m; somebody shall marry the baggage out of hand, and let
us have done with that. Grumkow, as we know, was very anxious for it;
calculating thereby to out the ground from under the Old Dessauer, and
make this Weissenfels Generalissimo of Prussia; a patriotic thought.
Polish Majesty lent hand, always willing to oblige.

Friedrich Wilhelm, on his return homewards, went round by Dahme for a
night:--not "Dam," O Princess, there is no such town or schloss! Round
by Dahme, a little town and patch of territory, in the Saxon Countries,
which was Weissenfels's Apanage;--"where plenty of Tokay" cheered the
royal heart; and, in such mood, it seemed as if one's Daughter might do
very well in this extremely limited position. And Weissenfels, though
with dark misgivings as to Queen Sophie, was but too happy to consent:
the foolish creature; a little given to liquor too! Friedrich Wilhelm,
with this fine project in his head, drove home to Potsdam;--and there
laid about him, on the poor Crown-Prince, in the way we have seen;
terrifying Queen and Princess, who are at Berlin till Christmas and
the Carnival be over. Friedrich Wilhelm means to see the Polish Majesty
again before long,--probably so soon as this of Weissenfels is fairly
got through the Female Parliament, where it is like there will be
difficulties.

Christmas came to Berlin, and the King with it; who did the gayeties
for a week or two, and spoke nothing about business to his Female
Parliament. Dubourgay saw him, at Parade, on New-Year's morning; whither
all manner of Foreign Dignitaries had come to pay their respects:
"Well," cried the King to Dubourgay, "we shall have a War,
then,"--universa1 deadly tug at those Italian Apanages, for and against
an insulted Kaiser,--"War; and then all that is crooked will be pulled
straight!" So spake Friedrich Wilhelm on the New-Year's morning; War in
Italy, universal spasm of wrestle there, being now the expectation
of foolish mankind: Crooked will be pulled straight, thinks Friedrich
Wilhelm; and perhaps certain high Majesties, deaf to the voice of
Should-not, will understand that of Can-not, Excellenz!--Crooked will
become straight? "Indeed if so, your Majesty, the sooner the better!" I
ventured to answer. [Dubourgay, 8th January, 1730.]

New Year's day is not well in, and the ceremonial wishes over, when
Friedrich Wilhelm, his mind full of serious domestic and foreign matter,
withdraws to Potsdam again; and therefrom begins fulminatin