HISTORY OF FRIEDRICH II. OF PRUSSIA
Page: 44

Konigsberg and back (winter of 1657, as is guessed), one of the
many rough jolting journeys this faithful Electress made with her
Husband, a careless or unlucky nurse, who had charge of pretty
little Fritzchen, was not sufficiently attentive to her duties on
the worst of roads. The ever-jolting carriage gave some bigger
jolt, the child fell backwards in her arms; [Johann Wegfuhrer,
Leben der Kurfurstin Luise, gebornen Prinzessin von
Nassau-Oranien, Gemahlin Friedrich Wilhelm des Grossen italic> (Leipzig, 1838), p. 107.] did not quite break his back,
but injured it for life:--and with his back, one may perceive,
injured his soul and history to an almost corresponding degree.
For the weak crooked boy, with keen and fine perceptions, and an
inadequate case to put them in, grew up with too thin a skin:--
that may be considered as the summary of his misfortunes; and, on
the whole, there is no other heavy sin to be charged against him.

He had other loads laid upon him, poor youth: his kind pious
Mother died, his elder Brother died, he at the age of seventeen
saw himself Heir-Apparent;--and had got a Stepmother with new
heirs, if he should disappear. Sorrows enough in that one fact,
with the venomous whisperings, commentaries and suspicions,
which a Court population, female and male, in little Berlin Town,
can contrive to tack to it. Does not the new Sovereign Lady,
in her heart, wish YOU were dead, my Prince? Hope it perhaps?
Health, at any rate, weak; and, by the aid of a little pharmacy--
ye Heavens!

Such suspicions are now understood to have had no basis except in
the waste brains of courtier men and women; but their existence
there can become tragical enough. Add to which, the Great Elector,
like all the Hohenzollerns, was a choleric man; capable of blazing
into volcanic explosions, when affronted by idle masses of cobwebs
in the midst of his serious businesses! It is certain, the young
Prince Friedrich had at one time got into quite high, shrill and
mutually minatory terms with his Stepmother; so that once, after
some such shrill dialogue between them, ending with "You shall