and
Opposition Placards too high posted, to save the poor reading people any
trouble that was possible.

A French eye-witness testifies: "They had no talent, these Regie
fellows, but that of writing and ciphering; extremely conceited too, and
were capable of the most ridiculous follies. Once, for instance, they
condemned a common soldier, who had hidden some pounds of tobacco, to a
fine of 200 thalers. The King, on reviewing it for confirmation, wrote
on the margin: 'Before confirming this sentence, I should wish to know
where the Soldier, who gets 8 groschen [ninepence halfpenny] in the
5 days, will find the 200 crowns for paying this Fine!'" [Laveaux (2d
edition), iii. 228.] Innumerable instances of a constant disposition
that way, on the King's part, stand on record. "A crown a head on the
import of fat cattle, Tax on butcher's-meat?" writes he once to De
Launay: "No, that would fall on the poorer classes: to that I must
say No. I am, by office, Procurator of the Poor (L'AVOCAT DU PAUVRE)."
Elsewhere it is "AVOCAT DEC PAUVRE ET DU SOLDAT (of the working-man and
of the soldier); and have to plead their cause." [Preuss, iii. 20.]

We will now give our Second Anecdote; which has less of memorability
to us strangers at present, though doubtless it was then, in Berlin
society, the more celebrated of the two; relating, as it did, to a high
Court-Lady, almost the highest, and who was herself only too celebrated
in those years. The heroine is Princess Elizabeth of Brunswick, King's
own Niece and a pretty woman; who for four years (14th July, 1765-18th
April, 1769) of her long life was Princess Royal of Prussia,--Wife of
that tall young Gentleman whom we used to see dancing about, whom we
last saw at Schweidnitz getting flung from his horse, on the day of
Pirch's saddle there:--his Wife for four years, but in the fourth year
ceased to be so [Rodenbeck, ii. 241, 257.] (for excellent reasons,
on both sides), and lived thenceforth in a divorced eclipsed state at
Stettin, where is laid the scene of our Anecdote. I understand it to be
perfectly true; but cannot ascertain from any of the witnesses in what
year the thing happened; or whether it was at Stettin or Berlin,--though
my author has guessed, "Stettin, in the Lady's divorced state," as
appears.

"This Princess had commissioned, direct from Lyon, a very beautiful
dress; which arrived duly, addressed to her at Stettin. As this kind of
stuffs is charged with very heavy dues,