ious chapters, which I proposed
at first to call grains, would attract the attention of the intelligent
just as much by that which was to be developed from them, as by that
which they contained in themselves. I had, therefore, before me in idea,
intelligent readers already acquainted with the subject. But my nature,
which always impels me to development and systematising, at last worked
its way out also in this instance. For some time I was able to confine
myself to extracting only the most important results from the essays,
which, to attain clearness and conviction in my own mind, I wrote upon
different subjects, to concentrating in that manner their spirit in
a small compass; but afterwards my peculiarity gained ascendency
completely--I have developed what I could, and thus naturally have
supposed a reader not yet acquainted with the subject.

"The more I advanced with the work, and the more I yielded to the spirit
of investigation, so much the more I was also led to system; and thus,
then, chapter after chapter has been inserted.

"My ultimate view has now been to go through the whole once more, to
establish by further explanation much of the earlier treatises, and
perhaps to condense into results many analyses on the later ones, and
thus to make a moderate whole out of it, forming a small octavo volume.
But it was my wish also in this to avoid everything common, everything
that is plain of itself, that has been said a hundred times, and is
generally accepted; for my ambition was to write a book that would not
be forgotten in two or three years, and which any one interested in the
subject would at all events take up more than once."

In Coblentz, where he was much occupied with duty, he could only give
occasional hours to his private studies. It was not until 1818, after
his appointment as Director of the General Academy of War at Berlin,
that he had the leisure to expand his work, and enrich it from the
history of modern wars. This leisure also reconciled him to his new
avocation, which, in other respects, was not satisfactory to him, as,
according to the existing organisation of the Academy, the scientific
part of the course is not under the Director, but conducted by a Board
of Studies. Free as he was from all petty vanity, from every feeling
of restless, egotistical ambition, still he felt a desire to be really
useful, and not to leave inactive the abilities with which God had
endowed him. In active life he was