26th Oct. 1771. King. "I don't know that Town." (No wonder, thought I!') "Haller was my teacher." Ego. "At Göttingen: King. "What is M. Haller doing now?" Ego. "He is "concluding his literary career with a romance." (Usong had just come out;'-no mortal now reads a word of it; and the great Haller is dreadfully forgotten already!) 66 King. "Ah, that is pretty!—On what system do you treat your patients?" Ego. "Not on any system." King. "But there are some Physicians whose methods you 'prefer to those of others?" Ego. "I especially like Tis "sot's methods, who is a familiar friend of mine." King. "I know M. Tissot. I have read his writings, and "value them very much. On the whole, I love the Art of Me"dicine. My Father wished me to get some knowledge in it. "He often sent me into the Hospitals; and even into those for "venereal patients, with a view of warning by example." Ego. "And by terrible example!—Sire, Medicine is a very "difficult Art. But your Majesty is used to bring all Arts under subjection to the force of your genius, and to conquer all that " is difficult." 66 King. "Alas, no: I cannot conquer all that is difficult!" (Hard-mouthed Kaunitz, for example; stockstill, with his right ear turned on Turkey: how get Kaunitz into step!)—' Here the 'King became reflective; was silent for a little moment, and then asked me, with a most bright smile: "How many churchyards "have you filled?" (A common question of his to Members of the Faculty.) Ego. "Perhaps, in my youth, I have done a "little that way! But now it goes better; for I am timid rather "than bold." 6 King. "Very good, very good." Our Dialogue now became extremely brisk. The King quickened into extraordinary vivacity; and examined me now in the character of Doctor, with such a stringency as, in the 'year 1751, at Göttingen, when I stood for my Degree, the 'learned Professors Haller, Richter, Segner, and Brendel (for 'which Heaven recompense them!) never dreamed of! All in'flammatory fevers, and the most important of the slow diseases, 'the King mustered with me, in their order. He asked me, 26th Oct. 1771. How and whereby I recognised each of these diseases; how and whereby distinguished them from the approximate mala'dies; what my procedure was in simple and in complicated 'cases; and how I cured all those disorders? On the varieties, 'the accidents, the mode of treatment, of small-pox especially, 'the King inquired with peculiar strictness;—and spoke, with ' much emotion, of that young Prince of his House who was car'ried off, some years ago, by that disorder'-(suddenly arrested by it, while on march with his regiment, near Ruppin, 26th May 1767.' This is the Prince Henri, junior Brother of the subsequent King, Friedrich Wilhelm II., who, among other fooleries, invaded France, in 1792, with such success. Both Henri and he, as boys, used to be familiar to us in the final winters of the late War. Poor Henri had died at the age of nineteen,―as yet all brightness, amiability, and nothing else: Friedrich sent an Éloge of him to his Académie, which is touchingly and strangely filled with authentic sorrow for this young Nephew of his, but otherwise empty,-a mere bottle of sighs and tears). Then he came upon Inoculation; went along over an incredible multitude of other medical subjects. Into all he 'threw masterly glances; spoke of all with the soundest' (all in superlative) 'knowledge of the matter, and with no less pene'tration than liveliness and sense. 6 6 ‘With heartfelt satisfaction, and with the freëst soul, I made my answers to his Majesty. It is true, he potently supported ' and encouraged me. Ever and anon his Majesty was saying to me: "That is very good; that is excellently thought and "expressed;-your mode of proceeding, altogether, pleases me 66 very well;-I rejoice to see how much our ways of thinking "correspond." Often, too, he had the graciousness to add: "But "I weary you with my many questions!" my many questions!" His scientific ques'tions I answered with simplicity, clearness and brevity; and 'could not forbear sometimes expressing my astonishment at the deep and conclusive (tiefen und frappanten) medical in"sights and judgments of the King. 'His Majesty came now upon the history of his own maladies. 'He told me them over, in their series; and asked my opinion In Euvres de Frédéric, vii. 37 et seq. 26th Oct. 1771. ' and advice about each. On the Hæmorrhoids, which he greatly complained of, I said something that struck him. Instantly he 'started up in his bed; turned his head round towards the wall, and said: "Schmucker, write me that down!" I started in 'fright at this word; and not without reason! Then our Col'loquy proceeded : King. "The Gout likes to take up his quarters with me; he "knows I am a Prince, and thinks I shall feed him well. But I "feed him ill; I live very meagrely." 66 Ego. "May Gout thereby get disgusted, and forbear ever calling on your Majesty !" King. "I am grown old. Diseases will no longer have pity on me." Ego. "Europe feels that your Majesty is not "old; and your Majesty's look (physiognomie) shows that you "have still the same force as in your thirtieth year." King (laughing, and shaking his head). "Well, well, well!” 'In this way, for an hour and quarter, with uninterrupted vivacity, the Dialogue went on. At last the King gave me the sign to go; lifting his hat very kindly, and saying: “Adieu, 66 my dear M. Zimmermann; I am very glad to have seen you." Towards 6 P.M. now, and Friedrich must sign his Despatches; have his Concert, have his reading; then to supper (as spectator only),—with Quintus Icilius and old Lord Marischal, to-night, or whom ?7 'Herr von Catt accompanied me into the anteroom, and 'Schmucker followed. I could not stir from the spot; could 'not speak, was so charmed and so touched, that I broke into a " stream of tears' (being very weak of nerves at the time!). 'Herr 6 von Catt said: "I am now going back to the King; go you "into the room where I took you up; about eight, I will con"duct you home." I pressed my excellent countryman's hand, 'T-Schmucker said, I had stood too near his Majesty; I had 'spoken too frankly, with too much vivacity; nay, what was 'unheard of in the world, I had "gesticulated" before his Ma'jesty! "In presence of a King," said Herr Schmucker, "one ▾ Of Icilius, and a quarrel and estrangement there had lately been, now happily reconciled, see Nicolai, Anekdoten, vi. 140-142. 26th Oct. 1771. "must stand stiff, and not stir." De Catt came back to us at eight; and, in Schmucker's presence' (let him chew the cud of that!), 'reported the following little Dialogue with the King: King. "What says Zimmermann?" De Catt. "Zimmer 66 mann, at the door of your Majesty's room, burst into a stream "of tears." King. "I love those tender affectionate hearts; "I love right well those brave Swiss people!" 'Next morning the King was heard to say: "I have found "Zimmermann quite what you described him."-Catt assured me 'furthermore, "Since the Seven-Years War there had thousands "of strangers, persons of rank, come to Potsdam, wishing to "speak with the King, and had not attained that favour; and "of those who had, there could not one individual boast that his "Majesty had talked with him an hour and quarter at once." (Fourteen years hence, he dismissed Mirabeau in half an hour; which was itself a good allowance.) 'Sunday 27th, I left Potsdam, with my kind Meckels, in an 6 enthusiasm of admiration, astonishment, love and gratitude; 6 wrote to the King from Berlin, sent him a Tissot's Book '(marked on the margins for Majesty's use), which he acknow'ledged by some word to Catt; whereupon I'-In short, I got home to Hanover, in a more or less seraphic condition,—' with indescribable, unspeakable,' what not,-early in November; and, as a healed man, never more troubled with that disorder, though still troubled with many and many, endeavoured to get a little work out of myself again.3 'Zimmermann was tall, handsome of shape; his ex'terior was distinguished and imposing,' says Jördens. 'He had a firm and light step; stood gracefully; pre'sented himself well. He had a fine head; his voice was agreeable; and intellect sparkled in his eyes:'had it not been for those dreadful hypochondrias, and confused disasters, a very pretty man. At the time of this first visit to Friedrich he is 43 years of age, and Zimmermann, Meine Unterredungen (Dialogues) with Friedrich the Great (8vo, Leipzig, 1788), pp. 305-326. • Ubi suprà, p. 643. Friedrich is on the borders of 60. Dec. 1771-Aug. 1772. Zimmermann, with still more famous Dialogues, will reappear on us from Hanover, on a sad occasion! Meanwhile, few weeks after him, here is a Visit of far more joyful kind. Sister Ulrique, Queen-Dowager of Sweden, revisits her native Place (December 1771-August 1772). Prince Henri was hardly home from Petersburg and the Swedish Visit, when poor Adolf Friedrich, King of Sweden, died.10 A very great and sad event to his Queen, who had loved her old man; and is now left solitary, eclipsed, in circumstances greatly altered on the sudden. In regard to settlements, Accession of the new Prince, dowager revenues and the like, all went right enough; which was some alleviation, though an inconsiderable, to the sorrowing Widow. Her two Princes were absent, touring over Europe, when their Father died, and the elder of them, Karl Gustav, suddenly saw himself King. They were in no breathless haste to return; visited their Uncle, their Prussian kindred, on the way, and had an interesting week at Potsdam and Berlin;11 Karl Gustav flying diligently about, still incognito, as 'Graf von Gothland,'--a spirited young fellow, perhaps too spirited; and did not reach home till Mayday was come, and the outburst of the Swedish Summer at hand. Some think the young King had already something dangerous and serious in view, and wished his Mother out of the way for a time. Certain it is she decided on a visit to her native Country in December following arrived accordingly, December 2d, 1771; : 10 12th February 1771. "April 22d-29th: Rödenbeck, iii. 45. |