anging, his
Majesty spoke with some of the Ziethen Hussar-Officers, who were upon
grazing service in the adjoining villages [all Friedrich's cavalry went
out to GRASS during certain months of the year; and it was a LAND-TAX
on every district to keep its quota of army-horses in this manner,--AUF
GRASUNG]; and of me his Majesty as yet took no notice. As the DAMME,"
Dams or Raised Roads through the Peat-bog, "are too narrow hereabouts, I
could not, ride beside him," and so went before? or BEHIND, with woodman
before? GOTT WEISS!" In Dechau his Majesty got sight of Rittmeister von
Ziethen," old Ajax Ziethen's son, "to whom Dechau belongs; and took
him into the carriage along with him, till the point where the Dechau
boundary is. Here there was again change of horses. Captain von
Rathenow, an old favorite of the King's, to whom the property of
Karvesee in part belongs, happened to be here with his family; he now
went forward to the carriage:--

CAPTAIN VON RATHENOW. "'Humblest servant, your Majesty!'
[UNTERTHANIGSTER KNECHT, different from the form of ending letters, but
really of the same import].

KING. "'Who are you?'

CAPTAIN. "'I am Captain von Rathenow from Karvesee.'

KING (clapping his hands together). "'Mein Gott, dear Rathenow, are you
still alive! ["LEBT ER NOCH, is HE still alive?"--way of speaking to
one palpably your inferior, scarcely now in use even to servants; which
Friedrich uses ALWAYS in speaking to the highest uncrowned persons:
it gives a strange dash of comic emphasis often in his German talk:] I
thought you were long since dead. How goes it with you 7 Are you whole
and well?"

CAPTAIN. "'O ja, your Majesty.'

KING. "'Mein Gott, how fat He has (you are) grown!'

CAPTAIN. "'Ja, your Majesty, I can still eat and drink; only the feet
get lazy' [won't go so well, WOLLEN NICHT FORT].

KING. "'Ja! that is so with me too. Are you married?'

CAPTAIN. "'Yea, your Majesty.'

KING. "'Is your wife among the ladies yonder?'

CAPTAIN. "'Yea, your Majesty.'

KING. "'Bring her to me, then!' [TO HER, TAKING OFF HIS HAT] 'I find in
your Herr Husband a good old friend.'

FRAU VON RATHENOW. "'Much grace and honor for my husband!'

KING. "'What were YOU by birth?' ["WAS SIND SIE," the respectful word,
"FUR EINE GEBORNE?"]

FRAU. "'A Fraulein von Krocher.'

KING. "'Haha! A daughter of General von Krocher's?'

FRAU. "'JA, IHRO MAJESTAT.'

KING. "'Oh, I knew him very well.'--[TO RATHENOW] 'Have you ch