whatsoever could be called gratitude for all pleasures
one can do him,"--marrying against one's will, and the like. "As to
his health, it is one day better, another worse; but the legs, they
are always swelled, Judge what my joy must be to get out of that
turpitude,--for the King will only stay a fortnight, at most, in the
Camp.

"Adieu, my adorable Sister: I am so tired, I cannot stir; having left on
Tuesday night, or rather Wednesday morning at three o'clock, from a Ball
at Monbijou, and arrived here this Friday morning at four. I recommend
myself to your gracious remembrance; and am, for my own part, till
death, dearest Sister,"--

Your--"FRIEDRICH"

[_OEuvres de Frederic,_ xxvii. part 1st, p. 13.]

This is Letter First; written Friday morning, on the edge of getting
into bed, after such fatigue; and it has, as natural in that mood, given
up the matter in despair. It did not meet Wilhelmina on the road; and
she had left Baireuth;--where it met her, I do not know; probably at
home, on her return, when all was over. Let Wilhelmina now speak her own
lively experiences of that same Friday:--

"I got to Berneck at ten. The heat was excessive; I found myself quite
worn out with the little journey I had done. I alighted at the House
which had been got ready for my Brother. We waited for him, and in vain
waited, till three in the afternoon. At three we lost patience; had
dinner served without him. Whilst we were at table, there came on a
frightful thunder-storm. I have witnessed nothing so terrible: the
thunder roared and reverberated among the rocky cliffs which begirdle
Berneck; and it seemed as if the world was going to perish: a deluge of
rain succeeded the thunder.

"It was four o'clock; and I could not understand what had become of my
Brother. I had sent out several persons on horseback to get tidings of
him, and none of them came back. At length, in spite of all my prayers,
the Hereditary Prince [my excellent Husband] himself would go in search.
I remained waiting till nine at night, and nobody returned. I was in
cruel agitations: these cataracts of rain are very dangerous in the
mountain countries; the roads get suddenly overflowed, and there often
happen misfortunes. I thought for certain, there had one happened to
my Brother or to the Hereditary Prince." Such a 2d of July, to poor
Wilhelmina!

"At last, about nine, somebody brought word that my Brother had changed
his route, and was gone to Culmbach [a Hou