wever, George II. now sued Fricdrich at Reich's
Law,--Friedrich, we need not say, having instantly taken possession of
Ost-Friesland. And there ensued arguing enough between them, for years
coming; very great expenditure of parchment, and of mutual barking
at the moon (done always by proxy, and easy to do); which doubtless
increased the mutual ill-feeling, but had no other effect. Friedrich,
who had been well awake to Ost-Friesland for some time back, and had
given his Official people (Cocceji his Minister of Justice, Chancellor
by and by, and one or two subordinates) their precise Instructions, laid
hold of it, with a maximum of promptitude; thereby quashing a great deal
of much more dangerous litigation than Uncle George's.

"In all Germany, not excepting even Mecklenburg, there had been no more
anarchic spot than Ost-Friesland for the last sixty or seventy years. A
Country with parliamentary-life in extraordinary vivacity (rising indeed
to the suicidal or internecine pitch, in two or three directions), and
next to no regent-life at all. A Country that had loved Freedom, not
wisely but too well! Ritter Party, Prince's Party, Towns' Party;--always
two or more internecine Parties: 'False Parliament you: traitors!' 'We?
False YOU, traitors!'--The Parish Constable, by general consent,
kept walking; but for Government there was this of the Parliamentary
Eloquences (three at once), and Freedom's battle, fancy it, bequeathed
from sire to son! 'The late Karl Edzard never once was in Embden, his
chief Town, though he lived within a dozen miles of it.'--And then,
still more questionable, all these energetic little Parties had
applied to the Neighboring Governments, and had each its small
Foreign Battalion, 'To protect US and our just franchises!'
Imperial Reich's-Safeguard Battalion, Dutch Battalion, Danish
Battalion,--Prussian, it first of all was (year 1683, Town of Embden
inviting the Great Elector), but it is not so now. The Prussians had
needed to be quietly swift, on that 25th day of May, 1744.

"And truly they were so; Cocceji having all things ready; leading
party-men already secured to him, troops within call, and the like.
The Prussians--Embden Town-Councils inviting their astonished Dutch
Battalion not to be at home--marched quietly into Embden 'next day,' and
took possession of the guns. Marched to Aurich (official metropolis),
Danes and Imperial Safeguard saying nothing; and, in short, within
a week had, in their