The Prince absolutely insists upon my marriage with Rietz, because since the late discovery the King is angry with him. It is only intended to be a mere farce to outwit the old fox, who, as he is past all enjoyment, would have others insensible to every pleasure to keep him company.
I shall be obliged to swallow the bitter draught, and permit his Highness’s shoe-black to call me his wife. Krantz has inserted a most biting epigram against me in his weekly publication; it alludes to my former calling, when I used to sell lemons and oranges. Curse the fool! Send him four Frederics-d’ors, and he will hold his tongue, I warrant you; he is nothing but a hungry scribbler, that for money would convert angels into devils, and devils into angels of light.
Since the last review in Silesia, the King is extremely suspicious and ill-tempered with the Prince, and all our party. He has him watched as closely as possible, and knows every one that comes and goes. My dear F——c can only visit me by night; he comes on horseback, changes his horses at Zehlendorf, and leaves me at three in the morning. At five he is back at Potsdam, and every morning appears on the parade to avoid suspicion. The King has sent Forçade for a soldier to a regiment at Brieg, because, as he pleases to term it, he assists his nephew in all his little frolics. The Prince is extremely chagrined at it, and has consoled poor Forçade with the prospect of better times. This may, probably, have induced him, in his fits of ill humour, to vent his rage on poor Rietz, whom, of late, he has several times treated to a royal caning. There are two Silesian Counts at Berlin, of the name of Wingersky; the Prince is very intimate with them. Who are those fellows? My brother must watch them, and let me know.
Werner, of Breslau, and Eckstein, of Schmieberg, have brought money. The rich convents of those places have granted a joint loan, which the Prince has promised to repay them on his accession to the throne. They are pretty good people. This Werner and this Eckstein have paid me a visit to-day, together with Rietz.
The old grumbler walks upon his last legs, and, by what Selle and Zimmermann have told the Prince, he cannot hold out above three weeks longer, and then who is to interrupt our career? O! the pretty casks full of gold which lie in the cellars underneath the old palace at Berlin! We will bring them to light. Then we command, do any thing I chuse, and I’ll turn him about till I find the right handle of him. Now we shall soon want a set of confidential persons to assist us with counsel and deed; for, alas! what do we know about government and politics? Werner and Bender are two men that will do for me; they know better than I what they are about.
These last three weeks have been monstrous long; every hour we expected to receive the news of his death. But he is gone at last; between two and three this morning the old grumbler breathed his last, and my F——c is King. Only think, mother, F——c is King! Minna now will govern, and from this very instant a new prospect begins to open to us. I am going to buy a house Unter den Linden[1]. I mean to fill it with entire new furniture, which shall not be a whit inferior to that of the Queen’s. Werner has been made minister, and Bender has obtained the commission of a major-general and adjutant. These are two of our creatures, do you see, who will work our good-natured K—g nicely.