this sublime Headship of the Reich bring moneyless; and one's new
"Kingdom of Bohemia" hanging in so uncertain a state, with nothing
but a Pharsalia-Sahay to show for itself!--

Among Friedrich's "inconsiderable suite," at Aachen, was Prince
Henri (his youngest Brother, age now sixteen, a small, sensitive,
shivering creature, but of uncommon parts); and another young man,
Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick, his Wife's youngest Brother;
a soldier, as all the Brothers are; soldier in Friedrich's Army,
this one; in whose fine inarticulate eupeptic character are
excellent dispositions and capacities discernible. Ferdinand goes
generally with the King; much about him in these years. All the
Brothers follow soldiering; it is the one trade of German Princes.
When at home, Friedrich is still occasionally with his Queen;
who lives at Schonhausen, in the environs of Berlin, but goes with
him to Charlottenburg, to old Reinsberg; and has her share of galas
in his company, with the Queen Mother and cognate Highnesses.

Another small fact, still more memorable at present, is, That
Voltaire now made him a Third Visit,--privately on Fleury's
instance, as is evident this time. Of which Voltaire Visit readers
shall know duly, by and by, what little is knowable. But, alas,
there is first an immense arrear of War-matters to bring up;
to which, still more than to Voltaire, the afflicted reader must
address himself, if he would understand at all what Friedrich's
Environment, or circumambient Life-element now was, and how
Friedrich, well or ill, comported himself in the same.
Brevity, this Editor knows, is extremely desirable, and that the
scissors should be merciless on those sad Paper-Heaps, intolerable
to the modern mind; but, unless the modern mind chance to prefer