means of foftening.

He diverted his mind from

the scenes about him by ftudies and liberal amufe ments. The ftudies of princes feldom produce great effects, for princes draw with meaner mortals the lot of understanding; and fince of many ftudents not more than one can be hoped to advance far towards perfection, it is fcarcely to be expected that we fhould find that one a prince; that the defire of science fhould overpower in any mind the love of pleafure, when it is always prefent or always within call; that Jaborious meditation fhould be preferred in the days of youth to amusements and feftivity; or that perfeverance fhould prefs forward in contempt of flattery: and that he, in whom moderate acquifitions would be ex tolled as prodigies, fhould exact from himself that excellence of which the whole world confpires to fpare him the neceffity.

In every great performance, perhaps in every great character, part is the gift of nature, part the contribution of accident, and part, very often not the greatest part, the effect of voluntary election, and re gular defign. The king of Pruffia was undoubtedly born with more than common abilities; but that he has cultivated them with more than common diligence, was probably the effect of his peculiar condition, of that which he then confidered as cruelty and misfortune.

In this long interval of unhappiness and obfcurity, he acquired skill in the mathematical fciences, fuch as is faid to put him on the level with thofe who have made them the bufinefs of their lives. This is probably to fay too much: the acquifitions of kings are always magnified. His fkill in poetry and in the

VOL. XII.

French

French language has been loudly praised by Voltaire, a judge without exception, if his honefty were equal to his knowledge. Mufick he not only underftands, but practises on the German flute in the highest perfection; fo that, according to the regal cenfure of Philip of Macedon, he may be afhamed to play fo well.

He may be faid to owe to the difficulties of his youth an advantage lefs frequently obtained by princes than literature and mathematicks. The neceffity of paffing his time without pomp, and of partaking of the pleasures and labours of a lower station, made him acquainted with the various forms of life, and with the genuine paffions, interefts, defires, and diftreffes, of mankind. Kings without this help from temporary infelicity fee the world in a mift, which magnifies every thing near them, and bounds their view to a narrow compafs, which few are able to extend-by the mere force of curiofity. I have always thought that what Cromwell had more than our lawful kings, he owed to the private condition in which he first entered the world, and in which he long continued in that ftate he learned his art of fecret tranfaction, and the knowledge by which he was able to oppofe zeal to zeal, and make one enthusiast destroy another.

The king of Pruffia gained the fame arts, and, being born to fairer opportunities of ufing them, brought to the throne the knowledge of a private man without the guilt of ufurpation. Of this general acquaintance with the world there may be found fome traces in his whole life. His converfation is like that of other men upon common topics, his letters have an

air of familiar elegance, and his whole conduct is that of a man who has to do with men, and who is no ignorant what motives will prevail over friends or ene

mies.

In 1740 the old king fell fick, and fpoke and acted in his illness with his ufual turbulence and roughness, reproaching his phyficians in the groffeft terms with their unfkilfulness and impotence, and imputing to their ignorance or wickedness the pain which their prefcriptions failed to relieve. These infults they bore with the fubmiffion which is commonly paid to defpotick monarchs; till at laft the celebrated Hoffman was confulted, who failing like the rest to give eafe to his majefty, was like the rest treated with injurious language. Hoffman, conscious of his own merit, replied, that he could not bear reproaches which he did not deferve; that he had tried all the remedies that art could fupply, or nature could admit; that he was, indeed a profeffor by his majesty's bounty; but that, if his abilities or integrity were doubted, he was willing to leave not only the univerfity but, the kingdom, and that he could not be driven into any place where the name of Hoffman would want refpect. The king, however unaccustomed to fuch returns, was ftruck with conviction of his own indecency, told Hoffman that he had spoken well, and requefted him to continue his attendance./

The king, finding his distemper gaining upon his ftrength, grew at last fenfible that his end was ap proaching, and, ordering the prince to be called to his bed, laid several injunctions upon him, of which one was to perpetuate the tall regiment by continual Q2

recruits,

recruits, and another to receive his efpoufed wife. The prince gave him'a refpectful anfwer, but wifely avoided to diminish his own right or power by an abfolute promife; and the king died uncertain of the fate of the tall regiment.

The young king began his reign with great expectations, which he has yet furpaffed. His father's faults produced many advantages to the first years of his reign. He had an army of feventy thoufand men well difciplined, without any imputation of severity to himself, and was master of a vaft treasure without the crime or reproach of raifing it. It was publickly faid in our house of commons, that he had eight millions fterling of our money; but I believe he that faid it had not confidered how difficultly eight millions would be found in all the Pruffian dominions. Men judge of what they do not fee by that which they fee. We are used to talk in England of millions with great familiarity, and imagine that there is the fame affluence of money in other countries, in countries whofe manufactures are few and commerce little.

Every man's firft cares are neceffarily domestick, The king, being now no longer under influence or its appearance, determined how to act towards the unhappy lady who had poffeffed for feven years the empty title of the princefs of Pruffia. The papers of those times exhibited the converfation of their firft interview; as if the king, who plans campaigns in filence, would not accommodate a difference with his wife, but with writers of news admitted as witneffes. It is certain that he received her as queen, but whether he treats her as a wife is yet in dispute.

In a few days his refolution was known with regard to the tall regiment; for fome recruits being offered him, he rejected them; and this body of giants, by continued difregard, mouldered away.

He treated his mother with great refpect, ordered that fhe fhould bear the title of Queen-mother, and that, instead of addreffing him as His Majesty, the fhould only call him Son.

As he was paffing foon after between Berlin and Potsdam, a thoufand boys who had been marked out for military fervice, furrounded his coach, and cried out, "Merciful king, deliver us from our flavery." He promised them their liberty, and ordered the next day that the badge fhould be taken off.

He still continued that correfpondence with learned men which he began when he was prince; and the eyes of all scholars, a race of mortals formed for dependance, were upon him, as a man likely to renew the times of patronage, and to emulate the bounties of Lewis the Fourteenth.

It foon appeared that he was refolved to govern with very little ministerial affistance: he took cognizance of every thing with his own eyes; declared that in all contrarieties of intereft between him and his fubjects, the publick good fhould have the preference; and in one of the first exertions of regal power banished the prime minifter and favourite of his father, as one that had betrayed his mafter, and abufed his truft.

He then declared his refolution to grant a general toleration of religion, and among other liberalities of conceffion allowed the profeflion of Free Mafonry. It is the great taint of his character, that he has

Q3