palmed upon him while
ignorant, and while without the least authority or power to make such a
promise; that he was not bound by it, nor would be, except on compulsion
thus far: and as to binding Brandenburg by it, how could he, at that
period of his history, bind Brandenburg? Brandenburg was not then his to
bind, any more than China was.

His Raths had advised Friedrich against giving up Schwiebus in that
manner. But his answer is on record: "I must, I will and shall keep my
own word. But my rights on Silesia, which I could not, and do not in
these unjust circumstances, compromise, I leave intact for my posterity
to prosecute. If God and the course of events order it no otherwise than
now, we must be content. But if God shall one day send the opportunity,
those that come after me will know what they have to do in such case."
[Pauli, vii. 150.] And so Schwiebus was given up, the Austrians paying
back what Brandenburg had laid out in improving it, "250,000 GULDEN
(25,000 pounds);"--and the Hand of Power had in this way, finally as it
hoped, settled an old troublesome account of Brandenburg's. Settled
the Silesian-Duchies Claim, by the temporary Phantasm of a Gift of
Schwiebus. That is literally the Liegnitz-Jagerndorf case; and the
reader is to note it and remember it. For it will turn up again in
History. The Hand of Power is very strong: but a stronger may perhaps
get hold of its knuckles one day, at an advantageous time, and do a feat
upon it.

The "eventual succession to East Friesland," which had been promised by
the Reich, some ten years ago, to the Great Elector, "for what he had
done against the Turks, and what he had suffered from those Swedish
Invasions, in the Common Cause:" this shadow of Succession, the Kaiser
now said, should not be haggled with any more; but be actually realized,
and the Imperial sanction to it now given,--effect to follow IF the
Friesland Line died out. Let this be some consolation for the loss of
Schwiebus and your Silesian Duchies. Here in Friesland is the ghost of
a coming possession; there in Schwiebus was the ghost of a going one:
phantasms you shall not want for; but the Hand of Power parts not with
its realities, however come by.

HIS REAL CHARACTER.

Poor Friedrich led a conspicuous life as Elector and King; but no
public feat he did now concerns us like this private one of Schwiebus.
Historically important, this, and requiring to be remembered, while
so much else deman