Carlyle's "History of Friedrich II of Prussia" BOOK VIII.
Page: 54

well-bred King. [Wilhelmina, i. 356.] King has given the Prince of
Baireuth a regiment; and likes him tolerably, though the young man
will not always drink as could be wished. Wedding, in spite of
clouds from her Majesty, is coming steadily on.


HIS MAJESTY'S BUILDING OPERATIONS.

"This year," says Fassmann, "the building operations both in
Berlin and Stettin,"--in Stettin where new fortifications are
completed, in Berlin where gradually whole new quarters are
getting built,--"were exceedingly pushed forward (AUSSERST
POUSSIRT)." Alas, yes; this too is a questionable memorable
feature of his Majesty's reign. Late Majesty, old King Friedrich
I., wishful,--as others had been, for the growth of Berlin, laid
out a new Quarter, and called it Friedrichs Stadt; scraggy boggy
ground, planned out into streets, Friedrichs Strasse the chief
street, with here and there a house standing lonesomely prophetic
on it. But it is this present Majesty, Friedrich Wilhelm, that
gets the plan executed, and the Friedrichs Strasse actually built,
not always in a soft or spontaneous manner. Friedrich Wilhelm was
the AEdile of his Country, as well as the Drill-sergeant;
Berlin City did not rise of its own accord, or on the principle of
leave-alone, any more than the Prussian Army itself. Wreck and
rubbish Friedrich Wilhelm will not leave alone, in any kind;
but is intent by all chances to sweep them from the face of the
Earth, that something useful, seemly to the Royal mind, may stand
there instead. Hence these building operations in the Friedrich
Street and elsewhere, so "exceedingly pushed forward."

The number of scraggy waste places he swept clear, first and last,
and built tight human dwellings upon, is almost uncountable.
A common gift from him (as from his Son after him) to a man in
favor, was that of a new good House,--an excellent gift. Or if the
man is himself able to build, Majesty will help him, incite him:
"Timber enough is in the royal forests; stone, lime are in the
royal quarries; scraggy waste is abundant: why should any man, of
the least industry or private capital, live in a bad house?"
By degrees, the pressure of his Majesty upon private men to build