l to look upon, as "Aunt
Charlotte" was not, in a high degree; and who showed herself a Heroine
in Napoleon's time, as Aunt Charlotte never was called to do. Both Aunt
and Niece were women of sense, of probity, propriety; fairly beyond the
average of Queens. And as to their early poverty, ridiculous to this
gold-nugget generation, I rather guess it may have done them benefits
which the gold-nugget generation, in its Queens and otherwise, stands
far more in want of than it thinks.
But enough of this Prince of Mirow, whom Friedrich has accidentally
unearthed for us. Indeed there is no farther history of him, for or
against. He evidently was not thought to have invented gunpowder, by
the public. And yet who knows but, in his very simplicity, there lay
something far beyond the Ill Margraf to whom he was so quizzable? Poor
down-pressed brother mortal; somnambulating so pacifically in Sleepy
Hollow yonder, and making no complaint!
He continued, though soon with less enthusiasm, and in the end very
rarely, a visitor of Friedrich's during this Reinsberg time. Patriotic
English readers may as well take the few remaining vestiges, too, before
quite dismissing him to Sleepy Hollow. Here they are, swept accurately
together, from that Correspondence of Friedrich with Papa:--
"REINSBERG, 18th NOVEMBER, 1736.... report most submissively that
the Prince of Mirow has again been here, with his Mother, Wife, Aunt,
Hofdames, Cavaliers and entire Household; so that I thought it was the
Flight out of Egypt [Exodus of the Jews]. I begin to have a fear of
those good people, as they assured me they would have such pleasure in
coming often!"
"REINSBERG, 1st FEBRUARY, 1737." Let us give it in the Original too, as
a specimen of German spelling:--
_"Der Prints von Mihrau ist vohr einigen thagen hier gewessen und haben
wier einige Wasser schwermer in der See ihm zu Ehren gesmissen, seine
frau ist mit eber thoten Printzesin nieder geKomen.--Der General
schulenburg ist heute hier gekommen und wirdt morgen"_--That is to say:--
"The Prince of Mirow was here a few days ago; and we let off, in honor
of him, a few water-rockets over the Lake: his Wife has been brought to
bed of a dead Princess. General Schulenburg [with a small s] came hither
to-day; and to-morrow will"...
"REINSBERG, 28th MARCH, 1737.... Prince von Mirow was here yesterday;
and tried shooting at the popinjay with us; he cannot see rightly, and
shoots always with help of an
|