h these three accidental utterances, as
if they (which are alone left) had been the sum of all he said in the
world, let the Lieutenant-General withdraw now into silence: he will
turn up twice again, after half a score of years, once in a nobler than
talking attitude, the close-harnessed, stalwart, slightly atrabiliar
military gentleman of the old Prussian school.

These glimpses of the Crown-Prince, reflected on us in this manner, are
not very luculent to the reader,--light being indifferent, and mirror
none of the best:--but some features do gleam forth, good and not so
good; which, with others coming, may gradually coalesce into something
conceivable. A Prince clearly of much spirit, and not without petulance;
abundant fire, much of it shining and burning irregularly at present;
being sore held down from without, and anomalously situated. Pride
enough, thinks Schulenburg, capricious petulance enough,--likely to go
into "a reign of the passions," if we live. As will be seen!--

Wilhelmina was betrothed in June last: Wilhelmina, a Bride these six
months, continues to be much tormented by Mamma. But the Bridegroom,
Prince of Baireuth, is gradually recommending himself to persons of
judgment, to Wilhelmina among others. One day he narrowly missed an
unheard-of accident: a foolish servant, at some boar-hunt, gave him a
loaded piece on the half-cock; half-cock slipped in the handling; bullet
grazed his Majesty's very temple, was felt twitching the hair there;--ye
Heavens! Whereupon impertinent remarks from some of the Dessau people
(allies of Schwedt and the Margravine in high colors); which were
well answered by the Prince, and noiselessly but severely checked by
a well-bred King. [Wilhelmina, i. 356.] King has given the Prince of
Baireuth a regiment; and likes him tolerably, though the young man will
not always drink as could be wished. Wedding, in spite of clouds from
her Majesty, is coming steadily on.

HIS MAJESTY'S BUILDING OPERATIONS.

"This year," says Fassmann, "the building operations both in Berlin and
Stettin,"--in Stettin where new fortifications are completed, in Berlin
where gradually whole new quarters are getting built,--"were exceedingly
pushed forward (AUSSERST POUSSIRT)." Alas, yes; this too is a
questionable memorable feature of his Majesty's reign. Late Majesty,
old King Friedrich I., wishful,--as others had been, for the growth of
Berlin, laid out a new Quarter, and called it Friedrichs Stad