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and needing lynx…eyed diplomacy ever and anon）； down to that of Dredging and Fascine…work （as at Stettin and elsewhere）； of Oder…canals； of Soap…boiler Companies； and Mulberry…and…Silk Companies； nay of ordaining Where； and where not； the Crows are to he shot； and （owing to cattle… murrain） No VEAL to be killed： ＇Seyfarth； ii。 71； 83； 81； Preuss； Buch fur Jedermann； i。 101…109； &c。＇ daily comes the tide of great and of small； and daily the punctual Friedrich keeps abreast of it；and Dryasdust has noted the details； and stuffed them into blind sacks；for forty years。
The Review seasons； I notice； go somewhat as follows。 For Berlin and neighborhood； May； or perhaps end of April （weather now bright； and ground firm）； sometimes with considerable pomp （〃both Queens out；〃 and beautiful Female Nobilities； in 〃twenty…four green tents〃）； and often with great complicacy of manoeuvre。 In June； to Magdeburg； round by Cleve； and home again for some days。 July is Pommern： Onward thence to Schlesien； oftenest in August； Schlesien the last place； and generally not done with till well on in September。 But we will speak of these things； more specially； another time。 Such 〃Reviews；〃 for strictness of inspection civil and military； as probably were not seen in the world since；or before； except in the case of this King's Father only。
Chapter V。
STRANGERS OF NOTE COME TO BERLIN； IN 1750。
British Diplomacies； next to the Russian； cause some difficulties in those years： of which more by and by。 Early in 1748； while Aix… la…Chapelle was starting； Ex…Exchequer Legge came to Berlin； on some obscure object of a small Patch of Principality； hanging loose during those Negotiations： 〃Could not we secure it for his Royal Highness of Cumberland； thinks your Majesty？〃 Ex…Exchequer Legge was here； ＇Coxe's Pelham； i。 431； &c。； Rodenbeck； pp。 155； 160 （first audience 1st May； 1748）；recalled 22d November； Aix being over。＇ got handsome assurances of a general nature； but no furtherance towards his obscure； completely impracticable object； and went home in November following； to a new Parliamentary Career。
And the second year after； early in 1750； came Sir Hanbury Williams； famed London Wit of Walpole's circle； on objects which； in the main； were equally chimerical： 〃King of the Romans； much wanted；〃 〃No Damage to your Majesty's Shipping from our British Privateers；〃 and the like；about which some notice； and not very much； will be due farther on。 Here； in his own words； is Hanbury's Account of his First Audience：
。。。 〃On Thursday；〃 16th July； 1750； 〃I went to Court by appointment； at 11 A。M。 The King of Prussia arrived about 12 ＇at Berlin； King in from Potsdam； for one day＇； and Count Podewils immediately introduced me into the Royal closet； when I delivered his Britannic Majesty's Letters into the King of Prussia's hands； and made the usual compliments to him in the best manner I was able。 To which his Prussian Majesty replied； to the best of my remembrance； as follows： 〃'I have the truest esteem for the King of Britain's person； and I set the highest value on his friendship。 I have at different times received essential proofs of it； and I desire you would acquaint the King your Master that I will （SIC） never forget them。' His Prussian Majesty afterwards said something with respect to myself； and then asked me several questions about indifferent things and persons。 He seemed to express a great deal of esteem for my Lord Chesterfield； and a great deal of kindness for Mr。 Villiers；〃 useful in the Peace…of…Dresden time； 〃but did not once mention Lord Hyndford or Mr。 Legge；〃how singular！
〃I was in the closet with his Majesty exactly five minutes and a half。 My audience done； Prussian Majesty came out into the general room； where Foreign Ministers were waiting。 He said； on stepping in； just one word〃 to the Austrian Excellency； not even one to the Russian Excellency； nor to me the Britannic； 〃conversed with the French； Swedish； Danish；〃happy to be off； which I do not wonder at； to dine with Mamma at Monbijou； among faces pleasant to him； and return to his Businesses and Books next day。 ＇Walpole； George the Second； i。 449； Rodenbeck； i。 204。＇
Witty Excellency Hanbury did not succeed at Berlin on the 〃Romish… King Question；〃 or otherwise； and indeed went off rather in a hurry。 But for the next six or seven years he puddles about； at a great rate； in those Northern Courts； giving away a great deal of money； hatching many futile expensive intrigues at Petersburg； Warsaw （not much at Berlin； after the first trial there）； and will not be altogether avoidable to us in time coming； as one could have wished。 Besides； he is Horace Walpole's friend and select London Wit： he contributed a good deal to the English notions about Friedrich； and has left considerable bits of acrid testimony on Friedrich； 〃clear words of an Eye…witness；〃 men call them；which are still read by everybody； the said Walpole； and others； having since printed them； in very dark condition。 ＇In Walpole； George the Second （i。 448…461）； the Pieces which regard Friedrich。 In Sir Charles Hanbury Williams's Works （edited by a diligent； reverential； but ignorant gentleman； whom I could guess to be Bookseller Jeffery in person： London； 1822； 3 vols。 small 8vo） are witty Verses； and considerable sections of Prose； relating to other persons and objects now rather of an obsolete nature。＇ Brevity is much due to Hanbury and his testimonies； since silence in the circumstances is not allowable。 Here is one Excerpt； with the necessary light for reading it：
。。。 It is on this Romish…King and other the like chimerical errands； that witty Hanbury； then a much more admirable man than we now find him； is prowling about in the German Courts； off and on； for some ten years in all； six of them still to come。 A sharp…eyed man； of shrewish quality； given to intriguing； to spying； to bribing； anxious to win his Diplomatic game by every method； though the stake （as here） is oftenest zero： with fatal proclivity to Scandal； and what in London circles he has heard called Wit。 Little or nothing of real laughter in the soul of him； at any time； only a labored continual grin； always of malicious nature； and much trouble and jerking about； to keep that up。 Had evidently some modicum of real intellect； of capacity for being wise； but now has fatally devoted it nearly all to being witty； on those poor terms！ A perverse； barren； spiteful little wretch； the grin of him generally an affliction； at this date。 His Diplomatic Correspondence I do not know。 ＇Nothing of him is discoverable in the State…Paper Office。 Many of his Papers； it would seem； are in the Earl of Essex's hands；and might be of some Historical use； not of very much； could the British Museum get possession of them。 Abundance of BACKSTAIRS History； on those Northern Courts； especially on Petersburg； and Warsaw…Dresden；authentic Court…gossip； generally malicious； often not true； but never mendacious on the part of Williams；is one likely item。＇ He did a great deal of Diplomatic business； issuing in zero； of which I have sometimes longed to know the exact dates； seldom anything farther。 His 〃History of Poland；〃 transmitted to the Right Hon。 Henry Fox； by instalments from Dresden； in 1748； is ＇See Hanbury's Works； vol。 iii。＇Well； I should be obliged to call it worthier of Goody Two…Shoes than of that Right Hon。 Henry； who was a man of parts； but evidently quite a vacuum on the Polish side！
Of Hanbury's News…Letters from Foreign Courts； four or five； incidentally printed； are like the contents of a slop…pail； uncomfortable to the delicate mind。 Not lies on the part of Hanbury； but foolish scandal poured into him； a man more filled with credulous incredible scandal； evil rumors； of malfeasances by kings and magnates； than most people known。 His rumored mysteries between poor Polish Majesty and pretty Daughter…in…law （the latter a clever and graceful creature； Daughter of the late unfortunate Kaiser； and a distinguished Correspondent of Friedrich's） are to be regarded as mere poisoned wind。 ＇See Hanbury's Works； ii。 209…240。＇ That 〃Polish Majesty gets into his dressing… gown at two in the afternoon〃 （inaccessible thenceforth； poor lazy creature）； one most readily believes； but there； or pretty much there； one's belief has to stop。 The stories； in WALPOLE； on the King of Prussia； have a grain of fact in them； twisted into huge irrecognizable caricature in the Williams optic…machinery。 Much else one can discern to be； in essence； false altogether。 Friedrich； who could not stand that intriguing； spying； shrewish； unfriendly kind of fellow at his Court； applied to England in not many months hence； and got Williams sent away： ＇〃22d January； 1751〃 （MS。 LIST in State…Paper Office）。＇ on to Russia； or I forget whither；which did not mend the Hanbury optical…machinery on that side。 The dull； tobacco…smoking Saxon…Polish Majesty； about whom he idly retails so many scandals； had never done him any offence。
On the whole； if anybody wanted a swim in the slop…pails of that extinct generation； Hanbur