; but shall in future; and
may conjecture a great deal about the atmosphere Friedrich had now to
live in. A Friedrich undergoing, privately, a great deal of criticism:
"Mad tendency to war; lust of conquest; contempt for his neighbors, for
the opinion of the world;--no end of irrational tendencies:" [Ib. ii.
124-151 ("July 27th-August 21st").] from persons to whom the secret of
his Problem is deeply unknown.

One wise thing the English have done: sent an Excellency Mitchell, a man
of loyalty, of sense and honesty, to be their Resident at Berlin. This
is the noteworthy, not yet much noted, Sir Andrew Mitchell; by far the
best Excellency England ever had in that Court. An Aberdeen Scotchman,
creditable to his Country: hard-headed, sagacious; sceptical of shows;
but capable of recognizing substances withal, and of standing loyal
to them, stubbornly if needful; who grew to a great mutual regard with
Friedrich, and well deserved to do so; constantly about him, during the
next seven years; and whose Letters are among the perennially valuable
Documents on Friedrich's History. [Happily secured in the British
Museum; and now in the most perfect order for consulting (thanks to Sir
F. Madden "and three years' labor" well invested);--should certainly,
and will one day, be read to the bottom, and cleared of their
darknesses, extrinsic and intrinsic (which are considerable) by somebody
competent.]

Mitchell is in Berlin since June 10th. Mitchell, who is on the scene
itself, and looking into Friedrich with his own eyes, finds the
reiterating of that "Beware, your Majesty!" which had been his chief
task hitherto, a more and more questionable thing; and suggests to him
at last: "Plainly ask her Hungarian Majesty, What is your meaning by
those Bohemian Campings?" "Pshaw," answers Friedrich: "Nothing but
some ambiguous answer, perhaps with insult in it!"--nevertheless thinks
better; and determines to do so. [Mitchell Papers.]

Chapter IV.--FRIEDRICH PUTS A QUESTION AT VIENNA, TWICE OVER.

July 18th, 1756, Friedrich despatches an Express to Graf von Klinggraf,
his Resident at Vienna (an experienced man, whom we have seen before in
old Carteret, "Conference-of-Hanau" times), To demand audience of the
Empress; and, in the fittest terms, friendly and courteous, brief and
clear, to put that question of Mitchell's suggesting. "Those unwonted
Armaments, Camps in Bohmen, Camps in Mahren, and military movements
and preparations," Klinggr