wers, Kaiser and France, listening rather to political convenience,
than to the claims of justice, go direct in Kur-Pfalz's favor;--by
formal treaty of their own, ["Versailles, 13th January, 1739" (Olrich,
_Geschichte der Schlesischen Kriege,_ i. 13); Mauvillon, ii 405-446;
&c.] France and the Kaiser settle, "That the Sulzbachers shall, as a
preliminary, get provisional possession, on the now Serenity's decease;
and shall continue undisturbed for two years, till Law decide between
his Prussian Majesty and them." Two years; Law decide;--and we know what
are the NINE-POINTS in a Law-case! This, at last, proved too much
for his Majesty. Majesty's abstruse dubitations, meditations on such
treatment by a Kaiser and others, did then, it appears, gloomily settle
into fixed private purpose of trying it by the iron ramrods, when old
Kur-Pfalz should die,--of marching with eighty thousand men into the
Cleve Countries, and SO welcoming any Sulzbach or other guests that
might arrive. Happily old Kur-Pfalz did not die in his Majesty's time;
survived his Majesty several years: so that the matter fell into other
hands,--and was settled very well, near a century after.

Of certain wranglings with the little Town of Herstal,--Prussian Town
(part of the Orange Heritage, once KING PEPIN'S Town, if that were
any matter now) in the Bishop of Liege's neighborhood, Town highly
insignificant otherwise,--we shall say nothing here, as they will fall
to be treated, and be settled, at an after stage. Friedrich Wilhelm was
much grieved by the contumacies of that paltry little Herstal; and
by the Bishop of Liege's high-flown procedures in countenancing
them;--especially in a recruiting ease that had fallen out there,
and brought matters to a head. ["December, 1738," is crisis of the
recruiting case (_Helden-Geschichte,_ ii. 63); "17th February, 1739,"
Bishop's high-flown appearance in it (ib. 67); Kaiser's in consequence,
"10th April, 1739."] The Kaiser too was afflictively high in
countenancing the Bishop;---for which both Kaiser and Bishop got due
payment in time. But his Prussian Majesty would not kindle the world for
such a paltriness; and so left it hanging in a vexatious condition. Such
things, it is remarked, weigh heavier on his now infirm Majesty than
they were wont. He is more subject to fits of hypochondria, to talk of
abdicating. "All gone wrong!" he would say, if any little flaw rose,
about recruiting or the like. "One might go and live