Carlyle's "History of Friedrich II of Prussia" BOOK VIII.
Page: 46

to have more liberty than now. It is certain, if he had his elbows
free, he would strike out (S'EN DONNERAIT A GAUCHE). He said to me
several times: 'I am young; I want to profit by my youth.'"
A questionable young fellow, Herr General; especially if you force
marriage on him.

"This conversation done," continues the General, "he set to
talking with the Madam Wreech," and her complexion of lily and
rose; "but he did not stay long; drove off about five [dinner at
the stroke of twelve in those countries], inviting me to see him
again at Custrin, which I promised."

And so the Prince is off in the Autumn sunset, driving down the
peaty hollow of the Warta, through unpicturesque country, which
produces Wreechs and incomparable flowers nevertheless. Yes; and
if he look a six miles to the right, there is the smoke of the
evening kettles from Zorndorf, rising into the sky; and across the
River, a twenty miles to the left, is Kunersdorf: poor sleepy
sandy hamlets; where nettles of the Devil are to be plucked
one day!--

"The beautiful Wreech drove off to Tamsel," her fine house; I to
this wretched tavern; where, a couple of hours after that
conversation, I began writing it all down, and have nothing else
to do for the night. Your Excellency's most moral, stiff-necked,
pipe-clayed and extremely obedient,

"VON SCHULENBUBG."

[Forster, iii. 65-71.]

This young man may be orthodox on Predestination, and outwardly
growing all that a Papa could wish; but here are strange
heterodoxies, here is plenty of mutinous capricious fire in the
interior of him, Herr General! In fact, a young man unfortunately
situated; already become solitary in Creation; has not, except
himself, a friend in the world available just now.
Tempestuous Papa storms one way, tempestuous Mamma Nature
another; and between the outsids and the inside there are
inconsistencies enough.

Concerning the fair Wreech of Tamsel, with her complexion of lily
and rose, there ensued by and by much whispering, and rumoring
underbreath; which has survived in the apocryphal Anecdote-Books,
not in too distinct a form. Here, from first hand, are three