amusement, pretty much at his own modest discretion. A green flat
region, made of peat and sand; human industry needing to be always
busy on it: raised causeways with incessant bridges, black sedgy
ditch on this hand and that; many meres, muddy pools, stagnant or
flowing waters everywhere; big muddy Oder, of yellowish-drab
color, coming from the south, big black Warta (Warthe) from the
Polish fens in the east, the black and yellow refusing to mingle
for some miles. Nothing of the picturesque in this country; but a
good deal of the useful, of the improvable by economic science;
and more of fine productions in it, too, of the floral, and still
more interesting sorts, than you would suspect at first sight.
Friedrich's worst pinch was his dreadful straitness of income;
checking one's noble tendencies on every hand: but the gentry of
the district privately subscribed gifts for him (SE COTISIRENT,
says Wilhelmina); and one way and other he contrived to make ends
meet. Munchow, his President in the Kammer, next to whom sits
Friedrich, "King's place standing always ready but empty there,"
is heartily his friend; the Munchows are diligent in getting up
balls, rural gayeties, for him; so the Hilles,--nay Hille, severe
Finance Tutor, has a Mamsell Hille whom it is pleasant to dance
with; [Preuss, i. 59.] nor indeed is she the only fascinating
specimen, or flower of loveliness, in those peaty regions, as we
shall see. On the whole, his Royal Highness, after the first
paroxysms of Royal suspicion are over, and forgiveness beginning
to seem possible to the Royal mind, has a supportable time of it;
and possesses his soul in patience, in activity and hope.

Unpermitted things, once for all, he must avoid to do: perhaps he
will gradually discover that many of them were foolish things
better not done. He walks warily; to this all things continually