Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1842-07-21

flowers. His retirement was enllVen-
ed by few companions, among whom
he seems to have preferred those who,
by birth or extraction, were French
With these inmates he dined and sup
ped well, drank freely, and amused
himself sometimes with concerts, some
times with holding chapters+ef a fra
ternity which he called the Order Of
Bayard but literature was his chief
resource.
His education had been entirely
Flelch. The long ascendency which
Louis XIV. had enjoyed, and the emf
nellt merit OF the tragic and comic dra-
matists, Of the s2tirists, and of the
preachers who had hourished under
that magnificent prince, had made the
French language predominant in Eu-
rope. Even in countries which had
national literature, and which could
boast Of names greater than those Of
Racine, Of Moliere, of Masillon-in
the country Of Dante, of Shakespeare
and Milton-the intellectual fashions
of Paris had been to great extent ad-
opted. Germany had not yet produced
a single masterpiece of poetry or elo-
quence. In Germany, therefore, the
French taste reigned without rival and
without limit. Every youth Of rank
was taught to speak and write French.
That he should speak and write his own
tongue with politeness, or even with
accuracy and facility, was regarded as
comparatively an unimportant object.
Even Frederick William, with all his
rugged Saxon prejudices, thought it
necessary that they should be we'll vers-
ed in German. The Latin was posi-
lively interdicted. "My son." bis ma
jesty wrote "shall not learn Latin;
and, more than that, | will not suffer
any body even to mention such thing
to me-" One Of the preceptors ven
tured to read the Golden Bull in the
original with the Prince Royal. Fred
erick William entered the room, and
broke out in his usual kingly style,
"Rascal, what are you at there?"
"Please your majesty" answered
the preceptor, 81 was explaining the
Golden Bull to his royal highness.
"I'll Golden Bull you, you rascal ~
roared the majesty of Prussia. Up
went the kings cane, away ran the
terrified instructor, and Frederick's clas-
steal studies ended forever. He now
and then affected to quote Latin SEN
fences, and produced such exquisite
Ciceronian phrases as theses Stante
pede morire, D" De gustibus non est
disputandus, '-sTot verbas tot spon-
dera." Of italian, he had not enough
to read apage of Metastasio with ease;
and Of the Spanish and English, he did
not, as far as we are aware, understand
single word.
The motives for undertaking the
conquest Of Silesia, which was to
plunge all Europe into seven wears
war, are summed up with inccmpara-
bic ability, though we think with scant
justice to Frederick.
Early IN the year 1779, Frederick
William met death with a frmness and
dignity worthy Of a better and wiser
man; and Frederick, who had lust
completed his twenty-eig year, be-
came King of Prussia. His character
was little understood. That he had
good Abilities indeed, no person who
talked with him, or correspondent with
HIM, could doubt. But the easy Epi-
curean lie which he had led, his love
OF good cookery and good wine, of mu-
SIC, OF conversation, of light literature,
led many to regard him as a sensual and
intellectual voluptuary. His habit of
cantlng about moderation, peace, lib
erty, and the happiness which a good
mind derives from the happiness Of O.
Tiers, had imposed on some who should
have known better. Those who tho't
most OF him, expected Telamachus
alter f'enelon's pattern. Others pre-
dicted the approach of Medcean
age-an age propitious to learning and
art, and not unpropitious to pleasure
Nobody had the least suspicion that a
tyrant Of extraordinary military and DO
lltlcal talents, Of industry more extra
ordinary still, without fear, without
faith, and without mercy, had assembled
the throne.
The disappointment of Falstafe at
his old boon-companion's coronation
was not more bitter than that which a.
waited some of the inmates of Reins-
berg. They had long looked forward
to the accession of their patron, as to
the day from which their own prosperity
and greatness was to date. They had
at least reached the promised land, the
land which they had figured to them
selves as flowing with milk and honey;
and they found it desert Ono moro