Rheinsberg; Memeorials of Frederick the Great and Prince of Prussia Volume 1 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1880 edition. Excerpt: ...thinks that Prussian Diplomacy lacks Energy--He writes a Pamphlet--But 'withdraws it--The Antimadiiavel--The StaatsscJiriftm. That Frederick in the midst of his duties, cares, and pleasant pursuits, the regimental business, the military studies, the financial troubles, and the selfeducation, the music, poetry, philosophy, gardening, dancing, play-acting, and other elegant exercises, --that he at the same time and all along had his eyes and ears very wide open indeed to "what was passing, not only in the kingdom of Prussia which was by and by to be his own, but also in the other countries of Europe, that in fact his mind even in those young years was very keenly bent on politics--i.e., on what must needs become the main business of his active life--this is what in his position was only right, though oddly enough it has often been overlooked. He neither could nor did talk quite so freely on such matters as on many others, or correspond about them with anybody and everybody; several sorts of prudence hindered his doing that. But, even in his miscellaneous letters, there are signs enough that his judgment was awake; and his Correspondence with Grumbkow, which from this time forward, after the settlement at Rheinsberg, turned altogether on politics, shows that it was not only awake but wonderfully mature. Grumbkow kept the Prince very fully informed of the affairs of the Foreign Office. He sent him the letters and reports of the Prussian ambassadors at foreign courts, or copies of them, which the Prince, when he had read them, regularly returned. It is to be taken for granted, though I do not know that there is any proof, that this was done by the King's orders. Doubtless it was a carrying out of the plan of training which had been begun at...