thentic and
worthy of notice.

Of the pleadings and procedures in the Reichs Diet no reader would
permit me to speak, were I inclined. Enough to understand that they
went on in the usual voluminous dull-droning way, crescendo always; and
deserve, what at present they are sure of, oblivion from all creatures.
The important thing was, not those pleadings in the Reichs Diet, nor the
Austrian proposals there or elsewhere; but the brandishing of arms in
emitting and also in successively answering the same. Answer always No
by Friedrich, and some new flash of handled arms,--the physiognomy of
which was the one significant point, Austria, which is far from ready
with arms, though at each fresh pleading or proposal it tries to give
a kind of brandish, says mainly three things, in essence somewhat thus.
AUSTRIA: "Cannot two States of the Reich come to a mutual understanding,
as Austria and Bavaria have done? And what have third parties to say
to it?" FRIEDRICH: "Much! Parties of the Reich have much to say to it!"
(This several times with variations.) AUSTRIA: "Our rights seem to us
valid: Zweibruck, Saxony, Mecklenburg, if aggrieved, can try in the
Reichs Law-Courts." FRIEDRICH: "Law-Courts!" with a new brandish; that
is, sets more regiments on march, from Pommern to Wesel all on march, to
Berlin, to Silesia, towards the Bohemian Frontier. AUSTRIA, by the voice
of Kaunitz: "We will not give up our rights without sentence of Law.
We cannot recognize the King of Prussia as Law-Judge in this matter."
FRIEDRICH: "The King of Prussia is of the Jury!"

Pulse after pulse, this is something like the course things had,
crescendo till, in about three months, they got to a height which
was evidently serious. Nay, in the course of the pleadings it became
manifest that on the Austrian grounds of claim, not Maria Theresa
could be heir to Straubingen, but Friedrich himself: "I descend from
Three-Crown Albert's Daughter," said Maria Theresa. "And I from an elder
Daughter of his, and do not claim!" Friedrich could have answered,
but did not; treating such claim all along as merely colorable and
chimerical, not worth attention in serious affairs of fact. Till, at
length, after about three months, there comes a really serious brandish.

SUNDAY, APRIL 5th, 1778, at Berlin, Friedrich holds review of his Army,
all assembled, equipped and in readiness; and (in that upper Parole-Room
of the Schloss) makes this Speech, which, not without extraneous
i