tudes
and equipments very Spartan in type. Man of short firm stature; stands
(in Pesne's best Portraits of him) at his ease, and yet like a tower.
Most solid; "plumb and rather more;" eyes steadfastly awake; cheeks
slightly compressed, too, which fling the mouth rather forward; as if
asking silently, "Anything astir, then? All right here?" Face, figure
and bearing, all in him is expressive of robust insight, and
direct determination; of healthy energy, practicality, unquestioned
authority,--a certain air of royalty reduced to its simplest form. The
face in Pictures by Pesne and others, is not beautiful or agreeable;
healthy, genuine, authoritative, is the best you can say of it. Yet it
may have been, what it is described as being, originally handsome.
High enough arched brow, rather copious cheeks and jaws; nose smallish,
inclining to be stumpy; large gray eyes, bright with steady fire and
life, often enough gloomy and severe, but capable of jolly laughter too.
Eyes "naturally with a kind of laugh in them," says Pollnitz;--which
laugh can blaze out into fearful thunderous rage, if you give him
provocation. Especially if you lie to him; for that he hates above all
things. Look him straight in the face: he fancies he can see in your
eyes, if there is an internal mendacity in you: wherefore you must look
at him in speaking; such is his standing order.

His hair is flaxen, falling into the ash-gray or darker; fine copious
flowing hair, while he wore it natural. But it soon got tied into clubs,
in the military style; and at length it was altogether cropped away, and
replaced by brown, and at last by white, round wigs. Which latter also,
though bad wigs, became him not amiss, under his cocked-hat and cockade,
says Pollnitz. [Pollnitz, _Memoiren_ (Berlin, 1791), ii. 568.] The
voice, I guess, even when not loud, was of clangorous and penetrating,
quasi-metallic nature; and I learn expressly once, that it had a nasal
quality in it. [Busching, _Beitrage,_ i. 568.] His Majesty spoke through
the nose; snuffled his speech in an earnest ominously plangent manner.
In angry moments, which were frequent, it must have been--unpleasant
to listen to. For the rest, a handsome man of his inches; conspicuously
well-built in limbs and body, and delicately finished off to the very
extremities. His feet and legs, says Pollnitz, were very fine. The
hands, if he would have taken care of them, were beautifully white;
fingers long and thin; a hand a