ng granted him as such. Compensations,
aspirations, claims of territory; these will be manifold! These are a
world of floating vapor, of greed, of anger, idle pretension: but within
all these there are the real necessities; what the case does require,
if it is ever to be settled! Friedrich discerns this Austrian-Bavarian
necessity of compensation; of new land to cut upon. And where is that to
come from!

In January last, Friedrich, intensely meditating this business, had
in private a bright-enough idea: That of secularizing those so-called
Sovereign Bishoprics, Austrian-Bavarian by locality and nature, Passau,
Salzburg, Regensburg, idle opulent territories, with functions absurd
not useful;--and of therefrom cutting compensation to right and to left.
This notion he, by obscure channels, put into the head of Baron von
Haslang, Bavarian Ambassador at London; where it germinated rapidly,
and came to fruit;--was officially submitted to Lord Carteret in his
own house, in two highly artistic forms, one evening;--and sets
the Diplomatic Heads all wagging upon it. [Adelung, iii. B, 84, 90,
"January-March, 1743."] With great hope, at one time; till rumor of it
got abroad into the Orthodox imagination, into the Gazetteer world; and
raised such a clamor, in those months, as seldom was. "Secularize, Hah!
One sees the devilish heathen spirit of you; and what kind of Kaiser, on
the religious side, we now have the happiness of having!" So that
Kaiser Karl had to deny utterly, "Never heard of such a thing!" Carteret
himself had, in politeness, to deny; much more, and for dire cause, had
Haslang himself, over the belly of facts, "Never in my dreams, I tell
you!"--and to get ambiguous certificate from Carteret, which the simple
could interpret to that effect. [Carteret's Letter (ibid. iii, B, 190).]

It was only in whispers that the name of Friedrich was connected with
this fine scheme; and all parties were glad to get it soon buried again.
A bright idea; but had come a century too soon. Of another Carteret
Negotiation with Kaiser Karl, famed as "Conferences of Hanau," which had
almost come to be a Treaty, but did not; and then, failing that, of
a famous Carteret "Treaty of Worms," which did come to perfection, in
these same localities shortly afterwards; and which were infinitely
interesting to our Friedrich, both the Treaty and the Failure of the
Treaty,--we propose to speak elsewhere, in due time.

As to Friedrich's own endeavors an