1757；　born　at　Hanover；　27th　March；　1687。＇　In　her　seventy…　first　year：　of　no　definite　violent　disease；　worn　down　with　chagrins　and　apprehensions；　in　this　black　whirlpool　of　Public　troubles。　So　far　as　appears；　the　news　came　on　Friedrich　by　surprise：〃bad　cough；〃　we　hear　of；　and　of　his　anxieties　about　it；　in　the　Spring　time；　then　again　of　〃improvement；　recovery；　in　the　fine　weather；〃　no　thought；　just　now；　of　such　an　event：　and　he　took　it　with　a　depth　of　affliction；　which　my　less　informed　readers　are　far　from　expecting　of　him。
  July　2d；　the　news　came：　King　withdrew　into　privacy；　to　weep　and　bewail　under　this　new　pungency　of　grief；　superadded　to　so　many　others。　Mitchell　says：　〃For　two　days　he　had　no　levee；　only　the　Princes　dined　with　him　＇Princes　Henri　and　Ferdinand；　Prince　of　Prussia　is　gone　to　Jung…Bunzlau；　would　get　the　sad　message　there；　among　his　other　troubles＇：　yesterday；　July　3d；　King　sent　for　me　in　the　afternoon；the　first　time　he　has　seen　anybody　since　the　news　came：I　had　the　honor　to　remain　with　him　some　hours　in　his　closet。　I　must　own　to　your　Lordship　I　was　most　sensibly　afflicted　to　see　him　indulging　his　grief；　and　giving　way　to　the　warmest　filial　affections；　recalling　to　mind　the　many　obligations　he　had　to　her　late　Majesty；　all　she　had　suffered；　and　how　nobly　she　bore　it；　the　good　she　did　to　everybody；　the　one　comfort　he　now　had；　to　think　of　having　tried　to　make　her　last　years　more　agreeable。〃　＇　Papers　and　Memoirs；　　i。　253；　Despatch　to　Holderness；　4th　July　（slightly　abridged）；see　ib。　i。　357…359　（Private　Journal）。　Westphalen；　ii。　14。　See　　OEuvres　de　Frederic；　　iv。　182。＇　In　the　thick　of　public　business；　this　kind　of　mood　to　Mitchell　seems　to　have　lasted　all　the　time　of　Leitmeritz；　which　is　about　three　weeks　yet：　Mitchell's　Note…books　and　Despatches；　in　that　part；　have　a　fine　Biographic　interest；　the　wholly　human　Friedrich　wholly　visible　to　us　there　as　he　seldom　is。　Going　over　his　past　Life　to　Mitchell；　brief；　candid；　pious　to　both　his　Parents；inexpressibly　sad；　like　moonlight　on　the　grave　of　one's　Mother；　silent　that；　while　so　much　else　is　too　noisy！
  This　Friedrich；　upon　whom　the　whole　world　has　risen　like　a　mad　Sorcerer's…Sabbath；　how　safe　he　once　lay　in　his　cradle；　like　the　rest　of　us；　mother's　love　wrapping　him　soft：and　now！　These　thoughts　commingle　in　a　very　tragic　way　with　the　avalanche　of　public　disasters　which　is　thundering　down　on　all　sides。　Warm　tears　the　meed　of　this　new　sorrow；　small　in　compass；　but　greater　in　poignancy　than　all　the　rest　together。　〃My　poor　old　Mother；　oh；　my　Mother；　that　so　loved　me　always；　and　would　have　given　her　own　life　to　shelter　mine！〃It　was　at　Leitmeritz；　as　I　guess；　that　Mitchell　first　made　decisive　acquaintance；　what　we　may　almost　call　intimacy；　with　the　King：　we　already　defined　him　as　a　sagacious；　long…headed；　loyal…hearted　diplomatic　gentleman；　Scotch　by　birth　and　by　turn　of　character；　abundantly　polite；　vigilant；　discreet；　and　with　a　fund　of　general　sense　and　rugged　veracity　of　mind；　whom　Friedrich　at　once　recognized　for　what　he　was；　and　much　took　to；　finding　a　hearty　return　withal；　so　that　they　were　soon　well　with　one　another；　and　continued　so。　Mitchell；　as　orders　were；　〃attended　the　King's　person〃　all　through　this　War；　sometimes　in　the　blaze　of　battle　itself　and　nothing　but　cannon…shot　going；　if　it　so　chanced；　and　has　preserved；　in　his　multifarious　Papers；　a　great　many　traits　of　Friedrich　not　to　be　met　with　elsewhere。
  Mitchell's　occasional　society；　conversation　with　a　man　of　sense　and　manly　character；　which　Friedrich　always　much　loved；　was；　no　doubt；　a　resource　to　Friedrich　in　his　lonely　roamings　and　vicissitudes　in　those　dark　years。　No　other　British　Ambassador　ever　had　the　luck　to　please　him　or　be　pleased　by　him；most　of　them；　as　Ex…Exchequer　Legge　and　the　like　Ex…Parliamentary　people；　he　seems　to　have　considered　dull；　obstinate；　wooden　fellows；　of　fantastic；　abrupt　rather　abstruse　kind　of　character；　not　worth　deciphering；some　of　them；　as　Hanbury　Williams；　with　the　mischievous　tic　（more　like　galvanism　or　St。…Vitus'…dance）　which　he　called　〃wit；〃　and　the　inconvenient　turn　for　plotting　and　intriguing；　Friedrich　could　not　endure　at　all；　but　had　them　as　soon　as　possible　recalled；of　course；　not　without　detestation　on　their　part。
  At　Leitmeritz；　it　appears；　he　kept　withdrawn　to　his　closet　a　good　deal；　gave　himself　up　to　his　sorrows　and　his　thoughts；　would　sit　many　hours　drowned　in　tears；　weeping　bitterly　like　a　child　or　a　woman。　This　is　strange　to　some　readers；　but　it　is　true；and　ought　to　alter　certain　current　notions。　Friedrich；　flashing　like　clear　steel　upon　evildoers　and　mendacious　unjust　persons　and　their　works；　is　not　by　nature　a　cruel　man；　then；　or　an　unfeeling；　as　Rumor　reports？　Reader；　no；　far　the　reverse；and　public　Rumor；　as　you　may　have　remarked；　is　apt　to　be　an　extreme　blockhead；　full　of　fury　and　stupidity　on　such　points；　and　had　much　better　hold　its　tongue　till　it　know　in　some　measure。　Extreme　sensibility　is　not　sure　to　be　a　merit；　though　it　is　sure　to　be　reckoned　one；　by　the　greedy　dim　fellows　looking　idly　on：　but；　in　any　case；　the　degree　of　it　that　dwelt　（privately；　for　most　part）　in　Friedrich　was　great；　and　to　himself　it　seemed　a　sad　rather　than　joyful　fact。　Speaking　of　this　matter；　long　afterwards；　to　Garve；　a　Silesian　Philosopher；　with　whom　he　used　to　converse　at　Breslau；　he　says；or　let　dull　Garve　himself　report　it；　in　the　literal　third…person：
  〃And　herein；　I；〃　the　Herr　Garve　（venturing　to　dispute；　or　qualify；　on　one　of　his　Majesty's　favorite　topics）；　〃believe；　lies　the　real　ground　of　'happiness：'　it　is　the　capacity　and　opportunity　to　accomplish　great　things。　This　the　King　would　not　allow；　but　said；　That　I　did　not　sufficiently　take　into　account　the　natural　feelings；　different　in　different　people；　which；　when　painful；　imbittered　the　life　of　the　highest　as　of　the　lowest。　That；　in　his　own　life；　he　had　experienced　the　deepest　sufferings　of　this　kind：　'And；'　added　he；　with　a　touching　tone　of　kindness　and　familiarity；　which　never　occurred　again　in　his　interviews　with　me；　'if　you　（ER）　knew；　for　instance；　what　I　underwent　on　the　death　of　my　Mother；　you　would　see　that　I　have　been　as　unhappy　as　any　other；　and　unhappier　than　others；　because　of　the　greater　sensibility　I　had　（WEIL　ICH　MEHR　EMPFINDLICHKEIT　GEHABT　HABE）。'〃　＇　Fragmente　zur　Schilderung　des　Geistes；　des　Charakters　und　der　Regierung　Friedrichs　des　Zweiten；　　von　Christian　Garve　（Breslau；　1798）；　i。　314…316。　An　unexpectedly　dull　Book　（Garve　having　talent　and　reputation）；　kind　of　monotonous　Preachment　upon　Friedrich's　character：　almost　nothing　but　the　above　fraction　now　derivable　from　it。＇
  There　needed　not　this　new　calamity　in　Friedrich's　lot　just　now！　From　all　points　of　the　compass；　his　enemies；　held　in　check　so　long；　are　floating　on：　the　confluence　of　disasters　and　ill…tidings；　at　this　time；　very　great。　From　Jung…Bunzlau；　close　by；　his　Brother's　accounts　are　bad；　and　grow　ever　worse；as　will　be　seen！　On　the　extreme　West；　〃July　3d；〃　while　Friedrich　at　Leitmeritz　sat　weeping　for　his　Mother；　the　French　take　Embden　from　him；　〃July　5th；〃　the　Russians；　Memel；　on　the　utmost　East。　June　30th；　six　days　before；　the　Russians；　after　as　many　months　of　haggling；　did　cross　the　Border；　37；000　of　them　on　this　point；　and　set　to　bombarding　Memel　from　land　and　sea。　Poor　Memel　（garrison　only　700）　answered　very　fiercely；　〃sank　two　of　their　gunboats〃　and　the　like；　but　the　end　was　as　we　see；Feldmarschall　Lehwald　able　to　give　no　relief。　For　there　were　above　70；000　other　Russians　（Feldmarschall　Apraxin　with　these　latter；　and　Cossacks　and　Calmucks　more　than　enough）　crossing　elsewhere；　south　in　Tilsit　Country；　upon　old　Lehwald。　＇　Helden…Geschichte；　　iv。　407…413。＇　Lehwald；　with　30；000；　in　such　circumstanceswhat　is　to　become　of　Preussen　and　him！　Nearer　hand；　the　Austrians；　the　French；　the　very　Reichs　Army；　do　now　seem　intent　on　business。
  The　Reichs　Execution　Army；　we　saw　how　Mayer　and　the　Battle　of　Prag　had　checked　it　in　the　birth…pangs；　and　given　rise　to　pangs　of　another　sort；　the　poor　Reichs　Circles　generally　exclaiming；　〃What！　Bring　the　war　into　our　own　borders？　Bring　the　King　of　Prussia　on　our　own　throats！〃and　stopping　short　in　their　enlistments　and　preparations；　in　vain　for　Austrian　Officials　to　urge　them。　Watching　there；　with　awe…struck　eye；　while　the　12；000　bombs　flew　into　Prag。
  The　Battle　of　Kolin　has　reversed　all　that；　and　the　poor　old　Reich　is　again　bent　on　business　in　the　Execution　way。　Drumming；　committeeing；　projecting；　and　endeavoring；　with　all　her　might；　in　all　quarters；　and；　from　and　after　the　event　of　Kolin；　holding　visible　Encampment；　in　the　Nurnberg　Country；　fractions　of　actual　troops　assembling　there。　〃On　the　Plains　of　Furth；　between　Furth　and　Farrenbach；　east　side　the　River　Regnitz；　there　was　the　Camp　pitched；〃　says　my　Anonymous　Friend；　who　gives　me　a　cheerful　Copperplate　of　the　thing：　red　pennons；　blue；　and　bright　mixed　colors；　generals；　tents；　order…of…battle；　and　respective　rallying　points：　with　Bamberg　Country　in　front；　and　the　peaks　of　the　Pine　Mountains　lying　pleasantly　behind：　a　sight　for　the　curious。　＇J。F。S。　（whom　I　named　ANONYMOUS　OF　HAMBURG　long　since；　who　has　boiled　down；　with　great　diligence；　the　old　Newspapers；　and　gives　a　great　many