Frederick the Great to Voltaire (1758 January 16) - Leaf 2
1 2017-06-10T11:02:18-07:00 Curtis Fletcher 3225f3b99ebb95ebd811595627293f68f680673e 8476 2 See the original letter in the plain 2017-08-14T19:25:50-07:00 Curtis Fletcher 3225f3b99ebb95ebd811595627293f68f680673eThis page is referenced by:
-
1
media/vol-coll874-03-01~1.jpg
term
2016-12-16T22:18:12-08:00
Frederick the Great to Voltaire - 1758 January 16
13
See a translation of this letter.
plain
2017-08-14T19:26:24-07:00
51.1271647,16.921825
1758 January 16
Letter from the King of
Prussia to Mr. de
Voltaire
E/
1. I received your letters of 22 November and of
2. 2 January at the same time. I barely have time
3. to write prose, much less verse,
4. in answer to yours. I thank you for the interest
5. that you take in the fortunate accidents which came to my aid
6. at the end of a campaign where all seemed lost[2].
7. Live happy and tranquil in Geneva; it is the only one good thing
8. in the world; and pray for Europe
9. to be cured soon of its violent heroic brain fever[3],
10. for the destruction of the triumvirate, and for the tyrants
11. of this universe to fail in placing the world in
12. the chains that they are preparing for it.
13. F
14. I'm sick neither in body nor in mind,
15. but I am taking some rest in my room. This is what
16. gave rise to rumors that my enemies have sown.
17. But I can say to them as Demosthenes said to the
18. Athenians: 'Well, if Philippe were dead,
19. what then? Oh Athenians! you would soon produce
another
[Page break]
20. another Philip!”[4] Oh Austrians! Your ambition,
21. your desire to dominate all, would soon give you
22. other enemies; and the freedoms of Germany and
23. of Europe will never lack defenders.
[1] Wroclaw (German name: Breslau) is the largest city in Western Poland. It lies on the banks of the river Oder in the Silesian Lowlands of Central Europe, roughly 350 kilometres (220 mi) from the Baltic Sea to the North, and 40 kilometres (25 mi) from the Sudeten Mountains to the South. For information about this city, see: Wroclaw (Breslau).
[2] Frederick refers to the Battle of Leuthen (5 December 1757) which he won decisively despite a much larger Austrian force. For information about this battle see The Battle of Leuthen.
[3] CHAUD, AUD, adj. “On appelle Fièvre chaude, une sorte de fièvre violente qui attaque ordinairement le cerveau.” Dictionnaire de l’Académie Françoise, Nouvelle Édition. Tome Premier - A-K. Nismes: Gaude, 1777, p. 188.
[4] Editorial note No. 1 in EE: “Demosthenes, Philippics, 1.vi.” (D7589) -
1
media/vol-coll874-03-01~1.jpg
2017-06-10T13:07:33-07:00
Frederick the Great to Voltaire - 1758 January 16 - Transcription
2
See a transcription of this letter.
plain
2017-06-10T13:10:01-07:00
Lettre du Roi de
Prusse à Mr. de
Voltaire
E/
1. J’ai recu votre Lettre du 22 de Novembre et du
2. 2 . de Janvier en même tems. J’ai à peine le temps
3. de faire de la prose ; bien moins des vers, pour
4. répondre aux vôtres. Je vous remercie de la part
5. que vous prenez aux heureux hazards qui m'ont secondé
6. à la fin d'une Campagne, où tout sembloit perdu.
7. Vivez heureux et tranquile à Genève, il n'y a que cela
8. dans le monde ; et faites des voeux pour que la fièvre
9. chaude héroïque de l'Europe se guérisse Bientôt ;
10. pour que[2] le triumvirat se détruise ; et que les Tyrans
11. de cet Univers ne puissent pas donner au monde
12. les chaînes qu'ils lui préparent.
13. F.
14. Je ne suis encore malade ni de corps ni d'esprit
15. mais je me repose dans ma chambre, voilà ce qui
16. a donné lieu aux bruits que mes Ennemis ont semés ;
17. mais je peux leur dire comme Demostène aux
18. athéniens, Hé bien si Philippe étoit mort que
19. seroit-ce? ôh athéniens vous vous feriez bientôt
un
[Page break]
20. un autre Philippe. O autrichiens, Votre ambition
21. votre desir de toute domination vous feroient bientôt
22. d'autres ennemis, et les libertés Germaniques et celles
23. de l'Europe ne manqueront jamais de défenseurs.
[Rare fF840 V935 d]
[1] This manuscript (Hoose) is the fourth of four manuscripts identified in both EE and OCV (Letter ID: D7589). It is described as a “copy of original document: old transcription.”
In EE’s “Manuscript Instances”, the first manuscript is described as a “copy of original document: transcription, with a few autograph additions” and located at the Prussian Secret State Archives / Preussisches Geheimes Staatsarchiv, Berlin, state of Berlin, Germany. The second manuscript is described as a “copy of original document: contemporary transcription”, located at the National Library of France / Bibliothèque nationale de France, Paris, Ville de Paris (department), Île-de-France, France (MS n.a.fr. 24334; Foliation: folio/feuillet 409). The third manuscript is described as a “Copy of original document: old transcription”, located at the General State Archives of Baden / Badisches Generallandesarchiv, Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.
For corresponding print instances available in our USC collection, see: Kehl: vol. 65, pp. 254-255; OCV: vol. 102, pp. 376.
[2] The bracket marked here, as well as the R majuscule, seem to have been added later; it may not be part of an original copy.