66 66 1763-1769. appear to me favourable, Madam, to your hopes. She requires (exige) that I should instruct my Minister in Poland to act "entirely in concert with the Count Kayserling; and she adds "these very words: 'I expect, from the friendship of your Ma"jesty, that you will not allow a passage through your territory, "nor the entry into Poland, to Saxon troops, who are to be regarded there absolutely as strangers.' 66 "Unless your Letters, Madam" (Madam had said that she had written to the Empress, assuring her &c.) "change the "sentiments of the Empress, I do not see in what way the Elector "could arrive at the throne of Poland; and consequently, whether "I deferred to the wishes of the Empress in this point, or re"fused to do so, you would not the more become Queen; and I might commit myself against a Power which I ought to keep "well with (ménager). I am persuaded, Madam, that your Elec"toral Highness enters into my embarrassment; and that, un"less you find yourself successful in changing the Empress's own "ideas on this matter, you will not require of me that I should "embroil myself fruitlessly with a neighbour who deserves the 66 greatest consideration from me. "All this is one consequence of the course which Count "Brühl induced his late Polish Majesty to take with regard to "the interests of Prince Karl in Courland; and your Electoral Highness will remember, that I often represented to you the "injury which would arise to him from it. 66 "I will wish, Madam, that other opportunities may occur, "where it may be in my power to prove to your Electoral "Highness the profound esteem and consideration with which "I am-"-F.12 66 Electress to Friedrich. "Dresden, 11th November 1763. "Sire,-I am not yet disheartened. I love to flatter myself "with your friendship, Sire, and I will not easily renounce the "hope that you will give me a real mark of it in an affair which "interests me so strongly. Nobody has greater ascendancy over "the mind of the Empress of Russia than your Majesty; use it, 12 Euvres de Frédéric, xxiv. 52. 1763-1769. 66 * * Sire, to incline it to our favour. Our obligation will be infi"nite." Why should she be absolutely against us? "What has she to fear from us? The Courland business, if "that sticks with her, could be terminated in a suitable manner." -Troops into Poland, Sire?" "My Husband so little thinks "of sending troops thither, that he has given orders for the re"turn of those already there. He does not wish the Crown "except from the free suffrages of the Nation: if the Empress "absolutely refuse to help him with her good offices, let her, at "least, not be against him. Do try, Sire."13-Friedrich answers, after four days, or by return of post-But we will give the rest in the form of Dialogue. Friedrich (after four days). "If, Madam, I had "Crowns to give away, I would place the first on your head, as "most worthy to bear it. But I am far from such a position. I "have just got out of a horrible War, which my enemies made upon me with a rage almost beyond example; I endeavour to "cultivate friendship with all my neighbours, and to get em"broiled with nobody. With regard to the affairs of Poland, an "Empress whom I ought to be well with, and to whom I owe 66 great obligations, requires me to enter into her measures; you, Madam, whom I would fain please if I could, you want me "to change the sentiments of this Empress. Do but enter into "my embarrassment !" "According to all I hear from "Russia, it appears to me that every resolution is taken there; "and that the Empress is resolved even to sustain the party of "her partisans in Poland with the forces she has all in readiness 66 at the borders. As for me, Madam, I wish, if possible, not to "meddle at all with this business, which hitherto is not complicated, but which may, any day, become so by the neigh"bours of Poland taking a too lively part in it Ready, otherwise, on all occasions, to give to your Electoral Highness proofs "of my-"14 66 * Electress (after ten days). "Why should the Empress be so much against us? We have not deserved her "hatred. On the contrary, we seek her friendship. She de 13 Euvres de Frédéric, xxiv. 53. 14 Ibid. p. 54: 'Potsdam, 16th November 1763.' 1763-1769. clares, however, that she will uphold the freedom of the Poles "in the election of their King. You, Sire"-15 —But we must cut short, though it lasts long months after this. Great is the Electress's persistence,-"My poor Husband being dead, cannot "our poor Boy, cannot his uncle Prince Xavier try? O Sire !" Our last word shall be this of Friedrich's; actual Election-time now drawing nigh: Friedrich. "I am doing like the dogs who have fought bit"terly till they are worn down: I sit licking my wounds. I "notice most European Powers doing the same; too happy if, "whilst Kings are being manufactured to right and left, public "tranquillity is not disturbed thereby, and if every one may "continue to dwell in peace beside his hearth and his household "gods."16 Adieu, bright Madam. No reader who has made acquaintance with Polish History can well doubt but Poland was now dead or moribund, and had well deserved to die. Anarchies are not permitted in this world. Under fine names, they are grateful to the Populaces, and to the Editors of Newspapers; but to the Maker of this Universe they are eternally abhorrent; and from the beginning have been forbidden to be. They go their course, applauded or not applauded by self and neighbours,-for what lengths of time none of us can know; for a long term sometimes, but always for a fixed term; and at last their day comes. Poland had got to great lengths, two centuries ago, when poor John Casimir abdicated his Crown of Poland, after a trial of twenty years, and took leave of the Republic in that remarkable Speech to the Diet of 1667. This John is "Casimir V.," last Scion of the Swedish House of Vasa,-with whom, in the Great Elector's time, we had some slight acquaintance; and saw at least 15 Euvres de Frédéric, xxiv. 55: 'Dresden, 26th November 1763.' 16 'Sans-Souci, 26th June 1764' (Ibid. p. 69). 1763-1769. the three-days beating he got (Warsaw, 28th-30th July 1656) from Karl Gustav of Sweden and the Great Elector,17 ancestors respectively of Karl XII. and of our present Friedrich. He is not "Casimir the Great" of Polish Kings; but he is, in our day, Casimir the alone Remarkable. It seems to me I once had in extenso this Valedictory Speech of his; but it has lapsed again into the general Mother of Dead Dogs, and I will not spend a week in fishing for it. The gist of the Speech, innumerable Books and Dead Dogs tell you,18 is 'lamentation over the Polish Anarchies,' and 'a Prophecy,' which is very easily remembered. The poor old Gentleman had no doubt eaten his peck of dirt among those Polacks, and swallowed chagrins till he felt his stomach could no more, and determined to have done with it. To one's fancy, in abridged form, the Valediction must have run essentially as follows: 6 Magnanimous Polack Gentlemen, you are a glorious Republic, and have Nie pozwalam, and strange 'methods of business, and of behaviour to your Kings ' and others. We have often fought together, been 'beaten together, by our enemies and by ourselves; and at last I, for my share, have enough of it. I intend 'for Paris; religious-literary pursuits, and the society of Ninon de l'Enclos. I wished to say before going, 'that according to all record, ancient and modern, of 'the ways of God Almighty in this world, there was 'not heretofore, nor do I expect there can henceforth be, a Human Society that would stick together on 'those terms. Believe me, ye Polish Chivalries, with'out superior except in Heaven, if your glorious Re 17 Suprà, i. 348-351. 18 Histoire des Trois Démembremens does, and many others do ;-copied in Biographie Universelle, vii. 278 (§ Casimir). 1763-1769. 'public continue to be managed in such manner, not good will come of it, but evil. The day will arrive' (this is the Prophecy, almost in ipsissimis verbis), 'the day perhaps is not so far off, when this glorious Republic will get torn into shreds, hither, thither; be 'stuffed into the pockets of covetous neighbours, Brandenburg, Muscovy, Austria; and find itself reduced to zero, and abolished from the face of the world. 'I speak these words in sorrow of soul; words which probably you will not believe. Which only Fate can compel you to believe, one day, if they are true words: -you think, probably, they are not? Me, at least, or interest of mine, they do not regard. I speak them from the fulness of my heart, and on behest of friendship and conviction alone; having the honour at this moment to bid you and your Republic a very long farewell. Good morning, for the last time!' And so exit: to Rome (had been Cardinal once); to Paris and the society of Ninon's Circle, for the few years left him of life. 19 เ This poor John had had his bitter experiences: think only of one instance. In 1652, the incredible Law of Liberum Veto had been introduced, in spite of John and his endeavours. Liberum Veto; the power of one man to stop the proceedings of Polish Parliament by pronouncing audibly, "Nie pozwalam, I don't permit!"-never before or since among mortals was so incredible a Law. Law standing indisputable, nevertheless, on the Polish Statute-Book for above two hundred years: like an ever-flowing fountain of Anarchy, joyful to the Polish Nation. How they got any business done at all, under such a Law? Truly they did but little; and for the last thirty years, as good as none. But if Polish ParDied, 16th December 1672, age 63.' 196 |