第5章

KING。""Towhombelongsit？"

ICH。""TotheKriegsrathvonQuast。"

KING。""ToWHOMbelongsit？"

ICH。""ToKriegsrathvonQuast。"

KING。""EYWAS[pooh，pooh]！IknownothingofKriegsraths！TowhomdoestheEstatebelong？"

ICH。""ToHerrvonQuast。"FriedrichhadthegreatestcontemptforKriegsraths，andindeedformostotherRATHSortitularshams，labelledboxeswithnothingintheinside:onahorriblewinter

morning（sleet，thunder，&c。），marchingoffhoursbeforesunrise，hehasbeenheardtosay，"WouldonewereaKriegsrath！

KING。""Na，thatistherightanswer。"

"HisMajestynowarrivedatGarz。ThechangingofthehorseswasmanagedbyHerrvonLuderitzofNackeln，asfirstDeputyoftheRuppinCircle。Hehadhishaton，andawhitefeatherinit。

Whentheyokingwascompleted，ourjourneyproceededagain。

KING。""Towhombelongsthisestateonthelefthere？"

ICH。""ToHerrvanLuderitz；itiscalledNackeln。"

KING。""WhatLuderitzisthat？"

ICH。""YourMajesty，hethatwasinGarzwhilethehorseswerechanging。"

KING。""Ha，ha，theHerrwiththewhitefeather！Doyousowwheattoo？"

ICH。""Ja，yourMajesty。"

KING。""Howmuchhaveyousown？"

ICH。""ThreeWISPELS12SCHEFFELS，"unknownmeasures！

KING。""Howmuchdidyourpredecessorusetosow？"

ICH。""Fourscheffels。"

KING。""Howhasitcomethatyousowsomuchmorethanhe？"

ICH。""AsIhavealreadyhadthehonortotellyourMajestythatI

keepseventyheadofcowsmorethanhe，Ihaveofcoursemoremanureformyground，andsoputitinabettercaseforbearingwheat。"

KING。""Butwhydoyougrownohemp？"

ICH。""Itwouldnotanswerhere。Inacoldclimateitwouldanswerbetter。OursailorscanbuyRussianhempinLubeckcheaper，andofbetterqualitythanIcouldgrowhere。"

KING。""Whatdoyousow，then，whereyouusedtohavehemp？"

ICH。""Wheat！"

KING。""WhydoyousownoFarbekraut，["DYEHERB:"commonlycalled"FARBERROTHE；"yieldsacoarseRED，ondecoctionofthetwigsandbranches；fromitsrootsthefinerredcalled"KRAPP"（inFrenchGARANCE）isgot。]noKrapp？"

ICH。""Itwillnotprosper；thegroundisn"tgoodenough。"

KING。""Thatispeople"stalk:youshouldhavemadethetrial。"

ICH。""Ididmakethetrial；butitfailed；andasBeamteIcannotmakemanytrials；for，letthemfailornot，therentmustbepaid。"

KING。""Whatdoyousow，then，whereyouwouldhaveputFarbekraut？"

ICH。""Wheat。"

KING。""Na！Thenstandbywheat！Yourtenantsareingoodcase，Isuppose？"

ICH。""Yes，yourMajesty。IcanshowbytheRegisterofHypothecks（HYPOTHEKENBUCH）thattheyhaveabout50thousandthalersofcapitalamongthem。"

KING。""Thatisgood。"

ICH。""Threeyearsagoatenantdiedwhohad11，000thalers，"say2，000pounds，"intheBank。"

KING。""Howmuch？"

ICH。""Eleventhousandthalers。"

KING。""Keepthemsoalways！"

ICH。""Ja，yourMajesty，itisverygoodthatthetenanthavemoney；buthebecomesmutinoustoo，asthetenantshereaboutsdo，whohaveseventimesovercomplainedtoyourMajestyagainstme，togetridoftheHOFDIENST，"statedworkduefromthem。

KING。""Theywillhavehadsomecausetoo！"

ICH。""YourMajestywillgraciouslypardon:therewasaninvestigationgoneinto，anditwasfoundthatIhadnotoppressedthetenants，buthadalwaysgoneuponmyright，andmerelyheldthemtodotheirduty。Neverthelessthematterstoodasitwas:

thetenantsarenotpunished；yourMajestyputsalwaysthetenantsintheright，thepoorBeamteisalwaysinthewrong！"

KING。""Ja:thatyou，myson，willcontrivetogetjustice，you，I

cannotbutbelieve！YouwillsendyourDepartmentsrath[Judgeoftheseaffairs]suchprettygiftsofbutter，capons，poults！"

ICH。""No，yourMajesty，wecannot。Cornbringsnoprice:ifonedidnotturnapennywithotherthings，howcouldoneraisetherentatall？"

KING。""Wheredoyousendyourbutter，caponsandpoults（PUTER）

forsale？"

ICH。""ToBerlin。"

KING。""WhynottoRuppin？"

ICH。""MostoftheRuppinpeoplekeepcows，asmanyasareneededfortheirownuses。Thesoldiereatsnothingbutold[salt]butter，hecannotbuyfresh。"

KING。""WhatdoyougetforyourbutterinBerlin？"

ICH。""Fourgroschenthepound；nowthesoldieratRuppinbuyshissaltbutterattwo。"

KING。""Butyourcaponsandpoults，youcouldbringthesetoRuppin？"

ICH。""IntheregimenttherearejustfourStaffOfficers；theycanusebutlittle:theburghersdon"tlivedelicately；theythankGodwhentheycangetabitofporkorbacon。"

KING。""Yes，thereyouareintheright！TheBerliners，again，liketoeatsomedaintyarticle。Na！dowhatyouwillwiththetenants[UNTERTHANEN，notquiteADSCRIPTSatthattimeontheRoyalDemesnes，buttiedtomanyservices，andbymanyshackles，fromwhichFriedrichallhisdayswasgraduallydeliveringthem]；

onlydon"toppressthem。"

ICH。""YourMajesty，thatwouldneverbemynotion，noranyreasonableBeamte"s。"

KING。""Tellme，then，wheredoesStollenlie？"

ICH。""StollenyourMajestycannotseejusthere。ThosebighillsthereontheleftarethehillsatStollen；thereyourMajestywillhaveaviewofalltheColonies。"

KING。""So？Thatiswell。Thenrideyouwithusthither。"

"NowhisMajestycameuponaquantityofpeasantswhoweremowingrye；theyhadformedthemselvesintotworows，werewipingtheirscythes，andsolethisMajestydrivethroughthem。

KING。""WhattheDevil，thesepeoplewillbewantingmoneyfromme，Isuppose？"

ICH。""Ohno，yourMajesty！Theyarefullofjoythatyouaresograciousastovisitthisdistrict。"

KING。""I"llgivethemnothing，though。Whatvillageisthat，thereaheadofus？"

ICH。""Barsekow。"

KING。""Towhombelongsit？"

ICH。""ToHerrvonMitschepfal。"

KING。""WhatMitschepfalisthat？"

ICH。""HewasMajorintheregimentwhichyourMajestyhadwhenCrownPrince。"[Supra，vii。403。]

KING。""MeinGott！Ishestillalive？"

ICH。""No，HEisdead；hisdaughterhastheestate。"

"WenowcameintothevillageofBarsekow，wheretheManorhouseisinruins。

KING。""Hear！Isthatthemanorhouse（EDELHOF）？"

ICH。""Ja。"

KING。""Thatdoeslookmiserable。"HereMitschepfal"sdaughter，whohasmarriedabaronialHerrvonKriegsheimfromMecklenburg，cameforwardwhilethehorseswerechanging。Kriegsheimcameonaccountofherintothiscountry:theKinghasgiventhemaColonyof200

MORGEN（acres）。Comingtothecarriage，FrauvonKriegsheimhandedsomefruittohisMajesty。HisMajestydeclinedwiththanks；

asked，whoherfatherwas，whenhedied，&c。Onasudden，shepresentedherhusband；begantothankforthe200MORGEN；

mountedonthecoachstep；wishedtokiss，ifnothisMajesty"shand，atleasthiscoat。HisMajestyshiftedquitetotheothersideofthecarriage，andcried"goodoldFritz！""Letbe，mydaughter，letbe！Itisallwell！Amtmann，letusgetalong（MACHT

DASSWIRFORTKOMMEN）！"

KING。""Hearnow:thesepeoplearenotprosperinghere？"

ICH。""Farfromit，yourMajesty；theyareinthegreatestpoverty。"