ak for the place: "Too weak, alas,
yes; and I, was I wise to try them, then?" With a fine humanity, new
hope inextinguishably welling up; really with a loyalty, a modesty, a
cheery brother manhood unexpected by readers.

Eight of the Eleven Peace Years are gone in these courses. The next
three, still silent and smooth to the outward eye, were defaced by
subterranean mutterings, electric heralds of coming storm. "Meaning
battle and wrestle again?" thinks Friedrich, listening intent. A far
other than welcome message to Friedrich. A message ominous; thrice
unwelcome, not to say terrible. Requires to be scanned with all one's
faculty; to be interpreted; to be obeyed, in spite of one's reluctances
and lazinesses. To plunge again into the Mahlstrom, into the clash of
Chaos, and dive for one's Silesia, the third time;--horrible to lazy
human nature: but if the facts are so) it must be done!--

Chapter XIII. ROMISH-KING QUESTION; ENGLISH-PRIVATEER QUESTION.

The public Events so called, which have been occupying mankind during
this Voltaire Visit, require now mainly to be forgotten;--and may,
for our purposes, be conveniently riddled down to Three. FIRST,
King-of-the-Romans Question; SECOND, English-Privateer Question;
and then, hanging curiously related to these Two, a THIRD, or
"English-French Canada Question." Of some importance all of them;
extremely important to Friedrich, especially that Third and least
expected of them.

Witty Hanbury Williams, the English Excellency at Berlin, busy
intriguing little creature, became distasteful there, long since; and
they had to take him away: "recalled," say the Documents, "22d January,
1751." Upon which, no doubt, he made a noise in Downing Street; and got,
it appears, "re-credentials to Berlin, 4th March, 1751;" [Manuscript
LIST in State-Paper Office.] but I think did not much reside, nor intend
to reside; having all manner of wandering Continental duties to do; and
a world of petty businesses and widespread intrigues, Russian, German
and other, on hand. Robinson, too, is now home; returned, 1748 (Treaty
of Aix in his pocket); and an Excellency Keith, more and more famous
henceforth, has succeeded him in that Austrian post. Busy people, these
and others; now legationing in Foreign parts: able in their way; but
whose work proved to be that of spinning ropes from sand, and must not
detain us at this time.

The errand of all these Britannic Excellencies is upon a notable sche