w
or other; Crown-Prince to have his English Princess, Prince Fred of
England to console the Brunswick one for loss of her Crown-Prince; or
else Prince Karl of Brunswick to--And half a dozen other ways; which
Rumor cannot settle to its satisfaction. The whispers upon it, from
Hanover, from Vienna, at Berlin, and from the Diplomatic world in
general, occasionally whistling through the Newspapers, are manifold and
incessant,--not worthy of the least attention from us here. [Forster,
iii. 111, 120, 108, 113, 122.] What is certain is, Seckendorf, in the
end of October, is corresponding on it with Prince Eugene; has got
instructions to propose the matter in Tobacco-Parliament; and does
not like it at all. Grumkow, who perhaps has seen dangerous clouds
threatening to mount upon him, and never been quite himself again in the
Royal Mind since that questionable NOSTI business, dissuades earnestly,
constantly. "Nothing but mischief will come of such a proposal," says
Grumkow steadily; and for his own share absolutely declines concern in
it.

But Prince Eugene's orders are express; remonstrances, cunctations only
strengthen the determination of the High Heads or Head: Forward with
this beautiful scheme! Seckendorf, puckered into dangerous anxieties,
but summoning all his cunning, has at length, after six weeks'
hesitation, to open it, as if casually, in some favorable hour, to his
Prussian Majesty. December 5th, 1732, as we compute;--a kind of epoch in
his Majesty's life. Prussian Majesty stares wide-eyed; the breath as
if struck out of him; repeats, "Julich and Berg absolutely secured, say
you? But--hm, na!"--and has not yet taken in the unspeakable dimensions
of the occurrence. "What? Imperial Majesty will make me break my word
before all the world? Imperial Majesty has been whirling me about, face
now to the east, face straightway round to the west: Imperial Majesty
does not feel that I am a man and king at all; takes me for a mere
machine, to be seesawed and whirled hither and thither, like a rotatory
Clothes-horse, to dry his Imperial Majesty's linen upon. TAUSEND
HIMMEL--!"

The full dimensions of all this did not rise clear upon the intellect of
Prussian Majesty,--a slow intellect, but a true and deep, with terrible
earthquakes and poetic fires lying under it,--not at once, or for
months, perhaps years to come. But they had begun to dawn upon him
painfully here; they rose gradually into perfect clearness: all things
seen