formed to himself of Friedrich, and of Friedrich's
History in its human lineaments and organic sequences, will glean many
memorabilia in those Years: which his readers then (and not till then)
will be able to intercalate in their places, and get human good of. But
alas, while there is no intelligible human image, nothing of lineaments
or organic sequences, or other than a jumbled mass of Historical
Marine-Stores, presided over by Dryasdust and Human Stupor (unsorted,
unlabelled, tied up in blind sacks), the very Antiquary will have uphill
work of it, and his readers will often turn round on him with a gloomy
expression of countenance!"

2. "Friedrich's Life--little as he expected it, that day when he started
up from his ague-fit at Reinsberg, and grasped the fiery Opportunity
that was shooting past--is a Life of War. The chief memory that will
remain of him is that of a King and man who fought consummately well.
Not Peace and the Muses; no, that is denied him,--though he was so
unwilling, always, to think it denied! But his Life-Task turned out to
be a Battle for Silesia. It consists of Three grand Struggles of War.
And not for Silesia only;--unconsciously, for what far greater things to
his Nation and to him!

"Deeply unconscious of it, they were passing their 'Trials,' his Nation
and he, in the great Civil-Service-Examination Hall of this Universe:
'Are you able to defend yourselves, then; and to hang together coherent,
against the whole world and its incoherencies and rages?' A question
which has to be asked of Nations, before they can be recognized as such,
and be baptized into the general commonwealth; they are mere Hordes
or accidental Aggregates, till that Question come. Question which this
Nation had long been getting ready for; which now, under this King, it
answered to the satisfaction of gods and men: 'Yes, Heaven assisting, we
can stand on our defence; and in the long-run (as with air when you
try to annihilate it, or crush it to NOTHING) there is even an infinite
force in us; and the whole world does not succeed in annihilating us!'
Upon which has followed what we term National Baptism;--or rather this
was the National Baptism, this furious one in torrent whirlwinds of
fire; done three times over, till in gods or men there was no doubt
left. That was Friedrich's function in the world; and a great and
memorable one;--not to his own Prussian Nation only, but to Teutschland
at large, forever memorable.

"'I