profit in unseemly language,
Madam?"--but, for the first year and more, there was no abatement on the
Austrian part.

Friedrich's own Delegate at Regensburg, a Baron von Plotho, come of
old Brandenburg kindred, is a resolute, ready-tongued, very undaunted
gentleman; learned in Diplomacies and Reich's Law; carries his head
high, and always has his story at hand. Argument, grounded on Reich's
Law and the nature of the case, Plotho never lacks, on spur of the hour:
and is indeed a very commendable parliamentary mastiff; and honorable
and melodious in the bark of him, compared with those infuriated
porcine specimens. He has Kur-Hanover for ally on common occasions, and
generally from most Protestant members individually, or from the CORPUS
EVANGELICORUM in mass, some feeble whimper of support. Finds difficulty
in getting his Reich's Pleadings printed;--dangerous, everywhere in
those Southern Parts, to print anything whatever that is not Austrian:
so that Plotho, at length, gets printers to himself, and sets up a
Printing-Press in his own house at Regensburg. He did a great deal of
sonorous pleading for Friedrich; proud, deep-voiced, ruggedly logical;
fairly beyond the Austrian quality in many cases,--and always far
briefer, which is another high merit. October coming, we purpose to
look in upon Plotho for one minute; "October 14th, 1757;" which may
be reckoned essentially the acme or turning-point of these unpleasant
thunderings. [_Helden-Geschichte,_ iv. 745-749.]

What good he did to Friedrich, or could have done with the tongue of
angels in such an audience, we do not accurately know. Some good he
would do even in the Reich's-Diet there; and out of doors, over a German
public, still more; and is worth his frugal wages,--say 1,000 pounds a
year, printing and all other expense included! This is a mere guess of
mine, Dryasdust having been incurious: but, to English readers it is
incredible for what sums Friedrich got his work done, no work ever
better. Which is itself an appreciable advantage, computable in pounds
sterling; and is the parent of innumerable others which no Arithmetic
or Book-keeping by Double Entry will take hold of, and which are indeed
priceless for Nations and for persons. But this poor old bedridden
Reich, starting in agonistic spasm at such rate: is it not touching, in
a Corpus moribund for so many Centuries past! The Reich is something;
though it is not much, nothing like so much as even Kaiser Franz