A DAY WITH FRIEDRICH.
Page: 12

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,