old fritz and the new era-第1部分

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Old　Fritz　and　the　New　Era

by　Louise　Muhlbach

TRANSLATED　FROM　THE　GERMAN　BY　PETER　LANGLEY






BOOK　I。

OLD　FRITZ。

I。　The　Lonely　King

II。　Wilhelmine　Enke

III。　Frederick　William

IV。　The　Drive　to　Berlin

V。　The　Oath　of　Fidelity

VI。　The　Parade

VII。　The　Miraculous　Elixir

VIII。　The　Golden　Rain

IX。　German　Literature　and　the　King




BOOK　II。

ROSICRUCIANS　AND　POWERFUL　GENIUSES。

X。　Goethe　in　Berlin

XI。　The　Inner　and　the　Middle　Temple

XII。　The　Jesuit　General

XIII。　A　Pensioned　General

XIV。　The　King's　Letter

XV。　Hate　and　Love

XVI。　Charles　Augustus　and　Goethe

XVII。　Goethe's　Visits

XVIII。　Farewell　to　Berlin




BOOK　III。

STORM　AND　PRESSURE。

XIX。　The　King　and　the　Austrian　Diplomat

XX。　The　King　and　the　Lover

XXI。　In　Weimar

XXII。　The　Reading

XXIII。　Witchcraft

XXIV。　The　Purse…Proud　Man

XXV。　The　Elopement

XXVI。　Under　the　Starry　Heavens

XXVII。　The　Sacrifice




BOOK　IV。

THE　VISIBLES　AND　THE　INVISIBLES。

XXVIII。　Old　Fritz

XXIX。　Cagliostro's　Return

XXX。　The　Triumvirate

XXXI。　Future　Plans

XXXII。　Miracles　and　Spirits

XXXIII。　The　Return　Home

XXXIV。　Behind　the　Mask

XXXV。　The　Curse

XXXVI。　The　King　and　the　Rosicrucians

XXXVII。　The　Espousals

XXXVIII。　Revenge　Fulfilled






FOREWORD


I　would　merely　say　a　few　words　in　justification　of　the　Historical
Romance；　in　its　relation　to　history。　Any　one；　with　no　preceding
profound　study　of　history；　who　takes　a　few　well…known　historical
facts　as　a　foundation　for　an　airy　castle　of　romantic　invention　and
fantastic　adventure；　may　easily　write　an　Historical　Romance；　for　him
history　is　only　the　nude　manikin　which　he　clothes　and　adorns
according　to　his　own　taste；　and　to　which　he　gives　the　place　and
position　most　agreeable　to　himself。　But　only　the　writer　who　is　in
earnest　with　respect　to　historical　truth；　who　is　not　impelled　by
levity　or　conceited　presumption；　is　justified　in　attempting　this
species　of　composition；　thoroughly　impressed　with　the　greatness　of
his　undertaking；　he　will　with　modest　humility　constantly　remember
that　he　has　proposed　to　himself　a　great　and　sublime　work　which；
however；　it　will　be　difficult　if　not　impossible　for　him　wholly　and
completely　to　accomplish。

But　what　is　this　great；　this　sublime　end；　which　the　Historical
Romance　writer　proposes　to　attain？　It　is　this：　to　illustrate
history；　to　popularize　it；　to　bring　forth　from　the　silent　studio　of
the　scholar　and　to　expose　in　the　public　market　of　life；　for　the
common　good；　the　great　men　and　great　deeds　embalmed　in　history；　and
of　which　only　the　studious　have　hitherto　enjoyed　the　monopoly。　Thus；
at　least；　have　I　considered　the　vocation　I　have　chosen；　not　vainly
or　inconsiderately；　but　with　a　profound　conviction　of　the　greatness
of　my　undertaking；　and　with　a　depressing　consciousness　that　my　power
and　acquirements　may　prove　inadequate　for　the　attainment　of　my
proposed　end。

But　I　am　also　fully　conscious　of　what　was　and　still　is　my　greatest
desire：　to　give　an　agreeable　and　popular　form　to　our　national
history；　which　may　attract　the　attention　and　affections　of　our
people；　which　may　open　their　understandings　to　the　tendencies　of
political　movements；　and　connect　the　facts　of　history　with　the
events　of　actual　life。

The　severe　historian　has　to　do　but　with　accomplished　facts；　he　can
only　record　and　describe；　with　the　strictest　regard　to　truth；　that
which　has　outwardly　occurred。　He　describes　the　battles　of　peoples；
the　struggles　of　nations；　the　great　deeds　of　heroes；　the　actions　of
princesin　short；　he　gives　the　accomplished　facts。　To　investigate
and　explain　the　secret　motives；　the　hidden　causes　of　these　facts；　to
present　them　in　connection　with　all　that　impelled　to　them；　this　is
the　task　of　Historical　Romance。

The　historian　presents　to　you　the　outward　face；　the　external　form　of
history；　Historical　Romance　would　show　you　the　heart　of　history；　and
thus　bring　near　to　your　heart　what；　else；　would　stand　so　far　off。　To
enable　him　to　do　this；　the　writer　of　an　Historical　Romance　must；
indeed；　make　severe　and　various　studies。　He　must　devote　his　whole
mind　and　soul　to　the　epoch　he　would　illustrate；　he　must　live　in　it
and　feel　with　it。　He　must　so　familiarize　himself　with　all　the
details；　as　in　a　manner　to　become　a　child　of　that　epoch；　for　he　can
present　a　really　living　image　of　only　that　which　is　living　in
himself。　That　this　requires　a　deep　and　earnest　study　of　history　is
self…evident。　Historical　Romance　demands　the　study　of　the　historian；
together　with　the　creative　imagination　of　the　poet。　For　the　free
embodiment　of　the　poet　can　blossom　only　from　out　the　studio　of　the
historian；　as　the　flower　from　the　seed；　as；　by　a　reciprocal　organic
action；　the　hyacinth　is　derived　from　the　onion；　and　the　rose　from
its　seed…capsule；　so　are　history　and　poetry　combined　in　the
Historical　Romance；　giving　and　receiving　life　to　and　from　each
other。

The　Historical　Romance　has　its　great　task　and　its　great
justificationa　truth　disputed　by　only　those　who　either　have　not
understood　or　will　not　understand　its　nature。

The　Historical　Romance　has；　if　I　may　be　allowed　so　to　speak；　four
several　objects　for　which　to　strive：

Its　first　object　is；　to　throw　light　upon　the　dark　places　of　history；
necessarily　left　unclear　by　the　historian。　Poetry　has　the　right　and
duty　of　setting　facts　in　a　clear　light；　and　of　illuminating　the
darkness　by　its　sunny　beams。　The　poetry　of　the　romance　writer　seeks
to　deduce　historical　characteristics　from　historical　facts；　and　to
draw　from　the　spirit　of　history　an　elucidation　of　historical
characters；　so　that　the　writer　may　be　able　to　detect　their　inmost
thoughts　and　feelings；　and　in　just　and　sharp　traits　to　communicate
them　to　others。

The　second　task　of　Historical　Romance　is；　to　group　historical
characters　according　to　their　internal　natures；　and　thus　to
elucidate　and　illustrate　history。　This　illustration　then　leads　to
the　third　task；　which　is　the　discovery　and　exposition　of　the　motives
which　impel　individual　historical　personages　to　the　performance　of
great　historical　acts；　and　from　outwardly；　apparently　insignificant
events　in　their　lives　to　deduce　their　inmost　thoughts　and　natures；
and　represent　them　clearly　to　others。

Thence　follows　the　fourth　task：　the　illustration　of　historical　facts
by　a　romance　constructed　in　the　spirit　of　the　history。　This　fourth
and　principal　task　is　the　presentation　of　history　in　a　dramatic　form
and　with　animated　descriptions；　upon　the　foundation　of　history　to
erect　the　temple　of　poesy；　which　must　nevertheless　be　pervaded　and
illuminated　by　historic　truth。　From　this　it　naturally　follows　that
it　is　of　very　little　consequence　whether　the　personages　of　the
Historical　Romance　actually　spoke　the　words　or　performed　the　acts
attributed　to　them；　it　is　only　necessary　that　those　words　and　deeds
should　be　in　accordance　with　the　spirit　and　character　of　such
historical　personages；　and　that　the　writer　should　not　attribute　to
them　what　they　could　not　have　spoken　or　done。　In　the　Historical
Romance；　when　circumstances　or　events　are　presented　in　accordance
with　historical　tradition；　when　the　characters　are　naturally
described；　they　bear　with　them　their　own　justification；　and
Historical　Romance　has　need　of　no　further　defence。

Historical　Romance　should　be　nothing　but　an　illustration　of　history。
If　the　drawing；　grouping；　coloring；　and　style　of　such　an
illustration　of　any　given　historical　epoch　are　admitted　to　be　true；
then　the　illustration　rises　to　the　elevation　of　a　work　of　art；
worthy　of　a　place　beside　the　historical　picture；　and　is　equally
useful。

Raphael's　〃School　of　Athens；〃　his　〃Institution　of　the　Communion；〃
and　many　others　of　his　pictures；　are　such　illustrations　of　history
as　also　the　great　paintings　of　Rubens　from　the　life　of　Anna　dei
Medici；　and　then　the　historical　pictures　of　Horace　Vernet；　of
Delaroche；　of　Lessing；　and　of　Kaulbachall　these　are　illustrations
of　history。　What　those　artists　present　and　illustrate　with　paint　and
pencil；　the　Historical　Romancer　represents　in　words　with　his　pen；
and　when　he　does　this　successfully；　he　will　live　in　the　memory　of
his　reader　as　imperishably　as　the　great　historical　pictures　of　the
painters　in　the　memory　of　their　beholders。

It　would　occur　to　no　one　to　accuse　a　successful　historical　picture
of　falsehood；　because　the　books　of　history　do　not　show　that　the
occurrence　took　place　precisely　in　the　manner　represented；　that　the
historical　personages　really　so　laughed　or　wept；　or　so　deported
themselves。　If　the　situation　and　grouping　of　historical　events　are
allowed　to　be　in　accordance　with　the　general　tenor　of　history；　then
the　picture　may　be　pronounced　historically　true；　and　is　just　as　good
a　piece　of　history　as　the　record　of　the　special　historian。　It　is　the
same　with　the　pictures　of　the　romancer　as　with　those　of　the　painter；
and　this　is　my　answer　to　those　who；　on　every　occasion；　are
continually　asking：　〃Was　it　really　thus？　Did　it　really　occur　in　that
manner？〃

Show　me　from　history　that　it　could　not　be　so；　that　it　is　not　in
accordance　with　the　character　of　the　persons　representedthen　I
will　confess　that　I　am　wrong；　and　you　are　right；　then　have　I　not
presented　an　illustration；　but　only　a　caricature　of　history；　faulty
as　a　work　of　art；　and　wanting　the　dignity　of　truth。

I　am　conscious　of　having　earnestly　and　devotedly　striven　for　the
truth；　and　of　having　diligently　sought　it　in　all　attainable
historical　works。　The　author　of　an　Historical　Romance　has　before　him
a　difficult　task：　while　he　must　falsify　nothing　in　history；　he　must
poetize　it　in　a　manner　that　both　historical　and　poetic　truth　shall
be　the　result。　To　those；　however；　who　so　very　severely　judge
Historical　Romance；　and　would　deny　its　historical　worth；　I　now；　in
conclusion；　answer　with　the　following　significant　quotation　from
Schiller：

〃I　shall　always　prove　a　bad　resource　for　any　future　historian　who
may　have　the　misfortune　to　recur　to　me。　History　is　generally　only　a
magazine　for　my　fantasy；　and　objects　must　be　contented　with　whatever
they　may　become　under　my　hand。〃（See　Weisnar's　〃Musenhof；〃　p。　93。）

This　declaration　of　Schiller　satisfies　me　with　respect　to　the　na