n
the way of forwarding his errand, Spying, contriving, persuading;
corresponding to right and left,--corresponding, especially much, with
the King of Prussia himself, and then with "M. Amelot, Secretary of
State," to report progress to the best advantage. There are curious
elucidative sparks, in those Voltaire Letters, chaotic as they are;
small sparks, elucidative, confirmatory of your dull History Books, and
adding traits, here and there, to the Image you have formed from them.
Yielding you a poor momentary comfort; like reading some riddle of
no use; like light got incidentally, by rubbing dark upon dark
(say Voltaire flint upon Dryasdust gritstone), in those labyrinthic
catacombs, if you are doomed to travel there. A mere weariness,
otherwise, to the outside reader, hurrying forward,--to the light French
Editor, who can pass comfortably on wings or balloons! [_OEuvres,_
lxxiii. pp. 40-138. Clogenson, a Dane (whose Notes, signed "Clog.," are
in all tolerable recent Editions), has, alone among the Commentators of
Voltaire's LETTERS, made some real attempt towards explaining the many
passages that are fallen unintelligible. "Clog.," travelling on
foot, with his eyes open, is--especially on German-History
points--incomparable and unique, among his French comrades going by
balloon; and drops a rational or half-rational hint now and then, which
is meritoriously helpful. Unhappily he is by no means well-read in that
German matter, by no means always exact; nor indeed ever quite to be
trusted without trial had.] Voltaire's assiduous finessings with the
Hague Diplomatist People, or with their Secretaries if bribable;
nay, with the Dutch Government itself ("through channels which I have
opened,"--with infinitesimally small result); his spyings ("young
Podewils," Minister here, Nephew of the Podewils we have known, "young
Podewils in intrigue with a Dutch Lady of rank:" think of that, your
Excellency); his preparatory subtle correspondings with Friedrich:
his exquisite manoeuvrings, and really great industries in the small
way:--all this, and much else, we will omit. Impatient of these
preludings, which have been many! Thus, at one point, Voltaire "took
a FLUXION" (catarrhal, from the nose only), when Friedrich was quite
ready; then, again, when Voltaire was ready, and the fluxion off,
Friedrich had gone upon his Silesian Reviews: in short, there had
been such cross-purposes, tedious delays, as are distressing to think
of;--a