being, then, one of the most hopeful youths of the University. My
reception was most flattering; the justness of my replies to the
questions he asked, my height, figure, and confidence, pleased him;
and I soon obtained permission to enter as a cadet in his body
guards, with a promise of quick preferment.

The body guards formed, at this time, a model and school for the
Prussian cavalry; they consisted of one single squadron of men
selected from the whole army, and their uniform was the most
splendid in all Europe. Two thousand rix-dollars were necessary to
equip an officer: the cuirass was wholly plated with silver; and
the horse, furniture, and accoutrements alone cost four hundred rix-
dollars.

This squadron only contained six officers and a hundred and forty-
four men; but there were always fifty or sixty supernumeraries, and
as many horses, for the King incorporated all the most handsome men
he found in the guards. The officers were the best taught of any
the army contained; the King himself was their tutor, and he
afterwards sent them to instruct the cavalry in the manoeuvres they
had learnt. Their rise was rapid if they behaved well; but they
were broken for the least fault, and punished by being sent to
garrison regiments. It was likewise necessary they should be
tolerably rich, as well as possess such talents as might be
successfully employed, both at court and in the army.

There are no soldiers in the world who undergo so much as this body
guard; and during the time I was in the service of Frederic, I often
had not eight hours' sleep in eight days. Exercise began at four in
the morning, and experiments were made of all the alterations the