rpetuity; Dutch Stadtholderate as good
as ditto: this, with Prussia and its fighting capabilities, will be a
pleasant Protestant thing. Austria cares little about the Netherlands,
in comparison. Austria, getting back its Lorraine and Alsace, will be
content, will be strong on its feet. What if it should even lose Italy?
France, Spain, Sardinia, the Italian Petty Principalities and Anarchies:
suppose they tug and tussle, and collapse there as they can? But let
France try to look across the Rhine again; and to threaten Teutschland,
England, and the Cause of Human Liberty temporal or spiritual!"

This is authentically the purport of Herr Ranke's extraordinary
Document; [Ranke, iii. 359.] guessable as due to CARTERETUS or DIABOLUS.
Here is an outlook; here is a career as Conquering Hero, if that were
one's line! A very magnificent ground-plan; hung up to kindle the fancy
of a young King,--who is far too prudent to go into it at all. More
definite quasi-official offers, it seems, were made him from the same
quarter: Subsidies to begin with, such subsidies as nobody ever had
before; say 1,000,000 pounds sterling by the Year. To which Friedrich
answered, "Subsidies, your Excellency?" (Are We a Hackney-Coachman,
then?)--and, with much contempt, turned his back on that offer. No
fighting to be had, by purchase or seduction, out of this young man.
Will not play the Conquering Hero at all, nor the Hackney-Coachman
at all; has decided "not to fight a cat" if let alone; but to do and
endeavor a quite other set of things, for the rest of his life.

Friedrich, readers can observe, is not uplifted with his greatness.
He has been too much beaten and bruised to be anything but modestly
thankful for getting out of such a deadly clash of chaotic swords. Seems
to have little pride even in his "Five Victories;" or hides it well.
Talks not overmuch about these things; talks of them, so far as we can
hear, with his old comrades only, in praise of THEIR prowesses; as
a simple human being, not as a supreme of captains; and at times
acknowledges, in a fine sincere way, the omnipotence of Luck in matters
of War.

One of the most characteristic traits, extensively symbolical of
Friedrich's intentions and outlooks at this Epoch, is his installing
of himself in the little Dwelling-House, which has since become so
celebrated under the name of Sans-Souci. The plan of Sans-Souci--an
elegant commodious little "Country Box," quite of modest pretensions,