It was from Pyrmont, May, 1746,--or more definitely, it was "at
Potsdam early in the morning, 15th September," following,--that
Friedrich launched, or shot forth from its moorings, after much
previous attempting and preparing, a very great Enterprise;
which he has never lost sight of since the day he began reigning,
nor will till his reign and life end: the actual Reform of Law in
Prussia. "May 12th, 1746," Friedrich, on the road to Pyrmont,
answers his Chief Law-Minister Cocceji's REPORT OF PRACTICAL PLAN
on this matter: "Yes; looks very hopeful!"--and took it with him to
consider at Pyrmont, during his leisure. Much considering of it,
then and afterwards, there was. And finally, September 15th, early
in the morning, Cocceji had an Interview with Friedrich; and the
decisive fiat was given: "Yes; start on it, in God's name!
Pommern, which they call the PROVINCIA LITIGIOSA; try it there
first!" [Ranke, ii. 392.] And Cocceji, a vigorous old man of sixty-
seven, one of the most learned of Lawyers, and a very Hercules in
cleaning Law-Stables, has, on Friedrich's urgencies,--which have
been repeated on every breathing-time of Peace there has been, and
even sometimes in the middle of War (last January, 1745, for
example; and again, express Order, January, 1746, a fortnight after
Peace was signed),--actually got himself girt for this salutary
work. "Wash me out that horror of accumulation, let us see the old
Pavements of the place again. Every Lawsuit to be finished within
the Year!"

Cocceji, who had been meditating such matters for a great while,
["1st March, 1738," Friedrich Wilhelm's "Edict" on Law Reform:
Cocceji ready, at that time;--but his then Majesty forbore.] and
was himself eager to proceed, in spite of considerable wigged
oppositions and secret reluctances that there were, did now, on