[History of Friedrich II. of Prussia Vol. X. (of XXI.) by Thomas Carlyle]@TWC D-Link bookHistory of Friedrich II. of Prussia Vol. X. (of XXI.) CHAPTER VIII 9/26
For all the smoking generals and company are still here; nor will his Majesty consent to dismiss them from the presence and be alone with Roloff: "What is there to conceal? They are people of honor, and my friends." Derschau, whose feats in the building way are not unknown even to us, answers with a hard face, It was all right and orderly; nothing out of square in his building operations.
To which Roloff shakes his head: "A thing of public notoriety, Herr General."-- "I will prove everything before a Court," answers the Herr General with still harder face; Roloff still austerely shaking his head.
Hm!--And then there is forgiveness of enemies; your Majesty is bound to forgive all men, or how can you ask to be forgiven? "Well, I will, I do; you Feekin, write to your Brother (unforgivablest of beings), after I am dead, that I forgave him, died in peace with him."-- Better her Majesty should write at once, suggests Roloff.--"No, after I am dead," persists the Son of Nature,--that will be safer! [Wrote accordingly, "not able to finish without many tears;" honest sensible Letter (though indifferently spelt), "Berlin, 1st June, 1740;"-- lies now in State-Paper Office: "ROYAL LETTERS, vol.xciv., Prussia, 1689-1777."] An unwedgeable and gnarled big block of manhood and simplicity and sincerity; such as we rarely get sight of among the modern sons of Adam, among the crowned sons nearly never.
At parting he said to Roloff, "You (ER, He) do not spare me; it is right.
You do your duty like an honest Christian man." [_Notata ex ore Roloffi_ ("found among the Seckendorf Papers," no date but "May 1740"), in Forster, ii.
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