MAJOR SEMPLE LISLE. 6i 



Potfdam, though certainly the firft fchool for 

 war, was in fad: no very pleafant place to ih- 

 habit. The ftricflnefs of the difcipline rendered 

 every man no better than a flave ; nobody could 

 pafs or repafs the gates witliout being reported ; 

 and to the very garrrfon it nearly was intolera- 

 ble, as the foldiers had there no opportunity, 

 as elfewhere, of earning any thing by their la- 

 bour, as there was no trade or commerce what- 

 ever in that town, its inhabitants being, to a 

 very few exceptions indeed, military. 



The King endeavoured to amend their con- 

 dition, by ordering numbers of houfes to be 

 built every year : ftill the foldiers were mifcra- 

 ble ; bur, though fuicide was frequently the re- 

 fult of diflrefs, the veteran monarch was abfo- 

 lutely idolized by them. 



Frederic the Great had in his younger days 

 been a very adive man ; but when I faw him, 

 he had upon him much of the infirmity of age* 

 That fliarp, penetrating look, which would have 

 marked him as an extraordinary man, even at a 

 glance, ftill remained ; but he flooped much, 

 and his legs were fcarcely able to fupport his 

 weight, which, however, was not enormous. 



He wifhed, as far as poflible, to conceal every 

 appearance of decay ; and would have felt 

 himfeif hurt had any one obferved him mount- 

 ing his horfe. Unable to vault into his faddle 



as 



