nslang verbleibe,

"Ew. Churf. Durchl. gehorsamster Diener und treuer Sohn,

"FRIEDRICH R."

[Preuss, _Friedrich der Grosse (Historische Skizze,_ Berlin, 1838), p.
380.]

Of which this is the literal English:--"Your Electoral Serenity will
doubtless rejoice with us that the little Prince Fritz has now got his
sixth tooth without the least INCOMMODITE. And therein we may trace
a pre-destination, inasmuch as his Brothers died of teething [_Not of
cannon-sound and weight of head-gear, then, your Majesty thinks? That
were a painful thought?_]; and this one, as his Sister [WILHELMINA]
did, gets them [THE TEETH] without trouble. God preserve him long for a
comfort to us:--to whose protection I commit DIESELBE [_Your Electoral
Highness, in the third person_], and remain lifelong,

"Your Electoral Highness's most obedient Servant and true Son,

"FRIEDRICH REX."

One of Friedrich Rex's worst adventures was his latest; commenced some
five or six years ago (1708), and now not far from terminating. He was a
Widower, of weakly constitution, towards fifty: his beautiful ingenious
"Serena," with all her Theologies, pinch-of-snuff Coronations and other
earthly troubles, was dead; and the task of continuing the Hohenzollern
progeny, given over to Friedrich Wilhelm the Prince Royal, was thought
to be in good hands. Majesty Friedrich with the weak back had retired,
in 1708, to Karlsbad, to rest from his cares; to take the salutary
waters, and recruit his weak nerves a little. Here, in the course of
confidential promenadings, it was hinted, it was represented to him
by some pickthank of a courtier, That the task of continuing the
Hohenzollern progeny did not seem to prosper in the present good hands;
that Sophie Dorothee, Princess Royal, had already borne two royal
infants which had speedily died: that in fact it was to be gathered
from the medical men, if not from their words, then from their looks and
cautious innuendoes, that Sophie Dorothee, Princess Royal, would
never produce a Prince or even Princess that would live; which task,
therefore, did now again seem to devolve upon his Majesty, if his
Majesty had not insuperable objections? Majesty had no insuperable
objections; old Majesty listened to the flattering tale; and, sure
enough, he smarted for it in a signal manner.

By due industry, a Princess was fixed upon for Bride, Princess Sophie
Louisa of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, age now twenty-four: she was got as
Wife, and cam