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Title: The Merchant of Berlin An Historical Novel

Author: L Mühlbach

Release Date: April 14, 2004 [EBook #12016]

Language: English

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MERCHANT OF BERLIN ***

Produced by Charles Aldarondo, Leah Moser and PG Distributed Proofreaders

THE MERCHANT OF BERLIN

An Historical Novel

L. MÜHLBACH

TRANSLATED FROM THE GERMAN BY AMORY COFFIN, M.D.

1910

CONTENTS

BOOK I.

CHAP. I.—The Festival

II.—The Workman's Holiday

III.—Brother and Sister

IV.—Feodor von Brenda

V.—Mr. Kretschmer, of the "Vossian Gazette"

VI.—The Cowards' Race

VII.—The Interrupted Festival

VIII.—The Leader of the People

IX.—The Russian is at the Gates

X.—Be Prudent

XI.—The Night of Horrors

XII.—Russians and Austrians

XIII.—A Maiden's Heart

XIV.—A Faithful Friend

XV.—An Unexpected Meeting

XVI.—The Fugitive

XVII.—The Eavesdropper

XVIII.—The Two Cannoneers

XIX.—Father Gotzkowsky

* * * * *

BOOK II.

CHAP. I.—The Two Editors

II.—The Chief Magistrate of Berlin

III.—The Russian, the Saxon, and the Austrian, in Berlin

IV.—The Cadets

V.—The Explosion

VI.—John Gotzkowsky

VII.—The Horrors of War

VIII.—By Chance

IX.—Mistress or Maid?

X.—An Unexpected Ally

XI.—The Jew Ephraim

XII.—The Russian General and the German Man

XIII.—The Execution

XIV.—Bride and Daughter

XV.—The Rivals

XVI.—The Punishment

XVII.—The Banquet of Gratitude

XVIII.—A Royal Letter

* * * * *

BOOK III.

CHAP. I.—Frederick the Great at Meissen

II.—The Winter-quarters in Leipsic

III.—The Friend in Need

IV.—Gratitude and Recompense

V.—Four Years' Labor

VI.—Days of Misfortune

VII.—Confessions

VIII.—The Russian Prince

IX.—Old Love—New Sorrow

X.—The Magistracy of Berlin

XI.—The Jews of the Mint

XII.—The Leipsic Merchant

XIII.—Ephraim the Tempter

XIV.—Elise

XV.—The Rescue

XVI.—Retribution

XVII.—Tardy Gratitude

XVIII.—The Auction

ILLUSTRATIONS

  Feodor's Visit to the Garden
  The Merchant draws Feodor from his Hiding-place
  The Rich Jews appeal to Gotzkowsky
  The Great Frederick examining the Porcelain Cup

BOOK I.

CHAPTER I.

THE FESTIVAL.

The sufferings of the long war still continued; still stood Frederick the Great with his army in the field; the tremendous struggle between Prussia and Austria was yet undecided, and Silesia was still the apple of discord for which Maria Theresa and Frederick II. had been striving for years, and for which, in so many battles, the blood of German brothers had been spilt.

Everywhere joy seemed extinguished; the light jest was hushed; each one looked silently into the future, and none could tell in whose favor this great contest would finally be decided, whether Austria or Prussia would be victorious.

The year 1760, the fifth of the war, was particularly sad for Prussia; it was marked in the history of Germany with tears and blood. Even Berlin which, up to that time, had suffered but little from the unhappy calamities of war, assumed now an earnest, mournful aspect, and it seemed as if the bright humor and sarcastic wit which had always characterized the inhabitants of this good city had now entirely deserted them. Going through the wide and almost empty streets there were to be met only sad countenances, women clothed in black who mourned their husbands or sons fallen in one of the many battles of this war, or mothers who were looking with anxiety into the future and thinking of their distant sons who had gone to the army.

Here and there was seen some wounded soldier wearily dragging himself along the street, but hearty, healthy men were seldom to be met, and still more seldom was seen the fresh countenance of youth.

Berlin had been obliged to send not only her men and youths, but also her boys of fourteen years to the army, which, according to the confession of Frederick the Great, consisted, in the campaign of the year 1760, only of renegades, marauders, and beardless boys.

For these reasons it seemed the more strange to hear at this time issuing from one of the largest and handsomest houses on the Leipsic Street the unwonted sounds of merry dance-music, cheerful singing and shouting, which reached the street.

The passers-by stopped and looked with curiosity up to the windows, at which could be seen occasionally a flushed joyous man's face or pretty woman's head. But the men who were visible through the panes evidently did not belong to the genteeler classes of society; their faces were sunburnt, their hair hung down carelessly and unpowdered upon the coarse and unfashionable cloth coat, and the attire of the maidens had little in common with the elegance and fashion of the day.

"The rich Gotzkowsky gives a great feast to his workmen to-day," remarked the people in the street to one another; and as they passed on they envied with a sigh those who were able at the same time to enjoy a merry day in the rich and brilliant halls of the great manufacturer, and admire the splendor of the rich man's house.

The mansion of Gotzkowsky was indeed one of the handsomest and most magnificent in all Berlin, and its owner was one of the richest men of this city, then, despite the war, so wealthy and thriving. But it was not the splendor of the furniture, of the costly silver ware, of the Gobelin