HISTORY OF FRIEDRICH II. OF PRUSSIA
Page: 47

Wife, when dying, exacted a promise from Prince Friedrich that he
would not wed again, but be content with the Daughter she had left
him: which promise, if ever seriously given, could not be kept,
as we have seen. Prince Friedrich brought his Sophie Charlotte
home about fifteen months after. With the Stepmother and with the
Court there was armed neutrality under tolerable forms, and no
open explosion farther.

In a secret way, however, there continued to be difficulties.
And such difficulties had already been, that the poor young man,
not yet come to his Heritages, and having, with probably some turn
for expense, a covetous unamiable Stepmother, had fallen into the
usual difficulties; and taken the methods too usual. Namely, had
given ear to the Austrian Court, which offered him assistance,--
somewhat as an aged Jew will to a young Christian gentleman in
quarrel with papa,--upon condition of his signing a certain bond:
bond which much surprised Prince Friedrich when he came to
understand it! Of which we shall hear more, and even much more,
in the course of time!--

Neither after his accession (year 1688; his Cousin Dutch William,
of the glorious and immortal memory, just lifting anchor towards
these shores) was the new Elector's life an easy one. We may say,
it was replete with troubles rather; and unhappily not so much
with great troubles, which could call forth antagonistic greatness
of mind or of result, as with never-ending shoals of small
troubles, the antagonism to which is apt to become itself of
smallish character. Do not search into his history; you will
remember almost nothing of it (I hope) after never so many
readings! Garrulous Pollnitz and others have written enough about
him; but it all runs off from you again, as a thing that has no
affinity with the human skin. He had a court "rempli
d'intrigues, full of never-ending cabals," [Forster,
i. 74 (quoting Memoires du Comte de Dohna);
&c. &c.]--about what?

One question only are we a little interested in: How he came by
the Kingship? How did the like of him contrive to achieve
Kingship? We may answer: It was not he that achieved it; it was