s
all watching HIM, to see what he will make of it:--fugleman he to the
European Nations, just about bursting up on such an adventure. It may
be a glorious position, or a not glorious; but, for certain, it is a
dangerous one, and awfully solitary!--

Fuglemen the world and its Nations always have, when simultaneously
bent any-whither, wisely or unwisely; and it is natural that the most
adventurous spirit take that post. Friedrich has not sought the post;
but following his own objects, has got it; and will be ignominiously
lost, and trampled to annihilation under the hoofs of the world, if he
do not mind! To keep well ahead;--to be rapid as possible; that were
good:--to step aside were still better! And Friedrich we find is very
anxious for that; "would be content with the Duchy of Glogau, and join
Austria;" but there is not the least chance that way. His Special Envoy
to Vienna, Gotter, and along with him Borck the regular Minister, are
come home; all negotiation hopeless at Vienna; and nothing but indignant
war-preparation going on there, with the most animated diligence, and
more success than had seemed possible. That is the law of Friedrich's
Silesian Adventure: "Forward, therefore, on these terms; others there
are not: waste no words!" Friedrich recognizes to himself what the
law is; pushes stiffly forward, with a fine silence on all that is not
practical, really with a fine steadiness of hope, and audacity against
discouragements. Of his anxieties, which could not well be wanting, but
which it is royal to keep strictly under lock and key, of these there is
no hint to Jordan or to anybody; and only through accidental chinks, on
close scrutiny, can we discover that they exist. Symptom of despondency,
of misgiving or repenting about his Enterprise, there is none anywhere,
Friedrich's fine gifts of SILENCE (which go deeper than the lips) are
noticeable here, as always; and highly they availed Friedrich in leading
his life, though now inconvenient to Biographers writing of the same!--

It was not on matters of drill, as Valori supposes, that Friedrich
had been consulting with the Old Dessauer: this time it was on another
matter. Friedrich has two next Neighbors greatly interested, none more
so, in the Pragmatic Question: Kur-Sachsen, Polish King, a foolish
greedy creature, who is extremely uncertain about his course in it (and
indeed always continued so, now against Friedrich, now for him, and
again against); and Kur-H