第2章

[Supra415,429。Preuss,i。362;

Friedrichisnow67yearsold;hasreigned39:theSevenYearsWaris16yearsbehindus;eversincewhichtimeFriedrichhasbeenan\"oldman,\"havingreturnedhomefromitwithhischeeksallwrinkled,histempleswhite,andothermarksofdecay,attheageof51。The\"woundsofthatterriblebusiness,\"astheysay,\"arenowallhealed,\"perhapsabove100,000burnthousesandhutsrebuilt,foronething;andthe\"ALTEFRITZ,\"stillbriskandwiry,hasbeenandisanunweariedlybusymaninthataffair,amongothers。Whatbogshehastappedanddried,whatcanalshehasdug,andstubbornstratahehasboredthrough,assistedbyhisPrussianBrindley(oneBrenkenhof,onceaStableboyatDessau);andeverplanting\"Colonies\"onthereclaimedland,andwatchinghowtheygeton!Asweshallseeonthisoccasion,towhichletushasten(astoafeastnotofdainties,butofhonestSAUERKRAUTandwholesomeherbs),withoutfartherparley。

OberamtmannFromme(whomImark\"Ich\")LOQUITUR:\"MajorGeneralGrafvonGortz,\"whomFrommekeepsstrictlymuteallday,isadistinguishedman,ofmanymilitaryandotherexperiences;

muchaboutFriedrichinthistimeandonwards。[Supra,399。]

Introducesstrangers,&c。;Bouilletookhimfor\"HeadChamberlain,\"

fourorfiveyearsafterthis。HeistenyearstheKing\'sjunior;

aHessiangentleman;eldestBrotheroftheEnvoyGortzwhoinhiscloakofdarknessdidsuchdiplomaciesintheBavarianmatter,Januarygoneayear,andwhoisarisingmaninthatlineeversince。ButletFrommebegin:[AnekdotenundKarakterzugeausdemLebenFriedrichdesZweyten(Berlin,beiJohannFriedrichUnger,1787),8teSammlung,ss。1579。]

\"Onthe23dofJuly,1779,itpleasedhisMajestytheKingtoundertakeajourneytoinspectthose\"mud\"ColoniesintheRhyn

LuchaboutNeustadtontheDosse,whichhisMajesty,athisowncost,hadsettled;therebyreclaimingatractofwastemoor(EINEN

ODENBRUCHURBARMACHEN)intoarability,wherenow308familieshavetheirliving。

\"HisMajestysetofffromPotsdamabout5inthemorning,\"inanopencarriage,GeneralvonGortzalongwithhim,andhorsesfromhisownpoststations;\"travelledoverFerlaudt,Tirotz,Wustermark,Nauen,Konigshorst,Seelenhorst,Dechau,Fehrbellin,\"

[SeeReimann\'sKREISKARTEN,Nos。74,73。]andtwelveothersmallpeatvillages,lookingalltheirbrightestinthemorningsun,

\"tothehillsatStollen,wherehisMajesty,becauseaviewofalltheColoniescouldbehadfromthosehills,waspleasedtogetoutforalittle,\"aswillafterwardsbeseen。\"TherefromthejourneywentbyHohenNauentoRathenau:\"acivilizedplace,\"wherehisMajestyarrivedabout3intheafternoon;andtheredined,andpassedthenight。Nextmorning,about6,hisMajestycontinuedhisdriveintotheMagdeburgregion;inspectedvariousreclaimedmoors(BRUCHE),whichinpartarealreadymadearable,andinpartarebeingmadeso;came,intheafternoon,about4,overZiesarandBrandenburg,backtoPotsdam,anddidnotdinetillabout4,whenhearrivedthere,andhadfinishedtheJourney。\"Hisusualdinner

houris12;theSTATEhour,ongaladayswhencompanyhasbeeninvited,is1P。M。,andhealwayslikeshisdinner;andhasitofahotpepperyquality!

\"TillSeelenhorst,theAmtsrathSachofKonigshorsthadriddenbeforehisMajesty;buthere,\"attheborderofmyFehrbellindistrict,wherewithoneofhisforestmenIwasinwaitingbyappointment,\"theturncameforme。About8o\'clockA。M。hisMajestyarrivedinSeelenhorst;hadtheHerrGeneralGrafvonGortzinthecarriagewithhim,\"Gortz,weneedn\'tsay,sittingbackforemost:hereI,Fromme,withmywoodmanwasrespectfullyinreadiness。\"Whilethehorseswerechanging,hisMajestyspokewithsomeoftheZiethenHussarOfficers,whowereupongrazingserviceintheadjoiningvillages[allFriedrich\'scavalrywentouttoGRASSduringcertainmonthsoftheyear;anditwasaLANDTAXoneverydistricttokeepitsquotaofarmyhorsesinthismanner,

AUFGRASUNG];andofmehisMajestyasyettooknonotice。AstheDAMME,\"DamsorRaisedRoadsthroughthePeatbog,\"aretoonarrowhereabouts,Icouldnot,ridebesidehim,\"andsowentbefore?orBEHIND,withwoodmanbefore?GOTTWEISS!\"InDechauhisMajestygotsightofRittmeistervonZiethen,\"oldAjaxZiethen\'sson,\"towhomDechaubelongs;andtookhimintothecarriagealongwithhim,tillthepointwheretheDechauboundaryis。Heretherewasagainchangeofhorses。CaptainvonRathenow,anoldfavoriteoftheKing\'s,towhomthepropertyofKarveseeinpartbelongs,happenedtobeherewithhisfamily;henowwentforwardtothecarriage:

CAPTAINVONRATHENOW。\"\'Humblestservant,yourMajesty!\'

[UNTERTHANIGSTERKNECHT,differentfromtheformofendingletters,butreallyofthesameimport]。

KING。\"\'Whoareyou?\'

CAPTAIN。\"\'IamCaptainvonRathenowfromKarvesee。\'

KING(clappinghishandstogether)。\"\'MeinGott,dearRathenow,areyoustillalive![\"LEBTERNOCH,isHEstillalive?\"wayofspeakingtoonepalpablyyourinferior,scarcelynowinuseeventoservants;whichFriedrichusesALWAYSinspeakingtothehighestuncrownedpersons:itgivesastrangedashofcomicemphasisofteninhisGermantalk:]Ithoughtyouwerelongsincedead。Howgoesitwithyou7Areyouwholeandwell?\"

CAPTAIN。\"\'Oja,yourMajesty。\'

KING。\"\'MeinGott,howfatHehas(youare)grown!\'

CAPTAIN。\"\'Ja,yourMajesty,Icanstilleatanddrink;onlythefeetgetlazy\'[won\'tgosowell,WOLLENNICHTFORT]。

KING。\"\'Ja!thatissowithmetoo。Areyoumarried?\'

CAPTAIN。\"\'Yea,yourMajesty。\'

KING。\"\'Isyourwifeamongtheladiesyonder?\'

CAPTAIN。\"\'Yea,yourMajesty。\'

KING。\"\'Bringhertome,then!\'[TOHER,TAKINGOFFHISHAT]

\'IfindinyourHerrHusbandagoodoldfriend。\'

FRAUVONRATHENOW。\"\'Muchgraceandhonorformyhusband!\'

KING。\"\'WhatwereYOUbybirth?\'[\"WASSINDSIE,\"therespectfulword,\"FUREINEGEBORNE?\"]

FRAU。\"\'AFrauleinvonKrocher。\'

KING。\"\'Haha!AdaughterofGeneralvonKrocher\'s?\'

FRAU。\"\'JA,IHROMAJESTAT。\'

KING。\"\'Oh,Iknewhimverywell。\'[TORATHENOW]\'Haveyouchildrentoo,Rathenow?\'

CAPTAIN。\"\'Yes,yourMajesty。Mysonsareintheservice,\'

soldiering;\'andthesearemydaughters。\'

KING。\"\'Well,Iamgladofthat(NUN,DASFREUTMICH)。FareHE

well。FareHewell。\'

\"TheroadnowwentuponFehrbellin;andForster,\"Forester,\"Brand,aswoodkeeperfortheKingintheseparts,rodealongwithus。

WhenwecameuponthepatchofSandknollswhichlienearFehrbellin,hisMajestycried:

\"\'Forester,whyaren\'tthesesandknollssown?\'

FORESTER。\"\'YourMajesty,theydon\'tbelongtotheRoyalForest;

theybelongtothefarmground。Inpartthepeopledosowthemwithallmannerofcrops。Here,ontherighthand,theyhavesownfircones(KIENAPFEL)\'。