on the Esplanade (LUSTGARTEN) there;--and
doubtless the Britannic Majesty gave some grunt of acquiescence, perhaps
even a smile, rare on that square heavy-laden countenance of his. That
is the record: [Forster, i. 215.] and truly it forms for us by far
the liveliest little picture we have got, from those dull old years
of European History. Years already sunk, or sinking, into lonesome
unpeopled Dusk for all men; and fast verging towards vacant Oblivion and
eternal Night;--which (if some few articles were once saved out of them)
is their just and inevitable portion from afflicted human nature.

Of riding-masters, fencing-masters, swimming-masters; much less of
dancing-masters, music-masters (celebrated Graun, "on the organ," with
Psalm-tunes), we cannot speak; but the reader may be satisfied they were
all there, good of their kind, and pushing on at a fair rate. Nor is
there lack anywhere of paternal supervision to our young Apprentice,
From an early age, Papa took the Crown-Prince with him on his annual
Reviews. From utmost Memel on the Russian border, down to Wesel on the
French, all Prussia, in every nook of it, garrison, marching-regiment,
board of management, is rigorously reviewed by Majesty once a year.
There travels little military Fritz, beside the military Majesty, amid
the generals and official persons, in their hardy Spartan manner; and
learns to look into everything like a Rhadamanthine Argus, and how the
eye of the master, more than all other appliances, fattens the cattle.

On his hunts, too, Papa took him. For Papa was a famous hunter, when at
Wusterhausen in the season:--hot Beagle-chase, hot Stag-hunt, your chief
game deer; huge "Force-Hunt" (PARFORCE-JAGD, the woods all beaten,
and your wild beasts driven into straits and caudine-forks for you);
Boar-hunting (SAUHETZE, "sow-baiting," as the Germans call it),
Partridge-shooting, Fox- and Wolf-hunting;--on all grand expeditions of
such sort, little Fritz shall ride with Papa and party. Rough furious
riding; now on swift steed, now at places on WURSTWAGEN,--WURSTWAGEN,
"Sausage-Car" so called, most Spartan of vehicles, a mere STUFFED POLE
or "sausage" with wheels to it, on which you sit astride, a dozen or so
of you, and career;--regardless of the summer heat and sandy dust,
of the winter's frost-storms and muddy rain. All this the little
Crown-Prince is bound to do;--but likes it less and less, some of us are
sorry to observe! In fact he could not take