hand; Steady, not slow of step; with his triangular hat, cream-white
round wig (in his older days), and face tending to purple,--the eyes
looking out mere investigation, sharp swift authority, and dangerous
readiness to rebuke and set the cane in motion:--it was so he walked
abroad in this earth; and the common run of men rather fled his approach
than courted it.

For, in fact, he was dangerous; and would ask in an alarming manner,
"Who are you?" Any fantastic, much more any suspicious-looking person,
might fare the worse. An idle lounger at the street-corner he has been
known to hit over the crown; and peremptorily despatch: "Home, Sirrah,
and take to some work!" That the Apple-women be encouraged to knit,
while waiting for custom;--encouraged and quietly constrained, and
at length packed away, and their stalls taken from them, if
unconstrainable,--there has, as we observed, an especial rescript been
put forth; very curious to read. [In Rodenbeck, _Beitrage,_ p. 15.]

Dandiacal figures, nay people looking like Frenchmen, idle flaunting
women even,--better for them to be going. "Who are you?" and if you
lied or prevaricated (_"Er blicke mich gerade an,_ Look me in the
face, then!"), or even stumbled, hesitated, and gave suspicion of
prevaricating, it might be worse for you. A soft answer is less
effectual than a prompt clear one, to turn away wrath. "A _Candidatus
Theoligiae,_ your Majesty," answered a handfast threadbare youth one
day, when questioned in this manner.--"Where from?" "Berlin, your
Majesty."--"Hm, na, the Berliners are a good-for-nothing set." "Yes,
truly, too many of them; but there are exceptions; I know two."--"Two?
which then?" "Your Majesty and myself!"--Majesty burst into a laugh: the
Candidatus was got examined by the Consistoriums, and Authorities proper
in that matter, and put into a chaplaincy.

This King did not love the French, or their fashions, at all. We said he
dismissed the big Peruke,--put it on for the last time at his Father's
funeral, so far did filial piety go; and then packed it aside,
dismissing it, nay banishing and proscribing it, never to appear more.
The Peruke, and, as it were, all that the Peruke symbolized. For this
was a King come into the world with quite other aims than that of
wearing big perukes, and, regardless of expense, playing burst-frog to
the ox of Versailles, which latter is itself perhaps a rather
useless animal. Of Friedrich Wilhelm's taxes upon wigs; of the