generosity. These feelings,
though not encouraged to speak, run very high. The Dresdeners in
private society found him delightful; the high ladies especially:
"Could you have thought it; terrific Mars to become radiant Apollo
in this manner!" From considerable Collections of Anecdotes
illustrating this fact, in a way now fallen vapid to us,--I select
only the Introduction:--

"Do readers recollect Friedrich's first visit to Dresden [in 1728],
seventeen years ago; and a certain charming young Countess
Flemming, at that time only fourteen; who, like a Hebe as she was,
contrived beautiful surprises for him, and among other things
presented him, so gracefully, on the part of August the Strong,
with his first flute?"--No reader of this History can recollect it;
nor indeed, except in a mythic sense, believe it! A young Countess
Flemming (daughter of old Feldmarschall Flemming) doubtless there
might be, who presented him a flute; but as to HIS FIRST flute--?
"That same charming young Countess Flemming is still here, age now
thirty-one; charming, more than ever, though now under a changed
name; having wedded a Von Racknitz (Supreme Gentleman-Usher, or
some such thing) a few years ago, and brought him children and the
usual felicities. How much is changed! August the Strong, where is
he; and his famous Three Hundred and Fifty-four, Enchantress
Orzelska and the others, where are they? Enchantress Orzelska
wedded, quarrelled, and is in a convent: her charming destiny
concluded. Rutowski is not now in the Prussian Army: he got beaten,
Wednesday last, at Kesselsdorf, fighting against that Army. And the
Chevalier de Saxe, he too was beaten there;--clambering now across
the Metal Mountains, ask not of him. And the Marechal de Saxe, he
takes Cities, fights Battles of Fontenoy, 'mumbling a lead bullet
all day;' being dropsical, nearly dead of debaucheries; the most
dissolute (or probably so) of all the Sons of Adam in his day.
August the Physically Strong is dead. August the Spiritually Weak
is fled to Prag with his Bruhl. And we do not come, this time, to
get a flute; but to settle the account of Victories, and give Peace
to Nations. Strange, here as always, to look back,--to look round
or forward,--in the mad huge whirl of that loud-roaring Loom of
Time!--One of Countess Racknitz's Sons happened to leave MANUSCRIPT
DIARIES [rather feeble, not too exact-looking], and gives us, from
Mamma's reminiscences" ... Not a word more. [Rodenbeck, <italic>
Beitrage, <end italic> i. 440, et seq.]

The Peace, we said, was signed on Christmas-day. Next day, Sunday,
Friedrich attended Sermon in the Kreuzkirche (Protestant High-
Church of Dresden), attended Opera withal; and on Monday morning
had vanished out of Dresden, as all his people had done, or were
diligently doing. Tuesday, he dined briefly at Wusterhausen (a
place we once knew well), with the Prince of Prussia, whose it now
is; got into his open carriage again, with the said Prince and his
other Brother Ferdinand; and drove swiftly homeward. Berlin, drunk
with joy, was all out on the streets, waiting. On the Heath of
Britz, four or five miles hitherward of Berlin, a body of young
gentlemen ("Merchants mostly, who had ridden out so far") saluted
him with "VIVAT FRIEDRICH DER GROSSE (Long live Friedrich THE
GREAT)!" thrice over;--as did, in a less articulate manner, Berlin
with one voice, on his arrival there; Burgher Companies lining the
streets; Population vigorously shouting; Pupils of the Koln
Gymnasium, with Clerical and School Functionaries in mass, breaking
out into Latin Song:--
	 "VIVAT, VIVAT FRIDERICUS REX;
	  VIVAT AUGUSTUS, MAGNUS, FELIX, PATER, PATRI-AE--!"
--and what not. [Preuss, i. 220; who cites <italic> Beschreibung
<end italic> ("Description of his Majesty's Triumphant Entry, on
the" &c.) and other Contemporary Pamphlets. Rodenbeck, i. 124.]
On reaching the Portal of the Palace, his Majesty stept down;
and, glancing round the Schloss-Platz and the crowded windows and
simmering multitudes, saluted, taking off his hat; which produced
such a shout,--naturally the loudest of all. And so EXIT King, into
his interior. Tuesday, 2-3 P.M., 28th December, 1745: a King new-
christened in the above manner, so far as people could.

Illuminated Berlin shone like noon, all that night (the beginning
of a GAUDEAMUS which lasted miscellaneously for weeks):--but the
King stole away to see a friend who was dying; that poor Duhan de
Jaudun, his early Schoolmaster, who had suffered much for him, and
whom he always much loved. Duhan died, in a day or two.
Poor Jordan, poor Keyserling (the "Cesarion" of young days):
them also he has lost; and often laments, in this otherwise bright
time. {In <italic> OEuvres, <end italic> xvii. 288; xviii. 141;
IB. 142 (painfully tender Letters to Frau von Camas and others, on
these events).




END OF BOOK XV-----




End of the Project Gutenberg etext of Carlyle's "History of
Friedrich II of Prussia V" volume 15.
