Carlyle's "History of Friedrich II of Prussia" BOOK VIII.
Page: 29

getting on, in his eclipsed state, among the Domain Sciences
at Custrin.



Chapter V.

INTERVIEW OF MAJESTY AND CROWN-PRINCE AT CUSTRIN.

Ever since the end of November last year, Crown-Prince Friedrich,
in the eclipsed state, at Custrin, has been prosecuting his
probationary course, in the Domain Sciences and otherwise, with
all the patience, diligence and dexterity he could. It is false,
what one reads in some foolish Books, that Friedrich neglected the
functions assigned him as assessor in the KRIEGS- UND
DOMANEN-KAMMER. That would not have been the safe course for him!
The truth still evident is, he set himself with diligence to learn
the Friedrich-Wilhelm methods of administering Domains, and the
art of Finance in general, especially of Prussian Finance, the
best extant then or since;--Finance, Police, Administrative
Business;--and profited well by the Raths appointed as tutors to
him, in the respective branches. One Hille was his Finance-tutor;
whose "KOMPENDIUM," drawn up and made use of on this occasion, has
been printed in our time; and is said to be, in brief compass, a
highly instructive Piece; throwing clear light on the exemplary
Friedrich-Wilhelm methods. [Preuss, i. 59 n.] These the Prince did
actually learn; and also practise, all his life,--"essentially
following his Father's methods," say the Authorities,--with great
advantage to himself, when the time came.

Solid Nicolai hunted diligently after traces of him in the
Assessor business here; and found some: Order from Papa, to "make
Report, upon the Glass-works of the Neumark:" Autograph signatures
to common Reports, one or two; and some traditions of his having
had a hand in planning certain Farm-Buildings still standing in
those parts:--but as the Kammer Records of Custrin, and Custrin
itself, were utterly burnt by the Russians in 1758, such traces
had mostly vanished thirty years before Nicolai's time.
[Nicolai, Anekdoten, vi. 193.] Enough have
turned up since, in the form of Correspondence with the King and
otherwise: and it is certain the Crown-Prince did plan
Farm-Buildings;--"both Carzig and Himmelstadt (Carzig now called