But soldiering is his grand concern. Six years ago, summer 1706,
[Forster, i. 116] at a very early age, he went to the wars,--grand
Spanish-Succession War, which was then becoming very fierce in the
Netherlands; Prussian troops always active on the Marlborough-
Eugene side. He had just been betrothed, was not yet wedded;
thought good to turn the interim to advantage in that way.
Then again, spring 1709, after his marriage and after his Father's
marriage, "the Court being full of intrigues," and nothing but
silence recommendable there, a certain renowned friend of his,
Leopold, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau, of whom we shall yet hear a
great deal,--who, still only about thirty, had already covered
himself with laurels in those wars (Blenheim, Bridge of Casano,
Lines of Turin, and other glories), but had now got into
intricacies with the weaker sort, and was out of command,--agreed
with Friedrich Wilhelm that it would be well to go and serve there
as volunteers, since not otherwises. [Varnhagen von Ense,
Furst Leopold von Anhalt-Dessau (in
Biographische Denkmale, 2d edition, Berlin, 1845),
p. 185. Thaten und Leben des weltberuhmten Furstens
Leopoldi von Anhalt-Dessau (Leipzig, 1742), p. 73.
Forster, i. 129.] A Crown-Prince of Prussia, ought he not to learn
soldiering, of all things; by every opportunity? Which Friedrich
Wilhelm did, with industry; serving zealous apprenticeship under
Marlborough and Eugene, in this manner; plucking knowledge, as the
bubble reputation, and all else in that field has to be plucked,
from the cannon's mouth. Friedrich Wilhelm kept by Marlborough,
now as formerly; friend Leopold being commonly in Eugene's
quarter, who well knew the worth of him, ever since Blenheim and
earlier. Friedrich Wilhelm saw hot service, that campaign of 1709;