Poor oppressed soul of the German people! Long years had passed since
the men between the Rhine and the Oder had felt the joy of being
esteemed above others among the nations of the earth! Now by the magic
of one man's power everything was transformed. The German citizen,
awakened as from an anxious dream, looked out upon the world and
within to his own heart. Men had long vegetated quietly, without a
past in which they could rejoice, without a great future in which they
could hope. Now all at once they felt that they, too, had a share in
the honor and the greatness of the world; that a king and his people,
all of their blood, had given to the German national idea a golden
setting, and to the history of civilization a new meaning. Now they
were experiencing the struggles, ventures, and victories of a great
man. Work on in your study, peaceful thinker, fantastic dreamer! You
have learned over-night to look down with a smile upon foreign ways
and to expect great things of your own talent. Try to realize, now,
what flows from your heart!
But while the youthful power of the people shook its wings with
enthusiastic warmth, how did the great prince feel who was struggling
ceaselessly against his enemies? The inspiring cry of the people rang
in his ears as a feeble sound. The King heard it almost with
indifference. His heart grew calmer and colder. To be sure, passionate
hours of sorrow and heart-rending cares came to him over and over
again. He kept them hidden from his army; his calm face became harder,
his brow more deeply furrowed, and his expression more rigid.
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