A DAY WITH FRIEDRICH.
Page: 6

some of the Ziethen Hussar-Officers, who were upon grazing service
in the adjoining villages [all Friedrich's cavalry went out to
GRASS during certain months of the year; and it was a LAND-TAX on
every district to keep its quota of army-horses in this manner,--
AUF GRASUNG]; and of me his Majesty as yet took no notice. As the
DAMME," Dams or Raised Roads through the Peat-bog, "are too narrow
hereabouts, I could not, ride beside him," and so went before? or
BEHIND, with woodman before? GOTT WEISS! "In Dechau his Majesty got
sight of Rittmeister von Ziethen," old Ajax Ziethen's son, "to whom
Dechau belongs; and took him into the carriage along with him, till
the point where the Dechau boundary is. Here there was again change
of horses. Captain von Rathenow, an old favorite of the King's, to
whom the property of Karvesee in part belongs, happened to be here
with his family; he now went forward to the carriage:--

CAPTAIN VON RATHENOW. "'Humblest servant, your Majesty!'
[UNTERTHANIGSTER KNECHT, different from the form of ending letters,
but really of the same import].

KING. "'Who are you?'

CAPTAIN. "'I am Captain von Rathenow from Karvesee.'

KING (clapping his hands together). "'Mein Gott, dear Rathenow, are
you still alive! ["LEBT ER NOCH, is HE still alive?"--way of
speaking to one palpably your inferior, scarcely now in use even to
servants; which Friedrich uses ALWAYS in speaking to the highest
uncrowned persons: it gives a strange dash of comic emphasis often
in his German talk:] I thought you were long since dead. How goes
it with you 7 Are you whole and well?"

CAPTAIN. "'O ja, your Majesty.'

KING. "'Mein Gott, how fat He has (you are) grown!'

CAPTAIN. "'Ja, your Majesty, I can still eat and drink; only the
feet get lazy' [won't go so well, WOLLEN NICHT FORT].

KING. "'Ja! that is so with me too. Are you married?'

CAPTAIN. "'Yea, your Majesty.'

KING. "'Is your wife among the ladies yonder?'

CAPTAIN. "'Yea, your Majesty.'

KING. "'Bring her to me, then!' [TO HER, TAKING OFF HIS HAT]
'I find in your Herr Husband a good old friend.'

FRAU VON RATHENOW. "'Much grace and honor for my husband!'