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when Termagant's Husband died; and a new King came;for payment of old debt: Two old Debts; quite tolerably just both of them。 King Friedrich keeps trying till 1749; three years in all: and; in the end; gets nothing whatever。 Nothing;except some Merino Rams in the interim;〃 gift from the new King of Spain; I can suppose; which proved extremely useful in our Wool Industries; 〃and; from the same polite Ferdinand VI。; a Porcelain Vase filled with Spanish Snuff。〃 That was all!
King Friedrich; let me note farther; is getting decidedly deep into snuff; holds by SPANIOL (a dry yellow pungency; analogous to Lundy… foot or Irish…Blackguard; known to snuffy readers); always by Spaniol; we say; and more especially 〃the kind used by her Majesty of Spain;〃 the now Dowager Termagant: 'Orders this kind; from his Ambassador in Paris; 〃30th September; 1743:〃 the earliest extant trace of his snuffing habits (Preuss; i。 409)。NOTE FARTHER (if interesting): 〃The Termagant still lasted as Dowager; consuming SPANIOL at least; for near twenty years (died 11th July; 1766); the new King; Ferdinand VI。; was her STEPson; not her son; he went mad; poor soul; and died (10th August; 1759): upon which; Carlos of Naples; our own 'Baby Carlos' that once was; succeeded in Spain; 'King Carlos III。 of Spain;' leaving his Son; a young boy under tutelage; as King of the Two Sicilies (King 'Ferdinand IV。;' who did not die; but had his difficulties; till 1825)。 Don Philip; who had fought so in those Savoy Passes; and got the bit of Parmesan Country; died 1765; the year before Mamma。〃' which; also; is to be remembered。 Dryasdust adds; in his sweetly consecutive way: 〃Friedrich was very expensive about his snuff…boxes; wore two big rich boxes in his pockets; five or six stood on tables about; and more than a hundred in store; coming out by turns for variety。 The cheapest of them cost 300 pounds (2;000 thalers); he had them as high as 1;500 pounds。 At his death; there were found 130 of various values: they were the substance of all the jewelry he had; besides these snuff…boxes; two gold watches only; and a very small modicum of rings。 Had yearly for personal Expenditure 1;200;000 thalers '180;000 pounds of Civil List; as we should say'; SPENT 33;000 pounds of it; and yearly gave the rest away in Royal beneficences; aid of burnt Villages; inundated Provinces; and multifarious PATER…PATRIAE objects。〃 'Preuss; i。 409; 410;' In regard to JENKINS'S EAR; my Constitutional Friend continues:
〃SILESIA and JENKINS'S EAR; we often say; were the two bits of realities in this enormous hurly…burly of imaginations; insane ambitions; and zeros and negative quantities。 Negative Belleisle goes home; not with Germany cut in Four and put under guidance of the First Nation of the Universe (so extremely fit for guiding self and neighbors); but with the First Nation itself reduced almost to wallet and staff; bankrupt; beggared 'Yes;' it answers; 'in all but glory! Have not we gained Fontenoy; Roucoux; Lauffeld; and strong…places innumerable 'mostly in a state of dry…rot'? Did men ever fight as we Frenchmen; combining it with theatrical entertainments; too! Sublime France; First Nation of the Universe; will try another flight (ESSOR); were she breathed a little!'
〃Yes; a new ESSOR ere long; and perhaps surprise herself and mankind! The losses of men; money and resource; under this mad empty Enterprise of Belleisle's; were enormous; palpable to France and all mortals: but perhaps these were trifling to the replacement of them by such GLOIRE as there had been。 A GLOIRE of plunging into War on no cause at all; and with an issue consisting only of foul gases of extreme levity。 Messieurs are of confessed promptitude to fight; and their talent for it; in some kinds; is very great indeed。 But this treating of battle and slaughter; of death; judgment and eternity; as light play…house matters; this of rising into such transcendency of valor; as to snap your fingers in the face of the Almighty Maker; this; Messieurs; give me leave to say so; is a thing that will conduct you and your PREMIERE NATION to the Devil; if you do not alter it。 Inevitable; I tell you! Your road lies that way; then? Good morning; Messieurs; let me still hope; Not!〃
Diplomatist Kaunitz gained his first glories in this Congress of Aix; which are still great in the eyes of some。 Age now thirty… seven; a native of these Western parts; but henceforth; by degrees ever more; the shining star and guide of Austrian Policies down almost to our own New Epoch。 As; unluckily; he will concern us not a little; in time coming; let us read this Note; as foreshadow of the man and his doings:
〃The glory of Count; ultimately Prince; von Kaunitz…Rietberg; is great in Diplomatic Circles of the past Century。 'The greatest of Diplomatists;' they all say;and surely it is reckoned something to become the greatest in your line。 Farther than this; to the readers of these times; Kaunitz…Rietberg's glory does not go。 A great character; great wisdom; lasting great results to his Country; readers do not trace in Kaunitz's diplomacies;only temporary great results; or what he and the by…standers thought such; to Kaunitz himself。 He was the Supreme Jove; we perceive; in that extinct Olympus; and regards with sublime pity; not unallied to contempt; all other diplomatic beings。 A man sparing of words; sparing even of looks; will hardly lift his eyelids for your sake; will lift perhaps his chin; in slight monosyllabic fashion; and stalk superlatively through the other door。 King of the vanished Shadows。 A determined hater of Fresh Air; rode under glass cover; on the finest day; made the very Empress shut her windows when he came to audience; fed; cautiously daring; on boiled capons: more I remember not;except also that he would suffer no mention of the word Death by any mortal。 'Hormayr; OEsterreichischer Plutarch; iv。 (3tes); 231…283。' A most high…sniffing; fantastic; slightly insolent shadow…king;ruled; in his time; the now vanished Olympus; and had the difficult glory (defective only in result) of uniting France and Austria AGAINST the poor old Sea… Power milk…cows; for the purpose of recovering Silesia from Friedrich; a few years hence!〃These are wondrous results; hidden under the horizon; not very far either; and will astonish Britannic Majesty and all readers; in a few years。
MARECHAL DE SAXE PAYS FRIEDRICH A VISIT。
In Summer; 1749; Marechal de Saxe; the other shiny figure of this mad Business of the Netherlands; paid Friedrich a visit; had the honor to be entertained by him three days (July 13th…16th; 1749); in his Royal Cottage of Sans…Souci seemingly; in his choicest manner。 Curiosity; which is now nothing like so vivid as it then was; would be glad to listen a little; in this meeting of two Suns; or of one Sun and one immense Tar…Barrel; or Atmospheric Meteor really of shining nature; and taken for a Sun。 But the Books are silent; not the least detail; or hint; or feature granted us。 Only Fancy;and this of Smelfungus; by way of long farewell to one of the parties:
。。。 〃It was at Tongres; or in head…quarters near it; 10th October; 1746;Battle expected on the morrow 'Battle of ROUCOUX; over towards Herstal; which we used to know';… that M。 Favart; Saxe's Playwright and Theatre…Director; gave out in cheerful doggerel on fall of the Curtain; the announcement:
'Demain nous donnerons relache; Quoique le Directeur s'en fache; Vous voir combleroit nos desirs:
'To…morrow is no Play; To the Manager's regret; Whose sole study is to keep you happy:
On doit ceder tout a la gloire; Vous ne songes qu'a la victoire; Nous ne songeons qu'a vos plaisires' ' Biographic Universelle; xiv。 209; ? Favart; Espagnac; ii。 162。' But; you being bent upon victory; What can he do? Day after to…morrow;'
'Day after to…morrow;' added he; taking the o5cial tone; (in honor of your laurels 'gained already; since you resolve on gaining them'; we will have the honor of presenting'such and such a gay Farce; to as many of you as remain alive! which was received with gay clapping of hands: admirable to the Universe; at least to the Parisian UNIVERS and oneself。 Such a prodigality of light daring is in these French gentlemen; skilfully tickled by the Marechal; who uses this Playwright; among other implements; for keeping them at the proper pitch。 Was there ever seen such radiancy of valor? Very radiant indeed;yet; it seems to me; gone somewhat into the phosphorescent kind; shining in the dark; as fish will do when rotten! War has actually its serious character; nor is Death a farcical transaction; however high your genius may go。 But what then? it is the Marechal's trade to keep these poor people at the cutting pitch; on any terms that will hold for the moment。
〃I know not which was the most dissolute Army ever seen in the world; but this of Saxe's was very dissolute。 Playwright Favart had withal a beautiful clever Wife;upon whom the courtships; munificent blandishments; threatenings and utmost endeavors of Marechal de Saxe (in his character of goat…footed Satyr) could no