s Teutschland a Nation; is there in Teutschland still a Nation?'
Austria, not dishonestly, but much sunk in superstitions and involuntary
mendacities, and liable to sink much farther, answers always, in gloomy
proud tone, 'Yes, I am the Nation of Teutschland!'--but is mistaken,
as turns out. For it is not mendacities, conscious or other, but
veracities, that the Divine Powers will patronize, or even in the end
will put up with at all. Which you ought to understand better than you
do, my friend. For, on the great scale and on the small, and in all
seasons, circumstances, scenes and situations where a Son of Adam finds
himself, that is true, and even a sovereign truth. And whoever does not
know it,--human charity to him (were such always possible) would be,
that HE were furnished with handcuffs as a part of his outfit in this
world, and put under guidance of those who do. Yes; to him, I
should say, a private pair of handcuffs were much usefuler than a
ballot-box,--were the times once settled again, which they are far from
being!"...

"So that, if there be only Austria for Nation, Teutschland is in ominous
case. Truly so. But there is in Teutschland withal, very irrecognizable
to Teutschland, yet authentically present, a Man of the properly
unconquerable type; there is also a select Population drilled for him:
these two together will prove to you that there is a Nation. Conquest
of Silesia, Three Silesian Wars; labors and valors as of Alcides, in
vindication of oneself and one's Silesia:--secretly, how unconsciously,
that other and higher Question of Teutschland, and of its having in it
a Nation, was Friedrich's sore task and his Prussia's at that time. As
Teutschland may be perhaps now, in our day, beginning to recognize; with
hope, with astonishment, poor Teutschland!"...

3. "And in fine, leaving all that, there is one thing undeniable: In all
human Narrative, it is the battle only, and not the victory, that can
be dwelt upon with advantage. Friedrich has now, by his Second
Silesian War, achieved Greatness: 'Friedrich the Great;' expressly
so denominated, by his People and others. The struggle upwards is the
Romance; your hero once wedded,--to GLORY, or whoever the Bride may
be,--the Romance ends. Precise critics do object, That there may
still lie difficulties, new perils and adventures ahead:--which proves
conspicuously true in this case of ours. And accordingly, our Book not
being a Romance but a History, let us, wi