anaries,--a wise resource they have in Prussian countries against the
year of scarcity;--orders grain to be sold out, at reasonable rates, to
the suffering poor; and takes the due pains, considerable in some cases,
that this be rendered feasible everywhere in his dominions. "Berlin, 2d
June," is the first date of this important order; fine program to his
Ministers, which, we read, is no sooner uttered, than some performance
follows. An evident piece of wisdom and humanity; for which doubtless
blessings of a very sincere kind rise to him from several millions of
his fellow-mortals.

Nay furthermore, as can be dimly gathered, this scarcity continuing,
some continuous mode of management was set on foot for the Poor;
and there is nominated, with salary, with outline of plan and other
requisites, as "Inspector of the Poor," to his own and our surprise, M.
Jordan, late Reader to the Crown-Prince, and still much the intimate of
his royal Friend. Inspector who seems to do his work very well. And in
the November coming this is what we see: "One thousand poor old women,
the destitute of Berlin, set to spin," at his Majesty's charges;
vacant houses, hired for them in certain streets and suburbs, have been
new-planked, partitioned, warmed; and spinning is there for any diligent
female soul. There a thousand of them sit, under proper officers, proper
wages, treatment;--and the hum of their poor spindles, and of their poor
inarticulate old hearts, is a comfort, if one chance to think of it.--Of
"distressed needlewomen" who cannot sew, nor be taught to do it; who, in
private truth, are mutinous maid-servants come at last to the net upshot
of their anarchies; of these, or of the like incurable phenomena, I
hear nothing in Berlin; and can believe that, under this King, Indigence
itself may still have something of a human aspect, not a brutal or
diabolic as is commoner in some places.--This is one of Friedrich's
first acts, this opening of the Corn-magazines, and arrangements for
the Destitute; [_Helden-Geschichte,_ i. 367. Rodenbeck, _Tagebuch aus
Friedrichs des Grossen Regentenleben_ (Berlin, 1840), i. 2, 26 (2d June,
October, 1740): a meritorious, laborious, though essentially chaotic
Book, unexpectedly futile of result to the reader; settles for each Day
of Friedrich's Reign, so far as possible, where Friedrich was and what
doing; fatally wants all index &c., as usual.] and of this there can
be no criticism. The sound of hungry pots s