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Donatien Alphonse François de Sade
Published by Good Press, 2021
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Once the festivities were over, there were very few distractions, and this solitude gave the Count von Mersburg the opportunity of talking more to the Princess of Saxony. One day when he was taking her to a hunting rendezvous for her husband, the count brought the conversation around to the happiness which he said was sure the princess enjoyed in the arms of a husband like the Prince of Saxony. Adelaide, who liked the count, and who even found in his character certain things which seemed to suit hers, did not fear to confide in him. Especially since Mersburg seemed to be entirely faithful to her, and had no love interest in her. Adelaide had a lot of pride, but the high station of Mersburg put her at ease, and she let him see that this happiness was not so real as he imagined.
"Frederick has his qualities," she said to the count, "but they are those of an ordinary individual. I don't see in him that elevation which should characterize the soul of a prince. There are virtues which are suitable to all stations in life; those of the throne are not those of the common man, and it might be said that those of the common man are the wrong kind for the man who must rule. What makes the subjects happy is not always suitable for the glory of the master. History does not relate the story of those rulers who had only domestic virtues; it traces to posterity only those who by their actions surprised the world even though they often spent part of their lives in prison. I wanted an ambitious husband, an illustrious warrior and not a feeble prince whose good deeds will not be remembered because he is too weak to capture the fancy of the people. In addition, he has the vices of the people; he dares to be jealous of a woman like me! Let him realize that if I were capable of what he fears, I would dignify my wrongs even more than he makes illustrious his virtues, and one would speak with more respect of Adelaide the guilty than of Frederick the kind. Why doesn't my husband take advantage of the situation to shake off the yoke of the Emperor? The weakness of Henry IV, his lack of resolution, his perpetual changes, open the field without limit to the ambition of a prince. Frederick has as much right to the throne as Henry. Why not take it? Why doesn't he arm his subjects? Why doesn't he triumph like Wittekind? If that hero made Charlemagne tremble, can't Frederick frighten Henry? Ah, count, don't speak to me of a prince without ambition. Without doubt such a one could make his family happy, but he would never be the glory of the universe; and weakness will cause his name to be effaced from the pages of history. No, the scrolls of immortality are engraved with the names of laurel-crowned heroes."
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