ed. The young Serene Lady was
of airy high spirit; graceful, clever, good too, they said; perhaps a
thought too proud:--but as for her Reigning Duke, there was seldom seen
so lurid a Serenity; and it was difficult to live beside him. A most
arbitrary Herr, with glooms and whims; dim-eyed, ambitious, voracious,
and the temper of an angry mule,--very fit to have been haltered, in a
judicious manner, instead of being set to halter others! Enough, in
six or seven years time, the bright Pair found itself grown thunderous,
opaque beyond description; and (in 1759) had to split asunder for good.
"Owing to the reigning Duke's behavior," said everybody. "Has behaved
so, I would run him through the body, if we met!" said his own Brother
once:--Brother Friedrich Eugen, a Prussian General by that time, whom we
shall hear of. [Preuss, iv. 149; Michaelis, iii. 451.] What thoughts
for our dear Wilhelmina, in her latter weak years;--lapped in eternal
silence, as so much else is.

Chapter IV. COCCEJI FINISHES THE LAW-REFORM; FRIEDRICH IS PRINTING HIS
POESIES.

In these years, Friedrich goes on victoriously with his Law-Reform;
Herculean Cocceji with Assistants, backed by Friedrich, beneficently
conquering Province after Province to him;--Kur-Mark, Neu-Mark,
Cleve (all easy, in comparison, after Pommern), and finally Preussen
itself;--to the joy and profit of the same. Cocceji's method, so far
as the Foreign on-looker can discern across much haze, seems to be
three-fold:--

1. Extirpation (painless, were it possible) of the Petti-fogger Species;
indeed, of the Attorney Species altogether: "Seek other employments;
disappear, all of you, from these precincts, under penalty!" The
Advocate himself takes charge of the suit, from first birth of it; and
sees it ended,--he knows within what limit of time.

2. Sifting out of all incompetent Advocates, "Follow that
Attorney-Company, you; away!"--sifting out all these, and retaining in
each Court, with fees accurately settled, with character stamped sound,
or at least SOUNDEST, the number actually needed. In a milder way, but
still more strictly, Judges stupid or otherwise incompetent are riddled
out; able Judges appointed, and their salaries raised.

3. What seems to be Friedrich's own invention, what in outcome he thinks
will be the summary of all good Law-Procedure: A final Sentence (three
"instances" you can have, but the third ends it for you) within the
Year. Good, surely. A justic