thing considerable. Very
certainly to something far short of his aspirations; far different
from his own hopes; and the world's concerning him. It is not we, it is
Father Time that does the controlling and fulfilling of our hopes; and
strange work he makes of them and us. For example, has not Friedrich's
grand "New Era," inaugurated by him in a week, with the leading spirits
all adoring, issued since in French Revolution and a "world well
suicided,"--the leading spirits much thrown out in consequence! New
Era has gone to great lengths since Friedrich's time; and the leading
spirits do not now adore it, but yawn over it, or worse! Which changes
to us the then aspect of Friedrich, and his epoch and his aspirations,
a good deal.--On the whole, Friedrich will go his way, Time and the
leading spirits going theirs; and, like the rest of us, will grow
to what he can. His actual size is not great among the Kingdoms: his
outward resources are rather to be called small. The Prussian Dominion
at that date is, in extent, about four-fifths of an England Proper, and
perhaps not one-fifth so fertile: subject Population is well under Two
Millions and a Half; Revenue not much above One Million Sterling,'
[The exact statistic cipher is, at Friedrich's Accession: PRUSSIAN
TERRITORIES, 2,275 square miles German (56,875 English); POPULATION,
2,240,000; ANNUAL REVENUE, 7,371,707 thalers 7 groschen (1,105,756
pounds without the pence). See Prenss, _Buch fur Jedermann,_ i. 49;
Stenzel, iii. 692; &c.]--very small, were not thrift such a VECTIGAL.

This young King is magnanimous; not much to be called ambitious, or not
in the vulgar sense almost at all,--strange as it may sound to readers.
His hopes at this time are many;--and among them, I perceive, there is
not wanting secretly, in spite of his experiences, some hope that he
himself may be a good deal "happier" than formerly. Nor is there any
ascetic humor, on his part, to forbid trial. He is much determined
to try. Probably enough, as we guess and gather, his agreeablest
anticipations, at this time, were of Reinsberg: How, in the intervals of
work well done, he would live there wholly to the Muses; have his chosen
spirits round him, his colloquies, his suppers of the gods. Why not?
There might be a King of Intellects conceivable withal; protecting,
cherishing, practically guiding the chosen Illuminative Souls of this
world. A new Charlemagne, the smallest new Charlemagne of Spiritual
type, wi