burg,
Winterfeld, Swedish Rudenskjold (just about departing), not to speak of
D'Argens and the French, "with whom he lives in almost the familiarity
of a friend,--but has no favorite;--and shows a natural politeness for
everybody who is about him. For one who has been four days about his
person, you will say I pretend to know a great deal of his character:
but what I tell you, you may depend upon. With more time, I shall know
as much of him as he will let me know;--and all his Ministry knows
no more." [Varnhagen van Ense,--Leben des Feldmarschalls Jakob
Keith--(Berlin, 1844,) p. 100; Adelung, vi. 244.]

A notable acquisition to Friedrich;--and to the two Keiths withal; for
Friedrich attached both of them to his Court and service, after their
unlucky wanderings; and took to them both, in no common degree. As will
abundantly appear.

While that Russia Corps was marching out of Moscow, Cocceji and his
Commissions report from Pommern, that the Pomeranian Law-stables are
completely clear; that the New Courts have, for many months back, been
in work, and are now, at the end of the Year, fairly abreast with it,
according to program;--have "decided of Old-Pending Lawsuits 2,400,
all that there were (one of them 200 years old, and filling seventy
Volumes); and of the 994 New ones, 772; not one Lawsuit remaining over
from the previous Year." A highly gratifying bit of news to his Majesty;
who answers emphatically, EUGE! and directs that the Law Hercules
proceed now to the other Provinces,--to the Kur-Mark, now, and Berlin
itself,--with his salutary industries. Naming him "Grand Chancellor,"
moreover; that is to say, under a new title, Head of Prussian Law,--old
Arnim, "Minister of Justice," having shown himself disaffected to
Law-Reform, and got rebuked in consequence, and sulkily gone into
private life. [Stenzel, iv. 321; Ranke, iii. 389.]

In February of this Year, 1747, Friedrich had something like a stroke
of apoplexy; "sank suddenly motionless, one day," and sat insensible,
perhaps for half an hour: to the terror and horror of those about
him. Hemiplegia, he calls it; rush of blood to the head;--probably
indigestion, or gouty humors, exasperated by over-fatigue. Which
occasioned great rumor in the world; and at Paris, to Voltaire's horror,
reports of his death. He himself made light of the matter: [To Voltaire,
22d February, 1747 (--OEuvres de Frederic,--xxii. 164); see IB. 164
n.] and it did not prove to have been import