St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1869-12-10

Frederick William engaged during his
reign of twenty-seven years. That was
with Charles MI. of Sweden. 1t lasted
but Il lew months, and from it the Prus-
sian king returned victorious The de-
mands OF Frederick William were not
unreasonable. As he commenced the
brief campaign, which began and ended
with the siege of StralSuud, he said -
''Why will the very king whom | most
respect compel me to be his enemy ~ In
his characteristic farewell order to his
ministers, he wrote: My wife shall be
told OF all things, and counsel asked ui
her. And as | am man, and may be
shot dead, | command you and all to take
care OF Fritz, rs God shall reward you
And give you all, wife to BEGIN with,
my curse that God may punish you i'll
time and eternity ii you do not, after my
death, bury me in the vault OF the palace
church at Berlin. And you shall make
no grand 10 do on the occasion. On
your body and lite no festivals and cere.
mOmalS, except that the regiments, one
alter the other, fire a vollcv over me. |
am assured that you will manage every
thing with all the eXactness in the world,
for which | shall eyer, zealouSly, a> long
as i've, be your friend"
The king was scrupuou>ly clean, wash
INC five times day. He would allow no
drapery, nc stutled furniture, no carpet:
in his apartments. They caught dust.
lie ate roughly, like Il farmer, of roast
beef, dcSpising all dclicacics. His almost
invarIabe dress was :. cIo-e military blu
coat, with rcd cufis and collar, buff waist
coat and breechcs, aud white linen utit-
ers to the knee. \ sword was bcltcd
around his IONS, and, as we have said, a
stout rattan or bamboo cane ever in hi.
hand y wcll-wOrn, battered tr angular
hat covered his h,-tu. he walked rap
! Idly through the streets which surrounded
! his palaces at Ioi~,lam and Berlin. Ii
he met with any one who attracted his
attention, male or female. h@ would alb
ruptty, mcna"iuely inquire, "WEo are
yuu :" y street lounGcr he has been
known to hit over the head with his cane.
cNclaImiu", ''llomr. YOU ra-c;li. and 20
To work Ii any one prcvarlcated or
hcsltatcl,h he would stcrnly demand. ."Louk
me i'll the face" 1t there was still hr>i-
fancy, or the kim were dissatisfied with
the answers, the one intrrro9atrG was
lucky If he escaped without 4 Gaming
.'he bouri-h king hated the refinement
aud polish OF the French. Ii he met u
lady in rich attire. she was pretty sure t.
br rgd.iy aa-ailcd; ami u young man
f,tshionaaIy dressed could hardly escape
the cudG,l II he came wIthIm reach of the
kim, arm. The king. >talhin- through
the streets, was - marked an oaI,ct a-
an elephant would have been. Every
one Instantly recognized him. anf many
lied al his approach. One day lie met "a
pale, thrcaibare young n!au, who was
quietly passing HIM, when the kim
stopped. in his Jerking "ait, and demand
cd III AIs coarse, rapii uttcrAncc, "Who
are You = Il am a Theological student,
tEr yuun- man quietly replied. "Whrr,
from '' added the king. "frum lRriinr
WAS the response. ''trom Berlin ;" I'll,
kim rcjoiuci "the Brrliucrs atc all Il
@oud-tor-nuthIu- sci. YES, your Maj
rsty, that i, true ol many OF thrm," III,
youmr man added; but know O
two exceptions" ''Ot two = re-pondc,
the kim. (which Al" thsy"" ''roul
Majesty and myself, the youm2 man re
piled. The king burst INTO a gooi-hu.
morcd lau2h, and, after ha,ing the your,
man carefully examined, assigned LIm /,
a rhapalncy.
The French Munster Il; the coirt u
Berlin, Count Rothcnhur.. WAS "a I'ru~
sian 10y mrih. lie was Il man ot mucI
diplomatic ability. and Il very accom-
plIehcI gentleman. Having spent muci
OF hlS lite III i'arl- Il" had acquired th,
polished hammers OF the French court. AN,
wore the costume appropriate 10 til,
IuIlerlcS and Versailles lie and his ~
socrates III the embassy attracted mucl
; attention a- they appeared i'll their cockc'
; hats, flowing WIS, laced coats, and othe
gorgeous trimmings. The king, in hi
homcspun earb, was apprchrn-rve thu,
the example - obnoxious To him Nigh
spread.
There WAS to he a graud review on til
par;Idc-ground just out from Berlin, Il
which the French embassy WAS 10 b
present. The king caused party cquu
i'll number, composed of the lowest OF III
people, To he dressed i'll an enormous cN
: ag-geraton of the French costume. ThcI
cooked hats were nearly Il yard in diam
cter. Immense WIZ. reached 10 thcl
: heels and all oihcr parts of the Frchr
court costume We're C;IrICaturcd III the mo.
grotcsquc manner possible. ~ soon {;
I the French embassy appeared there wa
"a great sound OF trumpets and marii.
bands from another part OF the field, AN
I these harlCquIls were brought forward I
", the gaze OF every eye, and cun-picuouel
u To the view of Count RJthcmburg and II
i companions. Military discipline prcvcr
ted any outburst or derisvc laughter
Il Perfect silence reigned. The king :;
upon his horse a stolid and grim ;,> tat,
i Count Rothenburg yielded 10 this gro
u diocourlc,y of the king, and even attc
/ while he remained in Berlin, wore a pla
- German costume.
: Every year Frederick William rigo
u ously reviewed all his garrlsons. Thou.
> accompanied by a numerous staff,
= tavcile! with Spartan simplicity, r
! gardies of exposure and fatigue. Fro
an early age he took Fritz with him ,
- these annual reviews. \ common vcl
~ ~ Gle, called the sausage car, and whl'
- ~ was the most primitive Of carriages, W
- often used by the king in his rough tr;,
~ u. els and hunting excursions This co
y sisted of Il mere stuffed pole, some It
va IA or twelve feet long, upon which one :