into blind
sacks,--for forty years.

The Review seasons, I notice, go somewhat as follows. For Berlin and
neighborhood, May, or perhaps end of April (weather now bright, and
ground firm); sometimes with considerable pomp ("both Queens out," and
beautiful Female Nobilities, in "twenty-four green tents"), and often
with great complicacy of manoeuvre. In June, to Magdeburg, round by
Cleve; and home again for some days. July is Pommern: Onward thence to
Schlesien, oftenest in August; Schlesien the last place, and generally
not done with till well on in September. But we will speak of these
things, more specially, another time. Such "Reviews," for strictness of
inspection civil and military, as probably were not seen in the world
since,--or before, except in the case of this King's Father only.

Chapter V. STRANGERS OF NOTE COME TO BERLIN, IN 1750.

British Diplomacies, next to the Russian, cause some difficulties
in those years: of which more by and by. Early in 1748, while
Aix-la-Chapelle was starting, Ex-Exchequer Legge came to Berlin; on some
obscure object of a small Patch of Principality, hanging loose during
those Negotiations: "Could not we secure it for his Royal Highness
of Cumberland, thinks your Majesty?" Ex-Exchequer Legge was here;
[Coxe's--Pelham,--i. 431, &c.; Rodenbeck, pp. 155, 160 (first audience
1st May, 1748);--recalled 22d November, Aix being over.] got handsome
assurances of a general nature; but no furtherance towards his obscure,
completely impracticable object; and went home in November following, to
a new Parliamentary Career.

And the second year after, early in 1750, came Sir Hanbury Williams,
famed London Wit of Walpole's circle, on objects which, in the main,
were equally chimerical: "King of the Romans, much wanted;" "No Damage
to your Majesty's Shipping from our British Privateers;" and the
like;--about which some notice, and not very much, will be due
farther on. Here, in his own words, is Hanbury's Account of his First
Audience:--

... "On Thursday," 16th July, 1750, "I went to Court by appointment, at
11 A.M. The King of Prussia arrived about 12 [at Berlin; King in from
Potsdam, for one day]; and Count Podewils immediately introduced me into
the Royal closet; when I delivered his Britannic Majesty's Letters into
the King of Prussia's hands, and made the usual compliments to him in
the best manner I was able. To which his Prussian Majesty replied, to
the best of my remembrance,