60-17th
March, 1761).

Friedrich's Winter in the Apel House at Leipzig is of cheerfuler
character than we might imagine. Endless sore business he doubtless has,
of recruiting, financiering, watching and providing, which grows more
difficult year by year; but he has subordinates that work to his signal,
and an organized machinery for business such as no other man. And
solacements there are withal: his Books he has about him; welcomer than
ever in such seasons: Friends too,--he is not solitary; nor neglectful
of resources. Faithful D'Argens came at once (stayed till the middle
of March): [_OEuvres de Frederic,_ xix. 212, 213. Sends a Courier to
conduct D'Argens "FOR December 8th;" "21st March," D'Argens is back at
Berlin.] D'Argens, Quintus Icilius, English Mitchell; these three almost
daily bore him company. Till the middle of January, also, he had his
two Nephews with him (Sons of his poor deceased Brother, the late tragic
Prince of Prussia),--the elder of whom, Friedrich Wilhelm, became King
afterwards; the second, Henri by name, died suddenly of small-pox within
about seven years hence, to the King's deep and sore grief, who liked
him the better of the two. Their ages respectively are now about 16 and
14. [Henri, born 30th December, 1747, died 26th May, 1767;--Friedrich
Wilhelm, afterwards Friedrich Wilhelm II. (sometimes called DER DICKE,
The Big), born 25th December, 1744; King, 17th August, 1786; died 16th
November, 1797.] Their appetite for dancing, and their gay young ways,
are pleasant now and afterwards to the old Uncle in his grim element.
[Letters, &c. in SCHONING.]

Music, too, he had; daily evening Concert, though from himself there is
no fluting now. One of his Berlin Concert people who had been sent for
was Fasch, a virtuoso on I know not what instrument,--but a man given to
take note of things about him. Fasch was painfully surprised to see his
King so altered in the interim past: "bent now, sunk into himself, grown
old; to whom these five years of war-tumult and anxiety, of sorrow and
hard toil, had given a dash of gloomy seriousness and melancholy, which
was in strong contrast with his former vividly bright expression, and
was not natural to his years." [Zelter's _Life of Fasch_ (cited in
PREUSS, ii. 278).]

From D'Argens there is one authentic Anecdote, worth giving. One evening
D'Argens came to him; entering his Apartment, found him in a situation
very unexpected; which has been memorable ever sin