In his seventh year, young Friedrich
was taken out of the hands of the women; and had Tutors
and Sub-Tutors of masculine gender, who had been nominated
for him some time ago, actually set to work upon their
function. These we have already heard of; they
came from Stralsund Siege, all the principal hands.
Duhan de Jandun, the young French
gentleman who had escaped from grammar-lessons to
the trenches, he is the practical teacher. Lieutenant-General
Graf Fink von Finkenstein and Lieutenant-Colonel von
Kalkstein, they are Head Tutor (OBERHOFMEISTER)
and Sub-Tutor; military men both, who had been in
many wars besides Stralsund. By these three he
was assiduously educated, subordinate schoolmasters
working under them when needful, in such branches
as the paternal judgment would admit; the paternal
object and theirs being to infuse useful knowledge,
reject useless, and wind up the whole into a military
finish. These appointments, made at different
precise dates, took effect, all of them, in the year
1719.
Duhan, independently of his experience
in the trenches, appears to have been an accomplished,
ingenious and conscientious man; who did credit to
Friedrich Wilhelm’s judgment; and to whom Friedrich
professed himself much indebted in after life.
Their progress in some of the technical branches,
as we shall perceive, was indisputably unsatisfactory.
But the mind of the Boy seems to have been opened
by this Duhan, to a lively, and in some sort genial,
perception of things round him;-of the strange
confusedly opulent Universe he had got into; and of
the noble and supreme function which Intelligence
holds there; supreme in Art as in Nature, beyond all
other functions whatsoever. Duhan was now turned
of thirty : a cheerful amiable Frenchman; poor,
though of good birth and acquirements; originally
from Champagne. Friedrich loved him very much;
always considered him his spiritual father; and to
the end of Duhan’s life, twenty years hence,
was eager to do him any good in his power. Anxious
always to repair, for poor Duhan, the great sorrows
he came to on his account, as we shall see.
Of Graf Fink von Finkenstein, who
has had military experiences of all kinds and all
degrees, from marching as prisoner into France, “wounded
and without his hat,” to fighting at Malplaquet,
at Blenheim, even at Steenkirk, as well as Stralsund;
who is now in his sixtieth year, and seems to have
been a gentleman of rather high solemn manners, and
indeed of undeniable perfections,-of this
supreme Count Fink we learn almost nothing farther
in the Books, except that his little Pupil did not
dislike him either. The little Pupil took not
unkindly to Fink; welcoming any benignant human ray,
across these lofty gravities of the OBERHOFMEISTER;
went often to his house in Berlin; and made acquaintance
with two young Finks about his own age, whom he found
there, and who became important to him, especially
the younger of them, in the course of the future.
[Zedlitz-Neukirch, Preussisches Adels-Lexikon
(Leipzig, 1836), i. Militair-Lexicon,
.] This Pupil, it may be said, is creditably
known for his attachment to his Teachers and others;
an attached and attaching little Boy. Of Kalkstein,
a rational, experienced and earnest kind of man, though
as yet but young, it is certain also that the little
Fritz loved him; and furthermore that the Great Friedrich
was grateful to him, and had a high esteem of his
integrity and sense. “My master, Kalkstein,”
used to be his designation of him, when the name chanced
to be mentioned in after times. They continued
together, with various passages of mutual history,
for forty years afterwards, till Kalkstein’s
death. Kalkstein is at present twenty-eight,
the youngest of the three Tutors; then, and ever after,
an altogether downright correct soldier and man.
He is of Preussen, or Prussia Proper, this Kalkstein;-of
the same kindred as that mutinous Kalkstein,
whom we once heard of, who was “rolled in a carpet,”
and kidnapped out of Warsaw, in the Great Elector’s
time. Not a direct descendant of that beheaded
Kalkstein’s but, as it were, his NEPHEW so many
times removed. Preussen is now far enough from
mutiny; subdued, with all its Kalksteins, into a respectful
silence, not lightly using the right even of petition,
or submissive remonstrance, which it may still have.
Nor, except on the score of parliamentary eloquence
and newspaper copyright, does it appear that Preussen
has suffered by the change.
How these Fink-Kalkstein
functionaries proceeded in the great task they had
got,-very great task, had they known what
Pupil had fallen to them,-is not directly
recorded for us, with any sequence or distinctness.
We infer only that everything went by inflexible routine;
not asking at all, WHAT pupil?-nor much,
Whether it would suit any pupil? Duhan, with
the tendencies we have seen in him, who is willing
to soften the inflexible when possible, and to “guide
Nature” by a rather loose rein, was probably
a genial element in the otherwise strict affair.
Fritz had one unspeakable advantage, rare among princes
and even among peasants in these ruined ages :
that of NOT being taught, or in general not, by the
kind called “Hypocrites, and even Sincere-Hypocrites,”-fatalest
species of the class HYPOCRITE. We perceive he
was lessoned, all along, not by enchanted Phantasms
of that dangerous sort, breathing mendacity of mind,
unconsciously, out of every look; but by real Men,
who believed from the heart outwards, and were daily
doing what they taught. To which unspeakable advantage
we add a second, likewise considerable; That his masters,
though rigorous, were not unlovable to him;-that
his affections, at least, were kept alive; that whatever
of seed (or of chaff and hail, as was likelier) fell
on his mind, had SUNSHINE to help in dealing with it.
These are two advantages still achievable, though
with difficulty, in our epoch, by an earnest father
in behalf of his poor little son. And these are,
at present, nearly all; with these well achieved,
the earnest father and his son ought to be thankful.
Alas, in matter of education, there are no high-roads
at present; or there are such only as do NOT lead to
the goal. Fritz, like the rest of us, had to
struggle his way, Nature and Didactic Art differing
very much from one another; and to do battle, incessant
partial battle, with his schoolmasters for any education
he had.
A very rough Document, giving Friedrich
Wilhelm’s regulations on this subject, from
his own hand, has come down to us. Most dull,
embroiled, heavy Document; intricate, gnarled, and,
in fine, rough and stiff as natural bull-headedness
helped by Prussian pipe-clay can make it;-contains
some excellent hints, too; and will show us something
of Fritzchen and of Friedrich Wilhelm both at once.
That is to say, always, if it can be read! If
by aid of abridging, elucidating and arranging, we
can get the reader engaged to peruse it patiently;-which seems doubtful.
The points insisted on, in a ponderous but straggling confused manner, by his
didactic Majesty, are chiefly these :-
1. Must impress my Son with a
proper love and fear of God, as the foundation and
sole pillar of our temporal and eternal welfare.
No false religions, or sects of Atheist, Arian (ArRian),
Socinian, or whatever name the poisonous things have,
which can so easily corrupt a young mind, are to be
even named in his hearing : on the other hand,
a proper abhorrence (ABSCHEU) of Papistry, and
insight into its baselessness and nonsensicality (UNGRUND
UND Absurdität), is to be communicated to him :-Papistry, which is false enough, like
the others, but impossible to be ignored like them;
mention that, and give him due abhorrence for it.
For we are Protestant to the bone in this country;
and cannot stand Absurdität, least of all
hypocritically religious ditto! But the grand
thing will be, “To impress on him the true religion,
which consists essentially in this, That Christ died
for all men,” and generally that the Almighty’s
justice is eternal and omnipresent,-“which
consideration is the only means of keeping a sovereign
person (SOUVERAINE MACHT), or one freed from human
penalties, in the right way.”
2. “He is to learn no Latin;”
observe that, however it may surprise you. What
has a living German man and King, of the eighteenth
Christian SOECULUM, to do with dead old Heathen Latins,
Romans, and the lingo THEY spoke their fraction of
sense and nonsense in? Frightful, how the young
years of the European Generations have been wasted,
for ten centuries back; and the Thinkers of the world
have become mere walking Sacks of Marine-stores, “GELEHRTEN,
Learned,” as they call themselves; and gone
LOST to the world, in that manner, as a set of confiscated
Pedants;-babbling about said Heathens, and
THEIR extinct lingo and fraction of sense and nonsense,
for the thousand years last past! Heathen Latins,
Romans;-who perhaps were no great things
of Heathen, after all, if well seen into? I have
heard judges say, they were INferior, in real worth
and grist, to German home-growths we have had, if
the confiscated Pedants could have discerned it!
At any rate, they are dead, buried deep, these two
thousand years; well out of our way;-and
nonsense enough of our own left, to keep sweeping into
corners. Silence about their lingo and them, to
this new Crown-Prince! “Let the Prince
learn French and German,” so as to write and
speak, “with brevity and propriety,” in
these two languages, which may be useful to him in
life. That will suffice for languages,-provided
he have anything effectually rational to say in them.
For the rest,
3. “Let him learn Arithmetic,
Mathematics, Artillery,-Economy to the
very bottom.” And, in short, useful knowledge
generally; useless ditto not at all. “History
in particular;-Ancient History only slightly
(NUR Überhin);-but the History
of the last hundred and fifty Years to the exactest
pitch. The JUS NATURALE and JUS GENTIUM,”
by way of hand-lamp to History, “he must be
completely master of; as also of Geography, whatever
is remarkable in each Country. And in Histories,
most especially the History of the house of Brandenburg;
where he will find domestic examples, which are always
of more force than foreign. And along with Prussian
History, chiefly that of the Countries which have
been connected with it, as England, Brunswick, Hessen
and the others. And in reading of wise History-books
there must be considerations made (sollen beym
Lesen klüger Historiarum Betrachtungen gemacht werden)
upon the causes of the events.”-Surely,
O King!
4. “With increasing years,
you will more and more, to a most especial degree,
go upon Fortification,”-mark you!-“the
Formation of a Camp, and the other War-Sciences; that
the Prince may, from youth upwards, be trained to
act as Officer and General, and to seek all his glory
in the soldier profession.” This is whither
it must all tend. You, Finkenstein and Kalkstein,
“have both of you, in the highest measure, to
make it your care to infuse into my Son [Einzuprägen,
stamp into him] a true love for the Soldier business,
and to impress on him that, as there is nothing in
the world which can bring a Prince renown and honor
like the sword, so he would be a despised creature
before all men, if he did not love it, and seek his
sole glory (DIE EINZIGE GLORIA) therein.” [Preuss,
-14 (of date 13th August, 1718).] Which is an
extreme statement of the case; showing how much we
have it at heart.
These are the chief Friedrich-Wilhelm
traits; the rest of the document corresponds in general
to what the late Majesty had written for Friedrich
Wilhelm himself on the like occasion. [Stenzel, ii.] Ruthless contempt of Useless Knowledge; and
passionate insight into the distinction between Useful
and Useless, especially into the worth of Soldiering
as a royal accomplishment, are the chief peculiarities
here. In which latter point too Friedrich Wilhelm,
himself the most pacific of men, unless you pulled
the whiskers of him, or broke into his goods and chattels,
knew very well what he was meaning,-much
better than we of the “Peace Society”
and “Philanthropic Movement” could imagine
at first sight! It is a thing he, for his part,
is very decided upon.
Already, a year before this time,
[1st September, 1717 : Preuss, .] there had
been instituted, for express behoof of little Fritz,
a miniature Soldier Company, above a hundred strong;
which grew afterwards to be near three hundred, and
indeed rose to be a permanent Institution by degrees;
called Kompagnie der Kronprinzlichen Kadetten
(Company of Crown-Prince Cadets). A hundred and
ten boys about his own age, sons of noble families,
had been selected from the three Military Schools then
extant, as a kind of tiny regiment for him; where,
if he was by no means commander all at once, he might
learn his exercise in fellowship with others.
Czar Peter, it is likely, took a glance of this tiny
regiment just getting into rank and file there; which
would remind the Czar of his own young days.
An experienced Lieutenant-Colonel was appointed to
command in chief. A certain handy and correct
young fellow, Rentsel by name, about seventeen, who
already knew his fugling to a hair’s-breadth,
was Drill-master; and exercised them all, Fritz especially,
with due strictness; till, in the course of time and
of attainments, Fritz could himself take the head
charge. Which he did duly, in a year or two : a little soldier
thenceforth; properly strict, though of small dimensions; in tight blue bit of
coat and cocked-hat :-miniature image of Papa (it
is fondly hoped and expected), resembling him as a
sixpence does a half-crown. In 1721 the assiduous
Papa set up a “little arsenal” for him,
“in the Orange Hall of the Palace :”
there let him, with perhaps a chosen comrade or two,
mount batteries, fire exceedingly small brass ordnance,-his
Engineer-Teacher, one Major von Senning, limping about
(on cork leg), and superintending if needful.
Rentzel, it is known, proved an excellent
Drill-sergeant;-had good talents every
way, and was a man of probity and sense. He played
beautifully on the flute too, and had a cheerful conversible
turn; which naturally recommended him still farther
to Fritz; and awoke or encouraged, among other faculties,
the musical faculty in the little Boy. Rentzel
continued about him, or in sight of him, through life;
advancing gradually, not too fast, according to real
merit and service (Colonel in 1759); and never did
discredit to the choice Friedrich Wilhelm had made
of him. Of Senning, too, Engineer-Major von Senning,
who gave Fritz his lessons in Mathematics, Fortification
and the kindred branches, the like, or better, can
be said. He was of graver years; had lost a leg
in the Marlborough Campaigns, poor gentleman; but had
abundant sense, native worth and cheery rational talk,
in him : so that he too could never be parted
with by Friedrich, but was kept on hand to the last,
a permanent and variously serviceable acquisition.
Thus, at least, is the military education
of our Crown-Prince cared for. And we are to
fancy the little fellow, from his tenth year or earlier,
going about in miniature soldier figure, for most part;
in strict Spartan-Brandenburg costume, of body as
of mind. Costume little flattering to his own
private taste for finery; yet by no means unwholesome
to him, as he came afterwards to know, In October,
1723, it is on record, when George I. came to visit
his Son-in-law and Daughter at Berlin, his Britannic
Majesty, looking out from his new quarters on the
morrow, saw Fritzchen “drilling his Cadet Company;”
a very pretty little phenomenon. Drilling with
clear voice, military sharpness, and the precision
of clock-work on the Esplanade (LUSTGARTEN) there;-and
doubtless the Britannic Majesty gave some grunt of
acquiescence, perhaps even a smile, rare on that square
heavy-laden countenance of his. That is the record :
[Forster, .] and truly it forms for us by far
the liveliest little picture we have got, from those
dull old years of European History. Years already
sunk, or sinking, into lonesome unpeopled Dusk for
all men; and fast verging towards vacant Oblivion and
eternal Night;-which (if some few articles
were once saved out of them) is their just and inevitable
portion from afflicted human nature.
Of riding-masters, fencing-masters,
swimming-masters; much less of dancing-masters, music-masters
(celebrated Graun, “on the organ,” with
Psalm-tunes), we cannot speak; but the reader may be
satisfied they were all there, good of their kind,
and pushing on at a fair rate. Nor is there lack
anywhere of paternal supervision to our young Apprentice,
From an early age, Papa took the Crown-Prince with
him on his annual Reviews. From utmost Memel
on the Russian border, down to Wesel on the French,
all Prussia, in every nook of it, garrison, marching-regiment,
board of management, is rigorously reviewed by Majesty
once a year. There travels little military Fritz,
beside the military Majesty, amid the generals and
official persons, in their hardy Spartan manner; and
learns to look into everything like a Rhadamanthine
Argus, and how the eye of the master, more than all
other appliances, fattens the cattle.
On his hunts, too, Papa took him. For Papa was a famous
hunter, when at Wusterhausen in the season :-hot Beagle-chase, hot Stag-hunt,
your chief game deer; huge “Force-Hunt”
(PARFORCE-JAGD, the woods all beaten, and your
wild beasts driven into straits and caudine-forks for
you); Boar-hunting (SAUHETZE, “sow-baiting,”
as the Germans call it), Partridge-shooting, Fox-
and Wolf-hunting;-on all grand expeditions
of such sort, little Fritz shall ride with Papa and
party. Rough furious riding; now on swift steed,
now at places on WURSTWAGEN,-WURSTWAGEN,
“Sausage-Car” so called, most Spartan of
vehicles, a mere STUFFED POLE or “sausage”
with wheels to it, on which you sit astride, a dozen
or so of you, and career;-regardless of
the summer heat and sandy dust, of the winter’s
frost-storms and muddy rain. All this the little
Crown-Prince is bound to do;-but likes it
less and less, some of us are sorry to observe!
In fact he could not take to hunting at all, or find
the least of permanent satisfaction in shooting partridges
and baiting sows,-“with such an expenditure
of industry and such damage to the seedfields,”
he would sometimes allege in extenuation. In later
years he has been known to retire into some glade
of the thickets, and hold a little Flute-Hautbois
Concert with his musical comrades, while the sows
were getting baited. Or he would converse with
Mamma and her Ladies, if her Majesty chanced to be
there, in a day for open driving. Which things
by no means increased his favor with Papa, a sworn
hater of “effeminate practices.”
He was “nourished on beer-soup,”
as we said before. Frugality, activity, exactitude
were lessons daily and hourly brought home to him,
in everything he did and saw. His very sleep
was stingily meted out to him : “Too much
sleep stupefies a fellow!” Friedrich Wilhelm
was wont to say;-so that the very doctors
had to interfere, in this matter, for little Fritz.
Frugal enough, hardy enough; urged in every way to
look with indifference on hardship, and take a Spartan
view of life.
Money-allowance completely his own,
he does not seem to have had till he was seventeen.
Exiguous pocket-money, counted in GROSCHEN (English
PENCE, or hardly more), only his Kalkstein and
Finkenstein could grant as they saw good;-about eighteenpence in the month, to
start with, as would appear. The other small incidental moneys, necessary
for his use, were likewise all laid out under sanction of his Tutors, and
accurately entered in Day-books by them, audited by Friedrich Wilhelm; of which
some specimens remain, and one whole month, September, 1719 (the Boys eighth
year), has been published. Very singular to contemplate, in these days of
gold-nuggets and irrational man-mountains fattened by mankind at such a price!
The monthly amount appears to have been some 3 pounds 10 shillings :-and has
gone, all but the eighteenpence of sovereign pocket-money,
for small furnishings and very minute necessary luxuries;-as thus :-
“To putting his Highness’s
shoes on the last;” for stretching them to the
little feet,-and only one “last,”
as we perceive. “To twelve yards of Hairtape,”-HAARBAND,
for our little queue, which becomes visible here.
“For drink-money to the Postilions.”
“For the Housemaids at Wusterhausen,”
Don’t I pay them myself? objects the auditing
Papa, at that latter kind of items : No more of
that. “For mending the flute, four GROSCHEN
[or pence];” “Two Boxes of Colors, sixteen
ditto;” “For a live snipe, twopence;”
“For grinding the hanger [little swordkin];”
“To a Boy whom the dog bit;” and chiefly
of all, “To the KLINGBEUTEL,”-Collection-plate,
or bag, at Church,-which comes upon us
once, nay twice, and even thrice a week, eighteenpence
each time, and eats deep into our straitened means.
[Preuss, .]
On such terms can a little Fritz be
nourished into a Friedrich the Great; while irrational
man-mountains, of the beaverish or beaverish-vulpine
sort, take such a price to fatten them into monstrosity!
The Art-manufacture of your Friedrich can come very
cheap, it would appear, if once Nature have done her
part in regard to him, and there be mere honest will
on the part of the by-standers. Thus Samuel
Johnson, too, cost next to nothing in the way of board
and entertainment in this world. And a Robert
Burns, remarkable modern Thor, a Peasant-god of these
sunk ages, with a touch of melodious RUNES in him (since
all else lay under ban for the poor fellow), was raised
on frugal oatmeal, at an expense of perhaps half a
crown a week. Nuggets and ducats are divine;
but they are not the most divine. I often wish
the Devil had the lion’s share of them,-at
once, and not circuitously as now. It would be
an unspeakable advantage to the bewildered sons of
Adam, in this epoch!
But with regard to our little Crown-Princes intellectual
culture, there is another Document, specially from Papas hand, which, if we can
redact, adjust and abridge it, as in the former case, may be worth the readers
notice, and elucidate some things for him. It is of date, Wusterhausen, 3d
September, 1721; little Fritz now in his tenth year, and out there, with his
Duhans and Finkensteins, while Papa is rusticating for a few weeks. The
essential title is, or might be :-
To Head-Governor van Finkenstein,
Sub-Governor von Kalkstein, Preceptor Jacques Égide
Duhan de Jandun, and others whom it may concern :
Regulations for schooling, at Wusterhausen, 3d September,
1721; [Preuss, .]-in greatly abridged
form.
SUNDAY. “On Sunday he is
to rise at 7; and as soon as he has got his slippers
on, shall kneel down at his bedside, and pray to God,
so as all in the room may hear it [that there be no
deception or short measure palmed upon us], in these
words : ’Lord God, blessed Father, I thank
thee from my heart that thou hast so graciously preserved
me through this night. Fit me for what thy holy
will is; and grant that I do nothing this day, nor
all the days of my life, which can divide me from thee.
For the Lord Jesus my Redeemer’s sake. Amen.’
After which the Lord’s Prayer. Then rapidly
and vigorously (GESCHWINDE UND HURTIG) wash
himself clean, dress and powder and comb himself [we
forget to say, that while they are combing and queuing
him, he breakfasts, with brevity, on tea] : Prayer,
with washing, breakfast and the rest, to be done pointedly
within fifteen minutes [that is, at a quarter past
7].
“This finished, all his Domestics
and Duhan shall come in, and do family worship (das
grosse Gebet zu halten) : Prayer on their knees, Duhan withal to read
a Chapter of the Bible, and sing some proper Psalm or Hymn [as practised in
well-regulated families] :-It will then be a quarter to
8. All the Domestics then withdraw again; and
Duhan now reads with my Son the Gospel of the Sunday;
expounds it a little, adducing the main points of
Christianity;-questioning from Nolteniuss Catechism [which Fritz knows by
heart] :-it
will then be 9 o’clock.
“At 9 he brings my Son down
to me; who goes to Church, and dines, along with me
[dinner at the stroke of Noon] : the rest of the
day is then his own [Fritz’s and Duhan’s].
At half-past 9 in the evening, he shall come and bid
me goodnight. Shall then directly go to his room;
very rapidly (SEHR GESCHWIND) get off his
clothes, wash his hands [get into some tiny dressing-gown
or CASSAQUIN, no doubt]; and so soon as that is done,
Duhan makes a prayer on his knees, and sings a hymn;
all the Servants being again there. Instantly
after which, my Son shall get into bed; shall be in
bed at half-past 10;”-and fall asleep
how soon, your Majesty? This is very strict work.
MONDAY. “On Monday, as
on all weekdays, he is to be called at 6; and so soon
as called he is to rise; you are to stand to him (ANHALTEN)
that he do not loiter or turn in bed, but briskly
and at once get up; and say his prayers, the same
as on Sunday morning. This done, he shall as
rapidly as possible get on his shoes and spatterdashes;
also wash his face and hands, but not with soap.
Farther shall put on his CASSAQUIN [short dressing-gown],
have his hair combed out and queued, but not powdered.
While getting combed and queued, he shall at the same
time take breakfast of tea, so that both jobs go on
at once; and all this shall be ended before half-past
6.” Then enter Duhan and the Domestics,
with worship, Bible, Hymn, all as on Sunday; this is
done by 7, and the Servants go again.
“From 7 till 9 Duhan takes him
on History; at 9 comes Noltenius [a sublime Clerical
Gentleman from Berlin] with the Christian Religion,
till a quarter to 11. Then Fritz rapidly (GESCHWIND)
washes his face with water, hands with soap-and-water;
clean shirt; powders, and puts on his coat;-about
11 comes to the King. Stays with the King till
2,”-perhaps promenading a little;
dining always at Noon; after which Majesty is apt
to be slumberous, and light amusements are over.
“Directly at 2, he goes back
to his room. Duhan is there, ready; takes him
upon the Maps and Geography, from 2 to 3,-giving
account [gradually!] of all the European Kingdoms;
their strength and weakness; size, riches and poverty
of their towns. From 3 to 4, Duhan treats of
Morality (soll die Moral tractiren ). From
4 to 5, Duhan shall write German Letters with him,
and see that he gets a good STYLUM [which he never
in the least did]. About 5, Fritz shall wash his
hands, and go to the King;-ride out; divert
himself, in the air and not in his room; and do what
he likes, if it is not against God.”
There, then, is a Sunday, and there is one Weekday; which
latter may serve for all the other five :-though they are strictly specified
in the royal monograph, and every hour of them marked
out : How, and at what points of time, besides
this of HISTORY, of MORALITY, and WRITING IN GERMAN,
of Maps and GEOGRAPHY with the strength and weakness
of Kingdoms, you are to take up ARITHMETIC more than
once; WRITING OF FRENCH LETTERS, so as to acquire
a good STYLUM : in what nook you may intercalate
“a little getting by heart of something, in order
to strengthen the memory;” how instead of Noltenius,
Panzendorf (another sublime Reverend Gentleman from
Berlin, who comes out express) gives the clerical
drill on Tuesday morning;-with which two
onslaughts, of an hour-and-half each, the Clerical
Gentlemen seem to withdraw for the week, and we hear
no more of them till Monday and Tuesday come round
again.
On Wednesday we are happy to observe
a liberal slice of holiday come in. At half-past
9, having done his HISTORY, and “got something
by heart to strengthen the memory [very little, it
is to be feared], Fritz shall rapidly dress himself,
and come to the King. And the rest of the day
belongs to little Fritz (gehört vor Fritzchen). On Saturday,
too, there is some fair chance of half-holiday :-
“SATURDAY, forenoon till half-past
10, come History, Writing and Ciphering; especially
repetition of what was done through the week, and
in MORALITY as well [adds the rapid Majesty], to see
whether he has profited. And General Graf von
Finkenstein, with Colonel von Kalkstein, shall be present during
this. If Fritz has profited, the afternoon shall be his own. If he
has not profited, he shall, from 2 to 6, repeat and learn rightly what he has
forgotten on the past days. And so the laboring week winds itself up.
Here, however, is one general rule which cannot be too much impressed upon YOU,
with which we conclude :-
“In undressing and dressing,
you must accustom him to get out of, and into, his
clothes as fast as is humanly possible (_ hurtig
so viel als menschenmöglich ist_).
You will also look that he learn to put on and put
off his clothes himself, without help from others;
and that he be clean and neat, and not so dirty (nicht
so schmutzig).” “Not so dirty,”
that is my last word; and here is my sign-manual,
“FRIEDRICH WILHELM.” [Preuss, .]