Threeofthemwere，theVONSBlumenthal，Massow，Hagen，unknowntoreadershere:fourthandfifthwere，theVonWedellasWar—
Minister，onceDictatoratZullichan；andaVonderHorst，whohadwhatwemightpartiallycalltheHomeDepartment，andwhomaybyaccidentonceorsobenamableagain。
NorwasWarall，saystheKing:"accidentalFiresindifferentplaces，"whilewestruggledtorepairtheravagingsofWar，"wereofunexampledfrequency，anddidimmensefartherdamage。From1765
to1769，hereisthelistofplacesburnt:InEastPreussen，theCityofKonigsbergtwiceover；inSilesia，theTownsofFreystadt，Ober—Glogau[doreadersrecollectManteuffelofFootand"WIR
WOLLENIHMWAS"！]，Parchwitz，Naumburg—on—Queiss，andGoldberg；
intheMark，Nauen；intheNeumark，CaliesandapartofLansberg；
inPommern，BelgardandTempelburg。Theseaccidentsrequiredincessantlynewexpenditurestorepairthem。"
FriedrichwasnottheleastofaFreeTrader，exceptwhereitsuitedhim:andhiscontinualsubventionsanddonations，guidances，encouragements，commandingsandprohibitions，wisesupervisionandimpulsion，——areathingIshouldliketohearanintelligentMirabeau（JuniororSenior）discourseupon，afterhehadwellstudiedthem！Forexample:"ONRENDITLESPRETRESUTILES，ThePriests，CatholicPriests，wereturnedtousebyobligingalltherichAbbeystoestablishmanufactures:hereitwasweaversmakingdamasksandtable—cloths；thereoil—mills[oilfromlinseed]；
orworkersincopper，wire—drawers；assuitedthelocalitiesandthenaturalproducts，——theflaxesandthemetals，withwater—power，markets，andsoon。"WhatacharmingresuscitationoftherichAbbeysfromtheirdormantcondition！
Ishouldlikestillbettertoexplainhow，inLowerSilesia，"we（ON）managedtoincreasethenumberofHusbandmenby4，000
families。YouwillbesurprisedhowitwaspossibletomultiplytothisextentthepeoplelivingbyAgricultureinaCountrywherealreadynotafieldwaswaste。Thereasonwasthis。ManyLordsofLand，toincreasetheirDomain，hadimperceptiblyappropriatedtothemselvestheholdings（TERRES）oftheirvassals。Hadthisabusebeensufferedtogoon，intimeagreat"——Butthecommentaryneededwouldbetoolengthy；wewillgiveonlytheresult:"Inthelong—run，everyVillagewouldhavehaditsLord，buttherewouldhavebeennotax—payingFarmersleft。"TheLandlord，ruleroftheseLandless，mighthimself（asMajestywellknows）havebeenmadetoPAY，hadthatbeenall；butitwasnot。"Topossesssomething；
thatiswhatmakesthecitizenattachedtohisCountry；thosewhohavenoproperty，andhavenothingtolose，whattiehavethey？"
Aweakone，incomparison！"AllthesethingsbeingrepresentedtotheLandlordClass，theirownadvantagemadethemconsenttoreplacetheirPeasantsontheoldfooting。"……
"Tomakeheadagainstsomanyextraordinarydemands，"addstheKing（lookingovertoanewChapter，thatoftheMILITARY，whichDepartment，tohiseyes，wasnotlessshockinglydilapidatedthantheCIVIL，andequallyormoreneededinstantrepair），"newresourceshadtobedevised。For，besideswhatwasneededforre—establishmentoftheProvinces，newFortificationswerenecessary；andallourCannon，E’VASES（worntoowideinthebore），neededtoberefounded；whichoccasionedconsiderablenewexpense。
ThisledustoimprovementoftheExcises，"——concerningwhichtherewillhavetobeaSectionbyitself。
OFFRIEDRICH’SNEWEXCISESYSTEM。
InhislateInspection—JourneytoCleveCountry，D’Alembert，fromParis，byappointmentwaitedfortheKing；[In（OEuvresdeFrederic，xxiv。377—380（D’Alembert’sfinebitsofLettersinprospectofPotsdam，"Paris，7thMarch—29thApril，1763；"andtwosmallNoteswhilethere，"Sans—Souci，6thJuly—15thAugust，1763"）。]——pickedupatGeldern（June11th），aswesawabove。D’AlembertgottoPotsdamJune22d；stayedtillmiddleofAugust。HehadmettheKingoncebefore，in1755；whofoundhim"aBONGARCON，"aswethensaw。D’Alembertwasalways，sincethattime，anagreeable，estimablelittlemantoFriedrich。Agenowaboutforty—six；haslatelyrefusedthefineRussianpostof"TutortotheCzarowitsh"（CzarowitshPaul，poorlittleBoyofeightornine，whomwe，orHerrBuschingforus，sawgallopingabout，notlongsince，"inhisdressing—gown，"underPanin’sTutorage）；
refusesnow，inadelicategradualmanner，thefinePrussianpostofPerpetualPresident，orSuccessortoMaupertuis；——definitelypreferringhisfrugalpensionsatParis，andgarretallhisownthere。Continues，especiallyafterthistwomonths’visitof1763，oneoftheKing’schiefcorrespondentsforthenexttwentyyears。
["29thOctober，1783，"D’Alembertdied:"born16thNovember，1717；"
——aFoundling，asiswellknown；"MotheraSisterofCardinalTencin’s；Father，"accidental，"anOfficerintheArtillery。"]
Amanofmuchclearintellect；athoughtSHRIEKYinhiswayssometimes；butalwaysprudent，rational，polite，andloyallyrecognizingFriedrichasapreciousarticleinthisworld。HereisawordofD’Alembert’stoMadameduDeffand，atParis，sometenortwelvedaysaftertheClevemeeting，andthethirddayafterhisarrivalhere:——
"POTSDAM，25thJUNE，1763。MADAME，——……IwillnotgointothepraisesofthisPrince，"KingFriedrich，mynowHost；"inmymouthitmightbesuspicious:Iwillmerelysendyoutwotraitsofhim，whichwillindicatehiswayofthinkingandfeeling。WhenIspoketohim[atGeldern，probably，onourfirstmeeting]ofthegloryhehadacquired，heanswered，withthegreatestsimplicity，Thattherewasafuriousdiscounttobedeductedfromsaidglory；thatchancecameinforalmostthewholeofit；andthathewouldfarratherhavedoneRatine’sATHALIEthanallthisWar:——ATHALIEistheworkhelikes，andrereadsoftenest；Ibelieveyouwon’tdisapprovehistastethere。TheothertraitIhavetogiveyouis，Thatontheday[15thFebruarylast]ofconcludingthisPeace，whichissoglorioustohim，someonesaying，’ItisthefinestdayofyourMajesty’slife:’’Thefinestdayoflife，’answeredhe，’isthedayonwhichonequitsit。’……——Adieu，Madame。"["OEuvresPosthumesdeD’Alembert（Paris，1799）。i。197:"citedinPREUSS，ii。348。]
ThemeetinginCleveCountrywas，nodoubt，averyprettypassage，withTwoprettyMonthsfollowing；——andifitbetruethatHELVETIUS
wasaconsequence，the11thofJune，1763，mayalmostclaimtobeakindofepochinFriedrich’slaterhistory。TheopulentandingeniousM。Helvetius，whowroteDEL’ESPRIT，andhasgotbanishedforthatfeat（lostinthegloomofLondoninthosemonths），hadbeenamightyTax—gathereraswell；D’Alembert，asbrotherPhilosophe，wasfamiliarwithHelvetius。Itiscertain，also，KingFriedrich，atthistime，foundhewouldrequireannuallytwomillionthalersmore；——wheretogetthem，seemedtheimpossibility。
AGeneralKrockow，whohadlongbeeninFrenchService，andismuchabouttheKing，wasoftenrecommendingtheFrenchExcisesystem；——
heistheKrockowofDOMSTADTL，andthatSIEGEOFOLMUTZ，memorabletosomeofus:——"AwonderfulExcisesystem，"Krockowisoftensaying，inthistimeofstraits。"Whocompletelyunderstandsit？"
theKingmightask。"Helvetius，againsttheworld！"D’Alembertcouldjustlyanswer。"InviteHelvetiustoleavehisLondonexile，andacceptanasylumhere，wherehemaybeofvitalusetome！"
concludesFriedrich。
HelvetiuscameinMarch，1765；stayedtillJune，1766:[Rodenbeck，ii。254；Preuss，iii。11。]——withinwhichtimeaFrenchExcisesystem，whichhehadbeendevisingandputtingtogether，hadjustgotingear，andbeeninactionforamonth，toHelvetius’ssatisfaction。Whothereuponwenthisway，andneverreturned；——
takingwithhim，asmanandtax—gatherer，theKing’slastinggratitude；butbynomeansthatofthePrussianNation，inhistax—
gatheringcapacity！AllPrussia，orallofitthatfellunderthisHelvetiusExcisesystem，unitedtocondemnit，inallmannerofdialects，louderandlouder:here，forinstance，istheutteranceofHerrHamann，himselfakindofCustom—houseClerk（atKonigsberg，inEastPreussen），andonmodesttermsaLiterarymanofrealmeritandoriginality，whomaybesupposedtounderstandthissubject:"Andso，"saysHamann，"theStatehasdeclareditsownsubjectsincapableofmanagingitsFinancesystem；andinthiswayhasintrusteditsheart，thatisthepurseofitssubjects，toacompanyofForeignScoundrels，ignorantofeverythingrelatingtoit！"["HamanntoJacobi"（seePreuss，iii。1—35），"Konigsberg，18thJanuary，1786。"]
ThislastedallFriedrich’slifetime；andgaverisetonotalittlebuzzing，especiallyinitsprimaryorincipientstages。ItseemstohavebeenoneoftheunsuccessfulestFinanceadventuresFriedricheverengagedin。Itcosthissubjectsinfinitesmalltrouble；
awakenedverygreatcomplaining；and，forthefirsttime，realdiscontent，——skin—deepbutsincereanduniversal，——againstthemisguidedVaterFritz。Muchnoisyabsurditytherewasuponit，athome，andespeciallyabroad:"Gripingmiser，""greedytyrant，"andsoforth！Deductingallwhich，everybodynowadmitsthatFriedrich’saimwasexcellentandproper；butnobodydenieswithalthatthemeanswereinconsiderate，ofnoprofitinproportiontothetroubletheygave，andimpropertoadoptunlessthenecessitycompelled。
Friedrichisforbidden，orforbidshimself，aswehaveoftenmentioned，toimposenewtaxes:andneverthelessnow，oncalculationsdeep，minuteandnodoubtexact，hejudgesThatformeetingnewattacksofWar（orbeingreadytomeet，whichwilloftenestmeanavertingthem），——athingwhich，ashehasjustseen，mayconcerntheveryexistenceoftheState，——itisnecessarythatthereshouldbeonfootsuchandsuchquotitiesandkindsofSoldieryandWar—furniture，visibletoallneighbors；andprivatelyintheTreasuryneverlessthansuchandsuchasum。TowhichendArithmeticdeclaresthatthereisrequiredaboutTwoMillionthalersmoreofyearlyrevenuethanwenowhave。Andwhere，inthesecircumstances，arethemeansofraisingsuchasum？
Friedrichimposesnonewtaxes；buttheremaybestrictermethodsoflevyingtheold；——theremay，andinfacttheremust，bemeansfound！FriedrichhasconsultedhisFinanceMinisters；putthequestionSERIATIMtothesewiseheads:theyanswerwithonevoice，"Therearenomeans。"[Rodenbeck，ii。256。]Friedrich，therefore，hasrecoursetoHelvetius；who，ondueconsideration，andaftersurveyofmuchdocumentaryandtabularyraw—material，isofopinion，ThatthePrussianExciseswould，ifleviedwiththepunctuality，precisionandvigilantexactitudeofFrenchmethods，actuallyyieldtherequiredoverplus。"Organizemethemethods，then；getthemputinactionhere；underFrenchhands，ifthatbeindispensable。"HelvetiusbethoughthimofwhatfittestFrenchhandsthereweretohisknowledge，——inFrancethereareagreatmanyhandsflungidleinthepresentdownbreakoffinancethere:——
Helvetiusappearstohaveselected，arrangedandcontrivedinthismatterwithhisbestdiligence。DeLaunay，theHead—engineerofthething，wasadmittedbyallPrussia，afterTwenty—twoyearsunfriendlyexperienceofhim，tohavebeenasuitableandestimableperson；amanofjudiciousways，ofnosmallintelligence，prudence，andofverygreatskillinadministeringbusiness。
Head—engineerDeLaunay，onemayguess，wouldbeconsultedbyHelvetiusinchoiceofthesubalternOfficials，thestokersandsteerersinthisnewSteam—Machinery，whichhadalltobemannedfromFrance。TherewereFourheadsofdepartmentsimmediatelyunderDeLaunay，orscarcelyunderhim，juniorbrothersrather:——whochosetheseIdidnothear；buttheselatter，itisevident，werenotasuperiorqualityofpeople。OftheseFour，——allatveryhighsalaries，fromDeLaunaydownwards；"higherthanaPrussianMinisterofState！"murmuredthepublic，——two，withinthefirstyear，gotintoquarrel；foughtaduel，fataltooneofthem；
sothattherewerenowonlyThreeleft。"Three，withDeLaunay，willdo，"opinedFriedrich；anddividedthevacantsalaryamongthesurvivors:inwhichformtheyhadatleastnomoreduelling。
Astothesubalternworking—parties，theVISITATEURS，CONTROLLEURS，JAUGEURS（Gaugers），PLOMBEURS（Lead—stampers），orthestrangestkindofall，called"Cellar—Rats（COMMISRATS—DE—CAVE），"theyweresodetestedandexclaimedagainst，byaPublicimpatientoftheworkitself，thereisnoknowingwhattheirdegreeofscoundrelismwas，noreven，withinamazinglywidelimits，whatthearithmeticalnumberofthemwas。About500inthewholeofPrussia，saysaquietPrussian，whohasmadesomeinquiry；["Beguelin，ACCISE—UNDZOLL—
VERFASSUNG，s。138"（Preuss，iii，18）。]1，500saysMirabeau；
3，000sayotherexaggerativepersons，oreven5，000；DeLaunay’saccountis，Notatanytimeabove200。Butwecanallimaginehowvexatioustheyandtheirbusinesswere。Nobodynowisprivilegedwithexemption:fromoneandallofyou，Nobles，Clergy，People，strictaccountisrequired，aboutyourbeersandliquors；
yourcoffee，salt；yourconsumptionsandyourpurchasesofallexcisablearticles:——nay，Ithinkincoffeeandsalt，insaltforcertain，whatyouwillrequire，accordingtoyourstationanddomesticnumbers，iscomputedforyou，tosavetrouble；suchandsuchquantitiesyouwillpleasetobuyinourpresence，ortopaydutyfor，whetheryoubuythemornot。Intoallhouses，atanyhourofthedayorofthenight，thesecellar—ratshadliberty，——（onwarrantfromsomehigherratoftheirowntype，Iknownothowmuchhigher；andnosureappealforyou，excepttotheKing；tolerablysurethere，ifyoubeINNOCENT，butevidentlyperilousifyoubeonlyNOT—CONVICTED！）——hadliberty，Isay，tosearchforcontraband；
allyourpresses，drawers，repositories，youmustopentothesebeautifulcreatures；watchinnightcap，andcandleinhand，whileyourthingsgetalltumbledhitherandthither，inthesearchforwhatperhapsisnotthere；nay，itwassaidandsuspected，butI
neverknewitforcertain，thatthesepoisonousFrencharecapableofslippinginsomethingcontraband，onpurposetohaveyoufinedwhetherornot。
Readerscanconceive，thoughapparentlyFriedrichdidnot，whataworldofvexationallthisoccasioned；andhow，inthecontinualannoyancetoallmankind，theirritation，provocationandquerulouseloquencespreadamonghighandlow。OfwhichtheKingknewsomething；butfarfromthewhole。Hisobjectwasoneofvitalimportance；andhisplanoncefixed，hewentonwithit，accordingtohiscustom，regardlessoflittlerubs。TheAnecdoteBooksarefullofdetails，comicmostly，onthissubject:HowtheFrenchratspounceddownupongoodharmlesspeople，innocentfrugalparsonages，farm—houses；andwerecomicallyflungprostratebynativereadywit，orbydirectappealtotheKing。Details，neversoauthentic，couldnotbeadvisableinthisplace。PerhapstherearenotmorethanTwoauthenticPassages，knowntome，whichcannowhavetheleastinterest，evenofamomentarysort，toEnglishreaders。
Thefirstis，OfKingFriedrichcaricaturedasaMisergrindingCoffee。Igiveit，withoutessentialalterationofanykind，inHerrPreuss’swords，copiedfromthoseofonewhosawit:——thesecond，whichrelatestoaPrincessorEx—PrincessoftheRoyalHouse，Imustreserveforalittlewhile。HerrPreusssays:——
"Onceduringthetimeofthe’Regie’[whichlastedfrom1766to1786andtheKing’sdeath:nootherdateassignable，though1768，orso，maybeimaginableforourpurpose]，astheKingcameridingalongtheJagerStrasse，therewasvisiblenearwhatiscalledtheFurstenhaus，"kindofBerlinSomersetHouse，[Nicolai，i。155。]"agreatcrowdofpeople。’Seewhatitis！’theKingsenthisoneattendant，aheiducorgroom，intoit，tolearnwhatitwas。
’TheyhavesomethingpostedupaboutyourMajesty，’reportedthegroom；andFriedrich，whobythistimehadriddenforward，tookalookatthething；whichwasaCaricaturefigureofhimself:
Kinginverymelancholyguise，seatedonaStool，aCoffee—millbetweenhisknees；diligentlygrindingwiththeonehand，andwiththeotherpickingupanybeanthatmighthavefallen。’Hangitlower，’saidtheKing，beckoninghisgroomwithawaveofthefinger:’Lower，thattheymaynothavetohurttheirnecksaboutit！’Nosoonerwerethewordsspoken，whichspreadinstantly，thanthererosefromthewholecrowdoneuniversalhuzzaofjoy。
TheytoretheCaricatureintoathousandpieces，androlledaftertheKingwithloud（LEBEHOCH，OurFriedrichforever！’asherodeslowlyaway。"[Preuss，iii。275（"fromBERLINCONVERSUTIONSBLATT
&c。of1827，No。253"）。]ThatistheirFriedrich’smethodwiththeCaricatureDepartment。Heffner，KapellmeisterinUpsala，reportsthisbitofmemorability；hewasthenoftheKing’sMusic—ChapelinBerlin，andsawthiswithhiseyes。
TheKing’stendencyatalltimes，andhispracticegenerally，whenwehearofit，wastotakethepeople’sside；sothatgraduallytheseFrenchprocedureswereagreatdealmitigated；andDIEREGIE
——sotheycalledthishatefulnew—fangledsystemofExcisemachinery——becamemuchmoresupportable，"thesorrowsofitnothingbutatraditiontotheyoungersort，"reportsDohm，whoisextremelyampleonthissubject。[ChristianWilhelmvonDohm，DenkwurdigkeitenmeinerZeit（LemgoundHanover，1819），iv。500etseq。]DeLaunaywashonorablydismissed，andthewholeRegieabolished，amonthortwoafterFriedrich’sdeath。
WithaspleneticsatisfactionauthenticDohm，whosufficientlycondemnstheREGIE，addsthatitwasnotevensuccessful；andshowsbyevidence，andcomputationtotheuttermostfarthing，thatinsteadoftwomillionthalersannually，ityieldedontheaverageratherlessthanone。Thedesiredoverplusoftwomillions，andagooddealmoredidindeedcomein，sayshe:butitwasowingtothegreatprosperityofPrussiaatlarge，aftertheSeven—YearsWar；
tothemanifoldindustriesawakening，whichhavegoneonprogressiveeversince。Dohmdeclaresfarther，thattheveryobjectwasinasortfanciful，nugatory；arguingthatnobodydidattackFriedrich；——butomittingtoprovethatnobodywouldhavedoneso，hadFriedrichNOTstoodreadytoreceivehim。Wewillremarkonly，whatisveryindisputable，thatFriedrich，owingtotheRegie，ortoothercauses，didgetthehumbleoverplusnecessaryforhim；
anddidstandreadyforanywarwhichmighthavecome（andwhichdidinasortcome）；thathemoreandmorerelaxedtheRegie，asitbecamelessindispensabletohim；andwaswilling，ifhefoundtheCaricaturesandOppositionPlacardstoohighposted，tosavethepoorreadingpeopleanytroublethatwaspossible。
AFrencheye—witnesstestifies:"Theyhadnotalent，theseRegiefellows，butthatofwritingandciphering；extremelyconceitedtoo，andwerecapableofthemostridiculousfollies。Once，forinstance，theycondemnedacommonsoldier，whohadhiddensomepoundsoftobacco，toafineof200thalers。TheKing，onreviewingitforconfirmation，wroteonthemargin:’Beforeconfirmingthissentence，IshouldwishtoknowwheretheSoldier，whogets8
groschen[ninepencehalfpenny]inthe5days，willfindthe200
crownsforpayingthisFine！’"[Laveaux（2dedition），iii。228。]
Innumerableinstancesofaconstantdispositionthatway，ontheKing’spart，standonrecord。"Acrownaheadontheimportoffatcattle，Taxonbutcher’s—meat？"writesheoncetoDeLaunay:
"No，thatwouldfallonthepoorerclasses:tothatImustsayNo。
Iam，byoffice，ProcuratorofthePoor（L’AVOCATDUPAUVRE）。"
Elsewhereitis"AVOCATDECPAUVREETDUSOLDAT（oftheworking—manandofthesoldier）；andhavetopleadtheircause。"
[Preuss，iii。20。]
WewillnowgiveourSecondAnecdote；whichhaslessofmemorabilitytousstrangersatpresent，thoughdoubtlessitwasthen，inBerlinsociety，themorecelebratedofthetwo；
relating，asitdid，toahighCourt—Lady，almostthehighest，andwhowasherselfonlytoocelebratedinthoseyears。TheheroineisPrincessElizabethofBrunswick，King’sownNieceandaprettywoman；whoforfouryears（14thJuly，1765—18thApril，1769）ofherlonglifewasPrincessRoyalofPrussia，——WifeofthattallyoungGentlemanwhomweusedtoseedancingabout，whomwelastsawatSchweidnitzgettingflungfromhishorse，onthedayofPirch’ssaddlethere:——hisWifeforfouryears，butinthefourthyearceasedtobeso[Rodenbeck，ii。241，257。]（forexcellentreasons，onbothsides），andlivedthenceforthinadivorcedeclipsedstateatStettin，whereislaidthesceneofourAnecdote。Iunderstandittobeperfectlytrue；butcannotascertainfromanyofthewitnessesinwhatyearthethinghappened；orwhetheritwasatStettinorBerlin，——thoughmyauthorhasguessed，"Stettin，intheLady’sdivorcedstate，"asappears。
"ThisPrincesshadcommissioned，directfromLyon，averybeautifuldress；whicharrivedduly，addressedtoheratStettin。Asthiskindofstuffsischargedwithveryheavydues，theDOUANIER，headCustom—housePersonageoftheTown，hadtheimpertinencetodetainthedresstillpaymentweremade。ThePrincess，inaloftyindignation，sentwordto...剩余内容请长按扫描二维码或下载丁香书院APP继续免费看：
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