her was in the last struggle, he
could scarcely get across for KAMMERJUNKER, KAMMERHERRN, Goldsticks,
Silversticks, and the other solemn histrionic functionaries, all
crowding there to do their sad mimicry on the occasion: not a
lovely accompaniment in Friedrich Wilhelm's eyes. His poor Father's
death-struggle once done, and all reduced to everlasting rest there,
Friedrich Wilhelm looked in silence over the Unutterable, for a Short
space, disregardful of the Goldsticks and their eager new homaging;
walked swiftly away from it to his own room, shut the door with a slam;
and there, shaking the tears from his eyes, commenced by a notable
duty,--the duty nearest hand, and therefore first to be done, as it
seemed to him. It was about one in the afternoon, 25th February, 1713;
his Father dead half an hour before: "Tears at a Father's death-bed,
must they be dashed with rage by such a set of greedy Histrios?" thought
Friedrich Wilhelm. He summoned these his Court-people, that is to say,
summoned their OBER-HOFMARSCHALL and representative; and through him
signified to them, That, till the Funeral was over, their service would
continue; and that on the morrow after the Funeral, they were, every
soul of them, discharged; and from the highest Goldstick down to the
lowest Page-in-waiting, the King's House should be swept entirely clean
of them;--said House intending to start afresh upon a quite new footing.
[Forster, i. 174; Pollnitz, _Memoiren,_ ii. 4.] Which spread such a
consternation among the courtier people, say the Histories, as was never
seen before.

The thing was done, however; and nobody durst whisper discontent with
it; this rugged young King, with his plangent metallic voice, with
his steady-beaming eyes, seeming dreadfully in earnest about it, and
a person that might prove dangerous if you crossed him. He reduced
his Household accordingly, at once, to the lowest footing of the
indispensable; and discharged a whole regiment of superfluous official
persons, court-flunkies, inferior, superior and supreme, in the most
ruthless manner. He does not intend keeping any OBER-HOFMARSCHALL, or
the like idle person, henceforth; thinks a minimum of the Goldsticks
ought to suffice every man.

Eight Lackeys, in the ante-chambers and elsewhere, these, with each a
JAGERBURSCH (what we should call an UNDER-KEEPER) to assist when not
hunting, will suffice: Lackeys at "eight THALERS monthly," which is six
shillings a week. Three active