1786 1785

Marriages, Births,

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When this lift, 1786, is compared to thofe of the preceding years, 1784 and 1785, which I ftated in my academical difcourfes for thofe years, we find, that the number of births and deaths in 1786, although a fear city then prevailed, is nearly equal to thofe of the preceding years, the number of births being even greater. I may make still a more advantageous comparison of the produce of the national Pruffian manufactures, which, during the 1786, amounted to thirtyfour millions of crowns, whilft in the courfe of 1785 the fame objects only arofe to thirty millions, of which I have also given the public a particular account. This large increase proceeded from the linen manufactures yielding two millions, and the woollen manufacture more than they did in 1785; and that the tobacco raised and manufactured in this country, which was estimated at one million, really amounted in that, as in many former years, to nearly two million and a half of crowns. I might repeat the observation I formerly made, that thofe thirty-four millions do not conftitute the total of the Pruffian produce and manufactures, but that many important articles, fuch as wood, corn, falt, hemp, and a large proportion of the mineral productions may be added to them.

Having already exhausted in my former differtations upon population and the real wealth of a kingdom what I might have now faid of the amazing progrefs and improvement which the late King made in the internal administration of his dominions, I fhall confine myself to a few obfervations, which I propofe to make in order to prove that Frederic II. perfevered in carrying on the fame fyftem of government with indefatigable application and equal fuccefs, during the

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laft feven months of his life, notwithstanding he then laboured under a painful and mortal disease. It is alfo in my power, and it is my duty to do that great King the fame degree of juftice, with refpect to the part he took in the great fyftem of politics, affecting Europe in general, and Pruffia in particular. In fpite of the hopelefs ftate of his health, he continued his ufual attention and unremiting application to bufinefs. From four to feven every morning he read over the difpatches from his 'minifters at foreign courts, to which he immediately dictated anfwers. He alfo each morning conferred with his cabinet minifters upon great political concerns. In this manner, he continued his labours during thefe seven months of the year 1786, in perfecting and ftrengthening the Germanic union, his laft great work. Nor was he an unconcerned fpectator of the troubles and diffentions in Holland, but prepared to act therein as circumstances might require. He at the fame time maintained the principles he had laid down, and the rights of his fubjects, against the claims and exactions of the city of Dantzick. He likewife carried on a regular correfpondence with his officers in the judicial departments, and his minifters of finance: and he alone, without the advice or affiftance of either general officer or minifter, managed and directed every thing relating to the detail of the army, himself dictating his orders to his fecretaries, and aids de camp. I well remember, that a few days before his death he recapitulated all the manoeuvres which his troops were to practife at the approaching review in Silefia, pointing out with accuracy the most minute circumstance or variation that might arife from local fituation. He at the fame time call૧ 2

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ed General Anhalt to Potsdam, and gave him inftructions as to the military arrangements in the raifing free battalions, to be moved from one ftation to another, in the event of war, &c. By his orders, the Counts Haym and Werder, Minifters of State, and the Privy Counsellor Schutz, from Pomerania, alfo attended him at Potf dam, with whom he fettled and arranged the new plans of cultivation, improvement, and manufactures, which he intended to establish in the different provinces, in the courfe of the year 1787. And above all, what he had moft at heart, to have new villages raifed at his expence in thofe diftricts where the farms were too extenfive, and the population from that caufe too limited. He alfo took fingular pleafure in the profecution of an undertaking for improving the breed of our flocks, by procuring from Spain three hundred rams and ewes. As thefe fheep were to pass by Potsdam fome few days before his death, he expected them with impatience, and ordered a few of them to be brought to Sans Souci, to pay him, as he faid, a vifit. I relate thefe particulars, which may perhaps appear too minute, because they difplay, in the strongest light, the benevolent character of this great Prince, who ftudioufly attended to every poffible object, where the good of his people was concerned. I can too affert, with the greatest confidence and knowledge of the facts, all I have faid, because I paffed the five laft weeks of his life with Frederic II. at his palace of Sans Souci, from the 9th of July, when he required my attendance, to the 17th of Auguft, the day of his death. I can alfo folemnly declare, together with the Counts Schwerin, De Gortz, Luchefini, and De Pinto, who had occafion to fee the King three or four hours every day, that although fwelled and afflicted with a dropfy, to fuch a degree that he could no move himself without affiftance in

of

the chair, where he fat night and day, not being able to lye in bed; and although we were fenfible he endured the most cruel pain, yet he never dif covered the fmalleft fymptom of dif trefs, or of any uneafy feeling; but preferving always the appearance of ferene tranquillity, without mentioning his own fituation, or the approach of death; talked to us in the most agreeable and eafy manner of the occurrences of the times, and of litera ture, of ancient and modern history, and particularly of the improvement of his country, and the culture of gardens, which he took pleasure in promoting. It was his regular and uniform daily practice to read each morning and evening the difpatches from his minifters at foreign courts, and the civil and military reports his minifters and generals. He was alfo attended at four or five o'clock every morning, as bufinefs required, by his three fecretaries of the cabi net, one after the other; to one of whom he dictated answers to the difpatches from each of his minifters a broad, which, by his orders, were communicated to me; and to the two others, his directions, and answers to his minifters of ftate and general of ficers, upon the business of the army, the finance, or judicial proceedings; likewife anfwers to an infinite num ber of letters and petitions from individuals: all in a manner fo circumftantial and judicious, especially where different matters were mixed and com bined, that the fecretaries had only to add the addrefs, dates, and other requifite formalities. After this bufi nefs was concluded, about 7 or 8 o'clock he called Lt. Gen. de Rohdich, commandant of Potsdam, and afterwards his aids de camp, to receive verbal orders for the daily duty of the garrifon and it was not until he had thus gone through all the functions of a king, that he faw for a few minutes his furgeon, and fome times his physician, in order to con

he formed at Genoa, and to which he fell a facrifice, was written in Italian, in the year 1629, by Auguftino Mafcardi, in imitation of that of Catiline by Salluft. The author inferted in it the harangues, or orations, which were fuppofed to have been made by the confpirators, when deliberating with their chief on the fuccefs of the plot. The Cardinal de Retz, when ayouth, was fo pleased with this morfel of Italian hiftory, that he fet himself to translate it, with fuch improvements and embellishments as made it probable that the character of the hero was to his liking, and that he was ambitious of taking him for a model: indeed the Cardinal feems to confefs as much in feveral places of his memoirs. And yet what advantage could he expect from an imitation of Fiefco? This would be difficult to conceive, if we did not know that the paffions are not always under the guidance of reafon, and that the greatest part of brilliant actions are rather the effect of an impetuous temper than the confequence of plans deliberately formed.

The ftory of the confpiracy of Fiefco is fhortly this: "Andrea Doria, after having been a long time attached to the fervice of Francis the First, becoming diffatisfied with that monarch, his minifters, and favourites, had a bandoned the intereft of France, and, perhaps as much to vex that Court as from true patriotifm, had reftored to the city of Genoa its ancient liberty, and established in it an aristocratical government, of which he himfelf was the head. Doria, old and refpectable by his victories, was not perfonally expofed to the jealoufy of the citizens; but he had a nephew whom he had adopted, called Gianettino Doria, who was young, active, and brave; and on him the malecontents, who wished for an equality of power, directed their hatred. The Count de Fiefco affent

ed to their principles, at least while he fpoke with his friends, and excited them to revolt; for otherwife, in public he testified great confideration for Giannettino Doria, whofe fister had just been married to the brother-inlaw of the Count.

Fiefco having affembled a number of his friends, imparted to them, without any previous preparation, the plot he had laid, in which there was more boldness than fagacity or contrivance. He had found means to purchase four gallies, then in the harbour of Genoa, which he had armed under the pretence of cruizing against the Turks. Having gained over fome foldiers of the garrifon, he fallied forth at midnight, and endeavoured to furprise the palace of the republic, but without fuc cefs. Attempting then to get on board one of the gallies, he had no fooner fet his foot on a plank than it turned, and he fell into the harbour, where he was drowned, or rather, being in heavy armour, he was fuffocated in the mud."

John Francis Paul de Gondi, at the age of feventeen, wrote the hif tory of Fiefco; but he had not foon an opportunity of fignalizing his inclination and talent for intrigue; for it was not till he was eight-and-twen ty that he was named Coadjutor of the Archbishopric of Paris, poffeffed by John Francis Gondi his uncle. Lewis XIV. afcended the throne the fame year, and the troubles of the Fronde did not begin till five years afterwards, in 1648. The Coadjutor acted a bufy part till the year 1652, when he was arrested and imprisoned, firft at Vincennes, and then in the citadel of Nantz, from which he esca ped in 1655. Herambled for fome time through the different parts of Europe, and, having made his peace with the court in 1661, he refigned the Archbifhopric, and contented himself with the Abbacy of St Denis, living like

a man

a man of fenfe, who was cured of the errors into which the examples of the Grachi, of Catiline, and Fiefco, had betrayed him. However, he took pleasure in his old days to think of the buftle he had made in his youth. As he had a prodigious memory, he related with great fatisfaction the particulars of his turbulent and agitated life; he even wrote them down, and the work is known by the name of Memoirs of the Cardinal de Retz. I may fay, that this is to me a familypiece; for the manufcript, as it was printed in the year 1717, was prefer ved by my relations. I can likewife affirm, that if the manufcript had been loft, I might have supplied it by the converfations I had with my uncle M. de Caumartin, Bishop of Blois. This prelate, whose conversation gave me an idea of that of the wits in Lewis XIV's time, had been bred up,. as I may fay, at the feet of the Cardinal de Retz, who had been allowed a little before his death to refign in his favour the Abbacy of Buzay, which the Cardinal himself had obtained while yet a child. My grandfather, by my mother, father of the Bishop, was an intimate friend of the Cardinal my grandmother, who lived till fhe was very old, had known him well; fo that I have, from both fides, excellent traditions concerning this famous perfonage; and I can affirm, without being much mistaken, that his character was that of a marplot, a bufy body, without motive or object; making a buftle out of mere wantonnefs, and very unfortunate in the choice of his means, although otherwife a man poffeffed of many fhining qualities. Such people are very inconvenient acquaintance, and when they meddle in public affairs very dangerous friends; but when they have retired from the fcene, they are fometimes very entertaining companions.

I fhall here relate fome circumstances with regard to the character and

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adventures of the Cardinal de Retz, not taken from what is already print ed, and in the hands of the public, but from my own perfonal knowledge and reflections. .

The Cardinal had for his preceptor Monfieur Vincent, who has been fince beatified, and will no doubt foon be canonifed under the name of Saint Vincent de Paula. If it were true that those who are intrufted with the education of youth influence their character and conduct in the world, the Cardinal de Retz would have been the gentleft, the most charitable, and moft pious of prelates: but either he did not profit by the inftructions of his preceptor, or did not attend to them. His father and mother, on the contrary, adored M. Vincent, and this may perhaps be the reafon why their fon held him fo cheap. It but too often happens, that children pride themselves in thwarting 'the wishes of their parents.

Madame de Gondi had a hand in all thofe charitable establishments which will immortalize M. Vincent: fuch as the Hofpital for Foundlings, the Nunnery of the Saurs Grifes, and the Miffions of St Lazarus. How happy would fhe have thought herfelf, could fhe have been the mother of a refpec table and edifying prelate! but her fon did not give her that fatisfaction, although he was promoted to the firit dignities in the church.

The father of the Cardinal, after having been General of the gallies, was, in his old age, made Father of the Oratory, and dying in 1662, was buried in the church of the feminary Saint-Magloire.

The for ought to have begun where the father ended, but he took a very different courfe. Although at the age of thirteen he was canon of NotreDame, and poffeffed of two abbeys, he betrayed, upon leaving the college, inclinations very oppofite to thofe of the character he was to maintain and it may be faid, that he did every thing

in