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454 pages

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pubOne.info present you this new edition. The king laid his flute aside, and with his hands folded behind his back, walked thoughtfully up and down his room in Sans-Souci. His countenance was now tranquil, his brow cloudless; with the aid of music he had harmonized his soul, and the anger and displeasure he had so shortly before felt were soothed by the melodious notes of his flute.

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Publié par	Pub One Info
Date de parution	06 novembre 2010
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9782819948889
Langue	English

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FREDERICK THE GREAT AND HIS FAMILY.
A HISTORICAL NOVEL
By L. Muhlbach
Translated From German By Mrs. Chapman ColemanAnd Her Daughters
BOOK I.
CHAPTER I. THE KING.
The king laid his flute aside, and with his handsfolded behind his back, walked thoughtfully up and down his room inSans-Souci. His countenance was now tranquil, his brow cloudless;with the aid of music he had harmonized his soul, and the anger anddispleasure he had so shortly before felt were soothed by themelodious notes of his flute.
The king was no longer angry, but melancholy, andthe smile that played on his lip was so resigned and painful thatthe brave Marquis d'Argens would have wept had he seen it, and thestinging jest of Voltaire have been silenced.
But neither the marquis nor Voltaire, nor any of hisfriends were at present in Potsdam. D'Argens was in France, withhis young wife, Barbe Cochois; Voltaire, after a succession ofdifficulties and quarrels, had departed forever; General Rothenberghad also departed to a land from which no one returns— he was dead!My lord marshal had returned to Scotland, Algarotti to Italy, andBastiani still held his office in Breslau. Sans-Souci, that hadbeen heretofore the seat of joy and laughing wit— Sans-Souci wasnow still and lonely; youth, beauty, and gladness had forsaken itforever; earnestness and duty had taken their place, and reigned inmajesty within those walls that had so often echoed with the happylaugh and sparkling jest of the king's friends andcontemporaries.
Frederick thought of this, as with folded hands hewalked up and down, and recalled the past. Sunk in deep thought, heremained standing before a picture that hung on the wall above hissecretary, which represented Barbarina in the fascinating costumeof a shepherdess, as he had seen her for the first time ten yearsago; it had been painted by Pesne for the king. What recollections,what dreams arose before the king's soul as he gazed at thatbewitching and lovely face; at those soft, melting eyes, whoseglance had once made him so happy! But that was long ago; it hadpassed like a sunbeam on a rainy day, it had been long buried inclouds. These remembrances warmed the king's heart as he now stoodso solitary and loveless before this picture; and he confessed tothat sweet image, once so fondly loved, what he had never admittedto himself, that his heart was very lonely.
But these painful recollections, these sad thoughts,did not last. The king roused himself from those dangerous dreams,and on leaving the picture cast upon it almost a look ofhatred.
“This is folly, ” he said; “I will to work. ”
He approached the secretary, and seized the sealedletters and packets that were lying there. “A letter and packetfrom the queen, ” he said, wonderingly opening the letter first.Casting a hasty glance through it, a mocking smile crossed hisface. “She sends me a French translation of a prayer-book, ” hesaid, shrugging his shoulders. “Poor queen! her heart is not yetdead, though, by Heaven! it has suffered enough. ”
He threw the letter carelessly aside, withoutglancing at the book; its sad, pleading prayer was but an echo ofthe thoughts trembling in her heart.
“Bagatelles! nothing more, ” he murmured, afterreading the other letters and laying them aside. He then ranghastily, and bade the servant send Baron Pollnitz to him as soon ashe appeared in the audience-chamber.
A few minutes later the door opened, and the old,wrinkled, sweetly smiling face of the undaunted courtierappeared.
“Approach, ” said the king, advancing a few steps tomeet him. “Do you bring me his submission? Does my brother Henryacknowledge that it is vain to defy my power? ”
Pollnitz shrugged his shoulders. “Sire, ” he said,sighing, “his highness will not understand that a prince must haveno heart. He still continues in his disobedience, and declares thatno man should marry a woman without loving her; that he would becontemptible and cowardly to allow himself to be forced to do whatshould be the free choice of his own heart. ”
Pollnitz had spoken with downcast eyes andrespectful countenance; he appeared not to notice that the kingreddened and his eyes burned with anger.
“Ah! my brother dared to say that? ” cried the king.“He has the Utopian thought to believe that he can defy my wishes.Tell him he is mistaken; he must submit to me as I had to submit tomy father. ”
“He gives that as an example why he will not yield.He believes a forced marriage can never be a happy one; that yourmajesty had not only made yourself unhappy by your marriage, butalso your queen, and that there was not a lady in the land whowould exchange places with your wife. ”
The king glanced piercingly at Pollnitz. “Do youknow it would have been better had you forgotten a few of my wisebrother's words? ”
“Your majesty commanded me to tell you faithfullyevery word the prince said. ”
“And you are too much a man of truth and obedience,too little of a courtier, not to be frank and faithful. Is it notso? Ah! vraiment, I know you, and I know very well that you areplaying a double game. But I warn you not to follow the promptingsof your wicked heart. I desire my brother to marry, do you hear? Iwill it, and you, the grand chamberlain, Baron Pollnitz, shall feelmy anger if he does not consent. ”
“And if he does? ” said Pollnitz, in his laughing,shameless manner; “if I persuade the prince to submit to yourwishes, what recompense shall I receive? ”
“On the day of their betrothal, I will raise yourincome five hundred crowns, and pay your debts. ”
“Ah, sire, in what a pitiable dilemma you areplacing me! Your majesty wishes Prince Henry to engage himself assoon as possible, and I must now wish it to be as late as possible.”
“And why? ”
“Because I must hasten to make as many debts aspossible, that your majesty may pay them. ”
“You are and will remain an unmitigated fool; oldage will not even cure you, ” said the king, smiling. “But speak,do you think my brother may be brought to reason? ”
Pollnitz shrugged his shoulders, gave a sly smile,but was silent.
“You do not answer me. Is my brother in love? andhas he confided in you? ”
“Sire, I believe the prince is in love from ennuialone, but he swears it is his first love. ”
“That is an oath that is repeated to each lady-love;I am not afraid of it, ” said the king, smiling “Who is theenchantress that has heard his first loving vows? She is doubtlessa fairy— a goddess of beauty. ”
“Yes, sire, she is young and beautiful, and declaresit is also her first love, so no one can doubt its purity; no oneunderstands love as well as this fair lady; no other than Madamevon Kleist, who, as your majesty remembers, was lately divorcedfrom her husband. ”
“And is now free to love again, as it appears, ”said the king, with a mocking smile. “But the beautiful Louise vonSchwerin is a dangerous, daring woman, and we must check her cleverplans in the bud. If she desires to be loved by my brother, shepossesses knowledge, beauty, and experience to gain her point andto lead him into all manner of follies. This affair must be broughtquickly to a close, and Prince Henry acknowledged to be the princeroyal. ”
“Prince Henry goes this evening to Berlin to attenda feast given by the Prince of Prussia, ” whispered Pollnitz.
“Ah! it is true the prince's arrest ceases at sixo'clock, but he will not forget that he needs permission to leavePotsdam. ”
“He will forget it, sire. ”
The king walked up and down in silence, and hiscountenance assumed an angry and threatening appearance. “Thisstruggle must be brought to a close, and that speedily. My brothermust submit to my authority. Go and watch his movements; as soon ashe leaves, come to me. ”
Long after Pollnitz had left him, the king paced hischamber in deep thought. “Poor Henry! I dare not sympathize withyou; you are a king's son— that means a slave to your position. Whyhas Providence given hearts to kings as to other men? Why do wethirst so for love? as the intoxicating drink is always denied us,and we dare not drink it even when offered by the most bewitchingenchantress! ”
Involuntarily his eye rested upon the beautifulpicture of Barbarina. But he would have no pity with himself, as hedared not show mercy to his brother. Seizing the silver bell, herang it hastily.
“Take that picture from the wall, and carry itimmediately to the inspector, and tell him to hang it in thepicture-gallery, ” said Frederick.
He looked on quietly as the servant took the picturedown and carried it from the room, then sighed and gazed long atthe plane where it had hung.
“Empty and cold! The last token of my youth is gone!I am now the king, and, with God's blessing, will be the father ofmy people. ”
CHAPTER II. PRINCE HENRY.
Prince Henry sat quiet and motionless in his lonelyroom; dark thoughts seemed to trouble him; his brow was clouded,his lips compressed. Had you not known him, you would have takenhim for the king, so great was the resemblance of the two brothers;but it was only an outward resemblance. The prince had not thespiritual expression, his eyes had not the passionate fire, hisface (beautiful as it was) wanted the fascinating geniality, thesparkling inspiration, that at all times lighted the king'scountenance like a sunbeam.
The prince possessed a greater mind, a clearerunderstanding, but he wanted soul and poetic feeling, and allowedhimself at times to ridicule his brother's poetic efforts. Theking, knowing this, was inclined to regard the shortcomings of theprince as a determined contempt and resistance to his command; andas the prince became more reckless and more indifferent, he becamemore severe and harsh. Thus the struggle commenced that had existedfor some time between the two brothers.
For the last four days the prince had been in arrestfor disobeying orders, but the hour of his release was approaching,and he awaited it with impatience.
The bell of the nearest church had just announcedthe hour of six. The door