oes, the tragically
embroiled condition of that Country, struggling so vehemently, to no
purpose, to get out of bed, and not unlike strangling or smothering
itself in its own blankets, at present! With and in regard to Saxony,
his work is of course extremely considerable; and in regard to his own
Army, and its coming Business, considerablest of all. Counter-Manifesto
work, to state his case in a distinct manner, and leave it with
the Populations if the Diplomacies are deaf: this too, is copiously
proceeding; under Artists who probably do not require much supervision.
In fact, no King living has such servants, in the Civil or the Military
part, to execute his will. And no King so little wastes himself in
noises; a King who has good command of himself, first of all; not to be
thrown off his balance by any terror, any provocation even, though his
temper is very sharp.

Friedrich in person is mainly at Dresden, lodged in the Bruhl
Palace;--endless wardrobes and magnificences there; three hundred and
sixty-FOUR Pairs of Breeches hanging melancholy, in a widowed manner:
C'EST ASSEZ DE CULOTTES; MONTREZ-MOI DES VERTUS! Bruhl is far away, in
Poland; Madam Bruhl has still her Apartments in this Palace,--a frugal
King needs only the necessary spaces. Madam Bruhl is very busy here; and
not to good purpose, being well seen into. "She had a cask of wine sent
her from Warsaw," says Friedrich; "orders were given to decant for her
every drop of the wine, but to be sure and bring us the cask." Cask
was found to have two bottoms, intermediate space filled with
spy-correspondence. Madam Bruhl protests and pleads, Friedrich not
unpolite in reply; his last Letter to her says, "Madam, it is better
that you go and join your Husband."

Another high Dame gets sausages from Bohemia;--some of Friedrich's light
troops have an appetite, beyond strict law for sausages; break in, find
Letters along with the other stuffing. [_OEuvres de Frederic,_ iv. 108;
Mitchell, "27th March, 1757" (Raumer p. 321).] Friedrich has a good deal
of watching and coercing to do in that kind,--some arresting, conveyance
even to Custrin for a time, though nothing crueler proved needful. To
the poor Queen he keeps up civilities, but is obliged to be strict as
Argus;--she made him a Gift too, the NIGHT of Correggio, admired NOTTE
of Correggio; having heard that he sat before it silent for half an
hour, on entering that fine Gallery,--which is due to our Sovereign Lord
and