usual exact fashion, got firm hold of chaotic
Ost-Friesland. And proceeded to manage it, in like sort,--with effects
soon sensible, and steadily continuing. Their Parliamentary-life
Friedrich left in its full vigor: 'Tax yourselves; what revenue you
like; and see to the outlay of it yourselves. Allow me, as LANDES-HERR,
some trifle of overplus: how much, then? Furthermore a few recruits,--or
recruit-money in lieu, if you like better!' And it was astonishing how
the Parliamentary vitality, not shortened of its least franchise, or
coerced in any particular, but merely stroked the right way of the
hair, by a gently formidable hand, with good head guiding, sank almost
straightway into dove-life, and never gave Friedrich any trouble,
whatever else it might do. The management was good; the opportunity
also was good. 'In one sitting, the Prussian Agent, arbitrating between
Embden and the Ritters, settled their controversy, which had lasted
fifty years.' The poor Country felt grateful, which it might well do;
as if for the laying of goblins, for the ending of long-continued local
typhoon! Friedrich's first Visit, in 1751, was welcomed with universal
jubilation; and poor Ost-Friesland thanked him in still more solid ways,
when occasion rose. [Ranke, iii. 370-382.]

"It is not an important Country:--only about the size of Cheshire; wet
like it, and much inferior to it in cheese, in resources for leather
and live-stock, though it perhaps excels, again, in clover-seeds,
rape-seeds, Flanders horses, and the flax products. The 'clear overplus'
it yielded to Friedrich, as Sovereign Administrator and Defender, was
only 3,200 pounds; for recruit-MONEY, 6,000 pounds (no recruits in
CORPORE); in all, little more than 9,000 pounds a year. But it had its
uses too. Embden, bigger than Chester, and with a better harbor, was
a place of good trade; and brought Friedrich into contact with
sea-matters; in which, as we shall find, he did make some creditable
incipiencies, raising expectations in the world; and might have
carried it farther, had not new Wars, far worse than this now at hand,
interrupted him."

Friedrich was at Pyrmont, taking the waters, while this of Friesland
fell out; he had gone thither May 20th; was just arrived there,
four days before the death of Karl Edzard. [Rodenbeck, p. 102.] His
Officials, well pre-instructed, managed the Ost-Friesland Question
mainly themselves. Friedrich was taking the waters; ostensibly nothing
mor