lodious Truth, and duly
significant and duly beautiful bit of Belief, to mankind; the essence of
it fairly evolved from all the chaff, the portrait of it actually given,
and its real harmonies with the laws of this Universe brought out,
in bright and dark, according to the God's Fact as it was; which poor
Dryasdust and the Newspapers never could get sight of, but were always
far from!--

Well, if so,--and even if not quite so,--it is a comfort to reflect that
every true worker (who has blown away chaff &c.), were his contribution
no bigger than my own, may have brought the good result NEARER by a
hand-breadth or two. And so we will end these preludings, and proceed
upon our Problem, courteous reader.

Chapter II. -- FRIEDRICH'S BIRTH.

Friedrich of Brandenburg-Hohenzollern, who came by course of natural
succession to be Friedrich II. of Prussia, and is known in these ages
as Frederick the Great, was born in the palace of Berlin, about noon,
on the 24th of January, 1712. A small infant, but of great promise or
possibility; and thrice and four times welcome to all sovereign and
other persons in the Prussian Court, and Prussian realms, in those cold
winter days. His Father, they say, was like to have stifled him with his
caresses, so overjoyed was the man; or at least to have scorched him
in the blaze of the fire; when happily some much suitabler female nurse
snatched this little creature from the rough paternal paws,--and saved
it for the benefit of Prussia and mankind. If Heaven will but please
to grant it length of life! For there have already been two little
Princekins, who are both dead; this Friedrich is the fourth child; and
only one little girl, wise Wilhelmina, of almost too sharp wits, and
not too vivacious aspect, is otherwise yet here of royal progeny. It
is feared the Hohenzollern lineage, which has flourished here with such
beneficent effect for three centuries now, and been in truth the very
making of the Prussian Nation, may be about to fail, or pass into
some side branch. Which change, or any change in that respect, is
questionable, and a thing desired by nobody.

Five years ago, on the death of the first little Prince, there had
surmises risen, obscure rumors and hints, that the Princess Royal,
mother of the lost baby, never would have healthy children, or even
never have a child more: upon which, as there was but one other
resource,--a widowed Grandfather, namely, and except the Prince Royal
n