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

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Title: History Of Friedrich II. of Prussia, Volume V. (of XXI.)
Frederick The Great--Double-Marriage Project, And What
Element It Fell Into--1723-1726

Author: Thomas Carlyle

Posting Date: June 13, 2008 [EBook #2105]
Release Date: March 2000

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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

Produced by D.R. Thompson

HISTORY OF FRIEDRICH II OF PRUSSIA

FREDERICK THE GREAT

By Thomas Carlyle

BOOK V.--DOUBLE-MARRIAGE PROJECT, AND WHAT ELEMENT IT FELL INTO.--1723-1726.

Chapter I. -- DOUBLE-MARRIAGE IS DECIDED ON.

We saw George I. at Berlin in October, 1723, looking out upon his
little Grandson drilling the Cadets there; but we did not mention what
important errand had brought his Majesty thither.

Visits between Hanover and Berlin had been frequent for a long time
back; the young Queen of Prussia, sometimes with her husband, sometimes
without, running often over to see her Father; who, even after his
accession to the English crown, was generally for some months every year
to be met with in those favorite regions of his. He himself did not much
visit, being of taciturn splenetic nature: but this once he had agreed
to return a visit they had lately made him,--where a certain weighty
Business had been agreed upon, withal; which his Britannic Majesty
was to consummate formally, by treaty, when the meeting in Berlin took
effect. His Britannic Majesty, accordingly, is come; the business in
hand is no other than that thrice-famous "Double-Marriage" of Prussia
with England; which once had such a sound in the ear of Rumor, and still
bulks so big in the archives of the Eighteenth Century; which worked
such woe to all parties concerned in it; and is, in fact, a first-rate
nuisance in the History of that poor Century, as written hitherto.
Nuisance demanding urgently to be abated;--were that well possible at
present. Which, alas, it is not, to any great degree; there being an
important young Friedrich inextricably wrapt up in it, to whom it was of