at last as what they were;--with huge submarine earthquake for
consequence, and total change of mind towards Imperial Majesty and the
drying of his Pragmatic linen, in Friedrich Wilhelm. Amiable Orson, true
to the heart; amiable, though terrible when too much put upon!

This dawning process went on for above two years to come, painfully,
reluctantly, with explosions, even with tears. But here, directly on the
back of Seckendorf's proposal, and recorded from a sure hand, is what
we may call the peep-of-day in that matter: First Session of
Tobacco-Parliament, close after that event. Event is on the 5th
December, 1732; Tobacco Session is of the 6th;--glimpse of it is given
by Speaker Grumkow himself; authentic to the bone.

SESSION OF TOBACCO-PARLIAMENT, 6th DECEMBER, 1732.

Grumkow, shattered into "headache" by this Session, writes Report of
it to Seckendorf before going to bed. Look, reader, into one of the
strangest Political Establishments; and how a strange Majesty comports
himself there, directly after such proposal from Vienna to marry with
England still!--"Schwerin" is incidentally in from Frankfurt-on-Oder,
where his Regiment and business usually lie: the other Honorable Members
we sufficiently know. Majesty has been a little out of health lately;
perceptibly worse the last two days. "Syberg" is a Gold-cook (Alchemical
gentleman, of very high professions), came to Berlin some time ago;
whom his Majesty, after due investigation, took the liberty to hang.
[Forster, iii. 126.] Readers can now understand what speaker Grumkow
writes, and despatches by his lackey, in such haste:--

"I never saw such a scene as this evening. Derschau, Schwerin,
Buddenbrock, Rochow, Flanz were present. We had been about an hour in
the Red Room [languidly doing our tobacco off and on], when he [the
King] had us shifted into the Little Room: drove out the servants; and
cried, looking fixedly at me: 'No, I cannot endure it any longer! ES
STOSSET MIR DAS HERZ AB,' cried he, breaking into German: 'It crushes
the heart out of me; to make me do a bit of scoundrelism, me, me! I say;
no, never! Those damned intrigues; may the Devil take them!'--

"EGO (Grumkow). 'Of course, I know of nothing. But I do not comprehend
your Majesty's inquietude, coming thus on the sudden, after our common
indifferent mood.'

"KING. 'What, make me a villain! I will tell it right out. Certain
damned scoundrels have been about betraying me. People that shoul