he time of anarchy." [_OEuvres de Frederic,_ vi. 74, 75.]

To Friedrich's difficulties, which were not inconsiderable, mark only
this last additament: "During this War, the elder of the Councillors,
and all the Ministers of the Grand Directorium [centre of Prussian
Administration], had successively died: and in such time of trouble
it had been impossible to replace them. The embarrassment was, To find
persons capable of filling these different employments [some would have
very soon done it, your Majesty; but their haste would not have tended
to speed!]--We searched the Provinces (ON FOUILLA, sifted), where
good heads were found as rare as in the Capital: at length five Chief
Ministers were pitched upon,"--who prove to be tolerable, and even
good. Three of them were, the VONS Blumenthal, Massow, Hagen, unknown
to readers here: fourth and fifth were, the Von Wedell as War-Minister,
once Dictator at Zullichan; and a Von der Horst, who had what we might
partially call the Home Department, and who may by accident once or so
be namable again.

Nor was War all, says the King: "accidental Fires in different places,"
while we struggled to repair the ravagings of War, "were of unexampled
frequency, and did immense farther damage. From 1765 to 1769, here is
the list of places burnt: In East Preussen, the City of Konigsberg
twice over; in Silesia, the Towns of Freystadt, Ober-Glogau [do readers
recollect Manteuffel of Foot and "WIR WOLLEN IHM WAS"!], Parchwitz,
Naumburg-on-Queiss, and Goldberg; in the Mark, Nauen; in the Neumark,
Calies and a part of Lansberg; in Pommern, Belgard and Tempelburg. These
accidents required incessantly new expenditures to repair them."

Friedrich was not the least of a Free Trader, except where it
suited him: and his continual subventions and donations, guidances,
encouragements, commandings and prohibitions, wise supervision and
impulsion,--are a thing I should like to hear an intelligent Mirabeau
(Junior or Senior) discourse upon, after he had well studied them! For
example: "ON RENDIT LES PRETRES UTILES, The Priests, Catholic Priests,
were turned to use by obliging all the rich Abbeys to establish
manufactures: here it was weavers making damasks and table-cloths; there
oil-mills [oil from linseed]; or workers in copper, wire-drawers; as
suited the localities and the natural products,--the flaxes and
the metals, with water-power, markets, and so on." What a charming
resuscitation of the rich Abbeys