1 824. J Stephentiana, 



confer this newdiplnmatio rank on you 5 

 as it affords me the well-founded expeo- 

 tatioD, that I shall be able to detain you 

 for many years here. Tell the king, 

 your master, that he can never send any 

 minister who will prove so afjreeable to 

 me." Immediately after tiiis, a nume- 

 rous and splendid embassy arrived from 

 Sweden, at the head of which was 

 placed the senator Count de Tessin, 

 who with the talents of a statesman 

 joined a love of show, of pomp, and of 

 splendour. A series of brilliant festivals 

 now took place; in the course of wliich 

 the king, by his amiable manners, cap- 

 tivated every heart. On the departure 

 of his sister, to whom he was tenderly 

 attached, he presented her with an ode, 

 which he had composed on this occa- 

 sion ; and Louisa Ulrica and he did not 

 meet again until twenty-six years after, 

 when she revisited Berlin in the quality 

 of the widow of the King of Sweden. 



Soon afler this marriage, which took 

 place in 1744, the court of Berlin, which 

 had refused a princess to Russia, pro- 

 posed the Princess de Zcrbst, the famous 

 Catharine II. to supply her place. 

 Frederic II. mentions that circumstance 

 in the following manner, in his posthu- 

 mous works: — "As Louisa Ulrica was 

 now disposed of to the Prince Royal of 

 Sweden, it became necessary to think 

 of some other expedient for giving a 

 consort to the Grand Duke. Of all the 

 German princesses then of a marriage- 

 able age, no one proved more suitable 

 to Russia and the Prussian interests 

 than the Princess do Zerbsl." When 

 this lady became empress, she did not 

 forget the intervention of the court of 

 Berlin ; and it was perhaps owing to this 

 fortunate circumstance that Frederic II. 

 was enabled to retain his crown : for at 

 one period he had entertained thoughts 

 of retiring to Venice, and practising 

 medicine there, as the means of obtain- 

 ing a livelihood ! 



As the war still continued, the King 

 of Prussia entered Bohemia, in thi' 

 course of the next campaign, at the head 

 of 80,000 men, who, in consequence of 

 their dispersion, were on the point of 

 being surprised and cut off by Prince 

 Charles of Lorraine. Frederic was now 

 under the necessity of effecting a retreat; 

 and, soon afler, had the candour to say to 

 the Swedish ambassador, "Had I con- 

 ducted myself in the same manner in a 

 subordinate capacity, I ought to have 

 been deprived of the command." 



While the Prussians deemed them- 



No. XXFIII. 



233- 



selves secure within winter-quarters, in 

 November 1746, Austria and Saxony 

 concerted a plan for carrying the war 

 into the enemy's country. Frederic, 

 who was then at Berlin, received the 

 first notice of this plan from Rudens- 

 child. On this his majesty immediately 

 put his troops in motion, and, embracing 

 the Swedish minister,exclainied,"AdieuI 

 my dear friend, and do not forget a 

 prince who shall always remember your 

 kindness." Victory accompanied tlie 

 march of the Prussian monarch; for, 

 after a variety of decisive advantages, 

 he was enabled to conclude the peace 

 of Dresden, which ensured the posses- 

 sion of Silesia. After his return to 

 Potsdam, the Swedish minister repaired 

 thither, and staid eight days with the 

 monarch, who, on his departure, pre- 

 sented him witli a fine service of Dres- 

 den porcelain, observing to him, at the 

 same time, "This will prove that I 

 thought of you when I was in Saxony.'' 



In 1748 Rudensehild was recalled, 

 and obtained the office of secretary of 

 state for the department of foreign affairs, 

 by way of recompense for the services 

 which he had rendered his country. On 

 taking leave, Frederic became so much 

 affected, that he would not permit him 

 to finish the customary compliments, 

 hut, advancing towards him, he em- 

 braced the minister in the most tender 

 manner, and conversed with him exactly 

 in the same manner as one friend does 

 on being about to lose another. His 

 majesty afterwards transmitted to him 

 the following billet :— 



Soyez persuade que je m'occuperai tou- 

 Jours de vous, et que le ministre et 

 rhomme amiable ont ^galenient droit a 

 mon souvenir. Frederic. 



Meanwhile Rudensehild returned to 

 his native country, became a senator 

 and a count, and acted a brilliant part 

 at several of the Diets; but in 1765 his 

 party lost its influence, he himself fell 

 into disgrace, and, after being deprived 

 of his senatorial functions, he found 

 himself reduced to a situation bordering 

 on indigence. It was tiien that Frederic 

 afforded him the most satisfactory 

 proofs that he was really his friend; 

 I'or he invited him to take up his abode 

 at Potsdam, in a letter replete with tlio 

 most flattering marks of esteem. But 

 the other refused ; alleging that he ought 

 to remain in his native country, for the 

 double purpose of pardoning it, and 

 justifying his own iimoeence. 'I'his 

 innocence was in fact recognized soon 



after-; 



