, "August the
Physically Strong." This exemplary Sovereign could not well be a man
according to Friedrich Wilhelm's heart: accordingly they had their huffs
and little collisions now and then: that of the Protestant Directorate
and Heidelberg Protestants, for instance; indeed it was generally
about Protestantism; and more lately there had been high words and
correspondings about the "Protestants of Thorn" (a bad tragedy, of
Jesuit intrusion and Polish ferocity, enacted there in 1724); [Account
of it in Buchholz, i. 98-102.]--in which sad business Friedrich Wilhelm
loyally interfered, though Britannic George of blessed memory and others
were but lukewarm; and nothing could be done in it. Nothing except angry
correspondence with King August; very provoking to the poor soul, who
had no hand but a nominal one in the Thorn catastrophe, being driven
into it by his unruly Diet alone.

In fact, August, with his glittering eyes and excellent physical
constitution, was a very good-humored fellow; supremely pleasant in
society; and by no means wishful to cheat you, or do you a mischief in
business,--unless his necessities compelled him; which often were great.
But Friedrich Wilhelm always kept a good eye on such points; and had
himself suffered nothing from the gay eupeptic Son of Belial, either in
their old Stralsund copartnery or otherwise. So that, except for these
Protestant affairs,--and alas, one other little cause,--Friedrich
Wilhelm had contentedly left the Physically Strong to his own course,
doing the civilities of the road to him when they met; and nothing ill
had fallen out between them. This other little cause--alas, it is the
old story of recruiting; one's poor Hobby again giving offence! Special
recruiting brabbles there had been; severe laws passed in Saxony about
these kidnapping operations: and always in the Diets, when question rose
of this matter, August had been particularly loud in his denouncings.
Which was unkind, though not unexpected. But now, in the Spring of 1727,
here has a worse case than any arisen.

Captain Natzmer, of I know not what Prussian Regiment, "Sachsen-Weimar
Cuirassiers" [_Militair-Lexikon,_ iii. 104.] or another, had dropt over
into Saxony, to see what could be done in picking up a tall man or two.
Tall men, one or two, Captain Natzmer did pick up, nay a tall deserter
or two (Saxon soldier, inveigled to desert); but finding his operations
get air, he hastily withdrew into Brandenburg ter