1826.] 
talizing as it is, we must wait Mr. Col- 
‘burn’s pleasure. 
The great feature of the volume is the 
Russian embassy, and no man had ever 
finer opportunites for qualifying. The 
correspondence of the ambassadors of every 
court in Europe, for the previous twenty 
years was thrown open to him by the 
official authority of his father; and he 
himself was indefatigable in collecting in- 
formation, and obtaining interviews with ex- 
perienced diplomatists. Among others, he 
‘waited on the well-known Count d’ Aranda, 
then ambassador in France from Spain, and 
solicited his advice. 
** Ah,” said he with a smile, ‘‘ you are alarmed at 
the studies which diplomacy requires? Do you un- 
derstand me? (an habitual phrase of his.) You 
think you must toll over maps, treaties, and old 
books? You want me to give you lessons in politics? 
Well, I will do so: we shallbegin whenever you 
please. Do you understand me now ? Come and see 
me to-morrow at twelve o’clock, and I promise you 
that, in a short time, you shall know all the po- 
litics of Europe. Do you understand me now ?” 
I returned him thanks, and was punctual to the 
appointment next day; I found him sitting in an 
arm-chair with a bureau before him, on which was 
placed a large map of Europe. 
** Sit down,” said he, ‘‘ and let us begin. The 
object of politics is, you know, to learn thestrength, 
the means, the interests, the rights, hopes and fears 
of the different powers, so that we may be on 
our guard against them, and may, on proper occa- 
sions, conciliate, disunite, or oppose them, or form 
alliances with them, according as our safety or in- 
terest requires. Do you understand me now ?” 
*© Perfectly,” I replied ; ‘* but this is exactly the 
Knowledge that seems to me to require deep study 
and much difficulty to become master of.”—‘* By no 
means,” said he, ‘f you are mistaken; in a few 
tminutes, you will be perfectly master of the whole 
business. Look at this map, and see all the Euro- 
pean states, great and small, with their extent and 
boundaries. Examine it well, and you will find that 
not one of these countries presents a regular compact 
hole, a complete square, a regular parallelogram, 
r perfect circle. There are always to be found 
some saliant points, some vacancies of territory and 
irregularities of outline. Do you understand me 
now ? 
_ ‘Look at the colossal empire of Russia; in the 
south, the Crimea is a peninsular projecting into the 
Black Sea, and that formerly belonged to the 
Turks; Moldavia and Wallachia are saliant points, 
and have coasts on the Black Sea, which would be 
suitable to make the Russian territory compact, par- 
ticularly if, by advancing towards the north, Poland 
were added to it; look again towards the north, 
there is Finland covered with rocks; it belongs to 
Sweden, and yet it is very close to Petersburgh. 
Do you understand me? 
“© Let us now go to Sweden: do you see Norway ? 
It is a broad strip that naturally depends on the 
Swedish territory. But, after all, it depends on 
Denmark. Do you understand me? 
_** Let us visit Prussia :—remark how long, narrow 
and unconnected this kingdom is; how many points 
tbe filled up to extend it on the side of Saxony, 
Sites a and then on the banks of the Rhine! Do 
stand me? And what shall we say of 
A ? She possesses the Low Countries; which 
aré separated from her by the German States, while 
Domestic and Foreign. 
199 
she is close to Bavarla, which does not belong to her 
Do you understand me now ? You will meet with 
Austria again in the centre of Italy; but how far 
distant it is from its proper territory; while Venice 
and Piedmont would suit it perfectly ! 
“* Well, I think I have said enough for one lesson. 
Do you understand me now? You see at present 
that all these powers wish to preserve their saliant 
points, fill up their vacancies, and render their ter- 
ritory firm and compact when they find an oppor- 
tunity. Well, my dear Sir, one lesson is sufficient, 
for this is the whole essence of politics. Do you 
understand me ? 
“Certainly,” I replied, ‘* I understand you, par- 
ticularly when I cast my eyes upon the map of Spain, 
and see, on its western side, a long and handsome 
strip of territory, called Portugal, which would 
perfectly suit, I rather think, the compactness of 
Spain.” 
“1 see that you do understand me,” replied the 
Count d’Aranda. ‘* You are now quite as learned as 
me in diplomacy. Adieu—go on gayly and boldly, 
and you will prosper. Do you understand me?” 
Thus ended this short and singular course of po- 
litics. 
ANECDOTES OF FREDERIC. 
One day that he was on the point of entering a 
grand state party, he was informed that two ladies 
were disputing for precedence at the door with 
shameful noise and obstinacy. ‘* Tell them,” said 
the King, ‘*that she whose husband occupies the 
most eminent place ought to pass first.”—‘* They 
know it,” replied the chamberlain, ‘* but their hus- 
bands are both of the same rank.”—‘* Very well, 
precedence belongs to the eldest.”—*‘* But they were 
both appointed at the same time.”—‘ Then,” re- 
plied the monarch in a passion, ‘‘ tell them, from 
me, that the greatest fool is to pass first.” 
Like the small number of Princes whose genius 
has placed them high in reputation, he was insen- 
sible to libels, malignant or seditious reports, and 
despised all those arrows of malice which were shot 
from too low a sphere to reach such a height. 
One day at Potsdam he heard from his cabineta 
considerable tumult in the strect; he called an 
officer, and told him to go and ascertain the cause. 
The officer went, and came back to tell his majesty, 
that a very scurrilous placard against his majesty 
was fixed on the wall, but that it was placed so high 
that a great crowd pressed forward and were pushing 
each other to read it. ‘* But the guards,” he added, 
** will soon come and disperse them.”—‘* Do nothing 
of the kind,” replied the King; ‘‘ fix the placard 
lower down that they may read it at their ease.” 
The order was executed, and ina few minutes no 
more was said about the placard; but they did not 
cease to speak of the monarch's wit. . 
In speaking to Frederic of Catherine, 
Segur lamented that she had commenced 
her career with the death of her husband. 
** Ah!” replied the king, ‘‘ on that point, though 
we are no great friends at present, Imust do her 
justice. People are greatly mistaken on the subject, 
for to the Empress cannot be justly imputed either 
the honour or the crime of that revolution ; she was 
‘young, powerless, isolated, and a foreigner, on the 
point of being divorced and shut up for life. The 
Orloffs did every thing; the Princess Dashkoff was 
nothing more in the whole business than the silly fly 
buzzing on the wheel. Rulhiere was mistaken. © 
** Catherine had no power or influence at that 
period; she threw herself into the arms of those 
who wished tosaveher. Their conspiracy was mad 
and ill planned; Peter the Third’s want of courage, 
