ike, of the Holy Roman Empire, had at last been
settled on a sure footing, by that busy little Kaiser, some three
hundred and fifty years before; a Document venerable almost next to the
Bible in Friedrich Wilhelm's loyal eyes, "What is this; what are you
venturing upon here?" exclaims Paternal Vigilance, in an astonished
dangerous tone. _"Ihro Majestat, ich explicire dem Prinzen Auream
Bullam,"_ exclaimed the trembling pedagogue: "Your Majesty, I am
explaining AUREA BULLA [Golden Bull] to the Prince!"--"Dog, I will
Golden-Bull you!" said his Majesty, flourishing his rattan, _"Ich will
dich, Schurke, be-auream-bullam!"_ which sent the terrified wretch off
at the top of his speed, and ended the Latin for that time. [Forster, i.
356.]

Friedrich's Latin could never come to much, under these impediments. But
he retained some smatterings of it in mature life; and was rather fond
of producing his classical scraps,--often in an altogether mouldy,
and indeed hitherto inexplicable condition. _"De gustibus non est
disputandus," "Beati possEdentes," "CompIlle intrare," "BeatUS pauperes
spiritus;"_ the meaning of these can be guessed: but _"Tot verbas
tot spondera,"_ for example,--what can any commentator make of that?
_"Festina lente," "Dominus vobiscum," "Flectamus genua," "Quod bene
notandum;"_ these phrases too, and some three or four others of the
like, have been riddled from his Writings by diligent men: [Preuss (i.
24) furnishes the whole stock of them.] _"O tempora, O mores!_ You see,
I don't forget my Latin," writes he once.

The worst fruit of these contraband operations was, that they involved
the Boy in clandestine practices, secret disobediences, apt to be found
out from time to time, and tended to alienate his Father from him. Of
which sad mutual humor we already find traces in that early Wusterhausen
Document: "Not to be so dirty," says the reproving Father. And the
Boy does not take to hunting at all, likes verses, story-books,
flute-playing better; seems to be of effeminate tendencies, an
EFFEMINIRTER KERL; affects French modes, combs out his hair like
a cockatoo, the foolish French fop, instead of conforming to the
Army-regulation, which prescribes close-cropping and a club!

This latter grievance Friedrich Wilhelm decided, at last, to abate,
and have done with; this, for one. It is an authentic fact, though not
dated,--dating perhaps from about Fritz's fifteenth year. "Fritz is a
QUERPFEIFER UND POET," not a S