Frankfurt Union is just signed (May 22d). Most Christian Majesty is himself under way to the Netherlands, himself going to command there, as we shall see. "Good!" answers Friedrich: "But don't weaken Coigny, think of Prince Karl on that side; don't detach from Coigny, and reduce his 60,000 to 40,000!"Plenty of mutual consulting, as they walk in the woods there.
And how profoundly obscure, to certain Official parties much concerned, judge from the following small Document, preserved by accident:--LYTTELTON (our old Soissons Friend, now an Official in Prince Fred's Household, friend of Pitt, and much else) TO HIS FATHER AT HAGLEY.
ARGYLE STREET, LONDON, "May 5th [16th], 1744.
"DEAR SIR,--Mr. West [Gilbert West, of whom there is still some memory] comes with us to Hagley; and, if you give me leave, I will bring our friend Thomson too"--oh Jamie Thamson, Jamie Thamson, oh!
"His SEASONS will be published in about a week's time, and a most noble work they will be.
"I have no public news to tell you, which you have not had in the Gazettes, except what is said in Private Letters from Germany, of the King of Prussia's having drunk himself into direct madness, and being confined on that account; which, if true, may have a great effect upon the fate of Europe at this critical time." Yes indeed, if true. "Those Letters say, that, at a review, he caused two men to be taken out of the line, and shot, without any cause assigned for it, and ordered a third to be murdered in the same manner;but the Major of the regiment venturing to intercede for him, his Majesty drew his sword, and would have killed the Officer too, if he, perceiving his madness, had not taken the liberty to save himself, by disarming the King; who was immediately shut up;and the Queen, his Mother, has taken the Regency upon herself till his recovery." PAPAE! "I do not give you this news for certain; but it is generally believed in town. Lord Chesterfield says, 'He is only thought to be MAD in Germany, because he has MORE WIT than other Germans.'
"The King of Sardinia's Retreat from his lines at Villa Franca, and the loss of that Town [20th April, one of those furious tussles, French and Spaniard VERSUS Sardinian Majesty, in the COULISSES or side-scenes of the Italian War-Theatre, neither stage nor side-scenes of which shall concern us in this place], certainly bear a very ill aspect; but it is not considered as"--anything to speak of; nor was it. "We expect with impatience to know what will be the effect of the Dutch Ambassador to Paris,--[to Valenciennes, as it turns out, King Louis, on his high errand to the Netherlands, being got so far; and the "effect" was no effect at all, except good words on his part, and persistence in the battering down of Menin and the Dutch Barrier, of which we shall hear ere long].
"I pray God the Summer may be happy to us, by being more easy than usual to you,"--dear Father, much suffering by incurable ailments.
"It is the only thing wanting to make Hagley Park a Paradise.
"Poor Pope is, I am afraid, going to resign all that can die of him to death;"--did actually die, 30th May (10th June): a world-tragedy that too, though in small compass, and acting itself next door, at Twickenham, without noise; a star of the firmament going out;--twin-star, Swift (Carteret's old friend), likewise going out, sunk in the socket, "a driveller and a show." ... "I am, with the truest respect and affection, dear Sir, your most dutiful Son,--"GEORGE LYTTELTON."[Ayscough, Lord Lyttelton's Miscellaneous Works, (Lond., 1776), iii. 318.]
Friedrich returned from Pyrmont, 11th June; saw, with a grief of his own, with many thoughts well hidden, his Sister Ulrique whirled away from him, 26th July, in the gray of the summer dawn.
In Berlin, in Prussia, nobody but one is aware of worse just coming. And now the War-drums suddenly awaken again; and poor readers--not to speak of poor Prussia and its King!--must return to that uncomfortable sphere, till things mend.
