„An accidental merit, thinks the reader No, reader, you may
„believe me, it is bij no means altogether such. Nay, I rather
„think, could we look into the Account-Books of the Recording
„Angel for a course of centuries, no part of it is such There
„are Nations in which a Friedrich is, or can be, possible and
„again there are Nations in which he is not and cannot. To be
„practically reverent of Human Worth to the due extent, and ab
horrent of Human Want of Worth in the like proportion, do you
„understand that art at all I fear, not or that you are much
„forgetting it again Human Merit, do you really love it enough,
„think you human Scoundrelism (brought to the dock for you,
„and branded as scoundrel), do you even abhor it enough? Wit-
„hout that reverence and its corresponding opposite-pole of ab
horrence there is simply no possibility left. That, mij friend, is the
„outcome and summary of all virtues in this world, for a man or
„for a Nation of men. It is the supreme strenght and glory of a
Nationwithout which, indeed, all other strenghts, and enor-
„mites of bullion and arsenals and warehouses, are no strenght.
„None, I should say and are oftenest even the reverse.
„Nations who have lost this quality, or who never had it, what
„Friedrich can they hope to be possible among them Age after
„age, they grind-down their Friedrichs contentedly under the
„hoofs of cattle on their highways and even find it an excellent
„practice, and pride themselves on Liberty and Equality. Most
„certain it is, there will no Friedrich come to rule there by and
„by, there will none be born there. Such Nations cannot have
„a King to command them can only have this or the other scan
dalous swindling Copper Captain, constitutional Gilt Mounte-
„bank or other the like unsalutary entity bij way of King and
„the sins of the fathers are visited upon the children in a fright
ful and tragical manner, little noticed in the Penny Newspapers
„and Periodical Literatures of this generation".
Nog 24 jaren na den vrede van Hubertusburg leefde de Groote
FRIEDRICH, tot heil van zijn land.
Den 17 Augustus 1786, te 2.20, ontsliep hij, als een eenzame 1
En tegen zijn wensch in om in Sans-Souci te worden begraven,
werd hij in de Garnisons-Kirche te Postdam naast zijn Vader
bijgezet.
(Wordt vervolgd).
745
