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ous act, when she can accomplish it, is that of getting you to go with her handsomely, and change disaster itself into new wealth. Into new wisdom and valour, which are wealth in all kinds; California mere zero to them, zero, or even a frightful minus quantity! Friedrich's procedures in this matter I believe to be little less didactic than those other, which are so celebrated in War: but no Dryasdust, not even a Dryasdust of the Dismal Science, has gone into them, rendered men familiar with them in their details and results. His Silesian Land-Bank (joint-stock Moneys, lent on security of Land) was of itself, had I room to explain it, an immense furtherance.1 Friedrich, many tell us, was as great in Peace as in War: and truly, in the economic and material provinces, my own impression, gathered painfully in darkness, and contradiction of the Dismal-Science Doctors, is much to that effect. A first-rate Husbandman (as his Father had been); who not only defended his Nation, but made it rich beyond what seemed possible; and diligently sowed annuals into it, and perennials which flourish aloft at this day.

Mirabeau's Monarchie Prussienne, in 8 thick Volumes 8vo, -composed, or hastily cobbled together, some Twenty years after this period,-contains the best tabular view one anywhere gets of Friedrich's economics, military and other practical methods and resources :—solid exactTables these are, and intelligent intelligible descriptions, done by Mauvillon Fils, the same punctual Major Mauvillon who used to attend us in Duke Ferdinand's War; and so far as Mirabeau is concerned, the Work consists farther of a certain small Essay done in big type, shoved into the belly of each Volume, and eloquently recommending, with respectful censures and regrets over Friedrich, the Gospel of Free Trade, dear to Papa Mirabeau. The Son is himself a convert; far above lying, even to please Papa: but one can see, the thought of Papa gives him new fire of expression. They are eloquent, ruggedly strong Essays, those of Mirabeau Junior upon Free Trade:-they contain, in condensed shape, everything we were privileged to hear, seventy years later, from all organs, coach-horns, jews-harps and scrannel-pipes, pro and contra, on the same sublime subject: 'God is great, and Plugson of Under'shot is his Prophet. Thus saith the Lord, Buy in the cheapest 'market, sell in the dearest! To which the afflicted human mind listens what it can;-and after seventy years, mournfully

1 Preuss, iii. 75; Euvres de Frédéric, vi 81.

1763-66.

asks itself and Mirabeau, "M. le Comte, would there have been in Prussia, for example, any Trade at all, any Nation at all, had it always been left 'Free'? There would have been mere sand and quagmire, and a community of wolves and bisons, M. le Comte. Have the goodness to terminate that Litany, and take up another!"—

:

We said, Friedrich began his problem on the first morrow morning; and that is literally true, that or even more. Here is how Friedrich takes his stand amid the wreck, speedy enough to begin this view of our old friend Nüssler and him is one of the Pieces we can give, thanks to Herr Büsching and his Beyträge for the last time! Nüssler is now something of a Country Gentleman, so to speak; has a pleasant place out to east of Berlin; is Landrath (County Chairman) there, "Landrath of Nether-Barnim Circle;" where we heard of the Cossacks spoiling him: he, as who not, has suffered dreadfully in these tumults. Here is Büsching's welcome Account.

Landrath Nüssler and the King (30th March-3d April

1763).

'March 30th, 1763, Friedrich, on his return to Berlin, came by the route of Tassdorf,'-Tassdorf, in Nether-Barnim Circle (40 odd miles from Frankfurt, and above 15 from Berlin); and changed horses there. During this little pause, among a crowd assembled to see him, he was ad'dressed by Nüssler, Landrath of the Circle, who had a very 'piteous story to tell. Nüssler wished the King joy of his ' noble victories, and of the glorious Peace at last achieved: May your Majesty reign in health and happiness over us 'many years, to the blessing of us all !"—and recommended 'to his gracious care the extremely ruined, and, especially by the Russians, uncommonly devastated Circle, for which' (continues Büsching) 'this industrious Landrath had not hitherto been able to extract any effective help.' Generally for the Provinces wasted by the Russians there had already some poor 300,000 thalers (45,000l.) been allowed by a helpful Majesty, not over-rich himself at the moment; and of this, Nether-Barnim no doubt gets its share: but what is this to such ruin as there is? A mere preliminary drop, in

30th March-3d April 1763.

stead of the bucket and buckets we need !-Büsching, a dull, though solid accurate kind of man, heavy-footed, and yet always in a hurry, always slipshod, has nothing of dramatic here; far from it; but the facts themselves fall naturally into that form,-in Three Scenes:

I. Tassdorf (still two hours from Berlin), King, Nüssler and a Crowd of People, Nüssler alone daring to speak.

King (from his Carriage, ostlers making dispatch). "What is your "Circle most short of?"

Landrath Nüssler. "Of horses for ploughing the seed-fields, of rye "to sow them, and of bread till the crops come.'

King. 'Rye for bread, and to sow with, I will give; with horses "I cannot assist.'

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Nüssler. "On representation of Privy-Councillor von Brenkenhof" (the Minister concerned with such things), "your Majesty has been pleased to give the Neumark and Pommern an allowance of Artillery "and Commissariat Horses: but poor Nether-Barnim, nobody will speak for it; and unless your Majesty's gracious self please to take "pity on it, Nether-Barnim is lost !"—('A great many things more he said, in presence of a large crowd of men who had gathered round the King's Carriage as the horses were being changed; and spoke with 'such force and frankness that the King was surprised, and asked :)— King. "Who are you?" (has forgotten the long-serviceable man!) Nüssler. "I am the Nüssler who was lucky enough to manage the "Fixing of the Silesian Boundaries for your Majesty!"

King. Ja, ja, now I know you again! Bring me all the Land"raths of the Kurmark" (Mark of Brandenburg Proper, Electoral Mark) "in a body; I will speak with them."

Nüssler. "All of them but two are in Berlin already."

King. "Send off estafettes for those two to come at once to Ber"lin; and on Thursday," day after tomorrow, come yourself, with "all the others, to the Schloss to me: I will then have some closer "conversation, and say what I can and will do for helping of the coun'try" (King's Carriage rolls away, with low bows and blessings from Nüssler and everybody).

II. Thursday April 1st, Nüssler and assembled Landraths at the Schloss of Berlin. To them, enter King.

*

*

* *

"Your

Nüssler (whom they have appointed spokesman). "Majesty has given us Peace; you will also give us Well-being in the "Land again: we leave it to Highest-the-Same's gracious judgment" (no limit to Highest-the-Same's power, it would seem) "what you will "vouchsafe to us as indemnification for the Russian plunderings.'

King. "Be you quiet; let me speak. Have you got a pencil (Hat "Er crayon)? Yes! Well then, write, and these Gentlemen shall "dictate to you:

30th March-3d April 1763. "How much rye for bread; How much for seed; How many "Horses, Oxen, Cows, their Circles do in an entirely pressing way require?

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"Consider all that to the bottom; and come to me again the day "after tomorrow. But see that you fix everything with the utmost "exactitude, for I cannot give much." (Exit King.)

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Nüssler (to the Landraths). "Meine Herren, have the goodness to accompany me to our Landschaft House" (we have a kind of County Hall, it seems); "there we will consider everything."

'And Nüssler, guiding the deliberations, which are glad to follow 'him on every point, and writing as Pro-tempore Secretary, has all things brought to luminous Protocol in the course of this day and

next.'

III. Saturday April 3d, in the Schloss again: Nüssler and LandTo them, the King.

raths.

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Nüssler. "We deliver to your Majesty the written Specification you were graciously pleased to command of us. It contains only the "indispensablest things that the Circles are in need of. Moreover, it regards only the Stände” (richer Nobility), “who pay contribution ; "the Gentry" (Adel), "and other poor people, who have been utterly "plundered-out by the Russians, are not included in it :—the Gentry "too have suffered very much by the War and the Plundering."

King. "What Edelleute that are members of Stände have you” (Er) 66 got in your Circle ?"

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Nüssler (names them; and, as finis of the list, adds):

"myself, too, your Majesty, I have suffered more than anybody: I absolutely could not furnish those 4,000 bushels of meal ordered of me by the Russians; upon which they—"

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King. "I cannot give to all: but if you have poor Nobles in your "Circle, who can in no way help themselves, I will give them some"thing."

Nüssler (has not any in Nether-Barnim who are altogether in that ' extreme predicament; but knows several in Lebus Circle, names them 'to the King;—and turning to the Landrath of Lebus, and to another 'who is mute): "Herr, you can name some more in Lebus; and you, "in Teltow Circle, Herr Landrath, since his Majesty permits.' In a word, 'the King having informed himself and declared his inten'tion, Nüssler leads the Landraths to their old County Hall, and brings 'to Protocol what had taken place.

'Next day, the Kammer President' (Exchequer President), Von ' der Gröben, had Nüssler, with other Landraths, to dinner. During 'dinner, there came from Head-Secretary Eichel' (Majesty's unwearied Clerk of the Pells, Sheepskins, or Papers) 'an earnest request to Von ' der Gröben for help,-Eichel not being able to remember, with the requisite precision, everything his Majesty had bid him put down on this matter. "You will go, Herr von Nüssler; be so kind, won't 'you?" And Nüssler went, and fully illuminated Eichel.' *

6th-13th June 1763.

To the poorest of the Nobility, Büsching tells us, what is otherwise well known, the King gave considerable sums: to one Circle 12,000l., to another 9,000l., 6,000l., and so on. 'By help of which bounties, ' and of Nüssler labouring incessantly with all his strength, Nieder'Barnim Circle got on its feet again, no subject having been entirely ruined, but all proving able to recover.

"2

This Büsching Fragment is not in the style of the Elder Dramatists, or for the Bankside Theatre; but this represents a Fact which befell in God's Creation, and may have an interest of its own to the Practical Soul, especially in anarchic Countries, far advanced in the "Gold-nugget and Nothing to Buy with it" Career of unexampled Prosperities.

On these same errands the King is soon going on an Inspection Journey, where we mean to accompany. But first, one word, and one will suffice, on the debased Coin. The Peace was no sooner signed, than Friedrich proceeded on the Coin. The third week after his arrival home, there came out a salutary Edict on it, April 21st; King eager to do it without loss of time, yet with the deliberation requisite. Not at one big leap, which might shake, to danger of oversetting, much commercial arrangement; but at two leaps, with a halfway station intervening. Halfway station, with a new coinage ready, much purer of alloy (and marked how much, for the benefit of parties with accounts to settle), is to commence on Trinitatis (Whitsunday) instant; from and after Whitsunday the improved new coin to be sole legal tender, till farther notice. Farther notice comes accordingly, within a year, March 29th, 1764: "Pure money of the standard of 1750" (honest silver coinage: readers may remember Linsenbarth, the Candidatus Theologiæ, and his sack of Batzen, confiscated at the Packhof) "shall be ready on the 1st of June instant ;"3 -from and after which day we hear no more of that sad matter. Finished off in about fourteen months. Here, meanwhile, is the Inspection Journey.

Kriegsrath Roden and the King (6th-13th June 1763).

June 2d, 1763, Friedrich left Potsdam for Westphalia; got as far as Magdeburg that day. Intends seeing into matters with his own eyes in that region, as in others, after so

2 Büsching, Beyträge ( Nüssler), i. 401-405.

VOL. IX.

Rödenbeck, ii, 214, 234-
S