Count Brühl

ore sure of his position. The Prince loved him and, what was more important, was accustomed to him. He had been with Frederick ever since they were mere boy

on might not follow his mother, a zealous Protestant, but that he should follow his father's religion, a matter of ind

llow his father. Both ladies were Protestant fanatics. But this is certain, that Augustus II, in his efforts to make a hereditary monarchy of Poland, even if he were obliged to sacrifice part of it, was inclined to make his son a Catholic--otherwise it was immaterial to

after dinner knew less than in the morning what she was doing. The little Frederick was taken from the Queen Eberhardin and placed in the care of the grandmother. Alexander von Miltitz being pedantic, avaricious, dull and lazy, could not have had any

e a Catholic, ordered him, when fourteen years of age, to make a public confession of Protestantism and then he received confirmation. The King, who was then in Danzig, wrote t

h Rome by promising that Frederick should be converted. General Koss was brought from

nuncio Albani took place. The result of it was that they determined to change the Prince's whole court, and to sur

and. In the meantime Augustus II sent his son to travel, commanding him to go first to Venice. In those days the Venetian carnivals held in St Mark's Square were still very famous. In January 1712 they started on the voyage whic

rom the Queen of England, Anne, and Frederick IV, King of Denmark. Queen Anne invited him to come to England,

sed of two generals, Koss and Lutzelburg, and of Father Salerno in civilian's clothes, and of another Jesuit, a Saxon, Father Vogler. The secretary was also a Jesuit, whose name was Kopper, who also wore the garments of a civilian and travelled under the name of Weddernoy. Consequently the influence on the Prince was constant and as it went on sev

ince was returning home, when he was told to stay for some time at Düsseldorf at the court of the Elector Palatine, a very zealous Catholic; later he went on to the court of Louis XIV, who had been advised by the Pope of his

tters of the old Princess of Orleans; they found him very agreeable al

ut through Lyons and Marseilles again to Venice, where the signoria did everyt

began to search Venice through Father Salerno; the Count von Harkenberg and the Prince Eugene helped so much that a

en o'clock, the carriage of the papal nuncio drew up in front of the palace and Monsignor Spinoli alighted from it and was conducted to the Prince. Shortly after that there came a little man with a casket under his arm and the Count von Lutzelburg said to the courtiers that in the

ow what I am, and I be

eral Kospot

to realise it, it is dif

rince

irst of all become good Ch

rince went to the Jesuit church and took the Commun

orts would be made towards conversions. They kept the Prince seven months in Vienna, Augustus furnished plenty

rt. During his travels with the Prince in Germany, France and Italy, he saw a great deal and educated himself; he learned to know the world, and what was more important, Frederick's likes and dislikes. He was able to take advantage of them, by pleasing him, to rule him, and he felt that he w

anybody else's. Through his wife, nèe H?in Jetting

oud and very ambitious. Less familiar with the affairs of state than Brühl, who for a long time worked in Augustus' private office, he was sure of the help of a man from whom he expected assistance. Consequently he determined to become a ruler, be

i was reading a French book, waiting, when the councillor Ludovici, whom he had sent for, entered, out of breath. Ludovici hel

s eyes were black, and his mouth moved so quickly that it was impossible to describe its shape; while in motion it made Ludovici unpleasing. It was necessary to be accustomed to him in order to tolerate him. Fort

would make a confidant of the councillor, and his

f the window, 'that living in the court, and having the confidence

red his eyes, but did

'that I am not afraid of anybody, but in

telligent man once said to me that one must treat one's friends in such

y foes, but that they shall not harm me; but

autiful!' Ludo

necessary, to-day it s

ated. 'Yes! we must have men who will

high positions,' said

tly caught the meaning of the words, waited. He

willing to expla

esitation, 'look into all the o

g, 'that is a trifle; their private doing

y I should l

port,' rejoined Ludovici, 'every d

oth he

ou might bring it to me in person, a

sure your Excellency, that you ca

respectfully and th

or what else are they than official spies of their countries? I do not exclude even the Count von Wallenstein although he is the master of

n the foreign countries are not

id. 'Yes! Yes! Yes! Nobody respects

lor at him, laughed, raised his hand, turned his head as

ulkowski, 'a man whose gr

mous, fearful,' Ludovici affir

marry the Countess Kolowrath, that the Princess thinks much of him. Notwithstanding all that, you

and it is necessary to watch--through h

the subject of con

e that Watzdorf has

t it is a mill that grinds away its own stones; his talk will ha

me silent, and his face and manner changed; from a courtier he became a dignified official. Pushi

was over for the present and advanced towards the door, t

d and very plain, thin, sallow, smelling of l'eau de la reine d'Hongrie, wearing a l

room by storm, Ludovici bowed humbly, left the

arn that I was in Dresden, as soon as I had kissed the hand of m

o kiss her hand, but she str

it would not be seemly;

d and sat on th

I wanted to talk

d before her r

st our great magn

d, so did

I cannot speak about that: des horreurs! What will become now of you, poor orphans? The Prince? He is inc

d on the arm of the chair,

you have been appointed to a position due to you. We are a

wski

teacher of the Archduchess Josephine, Fr?ulein Kling, whom they used to send where a man would attract t

already know ab

hat the Kürfurst loves you, that Brühl is going t

became t

of mine!' he ans

ss Kolowrath's hand and that the girl, as it seems, does not fancy hi

, that it gave Sulkowski no

ly, 'it seems that h

is a L

be converted t

magnificent and great Augustus II, who used to pu

ki was

come sadder? I pity him! Mourning--he will not have an opera for a lo

as it was during his late father's l

she i

with her v

r face with her fan

, but I am inquisitive, I must know. My dear Count, tell me, is he st

unt re

ncess does not leave him for a moment; she accompanies hi

whispered the lady. 'That's unwise--I am always a

the Count, who

is so piou

on the square. Although they spoke quite loudly, some laughter and shouting became so overpowering, tha

t was nearly always an official one. In this case, one could see through the windows crowds of people in the street,

and rushed to the window, and, having pushed aside t

his pale face with the painful expression of a punished man, who, judging by his dress, belonged to the better class. His pockets were full of papers sticking out; his clothes were unbuttoned and threadbare. A kind of stupor evidently followed the humiliation, for he mechanically clasped the donkey in order n

ein Kling. 'What is going

cannot be permitted that any scribbler can dare to criticise the peopl

ling, 'one cannot permit them to

rell. We noticed that he took too many liberties. At length he said something very outrageous in

le. I should like to see the same in Vienna, that we might catch those who

e left and seemed likely to fall from the donkey. At the bend in the street he disappeared and Fr?ulein Kling returned to h

uld be surrounded by people with sound common sense. It is true, that officially you have accepted the Pragmatic Sanction, but

d in a mirror, smiled and curtseyed. Sulkowski offered her his arm and conducted her downstairs, to the court pos