History of Friedrich II of Prussia — Volume 05
- Pages
- about 116
- Category
- History
- Language
- English
- Reading time
- 2.1 h at 250 wpm
From the opening
We saw George I. at Berlin in October, 1723, looking out upon his
little Grandson drilling the Cadets there; but we did not mention what
important errand had brought his Majesty thither.
Visits between Hanover and Berlin had been frequent for a long time
back; the young Queen of Prussia, sometimes with her husband, sometimes
without, running often over to see her Father; who, even after his
accession to the English crown, was generally for some months every year
to be met with in those favorite regions of his. He himself did not much
visit, being of taciturn splenetic nature: but this once he had agreed
to return a visit they had lately made him,--where a certain weighty
Business had been agreed upon, withal; which his Britannic Majesty
was to consummate formally, by treaty, when the meeting in Berlin took
effect. His Britannic Majesty, accordingly, is come; the business in
hand is no other than that thrice-famous "Double-Marriage" of Prussia
with England; which once had such a sound in the ear of Rumor, and still
bulks so big in the archives of the Eighteenth Century; which worked
such woe to all parties concerned in it; and is, in fact, a first-rate
nuisance in the History of that poor Century, as written hitherto.
Nuisance demanding urgently to be abated;--were that well possible at
present. Which, alas, it is not, to any great degree; there being an
important young Friedrich inextricably wrapt up in it, to whom it was of
such vital or almost fatal importance! Without a Friedrich, the affair
could be reduced to something like its real size, and recorded in a
few pages; or might even, with advantage, be forgotten altogether, and
become zero. More gigantic instance of much ado about nothing has seldom
occurred in human annals;--had not there been a Friedrich in the heart
of it.
A short sample. Read the whole book
More to read
- A Belated Guest (from Literary Friends and Acquaintance)William Dean HowellsHistory19 pages
- A Bit of Old ChinaCharles Warren StoddardHistory17 pages
- A Book of Remarkable CriminalsH. B. IrvingHistory341 pages
- A Book of ScoundrelsCharles WhibleyHistory202 pages
- A Brief History of the Internet The Bright Side: The Dark SideMichael HartHistory59 pages
Public-domain text from Project Gutenberg, Standard Ebooks or a similar open source. Copyright differs between countries. Rights holder? See our takedown process.