k, mendacious;--here, in short,
is a swift-handed, valiant, STEEL-bright kind of soul; very likely for a
King's, if other things answer, and not likely for a Poet's. No doubt he
could have made something of Literature too; could have written Books,
and left some stamp of a veracious, more or less victorious intellect,
in that strange province too. But then he must have applied himself to
it, as he did to reigning: done in the cursory style, we see what it has
come to.

It is certain, Friedrich's reputation suffers, at this day, from his
writing. From his NOT having written nothing, he stands lower with the
world. Which seems hard measure;--though perhaps it is the law of the
case, after all. "Nobody in these days," says my poor Friend, "has the
least notion of the sinful waste there is in talk, whether by pen or
tongue. Better probably that King Friedrich had written no Verses; nay
I know not that David's Psalms did David's Kingship any good!" Which
may be truer than it seems. Fine aspirations, generous convictions,
purposes,--they are thought very fine: but it is good, on various
accounts, to keep them rather silent; strictly unvocal, except on
call of real business; so dangerous are they for becoming conscious of
themselves! Most things do not ripen at all except underground. And it
is a sad but sure truth, that every time you SPEAK of a fine purpose,
especially if with eloquence and to the admiration of by-standers,
there is the LESS chance of your ever making a fact of it in your poor
life.--If Reinsberg, and its vacancy of great employment, was the cause
of Friedrich's verse-writing, we will not praise Reinsberg on that
head! But the truth is, Friedrich's verses came from him with uncommon
fluency; and were not a deep matter, but a shallow one, in any sense.
Not much more to him than speaking with a will; than fantasying on the
flute in an animated strain. Ever and anon through his life, on small
hint from without or on great, there was found a certain leakage of
verses, which he was prompt to utter;--and the case at Reinsberg, or
afterwards, is not so serious as we might imagine.

PINE'S HORACE; AND THE ANTI-MACHIAVEL.

In late months Friedrich had conceived one notable project; which
demands a word in this place. Did modern readers ever hear of "John
Pine, the celebrated English Engraver"? John Pine, a man of good
scholarship, good skill with his burin, did "Tapestries of the House
of Lords," and other t