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206 RIESBECK’S TRAVELS THROUGH GERMANY.
not knowing any thing of friendfhip. This was a confequence of his former excefles,
which naturally rendered him diffident whom he trufted or admitted to be witnefs of his
irregularities ; but it is alfo a proof that the King had always a watchful eye over his
education. All this, however, is much changed within the courfe of a few years, and
his character has opened itfelf fo much to his advantage, as to render him worthy of
ranking amonett the greateft princes, who, bya kind of miracle, of which hiftory affords
no other example, have within a century raifed the Pruflian kingdom from almoft no-
thing to be one of the moft terrible ftates in Europe.
‘The only thing which makes the Pruffian patriots at all apprehenfive of a change, is
a little love for magnificence, and rather too unlimited a generofity. It is true that
thefe are moft formidable failings in a monarchy, which, like the Pruffian, is built only
upon fimplicity and frugality, and has no other {trength but that which arifes from the
exactelt ceconomy. But the King, who is better acquainted with this than any body
elfe, and has ever been a more careful father, both of the Prince and country, than jour-
nalifts think, has frequently made him feel, by experience, the bad confequences of the
want of proper frugality; and though the Prince fhould not, during his uncle’s life-
time adopt his fyftem of ceconomy, he will not fit half a year upon the throne after his
death without being convinced that he muft adopt it. ‘The Pruffian ftate is a piece of
clock-work, which ftands {till as foon as one wheel is impaired; and the Prince has
wifdom, alacrity, and honour fufficient to give ear to the prefling voice of neceflity, and
not to let the country fink through his indolence.
‘The incomes of the Pruffian princes and princefles are by no means fo fcantyas peo-
ple are generally taught to believe. Every prince has 50,0co rubles per annum fettled
on him as foon as he comes of age, and the King’s brother, as well as the hereditary
prince, have befides, incomes arifing from eftates and places. Prince Henry has nearly
400,000, and the hereditary prince at leaft 350,000 livres annually to depend upon.
Neither of them are able to make the year meet on their incomes. But in cafes of ne-
ceflity the King is as free of his affiftance, as of his brotherly and paternal advice. He
has a fpecial art in mixing advice and admonition with the money he at any time be-
ftows. ~At the fame time there is not a better pay-mafter in the world, nor is there an
inftance of his having cheated any individual of a penny in his accounts with them.
I cannot conclude this fubject without giving you fome more anecdotes of this in ge-
neral fo much miftaken monarch. I fhall not repeat any of the ftories which are pub-
licly known of him, and do him as much honour as a private man, as his exploits do as
a monarch. What I have to communicate to you relates to his treatment of perfons
with whom he had reafon to be diffatisfied, which will fhew you at once both how little of
the defpot he really has in him, and how well he underftands the art of infinuating him-
felf into the cabinets of the feveral European princes, and making himfelf matter of their
moft important fecrets.
I am acquainted with two perfons who have long been employed by the King in mat-
ters of the greateft importance. They are both of them adventurers of the firlt clafs.
‘The one poflefles fome talents, which however are more fhining than fubftantial, as his
knowledge is too much confined to his own affairs, and he does not know the connec-
tion of them with political circumftances. ‘The other had not hands fufficiently clean,
but his corruption has arifen more from diffipation, than nature or culpable habit. Both
having been detected in impofing upon the King, there came to them fecret advice from
a third hand, and they difappeared from Berlin at different times. The affair at that
time made no further noife. It happened that both had it afterwards in their power to
ferve the King, the one at the Eaftern Sea, and the other at the Lower Rhine. All thofe
13 who
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