will be got by not
conforming to the facts. My Father may be a tyrant, and driven mad
against me: well, well, let not me at least go mad!

Grumkow is busy on the mild side of the business; of course Grumkow and
all official men. Grumkow cannot but ask himself this question among
others: How if the King should suddenly die upon us! Grumkow is out
at Custrin, and again out; explaining to the Prince, what the enormous
situation is; how inflexible, inexorable, and of peril and horror
incalculable to Mother and Sister and self and royal House; and that
there is one possibility of good issue, and only one: that of loyally
yielding, where one cannot resist. By degrees, some lurid troublous
but perceptible light-gleam breaks athwart the black whirlwind of
our indignation and despair; and saner thoughts begin to insinuate
themselves. "Obey, thou art not the strongest, there are stronger than
thou! All men, the highest among them, are called to learn obedience."

Moreover, the first sweep of royal fury being past, his Majesty's stern
regulations at Custrin began to relax in fulfilment; to be obeyed only
by those immediately responsible, and in letter rather than in spirit
even by those. President von Munchow who is head of the Domain-Kammer,
chief representative of Government at Custrin, and resides in the
Fortress there, ventures after a little, the Prince's doors being closed
as we saw, to have an orifice bored through the floor above, and thereby
to communicate with the Prince, and sympathetically ask, What he can
do for him? Many things, books among others, are, under cunning
contrivance, smuggled in by the judicious Munchow, willing to risk
himself in such a service. For example, Munchow has a son, a clever
boy of seven years old; who, to the wonder of neighbors, goes into
child's-petticoats again; and testifies the liveliest desire to be
admitted to the Prince, and bear him company a little! Surely the law
of No-company does not extend to that of an innocent child? The innocent
child has a row of pockets all round the inside of his long gown; and
goes laden, miscellaneously, like a ship of the desert, or cockboat not
forbidden to cross the line. Then there are stools, one stool at least
indispensable to human nature; and the inside of this, once you open it,
is a chest-of-drawers, containing paper, ink, new literature and
much else. No end to Munchow'a good-will, and his ingenuity is great.
[Preuss, i. 46.]

A Captain F