Duc de Holstein. Ensuite, ayant éprouvé des ré Duke of Holstein. Duke of Holstein. Afterwards, having experienced of-the reHaving afterwards experienced vers et fait la paix verses and made the peace verses and made peace son ambition contre ses his ambition against his his ambition against his sein sign re d'établir en Suède la puissance arbitraire; of to-establish in Sweden the sign of establishing power arbitrary; arbitrary power in Sweden; l'âge de trente-sept ans, comme mais il mourut à like the great Gustavus, at the age pu le grand Gustave, avant d'avoir before of to-have been-able achever cet to-finish this before he had been able to complete this ouvrage de despotisme, que son fils Charles Onze work of despotism, which his son Charles Eleven work of despotism, which his son Charles the Eleventh éleva jusqu'au comble. raised until to-the highest-point. raised to its highest pitch. ancêtres, fut plus absolu qu'eux. ancestors, was more absolute than any of them. He abolished l'autorité du sénat, qui fut the authority of-the senate, which was the authority of the senate, which was du roi et non du royaume. of-the king and not of-the kingdom. of the king and not of the hard-working; such that one him would-have loved industrious; he had qualities, which would have C si if son his despotism not might-have reduced the made him beloved, had not his despotism reduced all sentimens de ses sujets pour lui à celui sentiments the feelings for him to that towards him to that of of his subjects his subjects quatre-vingts, Ulrique Eléonore, fille de Frédéric four-twenties, and eighty, Trois, roi de Three, king of the Third, king of et and digne de plus de confiance que son époux worthy of more of confidence than her spouse confidence than her husband le plus extraordinaire, peut-être, qui ait jamais may be, who may-have ever perhaps, who été sur la terre; qui a réuni en who has reunited in him d'autre malheur, que defect, nor of other misfortune, than no other misfortune, than no other defect, and aïeux, ancestors, that of having pushed them all to excess. He is the man dont on se propose ici d'écrire ce qu'on of-whom concerning whom one to-one's-self proposes here of to-write that which one we here propose to write down all that we a appris de certain, touchant sa personne et ses has learnt of certain have learnt with certainty concerning his person and his his person and of his actions. Le premier livre qu'on lui fit lire fut book which one to-him made to-read was book he was made to read was Samuel Puffendorff, afin qu'il Puffendorff, in-order that he pût connoître de bonne heure ses might-be-able to-know of good hour his might be early acquainted with his own that he états et states and states and ceux de ses voisins. Il apprit d'abord l'Allemand, those of his neighbours. He learned the German, those of his neighbours. The first language he learned was at first qu'il parla toujours depuis aussi bien que sa langue which he spoke always since well as his tongue German, which he ever after spoke as well as his native cheval. Les exercices violens où il se plaisoit, et The excercises violent where he himself + pleased, and horse. The violent exercises in which he delighted, and horse. qui découvroient ses inclinations martiales, lui for which + discovered which martial, to-him form his inclinations mèrent de bonne heure une constitution vigoureuse, ed of good hour early rendered his constitution constitution vigorous, vigorous, capable de soutenir les fatigues où le portoit son capable of to-sustain the fatigues where him capable of supporting the fatigues into 1 + carried his which his tempérament. Quoique doux dans son enfance, il Although soft in temperament. his childhood, he disposition led him. Although gentle in his childhood, he avoit une opiniâtreté insurmontable; le seul moyen insurmountable; the only mean an unconquerable obstinacy; the only means † had had an obstinacy de le plier étoit de le piquer d'honneur; avec le of him to-bend † was of him to-prick of honour; subduing him was to pique his honour; of mot de gloire on obtenoit tout de lui. with the every thing Il avoit all from him. He dès qu'on lui but from-the-time that one to-him but as soon as he was Pologne et le roi de and the king of Poland and the king of Poland l'apprit bien vîte, et him learned well quick, and learned it very rapidly and en retint assez pour le parler le reste de sa vie. of-him retained enough for him to-speak the rest of his life. retained enough of it to speak it as long as he lived. On s'y prit de la même manière pour l'engager One one's-self there took of the same They pursued manner the same plan for him to-engage to induce him s'obstina, tant himself opposed, as-long he persisted, as long French; qu'il vécut, à ne jamais s'en servir, as he lived, to not never as he lived, in never language. As soon as he had acquired some knowledge de la langue Latine, on lui fit traduire Quinteof the tongue Latin, one to-him made of the to-translate Quintus Latin language, he was made to translate Quintus Curce: il prit pour ce livre un goût que le sujet Curtius: he took for this book a taste which the subject Curtius: he contracted a taste for this book which enfant qui vaudra mieux que moi, et qui ira child who will-be-worth child better will excel than me, and who will-go plus loin que le grand Gustave!" Un jour il more far surpass Gustavus!" One day he One day he |