第 4 节
作者:
吹嘻 更新:2023-08-28 11:48 字数:9322
Graf von Gortz; and; all along; during the drive; ate apricots
(IMMER PFIRSCHE)。
At starting; his Majesty had fancied I was to stop here; and called
out of the carriage: 'Amtmann; come along with us!'
KING。 〃'Where is the Beamte of Alt…Ruppin?'
ICH。 〃'Apparently he must be unwell; otherwise he would have been
in Protzen at the change of horses there' '〃at the VORSPANN:〃 Yes;
and Manor…house; EDELHOF; where old Ziethen waited; was lower
down the street; and SOONER than the Post…house?'
KING。 〃'Na; tell me now; don't you really know why that Kleist at
Protzen took his discharge?' 'VOILA!'
ICH。 〃'No; your Majesty; I really do not。'
KING。 〃'What village is this before us?'
ICH。 〃'Manker。'
KING。 〃'And whose?'
ICH。 〃'Yours; your Majesty; in the AMT Alt…Ruppin。'
KING (looking round on the harvest…fields)。 〃'Here you; now:
how are you content with the harvest?'
ICH。 〃'Very well; your Majesty。'
KING。 〃'Very well? And to me they said; Very ill!'
ICH。 〃'Your Majesty; the winter…crop was somewhat frost…nipt;
but the summer…crop in return is so abundant it will richly make up
for the winter…crop。' His Majesty now looked round upon the fields;
shock standing upon shock。
KING。 〃'It is a good harvest; you are right; shock stands close by
shock here!'
ICH。 〃'Yes; your Majesty; and the people here make STEIGS (mounts)
of them too。'
KING。 〃'Steigs; what is that?'
ICH。 〃'That is 20 sheaves piled all together。'
KING。 〃'Oh; it is indisputably a good harvest。 But tell me; though;
why did Kleist of Protzen take his discharge?'
ICH。 〃'Your Majesty; I do not know。 I suppose he was obliged to
take his father's estates in hand: no other cause do I know of。'
KING。 〃'What's the name of this village we are coming to?'
ICH。 〃'Garz。'
KING。 〃'To whom belongs it?'
ICH。 〃'To the Kriegsrath von Quast。'
KING。 〃'To WHOM belongs it?'
ICH。 〃'To Kriegsrath von Quast。'
KING。 〃'EY WAS 'pooh; pooh'! I know nothing of Kriegsraths!To
whom does the Estate belong?'
ICH。 〃'To Herr von Quast。' Friedrich had the greatest contempt for
Kriegsraths; and indeed for most other RATHS or titular shams;
labelled boxes with nothing in the inside: on a horrible winter…
morning (sleet; thunder; &c。); marching off hours before sunrise;
he has been heard to say; 'Would one were a Kriegsrath!
KING。 〃'Na; that is the right answer。'
〃His Majesty now arrived at Garz。 The changing of the horses was
managed by Herr von Luderitz of Nackeln; as first Deputy of the
Ruppin Circle。 He had his hat on; and a white feather in it。
When the yoking was completed; our journey proceeded again。
KING。 〃'To whom belongs this estate on the left here?'
ICH。 〃'To Herr van Luderitz; it is called Nackeln。'
KING。 〃'What Luderitz is that?'
ICH。 〃'Your Majesty; he that was in Garz while the horses
were changing。'
KING。 〃'Ha; ha; the Herr with the white feather!Do you sow
wheat too?'
ICH。 〃'Ja; your Majesty。'
KING。 〃'How much have you sown?'
ICH。 〃'Three WISPELS 12 SCHEFFELS;' unknown measures!
KING。 〃'How much did your predecessor use to sow?'
ICH。 〃'Four scheffels。'
KING。 〃'How has it come that you sow so much more than he?'
ICH。 〃'As I have already had the honor to tell your Majesty that I
keep seventy head of cows more than he; I have of course more
manure for my ground; and so put it in a better case for
bearing wheat。'
KING。 〃'But why do you grow no hemp?'
ICH。 〃'It would not answer here。 In a cold climate it would answer
better。 Our sailors can buy Russian hemp in Lubeck cheaper; and of
better quality than I could grow here。'
KING。 〃'What do you sow; then; where you used to have hemp?'
ICH。 〃'Wheat!'
KING。 〃'Why do you sow no Farbekraut; '〃DYE…HERB:〃 commonly called
〃FARBERROTHE;〃 yields a coarse RED; on decoction of the twigs and
branches; from its roots the finer red called 〃KRAPP〃 (in French
GARANCE) is got。' no Krapp?'
ICH。 〃'It will not prosper; the ground is n't good enough。'
KING。 〃'That is people's talk: you should have made the trial。'
ICH。 〃'I did make the trial; but it failed; and as Beamte I cannot
make many trials; for; let them fail or not; the rent must
be paid。'
KING。 〃'What do you sow; then; where you would have put Farbekraut?'
ICH。 〃'Wheat。'
KING。 〃'Na! Then stand by wheat!Your tenants are in good case;
I suppose?'
ICH。 〃'Yes; your Majesty。 I can show by the Register of Hypothecks
(HYPOTHEKENBUCH) that they have about 50 thousand thalers of
capital among them。'
KING。 〃'That is good。'
ICH。 〃'Three years ago a tenant died who had 11;000 thalers;' say
2;000 pounds; 'in the Bank。'
KING。 〃'How much?'
ICH。 〃'Eleven thousand thalers。'
KING。 〃'Keep them so always!'
ICH。 〃'Ja; your Majesty; it is very good that the tenant have
money; but he becomes mutinous too; as the tenants hereabouts do;
who have seven times over complained to your Majesty against me; to
get rid of the HOFDIENST;' stated work due from them。
KING。 〃'They will have had some cause too!'
ICH。 〃'Your Majesty will graciously pardon: there was an
investigation gone into; and it was found that I had not oppressed
the tenants; but had always gone upon my right; and merely held
them to do their duty。 Nevertheless the matter stood as it was:
the tenants are not punished; your Majesty puts always the tenants
in the right; the poor Beamte is always in the wrong!'
KING。 〃'Ja: that you; my son; will contrive to get justice; you; I
cannot but believe! You will send your Departmentsrath 'Judge of
these affairs' such pretty gifts of butter; capons; poults!'
ICH。 〃'No; your Majesty; we cannot。 Corn brings no price: if one
did not turn a penny with other things; how could one raise the
rent at all?'
KING。 〃'Where do you send your butter; capons and poults (PUTER)
for sale?'
ICH。 〃'To Berlin。'
KING。 〃'Why not to Ruppin?'
ICH。 〃'Most of the Ruppin people keep cows; as many as are needed
for their own uses。 The soldier eats nothing but old 'salt' butter;
he cannot buy fresh。'
KING。 〃'What do you get for your butter in Berlin?'
ICH。 〃'Four groschen the pound; now the soldier at Ruppin buys his
salt butter at two。'
KING。 〃'But your capons and poults; you could bring these
to Ruppin?'
ICH。 〃'In the regiment there are just four Staff…Officers; they can
use but little: the burghers don't live delicately; they thank God
when they can get a bit of pork or bacon。'
KING。 〃'Yes; there you are in the right! The Berliners; again; like
to eat some dainty article。Na! do what you will with the tenants
'UNTERTHANEN; not quite ADSCRIPTS at that time on the Royal
Demesnes; but tied to many services; and by many shackles; from
which Friedrich all his days was gradually delivering them';
only don't oppress them。'
ICH。 〃'Your Majesty; that would never be my notion; nor any
reasonable Beamte's。'
KING。 〃'Tell me; then; where does Stollen lie?'
ICH。 〃'Stollen your Majesty cannot see just here。 Those big hills
there on the left are the hills at Stollen; there your Majesty will
have a view of all the Colonies。'
KING。 〃'So? That is well。 Then ride you with us thither。'
〃Now his Majesty came upon a quantity of peasants who were mowing
rye; they had formed themselves into two rows; were wiping their
scythes; and so let his Majesty drive through them。
KING。 〃'What the Devil; these people will be wanting money from me;
I suppose?'
ICH。 〃'Oh no; your Majesty! They are full of joy that you are so
gracious as to visit this district。'
KING。 〃'I'll give them nothing; though。What village is that;
there ahead of us?'
ICH。 〃'Barsekow。'
KING。 〃'To whom belongs it?'
ICH。 〃'To Herr von Mitschepfal。'
KING。 〃'What Mitschepfal is that?'
ICH。 〃'He was Major in the regiment which your Majesty had when
Crown…Prince。' 'Supra; vii。 403。'
KING。 〃'Mein Gott! Is he still alive?'
ICH。 〃'No; HE is dead; his daughter has the estate。'
〃We now came into the village of Barsekow; where the Manor…house is
in ruins。
KING。 〃'Hear! Is that the manor…house (EDELHOF)?'
ICH。 〃'Ja。'
KING。 〃'That does look miserable。' Here Mitschepfal's daughter; who
has married a baronial Herr von Kriegsheim from Mecklenburg; came
forward while the horses were changing。 Kriegsheim came on account
of her into this country: the King has given them a Colony of 200
MORGEN (acres)。 Coming to the carriage; Frau von Kriegsheim
handed some fruit to his Majesty。 His Majesty declined with thanks;
asked; who her father was; when he died; &c。 On a sudden; she
presented her husband; began to thank for the 200 MORGEN;
mounted on the coach…step; wished to kiss; if not his Majesty's
hand; at least his coat。 His Majesty shifted quite to the other
side of the carriage; and cried〃good old Fritz!〃'Let be; my
daughter; let be! It is all well!Amtmann; let us get along (MACHT
DASS WIR FORTKOMMEN)!'
KING。 〃'Hear now: these people are not prospering here?'
ICH。 〃'Far from it; your Majesty; they are in the greatest poverty。'
KING。 〃'That is bad。Tell me though; there lived a Landrath here
before: he had a quantity of children: can't you recollect
his name?'
ICH。 〃'That will have been the Landrath von Gorgas of G