most of them lived like
students at the high school, they occupied themselves with books,
drawing and music, or worked in their houses.[5] They received extra
pay, the tallest from ten to twenty thalers a month: all these fine men
wore high plated grenadier caps, which made them about four hand
breadths taller; the fifers of the regiment were Moors. Whoever
belonged to the Colonel's own company of the regiment had his picture
taken and hung up in the corridor of the castle of Potsdam. Many
distinguished persons travelled to Potsdam to see these sons of Anak at
parade or exercising. But it was remarked that such giants were
scarcely useful for real war, and that it had never occurred to any one
in the world to seek for extraordinary height as advantageous to
soldiers; this wonder was reserved for Prussia. But anyone who staid in
the country did well not to express this too openly. For the Grenadiers
were a passion of the King, which in his latter years amounted almost
to madness, and for which he forgot his family, justice, honour,
conscience, and what had stood highest with him all his life, the
advantage of his State. They were his dear blue children; he was
perfectly acquainted with each individual; took a lively interest in
their personal concerns, and tolerated long speeches and dry answers
from them. It was difficult for a civilian to obtain justice against
these favourites, and they were with good reason feared by the people.
Wherever in any part of Europe a tall man was to be found, the King
traced him out, and secured him either by bounty or force for his
guard. There was the giant Mueller, who had shown himself in Paris and
London for money--two groschen a person--he was the fourth or fifth in
the line; still taller was Jonas, a smith's journeyman from Norway;
then the Prussian Hohmann, whose head King Augustus of Poland,--though
a man of fine stature--could not reach with his outstretched hand;
finally later there was James Kirckland, an Irishman, whom the Prussian
Ambassador Von Borke had carried off by force from England, and on
account of whom diplomatic intercourse was nearly broken off; he had
cost the King about nine thousand thalers.

They were collected together from every vocation of life, adventurers
of the worst kind, students, Roman Catholic priests, monks, and even
some noblemen stood in rank and file. The Crown Prince Frederic, in his
letters to his confidential friends, spoke often with aversion