rricanes that have risen. His Majesty seems to be in perfect
health; and wears no look of gloom. At Berlin is no Carnival this
year; all are grave, sunk in sad contemplations of the future. Of his
businesses in this interval, which were many, I will say nothing; only
of one little Act he did, the day before his departure: the writing of
this SECRET LETTER OF INSTRUCTIONS to Graf Finck von Finkenstein,
his chief Home Minister, one of his old boy-comrades, as readers may
recollect. The Letter was read by Count Finck with profound attention,
11th January, 1757, and conned over till he knew every point of
it; after which he sealed it up, inscribing on the Cover:
"HOCHSTEIGENHANDIGE UND GANX GEHEIME"--that is, "Highest-Autographic and
altogether Secret Instructions, by the King, which, with the Appendixes,
were delivered to me, Graf von Finkenstein, the 12th of January, 1757."
In this docketing it lay, sealed for many years (none knows how many),
then unsealed, still in strict keeping, in the Private Royal Archives"
[Preuss, i. 449.]--till on Friedrich's Birthday, 24th January, 1854, it
was, with some solemnity, lithographed at Berlin, and distributed to a
select public,--as readers shall see.

"SECRET INSTRUCTION FOR THE GRAF VON FINCK.

"BERLIN, 10th January, 1757.

"In the critical situation our affairs are in, I ought to give you my
orders, so that in all the disastrous cases which are in the possibility
of events, you be authorized for taking the necessary steps.

"1. If it chanced (which Heaven forbid) that one of my Armies in Saxony
were totally beaten; or that the French should drive the Hanoverians
from their Country [which they failed not to do], and establish
themselves there, and threaten us with an invasion into the Altmark; or
that the Russians should get through by the Neumark,--you are to save
the Royal Family, the principal DICASTERIA [Land-Schedules, Lists of
Tax-dues], the Ministries and the Directorium [which is the central
Ministry of all]. If it is in Saxony on the Leipzig side that we are
beaten, the fittest place for the removal of the Royal Family, and of
the Treasure, is to Custrin: in such case the Royal Family and all above
named must go, escorted by the whole Garrison" of Berlin, "to Custrin.
If the Russians entered by the Neumark, or if a misfortune befell us
in the Lausitz, it would be to Magdeburg that all would have to go: in
fine, the last refuge is Stettin,--but you must not go till th