ausen, who is in the Kaiser's service: she was in the
family-way; but (ABER) seemed otherwise to be a very good Princess.

"The first thing they entertained me with was, the sad misfortune
come upon their best Cook; who, with the cart that was bringing the
provisions, had overset, and broken his arm; so that the provisions had
all gone to nothing. Privately I have had inquiries made; there was
not a word of truth in the story. At last we went to table; and, sure
enough, it looked as if the Cook and his provisions had come to some
mishap; for certainly in the Three Crowns at Potsdam [worst inn, one may
guess, in the satirical vein], there is better eating than here.

"At table, there was talk of nothing but of all the German Princes who
are not right in their wits (NICHT RECHT KLUG)," as Mirow himself,
your Majesty knows, is reputed to be!" There was Weimar, [Wilhelmina's
acquaintance; wedded, not without difficulty, to a superfluous Baireuth
Sister-in-law by Wilhelmina (_ Memoires de Wilhelmina,_ ii. 185-194):
Grandfather of Goethe's Friend;--is nothing like fairly out of his wits;
only has a flea (as we may say) dancing occasionally in the ear of him.
Perhaps it is so with the rest of these Serenities, here fallen upon
evil tongues?] Gotha, Waldeck, Hoym, and the whole lot of them, brought
upon the carpet:--and after our good Host had got considerably drunk, we
rose,--and he lovingly promised me that 'he and his whole Family would
come and visit Reinsberg.' Come he certainly will; but how I shall get
rid of him, God knows.

"I most submissively beg pardon of my Most All-gracious Father for
this long Letter; and"--we will terminate here. [_OEuvres de Frederic,_
xxvii. part 3d, pp. 104-106.]

Dilapidated Mirow and its inmates, portrayed in this satirical way,
except as a view of Serene Highnesses fallen into Sleepy Hollow, excites
little notice in the indolent mind; and that little, rather pleasantly
contemptuous than really profitable. But one fact ought to kindle
momentary interest in English readers: the young foolish Herr, in this
dilapidated place, is no other than our "Old Queen Charlotte's" Father
that is to be,--a kind of Ancestor of ours, though we little guessed
it! English readers will scan him with new curiosity, when he pays that
return visit at Reinsberg. Which he does within the fortnight:--

"TO HIS PRUSSIAN MAJESTY (from the Crown-Prince).

"REINSBERG, 6th November, 1736.

... "that my Most All-gr