and; all your presses, drawers, repositories, you must open
to these beautiful creatures; watch in nightcap, and candle in hand,
while your things get all tumbled hither and thither, in the search for
what perhaps is not there; nay, it was said and suspected, but I never
knew it for certain, that these poisonous French are capable of slipping
in something contraband, on purpose to have you fined whether or not.

Readers can conceive, though apparently Friedrich did not, what a world
of vexation all this occasioned; and how, in the continual annoyance to
all mankind, the irritation, provocation and querulous eloquence spread
among high and low. Of which the King knew something; but far from the
whole. His object was one of vital importance; and his plan once fixed,
he went on with it, according to his custom, regardless of little rubs.
The Anecdote Books are full of details, comic mostly, on this subject:
How the French rats pounced down upon good harmless people, innocent
frugal parsonages, farm-houses; and were comically flung prostrate by
native ready wit, or by direct appeal to the King. Details, never so
authentic, could not be advisable in this place. Perhaps there are not
more than Two authentic Passages, known to me, which can now have the
least interest, even of a momentary sort, to English readers. The first
is, Of King Friedrich caricatured as a Miser grinding Coffee. I give it,
without essential alteration of any kind, in Herr Preuss's words, copied
from those of one who saw it:--the second, which relates to a Princess
or Ex-Princess of the Royal House, I must reserve for a little while.
Herr Preuss says:--

"Once during the time of the 'Regie' [which lasted from 1766 to 1786 and
the King's death: no other date assignable, though 1768, or so, may be
imaginable for our purpose], as the King came riding along the Jager
Strasse, there was visible near what is called the Furstenhaus," kind of
Berlin Somerset House, [Nicolai, i. 155.] "a great crowd of people. 'See
what it is!' the King sent his one attendant, a heiduc or groom, into
it, to learn what it was. 'They have something posted up about your
Majesty,' reported the groom; and Friedrich, who by this time had ridden
forward, took a look at the thing; which was a Caricature figure of
himself: King in very melancholy guise, seated on a Stool, a Coffee-mill
between his knees; diligently grinding with the one hand, and with the
other picking up any bean that mig