is so nice--also the Crown Prince
of Wuertemberg,[43] Crown Prince of Saxony,[44] Prince Luitpold of
Bavaria,[45] Prince Charles of Hesse[46] (who nearly dies of fright
and shyness amongst so many people), and Heinrich; Prince Elimar of
Oldenburg,[47] Prince Frederic of the Netherlands,[48] and the
Grand Duke and Duchess of Weimar, who wish to be most particularly
remembered to you and Papa.

The King and Queen are most kind to Lord Clarendon, and make a marked
difference between their marked cordiality to him and the stiff
etiquette with which the other Ambassadors are received.

I think he is pleased with what he sees. The King has given the Queen
the Order of the Black Eagle in diamonds. I write all these details,
as you wish them, at the risk of their not interesting you, besides
my being, as you know, a very bad hand at descriptions. I shall make a
point of your having newspapers.

I am unable to appear at the _cour_ this morning, as my cough is too
violent: I hope to be able to be at the concert this evening, but I
own it seems very doubtful. The state dinner looked very well; we were
waited on by our _Kammerherren_ and pages--the King being waited on
by the _Oberhofchargen_--and our ladies stood behind our chairs. After
the first two dishes are round, the King asks to drink, and that is
the signal for the ladies and gentlemen to leave the room and go to
dinner, while the Pages of Honour continue to serve the whole dinner
really wonderfully well, poor boys, considering it is no easy task.

To-morrow we leave Koenigsberg for Dantzic--we have not had one day's
bad weather here, nothing but sunshine and a bright blue sky. I was so
glad that Heaven smiled upon us yesterday, it would have been so sad
if it had poured; it looked a little threatening early in the morning
and a few drops fell, but it cleared completely before nine o'clock.

Fritz would thank you for your dear letters himself, but he is at the
University, where they have elected him _Rector Magnificus_, and where
he has to make a speech. We have all got our servants and carriages
and horses here _every_ day--300 footmen in livery, together with
other servants in livery, make 400. All the standards and colours of
the whole Army are here, and all the Colonels. Altogether, you cannot
imagine what a crush and what a scramble there is on every occasion;
there was a man crushed to death in the crowd the other day, which
is quite dreadful. I must say good-by