elsewhere, you might find certain of them
again here. Most brave, high and pious-minded; beautiful too, and
radiant with good-nature, though of temper that will easily catch fire:
there is perhaps no nobler woman then living. And she fronts the roaring
elements in a truly grand feminine manner; as if Heaven itself and the
voice of Duty called her: "The Inheritances which my Fathers left me,
we will not part with these. Death, if it so must be; but not
dishonor:--Listen not to that thief in the night!" Maria Theresa has
not studied, at all, the History of the Silesian Duchies; she knows only
that her Father and Grandfather peaceably held them; it was not she
that sent out Seckendorf to ride 25,000 miles, or broke the heart of
Friedrich Wilhelm and his Household. Pity she had not complied with
Friedrich, and saved such rivers of bitterness to herself and mankind!
But how could she see to do it,--especially with little George at her
back, and abundance of money? This, for the present, is her method
of looking at the matter; this magnanimous, heroic, and occasionally
somewhat female one.

Her Husband, the Grand Duke, an inert, but good-tempered,
well-conditioned Duke after his sort, goes with her. Him we shall see
try various things; and at length take to banking and merchandise, and
even meal-dealing on the great scale. "Our Armies had most part of their
meal circuitously from him," says Friedrich, of times long subsequent.
Now as always he follows loyally his Wife's lead, never she his: Wife
being, intrinsically as well as extrinsically, the better man, what
other can he do?--Of compliance with Friedrich in this Court, there is
practically no hope till after a great deal of beating have enlightened
it. Out of deference to George and his ardors, they pretend some
intention that way; and are "willing to bargain, your Excellency;"--no
doubt of it, provided only the price were next to nothing!

And so, while the watchful edacious Hyndford is doing his best at
Strehlen, poor Robinson, blown into triple activity, corresponds in
a boundless zealous manner from Vienna; and at last takes to flying
personally between Strehlen and Vienna; praying the inexorable young
Queen to comply a little, and then the inexorable young King to be
satisfied with imaginary compliance; and has a breathless time of it
indeed. His Despatches, passionately long-winded, are exceedingly stiff
reading to the like of us. O reader, what things have to be