第1章

ThisPiece，itwouldseem，wastranslatedsixteenyearsago；

somefourorfiveyearsbeforeanypartofthepresentHISTORYOF

FRIEDRICHgottopaper。TheintercalatedbitsofCommentarywere，asisevident，allormostlywrittenatthesametime:thesealso，thoughtheyarenowbecome，inparts，SUPERFLUOUStoareaderthathasbeendiligent，Ihavenotthoughtofchanging，wherenotcompelled。Hereandthere，especiallyintheIntroductoryPart，someslightadditionshavecreptin；whichtheabovekindofreaderwillpossiblyenoughdetect；andmayevenhave，forfriendlyreasons，somevestigeofinterestinassigningtotheirnewdateandcomparingwiththeold。（NOTEOF1868。）

ADAYWITHFRIEDRICH。

（23dJuly，1779。）

"OBERAMTMANN（HeadManager）Fromme"wasasister"ssonofPoet，Gleim，GleimCanonofHalberstadt，whowrotePrussian"grenadier

songs"in，orinreferenceto，theSevenYearsWar，songsstillprinted，butworthlittle；whobeggedonce，afterFriedrich"sdeath，anOLDHATofhis，andtookitwithhimtoHalberstadt（whereIhopeitstillis）；whohada"TempleofHonor，"orlittleGardenhousesonamed，withPortraitsofhisFriendshunginit；

whoputJeanPaulVERYSOONthere，withagreatexplosionofpraises；andwho，inshort，seemstohavebeenaverygoodeffervescentcreature，atlastratherwealthytoo，andabletoeffervescewithsomecomfort；OberamtmannFromme，Isay，wasthisGleim"sNephew；andstoodasakindofRoyalLandBailiffunderFredericktheGreat，inatractofcountrycalledtheRHYNLUCH（adreadfullymoorycountryofsandsandquagmires，allgreenandfertilenow，sometwentyorthirtymilesnorthwestofBerlin）；

busytherein1779，andhadbeenforsomeyearspast。HehadoriginallybeenanOfficeroftheArtillery；butobtainedhisdischargein1769，andgot，beforelong，intothisemployment。

Amanofexcellentdispositionandtemper；withasolidandheavystrokeofworkinhim，whateverhemightbesetto；andwhointhisOBERAMTMANNSHIP"becamehighlyesteemed。"Hediedin1798；andhasleftsons（nowperhapsgrandsonsorgreatgrandsons），whocontinueestimableinlikesituationsunderthePrussianGovernment。

OneofFromme"susefulgifts，theusefulestofallforusatpresent，was"hiswonderfultalentofexactmemory。"Hecouldremembertoasingularextent；and，wewillhope，onthisoccasion，wasunusuallyconscientioustodoit。Foritsohappened，inJuly，1779（23dJuly），Friedrich，justhomefromhistroublesomeBavarianWar，[HadarrivedatBerlinMay27th（Rodenbeck，iii。201）。]andagainlookingintoeverythingwithhisowneyes，determinedtohaveapersonalviewofthoseMoorRegionsofFromme"s；totakeaday"sdrivingthroughthatRHYNLUCHwhichhadcosthimsomucheffortandoutlay；andheorderedFrommetoattendhimintheexpedition。

Whichtookeffectaccordingly；FrommeridingswiftlyattheleftwheelofFriedrich"scarriage，andloudlyansweringquestionsofhis，allday。Directlyongettinghome，Frommeconsultedhisexcellentmemory，andwrotedowneverything；aconsiderablePaper，ofwhichyoushallnowhaveanexactTranslation，ifitbeworthanything。FrommegavethePapertoUncleGleim；who，inhisenthusiasm，showeditextensivelyabout，andsosoonastherewasliberty，hadit"printed，athisownexpense，forthebenefitofpoorsoldiers"children。"["Gleim"sedition，broughtoutin1786，theyearofFriedrich"sdeath，isnowquitegone，theBookundiscoverable。ButthePaperwasreprintedinanANEKDOTEN

SAMMLUNG（CollectionofAnecdotes，Berlin，1787，8tesSTUCK，whereIdiscoverityesterday（17thJuly，1852）inacopyofmine，muchtomysurprise；havingbeforemetwithitinoneHildebrandt"sANEKDOTENSAMMLUNG（Halberstadt，1830，4tesSTUCK，aratherslovenlyBook），whereitisgivenoutasoneoftherarestofallrarities，andashavingbeenspecially"furnishedbyaDr。W。

Korte，"beingunattainableotherwise！Thetwocopiesdifferslightlyhereandthere，notalwaystoDr。Korte"sadvantage，orratherhardlyever。Ikeepthembothbeforemeintranslating"

（MARGINALEOF1852）。

"TheRHYN"orRhin，isalittleriver，which，nearitshigherclearersources，wewerealloncewellacquaintedwith:

considerablelittlemoorlandriver，withseveralbranchescomingdownfromRuppinCountry，andcertainlakesandplashesthere，inasouthwestdirection，towardstheElbevalley，towardstheHavelStream；intowhichlatter，throughanotherplashorlakecalledGULPERSEE，andafewmilesfarther，intotheElbeitself，itconveys，afteracourseofsay50Englishmilescircuitouslysouthwest，theblackdrainingsofthosedrearyandintricatePeatbogandSandcountries。"LUCH，"itappears，signifiesLOCH（orHole，Hollow）；and"RhynLuch"willmean，toPrussianears，thePeatbogQuagmiredrainedbytheRHYN。NewRuppin，wherethisbeautifulblackStreamfirstbecomesconsiderable，andofsteadilyblackcomplexion，liesbetween40and50milesnorthwestofBerlin。

TenortwelvemilesfarthernorthisREINSBERG（properlyRHYNSBERG），whereFriedrichasCrownPrincelivedhishappiestfewyears。Thedetailsofwhichwerefamiliartouslongago，andnodoubtdwellclearandsoft，intheirappropriate"palemoonlight，"

inFriedrich"smemoryonthisoccasion。SometimeafterhisAccession，hegavetheplacetoPrinceHenri，wholivedtheretill1802。Itisnowfallenalldim；andthereisnothingatNewRuppinbutaremembrance。

TothehitheredgeofthisRhynLuoh，fromBerlin，Iguesstheremaybefiveandtwentymiles，inanorthwestdirection；

fromPotsdam，whenceFriedrichstartstoday，about，thesamedistancenorthbywest；"atSeelenhorst，"whereFrommewaitshim，Friedrichhasalreadyhad30milesofdriving，rate10milesanhour，aswechancetoobserve。Notablethings，besidestheSpade

husbandriesheisintenton，solicithisremembranceinthisregion。OfFreisackand"HeavyPeg"withherdidacticbatteringsthere，Isupposehe，inthosefixedtimes，knowsnothing，probablyhasneverheard:FreisackisonabranchofthissameRhyn，andhemightseeit，toleftamileortwo，ifhecared。

ButFehrbellin（"FerryofBellEEN"），distinguishedbytheshiningvictorywhich"theGreatElector，"Friedrich"sGreatGrandfather，gainedthere，overtheSwedes，in1675，standsontheRhynitself，aboutmidway；andFriedrichwillpassthroughitonthisoccasion。

GeneralZiethen，too，livesnearitatWusterau（aswillbeseen）:

"OldZiethen，"alittlestumpyman，withhangingbrowsandthickpoutinglips；unbeautifultolookupon，butpious，wise，silent，andwithaterribleblazeoffightingtalentinhim；fullofobedience，ofendurance，andyetofunsubduable"silentrage"

（whichhasbrookedeventhevocalrageofFriedrich，onoccasion）；

areallycuriousoldHussarGeneral。HeisnowakindofmythicalordemigodpersonageamongthePrussians；andwasthen（1779），andeveraftertheSevenYearsWar，regardedpopularlyastheirAjax（withadashoftheUlyssessuperadded），Seidlitz，anotherHorseGeneral，beingtheAchillesofthatservice。

Thedateofthisdrivethroughthemoorsbeing"23dJuly，1779，"weperceiveitisjustabouttwomonthssinceFriedrichgothomefromtheBavarianWar（whattheynowcall"POTATOWAR，"sobarrenwasitinfighting，soripeinforaging）；victoriousinasort；andthatinhisprivatethought，amongthebigtroublesoftheworldonbothsidesoftheAtlantic，theinfinitesimallysmallbusinessoftheMILLERARNOLD"SLAWSUITisbeginningtorisenowandthen。