y.
April 5th, 1751, the old King of Sweden, Landgraf of Hessen-Cassel,
died; whereby not only our friend Wilhelm, the managing Landgraf,
becomes Landgraf indeed (if he should ever turn up on us again), but
Princess Ulrique is henceforth Queen of Sweden, her Husband the
new King. No doubt a welcome event to Princess Ulrique, the high
brave-minded Lady; but which proved intrinsically an empty one, not to
say worse than empty, to herself and her friends, in times following.
Friedrich's connection with Sweden, which he had been tightening lately
by a Treaty of Alliance, came in the long-run to nothing for him, on the
Swedish side; and on the Russian has already created umbrages, kindled
abstruse suspicions, indignations,--Russian Excellency Gross, abruptly,
at Berlin, demanding horses, not long since, and posting home without
other leave-taking, to the surprise of mankind;--Russian Czarina
evidently in the sullens against Friedrich, this long while; dull
impenetrable clouds of anger lodging yonder, boding him no good. All
which the Accession of Queen Ulrique will rather tend to aggravate than
otherwise. [Adelung, vii. 205 (Accession of Adolf Friedrich); ib. 133
(Gross's sudden Departure).]

The Second Foreign Event is English, about a week prior in date, and
is of still less moment: March 31st, 1751, Prince Fred, the Royal
Heir-Apparent, has suddenly died. Had been ill, more or less, for an
eight days past; was now thought better, though "still coughing, and
bringing up phlegm,"--when, on "Wednesday night between nine and ten,"
in some lengthier fit of that kind, he clapt his hand on his breast; and
the terrified valet heard him say, "JE SUIS MORT!"--and before his
poor Wife could run forward with a light, he lay verily dead. [Walpole,
GEORGE THE SECOND, i. 71.] The Rising Sun in England is vanished,
then. Yes; and with him his MOONS, and considerable moony workings, and
slushings hither and thither, which they have occasioned, in the muddy
tide-currents of that Constitutional Country. Without interest to us
here; or indeed elsewhere,--except perhaps that our dear Wilhelmina
would hear of it; and have her sad reflections and reminiscences
awakened by it; sad and many-voiced, perhaps of an almost doleful
nature, being on a sick-bed at this time, poor Lady. She quitted Berlin
months ago, as we observed,--her farewell Letter to Friedrich, written
from the first stage homewards, and melodious as the voice of sorrowful
true hea