Reich's Mediation-ARMY, or any practical step at all [The
question had been started, "in August, 1741," by the Kaiser himself;
"11th March, 1743," again urged by him, after Friedrich's offer; "10th
May, 1743," "Yes, then, we will try; but--" and the result continued
zero.]--!

"Is not Germany, are not all the German Princes, interested to have
Peace?" thinks Friedrich. "A union of the independent German Princes to
recommend Peace, and even with hand on sword-hilt to command it; that
would be the method of producing Treaty of Peace!" thinks he always. And
is greatly set on that method; which, we find, has been, and continues
to be, the soul of his many efforts in this matter. A fact to be
noted. Long poring in those mournful imbroglios of Dryasdust, where the
fraction of living and important welters overwhelmed by wildernesses of
the dead and nugatory, one at length disengages this fact; and readers
may take it along with them, for it proves illuminative of Friedrich's
procedures now and afterwards. A fixed notion of Friedrich's, this of
German Princes "uniting," when the common dangers become flagrant; a
very lively notion with him at present. He will himself cheerfully take
the lead in such Union, but he must not venture alone. [See Adelung,
iii. A and B, passim; Valori, i. 178; &c. &c.]

The Reich, when appealed to, with such degree of emphasis, in this
matter,--we see how the Reich has responded! Later on, Friedrich tried
"the Swabian Circle" (chief scene of these Austrian-Bavarian tusslings);
which has, like the other Circles, a kind of parliament, and pretends
to be a political unity of some sort. "Cannot the Swabian Circle,
or Swabian and Frankish joined (to which one might declare oneself
PROTECTOR, in such case), order their own Captains, with military force
of their own, say 20,000 men, to rank on the Frontier; and to inform
peremptorily all belligerents and tumultuous persons, French, Bavarian,
English, Austrian: 'No thoroughfare; we tell you, No admittance here!'"
Friedrich, disappointed of the Reich, had taken up that smaller notion:
and he spent a good deal of endeavor on that too,--of which we may
see some glimpse, as we proceed. But it proves all futile. The Swabian
Circle too is a moribund horse; all these horses dead or moribund.

Friedrich, of course, has thought much what kind of Peace could be
offered by a mediating party. The Kaiser has lost his Bavaria: yet he is
the Kaiser, and must have a livi