Old Fritz and the New Era

ched, with proud and stately bearing, in glittering uniforms, to take in perfect order the places assigned to them. With flying banners, dru

their generals. The people-that means all those who were not rich enough to have a carriage, or sufficiently distinguished to claim a place upon the tribune reserved for noble ladies and gentlemen-here they stood, the educated and uneducated, shoemaker and tailor, savant and artist-a motley mixture! Two gentlemen of the high citizen class apparently were among the crowd. They were dressed in the favorite style, which, since the "Sorrows of Werther" had appeared, was the fashion-tight-fitting boots, reaching to the knee, with yellow tops; white breeches, over which fell the long-bodied green vest; a gray frock with long pointed tails and large metal buttons, well-powdered cue, tied with little ribbons, surmounted with a low, wide-brimmed hat. Only one of the gentlemen wore the gray frock, according to the faultless Werther costume, a you

magines himself of the greatest importance, and thinks Prussia begets fame and honor from his grace. He trumpets forth his own

ecome great. The clown striding through the crowd on his stilts may even look over an emperor. But fortunately there comes a time when the dear

great man stoops, and how small he looks on his gray horse, for a greater springs past! Look

animation; "That little general, who just galloped into

at he is the king's brother," answer

in the light gray frock and gold-bordered, three-co

he pale, intellectual face of the other, so that he was quite confused, yet, as if

d for himself; but I beg, sir, be a little indulgent, and do not pry into my very soul with your godlike eyes. It will craze me, and I shall run th

gest of the two gentlemen, laughing. "I b

, and preserve our incognito

ver fellow sees through your mask, and discovers the divi

and respect our incognito," begg

a sort of ecstacy, he said: "Let the authors and poets stay in Berlin; we will persuade the disguised Apollo to meet them there, and read them a lecture,

do you think Princ

stranger. "Did he not publicly, in the presence of all his generals, say, 'that Pr

ince just riding in with his suite, after the pr

g his head. "There are men who call this prince the 'hope of

you regard him so?

e of Prussia will usher in

day expires with Frederick the Great, and

you th

e prince, gentlemen-the divine light of genius is not stamped upon his brow,

ll take

emies of light, civil

ey?" asked

lar, I also owe to the god Apollo obedience, and must answer him, though it may endang

u do not belong to them, or you wou

s of trumpets, and the people shouted their farewell. Frederick lifted lightly his hat, and rode along the ranks of the well-ordered troops. He listened to the shouts with calm, composed manner; the Jupiter-flashes from his great eyes seemed to be spent forever. Mount

used the sun to rise upon his country, and awaken the spirits to cheerful life. Oh, how lamentable; how much to be regretted

rous was the voice. The king had turned to his generals, who were drawn up around him in a large circle, saying: "Gentlemen, I come to take leave of you. We shall meet again upon the battle-field, where laurels bloom for the brave. I h

and the soldiers joined the shout, the ladies waved their handkerchiefs. Herr Wolff

f. "My heart quaked as if I were the pillar of Memnon, and had been touched

ng man near him, "and we must leave, in orde

im, it seemed as if I were listening to a song from Homer, and all my faculties were in u

must be very fortunate," said the stranger, "an

," cried Herr Wolff, "and every one

servants in the king's surroundings," said the o

tranger, saying, "I would like to continue our conversation of today.

e is Moritz. I live in Kloster

Wolff, earnestly. "Then you are the

ium is, that the work is not unknown

do you think I could possib

tranger, with anxious curiosity.

are in your own room,"

ath of the Great Frederick; it should not be desecrate

talian, as his very black hair and eyes betrayed; the other, tall, broad-shouldered, of Herculean stature, belonged to North Germany, as the blond hair, light blue eyes, and features indicated. A pleasing smile pla

d nothing intimidates. The contemptuously smiling spirit of negation, which is called enlightenment

!" repeated

the Prince of Prussia. As the latter passed the two gentlemen, the Italian pressed the arm of his companion

of astonishment, to the Italian. "The Pri

lly. "Would you doubt your lord and master, because he reve

d that you hope for good from this

as he complained to me of the levity and immorality of the French king, Henry IV. I told him that austere morals and moral laws suffered exceptions, and that those through whom the welfare of humanity should be furthered, had t

cried the oth

, my son, let us go. We have seen what we wished to see, a

ng from the crowd, and taking the b

answer which Mary Stuart gave to y

een. I dared to chide her, gently, for her love affair with the handsome singer, and, above all, to exhort her to fidelity to her husband. Whereupon Mary answered me, with her accustomed smiling manner, 'There is but one fidelity which one must recognize, and that is to the god of gods-Love! Where he is not, I will not be. The god Hymen is a tedious, pedantic fellow, who burns to ashes all the fresh young love of the heart, and all the enthusiasm of the soul, with his intolerable tallow torch, for Love stands not at his side. I am faithful to the god Amor, therefore I can never be faithful to the god Hymen, as it would be unfaithful to Love!' That was the response of the beautiful Queen Mary. I could not contest the question, so I only looked at her and smiled. Suddenly, I felt a dagger, as it were, thrust at my heart, my spiritual eyes were opened, the lovely woman on the divan was fearfully changed. Instead of the gauze robe, sparkling with silver, a black cloth dress covered her emaciated limbs; instead of brilliants, sparkling in her hair, a mourning veil covered her whitened locks. The beauty and roundness of her neck had disappeared, and I saw around it a broad dark-red stripe. Her head moved, and fell at my feet dissevered. I saw it all, as distinctly as if it really happened, and seized with unspeakable pity I prostrated myself at her feet (who was unknowing of my vision), and besought her with all the anxiety and tenderness of friendship to leave Scotland, to fly from England, as there the death-tribunal awaited her. But Mary Stuart only laughed at my warning, and called me a melancholy fool, whom jealousy made prophetic. The more I begged and implored, the more wanton and gay the

nely places in the park. His companion heeded not the way either, occupied with the strange account of the Italian. A dreadful feeling o

the Italian ceased; "almost two hundr

tacle was not an unusual one to me, and would not have remained fixed in my memory had I not loved, devotedly and fervently, the beautifu

; I thirst for knowledge," c

arthly, and prepared thee for the doctrine of the imperishableness of the celestial. The original of humanity sends me, to make known to thee this holy doctrine. When I met thee in Dresden, at the side of the Countess Dorothea von Medem, thee, whom I had never seen, I recognized by the blue flame which trembled above thy head, and which was nothing else than the soul of thy teacher, Schrepfer, wrestling in anguish, which has remained with thee, and hopes for delivery from thee. I greeted thee, therefore, not as a stranger but as a friend. No one called thy name, and yet it was known to me. I took thee by the hand, greeting thee. Hans Rudolph von Bischofswerder, be welcome. The blue flame which glows upon thy brow, guides me to thee, and the pistol-shot under the oaks centuries old, at Rosenthal, near Leips

p darkness and profound stillness reigned. The two countesses Dorothea von Medem and her sister, Eliza von der Necke, clung trembling to me, neither of them daring to break the silence even with a sigh. Suddenly the darkness disappeared, and, with trembling flashes of light, there stood written on the wall: 'Memento Domini Oagliostr

into the magic circle-to initiate thee in the secret wisdom of spirits, and prepare thee for the in

nd decipher important magical characters on the walls of a cloister. Before I leave, I will lead thee upon the way which thou hast to follow in order to find the l

m, gently; "thy soul doubts and trembles, for thou

ast said to me in Dresden, 'Renounce your service to the Duke of Courland.' I did it, and from equerry and lord chamberlain to the duke, became a simple, private gentleman. I have renounced my titles and dign

and lead thee to the path of glory, power, and might. To-day thou art a simple, private gentleman, as thou sayst, but to-morrow thou wilt become a distinguished lord

of Prussia," answered Herr

orn child to heaven. Engrave these words upon thy memory, fill thy soul with them, as with glowing flames, repeat them in solitude the entire day, then heavenly spirits will arise and whisper the revelations of the future. Then, when thou art

y, and sinking upon his knees, "wilt thou favor me, and introduce me t

yself at the first portal of the royal palace in Berlin. A man will meet thee, and thou shalt ask, 'Who is our hope?' If he answers thee, 'The Prince of Prussia,' then he is the messenger which I shall have sent thee-follo

as if inwardly praying, and knelt. Cagliostro bent over him, laid

irit," said he. "Thy spirit receives power. Receive

iselessly disappeared. Herr von Bischofswerder still remained kneeling. After some time he raised his head, shyly looking about, and, as he found