KING (continues to Friedel, not in a lower tone probably):--"'the Kammergerichts-Tribunal confirms the same. That is highly unjust;and such Sentence is altogether contrary to his Majesty's landsfatherly intentions:--my name [you give it, "In the King's Name," forsooth] cruelly abused!'"So far is set forth in the "Royal Protocol printed next Tuesday,"as well as in Rannsleben. But from this point, the Dialogue--if it can be called Dialogue, being merely a rebuke and expectoration of Royal wrath against Friedel and his Two, who are all mute, so far as I can learn, and stand like criminals in the dock, feeling themselves unjustly condemned--gets more and more into conflagration, and cannot be distinctly reported. "MY name to such a thing! When was I found to oppress a poor man for love of a rich?
To follow wiggeries and forms with solemn attention, careless what became of the internal fact? Act of 1566, allowing Gersdorf to make his Pond? Like enough;--and Arnold's loss of water, that is not worth the ascertaining; you know not yet what it was, some of you even say it was nothing; care not whether it was anything.
Could Arnold grind, or not, as formerly? What is Act of 1566, or any or all Acts, in comparison? Wretched mortals, had you wigs a fathom long, and Law-books on your back, and Acts of 1566 by the hundredweight, what could it help, if the right of a poor man were left by you trampled under foot? What is the meaning of your sitting there as Judges? Dispensers of Right in God's Name and mine? I will make an example of you which shall be remembered!--Out of my sight!" Whereupon EXEUNT in haste, all Three,--though not far, not home, as will be seen.
Only the essential sense of all this, not the exact terms, could (or should) any Stellter take in short-hand; and in the Protocol it is decorously omitted altogether. Rannsleben merely says: "The King farther made use of very strong expressions against us,"--too strong to be repeated,--"and, at last, dismissed us without saying what he intended to do with us. We had hardly left the room, when he followed us, ordering us to wait. The King, during the interview with us, held the Sentence, of my composition, in his hand;and seemed particularly irritated about the circumstance of the judgment being pronounced in his name, as is the usual form.
He struck the paper again and again with his other hand,"--heat of indignation quite extinguishing gout, for the moment,--"exclaiming at the same time repeatedly, 'Cruelly abused my name (MEINEN NAMENCRUEL MISSBRAUCHT)!'" [Preuss, iii. 495-498.]--We will now give the remaining part of the Protocol (what directly follows the above CATECHETICAL or DIALOGUE part before that caught fire),--as taken down by Stellter, and read in all the Newspapers next Tuesday:--"PROTOCOL [of December 11th, Title already given; [Supra, p. 439 n.] Docketing adds], WHICH IS TO BE PRINTED."... (CATECHETICS AS ABOVE,--AND THEN): "The King's desire always is and was, That everybody, be he high or low, rich or poor, get prompt justice; and that, without regard of person or rank, no subject of his fail at any time of impartial right and protection from his Courts of Law.
"Wherefore, with respect to this most unjust Sentence against the Miller Arnold of the Pommerzig Crabmill, pronounced in the Neumark, and confirmed here in Berlin, his Majesty will establish an emphatic example (EIN NACHDRUCKLICHES EXEMPEL STATUIREN); to the end that all Courts of Justice, in all the King's Provinces, may take warning thereby, and not commit the like glaring unjust acts.
For, let them bear in mind, That the least peasant, yea, what is still more, that even a beggar, is, no less than his Majesty, a human being, and one to whom due justice must be meted out. All men being equal before the Law, if it is a prince complaining against a peasant, or VICE VERSA, the prince is the same as the peasant before the Law; and, on such occasions, pure justice must have its course, without regard of person: Let the Law-Courts, in all the Provinces, take this for their rule. And whenever they do not carry out justice in a straightforward manner, without any regard of person and rank, but put aside natural fairness,--then they shall have to answer his Majesty for it (SOLLEN SIC ES MIT SEINERKONIGLICHEN MAJESTAT ZU THUN KRIEGEN). For a Court of Law doing injustice is more dangerous and pernicious than a band of thieves:
against these one can protect oneself; but against rogues who make use of the cloak of justice to accomplish their evil passions, against such no man can guard himself. These are worse than the greatest knaves the world contains, and deserve double punishment.
"For the rest, be it also known to the various Courts of Justice, That his Majesty has appointed a new Grand-Chancellor."Furst dismissed. "Yet his Majesty will not the less look sharply with his own eyes after the Law-proceedings in all the Provinces;and he commands you"--that is, all the Law-courts--"urgently herewith: FIRSTLY,"--which is also lastly,--"To proceed to deal equally with all people seeking justice, be it prince or peasant;for, there, all must be alike. However, if his Majesty, at any time hereafter, come upon a fault committed in this regard, the guilty Courts can now imagine beforehand how they will be punished with rigor, President as well as Raths, who shall have delivered a judgment so wicked and openly opposed to justice. Which all Colleges of Justice in all his Majesty's Provinces are particularly to take notice of.""MEM. By his Majesty's special command, measures are taken that this Protocol be inserted in all the Berlin Journals." [In <italic>
Berlin'sche Nachrichten von Staats und Gelehrten Sachen, <end italic> No. 149, "Tuesday, 14th December, 1779." Preuss, iii. 494.]
