ur epoch, by
an earnest father in behalf of his poor little son. And these are, at
present, nearly all; with these well achieved, the earnest father and
his son ought to be thankful. Alas, in matter of education, there are
no high-roads at present; or there are such only as do NOT lead to the
goal. Fritz, like the rest of us, had to struggle his way, Nature and
Didactic Art differing very much from one another; and to do battle,
incessant partial battle, with his schoolmasters for any education he
had.

A very rough Document, giving Friedrich Wilhelm's regulations on this
subject, from his own hand, has come down to us. Most dull, embroiled,
heavy Document; intricate, gnarled, and, in fine, rough and stiff
as natural bull-headedness helped by Prussian pipe-clay can make
it;--contains some excellent hints, too; and will show us something of
Fritzchen and of Friedrich Wilhelm both at once. That is to say, always,
if it can be read! If by aid of abridging, elucidating and arranging,
we can get the reader engaged to peruse it patiently;--which seems
doubtful. The points insisted on, in a ponderous but straggling confused
manner, by his didactic Majesty, are chiefly these:--

1. Must impress my Son with a proper love and fear of God, as
the foundation and sole pillar of our temporal and eternal welfare.
No false religions, or sects of Atheist, Arian (ArRian), Socinian, or
whatever name the poisonous things have, which can so easily corrupt a
young mind, are to be even named in his hearing: on the other hand,
a proper abhorrence (ABSCHEU) of Papistry, and insight into its
baselessness and nonsensicality (UNGRUND UND ABSURDITAT), is to be
communicated to him:--Papistry, which is false enough, like the others,
but impossible to be ignored like them; mention that, and give him due
abhorrence for it. For we are Protestant to the bone in this country;
and cannot stand ABSURDITAT, least of all hypocritically religious
ditto! But the grand thing will be, "To impress on him the true
religion, which consists essentially in this, That Christ died for
all men," and generally that the Almighty's justice is eternal and
omnipresent,--"which consideration is the only means of keeping a
sovereign person (SOUVERAINE MACHT), or one freed from human penalties,
in the right way."

2. "He is to learn no Latin;" observe that, however it may
surprise you. What has a living German man and King, of the eighteenth
Christian SOECULUM, to do with de