The Project Gutenberg EBook of History Of Friedrich II. of Prussia, Vol.
I. (of XXI.), by Thomas Carlyle

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Title: History Of Friedrich II. of Prussia, Vol. I. (of XXI.)
Frederick The Great--Birth And Parentage.--1712.

Author: Thomas Carlyle

Posting Date: June 13, 2008 [EBook #2101]
Release Date: March 2000

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HISTORY OF FREIDRICH II. ***

Produced by D.R. Thompson

HISTORY OF FRIEDRICH II. OF PRUSSIA

FREDERICK THE GREAT

By Thomas Carlyle

FREDERICK THE GREAT.

Book I. -- BIRTH AND PARENTAGE. -- 1712.

Chapter I. -- PROEM: FRIEDRICH'S HISTORY FROM THE DISTANCE WE ARE AT.

About fourscore years ago, there used to be seen sauntering on the
terraces of Sans Souci, for a short time in the afternoon, or you might
have met him elsewhere at an earlier hour, riding or driving in a rapid
business manner on the open roads or through the scraggy woods
and avenues of that intricate amphibious Potsdam region, a highly
interesting lean little old man, of alert though slightly stooping
figure; whose name among strangers was King FRIEDRICH THE SECOND, or
Frederick the Great of Prussia, and at home among the common people, who
much loved and esteemed him, was VATER FRITZ,--Father Fred,--a name of
familiarity which had not bred contempt in that instance. He is a King
every inch of him, though without the trappings of a King. Presents
himself in a Spartan simplicity of vesture: no crown but an old military
cocked-hat,--generally old, or trampled and kneaded into absolute
SOFTNESS, if new;--no sceptre but one like Agamemnon's, a walking-stick
cut from the woods, which serves also as a riding-stick (with which he
hits the horse "between the ears," say authors);--and for royal robes,
a mere soldier's blue coat with red facings, coat likely to be old, and
sure to have a good deal of Spanish snuff on the breast of it; rest of
the apparel dim, unobtrusive in color or out, ending in high over-knee
military boots, which may be brushed (and, I hope, kept soft with an
underhand suspicion of oil), but are not permitted to be blackened or
varnished; Day