e Elector
might now say: "Surely it is mine; again mine, as it long was; well won
a second time, since the first would not do!" But no:--Louis XIV. proved
a gentleman to his Swedes. Louis, now that the Peace of Nimwegen had
come, and only the Elector of Brandenburg was still in harness, said
steadily, though anxious enough to keep well with the Elector: "They are
my allies, these Swedes; it was on my bidding they invaded you: can I
leave them in such a pass? It must not be!" So Pommern had to be given
back. A miss which was infinitely grievous to Friedrich Wilhelm. The
most victorious Elector cannot hit always, were his right never so good.

Another miss which he had to put up with, in spite of his rights,
and his good services, was that of the Silesian Duchies. The
Heritage-Fraternity with Liegnitz had at length, in 1675, come to fruit.
The last Duke of Liegnitz was dead: Duchies of Liegnitz, of Brieg,
Wohlau, are Brandenburg's, if there were right done! But Kaiser
Leopold in the scarlet stockings will not hear of Heritage-Fraternity.
"Nonsense!" answers Kaiser Leopold: "A thing suppressed at once, ages
ago; by Imperial power: flat ZERO of a thing at this time;--and you, I
again bid you, return me your Papers upon it!" This latter act of duty
Friedrich Wilhelm would not do; but continued insisting. [Pauli,
v. 321.] "Jagerndorf at least, O Kaiser of the world," said he;
"Jagerndorf, there is no color for your keeping that!" To which the
Kaiser again answers, "Nonsense!"--and even falls upon astonishing
schemes about it, as we shall see;--but gives nothing. Ducal Preussen
is sovereign, Cleve is at Peace, Hinter-Pommern ours;--this Elector has
conquered much: but the Silesian Heritages and Vor-Pommern, and some
other things, he will have to do without. Louis XIV., it is thought,
once offered to get him made King; [Ib. vii. 215.] but that he declined
for the present.

His married and domestic life is very fine and human; especially with
that Oranien-Nassau Princess, who was his first Wife (1646-1667);
Princess Louisa of Nassau-Orange; Aunt to our own Dutch William, King
William III., in time coming. An excellent wise Princess; from whom
came the Orange Heritages, which afterwards proved difficult to
settle:--Orange was at last exchanged for the small Principality of
Neufchatel in Switzerland, which is Prussia's ever since. "Oranienburg
(ORANGE-BURG)," a Royal Country-house, still standing, some twenty miles
northwards fr