led to pieces in the Charles-Twelfth Wars, Stralsund Sieges: money
seemed necessary to the Duke, and the Ritters were very scarce of it.
Add, on both sides, pride and want of sense, with mutual anger going on
CRESCENDO; and we have the sad phenomenon now visible: A Duke fled to
Dantzig, anarchic Ritters none the better for his going; Duke perhaps
threatening to return, and much flurrying his poor interim Brother,
and stirring up the Anarchies:--in brief, Mecklenburg become a house on
fire, for behoof of neighbors and self.

In these miserable brabbles Friedrich Wilhelm did not hitherto
officially interfere; though not uninterested in them; being a next
neighbor, and even, by known treaties, "eventual heir," should the
Mecklenburg Line die out. But we know he was not in favor with the
Kaiser, in those old years; so the military coercion had been done by
other hands, and he had not shared in the management at all. He merely
watched the course of things; always advised the Duke to submit to Law,
and be peaceable; was sometimes rather sorry for him, too, as would
appear.

Last year, however (1728),--doubtless it was one of Seckendorf's minor
measures, done in Tobacco-Parliament,--Friedrich Wilhelm, now a pet of
the Kaiser's, is discovered to be fairly concerned in that matter; and
is conjoined with the Hanover-Brunswick Commissioners for Mecklenburg;
Kaiser specially requiring that his Prussian Majesty shall "help in
executing Imperial Orders" in the neighboring Anarchic Country. Which
rather huffed little George,--hitherto, since, his Father's death,
the principal, or as good as sole Commissioner,--if so big a Britannic
Majesty COULD be huffed by paltry slights of that kind! Friedrich
Wilhelm, who has much meditated Mecklenburg, strains his intellect,
sometimes to an intense degree, to find out ways of settling it: George,
who has never cared to meditate it, nor been able if he had, is capable
of sniffing scornfully at Friedrich Wilhelm's projects on the matter,
and dismissing them as moonshine. [Dubourgay Despatches and the Answers
to them (more than once).] To a wise much-meditative House-Mastiff,
can that be pleasant, from an unthinking dizened creature of the Ape
species? The troubles of Mecklenburg, and discrepancies thereupon, are
capable of becoming a SECOND source of quarrel.

CAUSES THIRD AND FOURTH:--AND CAUSE FIFTH, WORTH ALL THE OTHERS.

Cause THIRD is the old story of recruiting; a standing cause betw