HISTORY OF FRIEDRICH II. OF PRUSSIA
Page: 18

meaning of nothing cosmic or noble, nor ever will know?
Poor wretch, one sees what kind of meaning HE educes from Man's
History, this long while past, and has got all the world to
believe of it along with him. Unhappy Dryasdust, thrice-unhappy
world that takes Dryasdust's reading of the ways of God!
But what else was possible? They that could have taught better
were engaged in fiddling; for which there are good wages going.
And our damage therefrom, our DAMAGE,--yes, if thou be still human
and not cormorant,--perhaps it will transcend all Californias,
English National Debts, and show itself incomputable in continents
of Bullion!--

"Believing that mankind are not doomed wholly to dog-like
annihilation, I believe that much of this will mend. I believe
that the world will not always waste its inspired men in mere
fiddling to it. That the man of rhythmic nature will feel more and
more his vocation towards the Interpretation of Fact; since only
in the vital centre of that, could we once get thither, lies all
real melody; and that he will become, he, once again the Historian
of Events,--bewildered Dryasdust having at last the happiness to
be his servant, and to have some guidance from him. Which will be
blessed indeed. For the present, Dryasdust strikes me like a
hapless Nigger gone masterless: Nigger totally unfit for self-
guidance; yet without master good or bad; and whose feats in that
capacity no god or man can rejoice in.

"History, with faithful Genius at the top and faithful Industry at
the bottom, will then be capable of being written. History will
then actually BE written,--the inspired gift of God employing
itself to illuminate the dark ways of God. A thing thrice-
pressingly needful to be done!--Whereby the modern Nations may
again become a little less godless, and again have their 'epics'
(of a different from the Schiller sort), and again have several
things they are still more fatally in want of at present!"--

So that, it would seem, there WILL gradually among mankind,
if Friedrich last some centuries, be a real Epic made of his
History? That is to say (presumably), it will become a perfected