appendix to history of friedrich ii of prussia-第4章

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KING。　〃'To　whom　belongs　it？'

ICH。　〃'To　you；　your　Majesty；　under　the　Amt　Alt…Ruppin。'

KING。　〃'What　is　the　village　here　before　us？'

ICH。　〃'Protzen。'

KING。　〃'Whose　is　it？'

ICH。　〃'Herr　von　Kleist's。'

KING。　〃'What　Kleist　is　that？'

ICH。　〃'A　son　of　General　Kleist's。'

KING。　〃'Of　what　General　Kleist's。'

ICH。　〃'His　brother　was　FLUGELADJUTANT　＇WING…adjutant；　whatever　that
may　be＇　with　your　Majesty；　and　is　now　at　Magdeburg；　Lieutenant…
Colonel　in　the　Regiment　Kalkstein。'

KING。　〃'Ha；　ha；　that　one！　I　know　the　Kleists　very　well。　Has　this
Kleist　been　in　the　service　too？'

ICH。　〃'Yea；　your　Majesty；　he　was　ensign　in　the　regiment
Prinz　Ferdinand。'

KING。　〃'Why　did　the　man　seek　his　discharge？'

ICH。　〃'That　I　do　not　know。'

KING。　〃'You　may　tell　me；　I　have　no　view　in　asking：　why　did　the　man
take　his　discharge？'

ICH。　〃'Your　Majesty；　I　really　cannot　say。'

〃We　had　now　got　on　to　Protzen。　I　perceived　old　General　van　Ziethen
standing　before　the　Manor…house　in　Protzen；〃rugged　brave　old
soul；　with　his　hanging　brows；　and　strange　dim…fiery　pious　old
thoughts！〃I　rode　forward　to　the　carriage　and　said：

ICH。　〃'Your　Majesty；　the　Herr　General　von　Ziethen　is　＇are；　SIND＇
also　here。'

KING。　〃'Where？　where？　Oh；　ride　forward；　and　tell　the　people　to　draw
up；　they　must　halt；　I'll　get　out。'

〃And　now　his　Majesty　got　out；　and　was　exceedingly　delighted　at　the
sight　of　Herr　General　von　Ziethen；　talked　with　him　and　Herr　von
Kleist　of　many　things：　Whether　the　draining　of　the　Luch　had　done
him　good；　Whether　the　murrain　had　been　there　among　their　cattle？
and　recommended　rock…salt　against　the　murrain。　Suddenly　his　Majesty
stept　aside；　turned　towards　me；　and　called：　'Amtmann！　＇THEN　CLOSE
INTO　MY　EAR＇　Who　is　the　fat　man　there　with　the　white　coat？'

ICH　（ALSO　CLOSE　INTO　HIS　MAJESTY'S　EAR）。　〃'Your　Majesty；　that　is
the　Landrath　Quast；　of　the　Ruppin　Circle。'

KING。　〃'Very　well。'

〃Now　his　Majesty　went　back　to　General　von　Ziethen　and　Herr　von
Kleist；　and　spoke　of　different　things。　Herr　von　Kleist　presented
some　very　fine　fruit　to　his　Majesty；　all　at　once　his　Majesty　turned
round；　and　said：　'Serviteur；　Herr　Landrath！'As　the　Landrath　＇〃fat
man　there　with　the　white　coat〃＇　was　stepping　towards　his　Majesty；
said　his　Majesty：　'Stay　he　there　where　he　is；　I　know　him。　He　is　the
Landrath　von　Quast！'＇〃Very　good　indeed；　old　Vater　Fritz；　let　him
stand　there　in　his　white　coat；　a　fat；　sufficiently　honored　man！
Chodowiecki　has　an　engraving　of　this　incident；I　saw　IT　at　the
British　Museum　once；　where　they　have　only　seven　others　on　Friedrich
altogether；　all　in　one　poor　GOTHA　ALMANAC；　very　small；　very　coarse；
but　very　good：　this　Quast　（Anglice　'Tassel'）　was　one　of　them〃
（MARGINALE　OF　1862）。＇

〃They　had　now　yoked　the　horses。　His　Majesty　took　a　very　tender
leave　of　old　General　von　Ziethen；　waved　an　adieu　to　those　about；
and　drove　on。　Although　his　Majesty　at　Protzen　would　not　take　any
fruit；　yet　when　once　we　were　out　of　the　village；　his　Majesty　took　a
luncheon　from　the　carriage…pocket　for　himself　and　the　Herr　General
Graf　von　Gortz；　and；　all　along；　during　the　drive；　ate　apricots
（IMMER　PFIRSCHE）。

At　starting；　his　Majesty　had　fancied　I　was　to　stop　here；　and　called
out　of　the　carriage：　'Amtmann；　come　along　with　us！'

KING。　〃'Where　is　the　Beamte　of　Alt…Ruppin？'

ICH。　〃'Apparently　he　must　be　unwell；　otherwise　he　would　have　been
in　Protzen　at　the　change　of　horses　there'　＇〃at　the　VORSPANN：〃　Yes；
and　Manor…house；　EDELHOF；　where　old　Ziethen　waited；　was　lower
down　the　street；　and　SOONER　than　the　Post…house？＇

KING。　〃'Na；　tell　me　now；　don't　you　really　know　why　that　Kleist　at
Protzen　took　his　discharge？'　＇VOILA！＇

ICH。　〃'No；　your　Majesty；　I　really　do　not。'

KING。　〃'What　village　is　this　before　us？'

ICH。　〃'Manker。'

KING。　〃'And　whose？'

ICH。　〃'Yours；　your　Majesty；　in　the　AMT　Alt…Ruppin。'

KING　（looking　round　on　the　harvest…fields）。　〃'Here　you；　now：
how　are　you　content　with　the　harvest？'

ICH。　〃'Very　well；　your　Majesty。'

KING。　〃'Very　well？　And　to　me　they　said；　Very　ill！'

ICH。　〃'Your　Majesty；　the　winter…crop　was　somewhat　frost…nipt；
but　the　summer…crop　in　return　is　so　abundant　it　will　richly　make　up
for　the　winter…crop。'　His　Majesty　now　looked　round　upon　the　fields；
shock　standing　upon　shock。

KING。　〃'It　is　a　good　harvest；　you　are　right；　shock　stands　close　by
shock　here！'

ICH。　〃'Yes；　your　Majesty；　and　the　people　here　make　STEIGS　（mounts）
of　them　too。'

KING。　〃'Steigs；　what　is　that？'

ICH。　〃'That　is　20　sheaves　piled　all　together。'

KING。　〃'Oh；　it　is　indisputably　a　good　harvest。　But　tell　me；　though；
why　did　Kleist　of　Protzen　take　his　discharge？'

ICH。　〃'Your　Majesty；　I　do　not　know。　I　suppose　he　was　obliged　to
take　his　father's　estates　in　hand：　no　other　cause　do　I　know　of。'

KING。　〃'What's　the　name　of　this　village　we　are　coming　to？'

ICH。　〃'Garz。'

KING。　〃'To　whom　belongs　it？'

ICH。　〃'To　the　Kriegsrath　von　Quast。'

KING。　〃'To　WHOM　belongs　it？'

ICH。　〃'To　Kriegsrath　von　Quast。'

KING。　〃'EY　WAS　＇pooh；　pooh＇！　I　know　nothing　of　Kriegsraths！To
whom　does　the　Estate　belong？'

ICH。　〃'To　Herr　von　Quast。'　Friedrich　had　the　greatest　contempt　for
Kriegsraths；　and　indeed　for　most　other　RATHS　or　titular　shams；
labelled　boxes　with　nothing　in　the　inside：　on　a　horrible　winter…
morning　（sleet；　thunder；　&c。）；　marching　off　hours　before　sunrise；
he　has　been　heard　to　say；　'Would　one　were　a　Kriegsrath！

KING。　〃'Na；　that　is　the　right　answer。'

〃His　Majesty　now　arrived　at　Garz。　The　changing　of　the　horses　was
managed　by　Herr　von　Luderitz　of　Nackeln；　as　first　Deputy　of　the
Ruppin　Circle。　He　had　his　hat　on；　and　a　white　feather　in　it。
When　the　yoking　was　completed；　our　journey　proceeded　again。

KING。　〃'To　whom　belongs　this　estate　on　the　left　here？'

ICH。　〃'To　Herr　van　Luderitz；　it　is　called　Nackeln。'

KING。　〃'What　Luderitz　is　that？'

ICH。　〃'Your　Majesty；　he　that　was　in　Garz　while　the　horses
were　changing。'

KING。　〃'Ha；　ha；　the　Herr　with　the　white　feather！Do　you　sow
wheat　too？'

ICH。　〃'Ja；　your　Majesty。'

KING。　〃'How　much　have　you　sown？'

ICH。　〃'Three　WISPELS　12　SCHEFFELS；'　unknown　measures！

KING。　〃'How　much　did　your　predecessor　use　to　sow？'

ICH。　〃'Four　scheffels。'

KING。　〃'How　has　it　come　that　you　sow　so　much　more　than　he？'

ICH。　〃'As　I　have　already　had　the　honor　to　tell　your　Majesty　that　I
keep　seventy　head　of　cows　more　than　he；　I　have　of　course　more
manure　for　my　ground；　and　so　put　it　in　a　better　case　for
bearing　wheat。'

KING。　〃'But　why　do　you　grow　no　hemp？'

ICH。　〃'It　would　not　answer　here。　In　a　cold　climate　it　would　answer
better。　Our　sailors　can　buy　Russian　hemp　in　Lubeck　cheaper；　and　of
better　quality　than　I　could　grow　here。'

KING。　〃'What　do　you　sow；　then；　where　you　used　to　have　hemp？'

ICH。　〃'Wheat！'

KING。　〃'Why　do　you　sow　no　Farbekraut；　＇〃DYE…HERB：〃　commonly　called
〃FARBERROTHE；〃　yields　a　coarse　RED；　on　decoction　of　the　twigs　and
branches；　from　its　roots　the　finer　red　called　〃KRAPP〃　（in　French
GARANCE）　is　got。＇　no　Krapp？'

ICH。　〃'It　will　not　prosper；　the　ground　is　n't　good　enough。'

KING。　〃'That　is　people's　talk：　you　should　have　made　the　trial。'

ICH。　〃'I　did　make　the　trial；　but　it　failed；　and　as　Beamte　I　cannot
make　many　trials；　for；　let　them　fail　or　not；　the　rent　must
be　paid。'

KING。　〃'What　do　you　sow；　then；　where　you　would　have　put　Farbekraut？'

ICH。　〃'Wheat。'

KING。　〃'Na！　Then　stand　by　wheat！Your　tenants　are　in　good　case；
I　suppose？'

ICH。　〃'Yes；　your　Majesty。　I　can　show　by　the　Register　of　Hypothecks
（HYPOTHEKENBUCH）　that　they　have　about　50　thousand　thalers　of
capital　among　them。'

KING。　〃'That　is　good。'

ICH。　〃'Three　years　ago　a　tenant　died　who　had　11；000　thalers；'　say
2；000　pounds；　'in　the　Bank。'

KING。　〃'How　much？'

ICH。　〃'Eleven　thousand　thalers。'

KING。　〃'Keep　them　so　always！'

ICH。　〃'Ja；　your　Majesty；　it　is　very　good　that　the　tenant　have
money；　but　he　becomes　mutinous　too；　as　the　tenants　hereabouts　do；
who　have　seven　times　over　complained　to　your　Majesty　against　me；　to
get　rid　of　the　HOFDIENST；'　stated　work　due　from　them。

KING。　〃'They　will　have　had　some　cause　too！'

ICH。　〃'Your　Majesty　will　graciously　pardon：　there　was　an
investigation　gone　into；　and　it　was　found　that　I　had　not　o