ladies, with high head-gear, wide hoops; a clear, correct, but
somewhat barren and meagre species, tight-laced and high-frizzled
in mind and body. It is not a very fertile element for a young
soul: not very much of silent piety in it; and perhaps of vocal
piety more than enough in proportion. An element founding on what
they call "enlightened Protestantism," "freedom of thought," and
the like, which is apt to become loquacious, and too conscious of
itself; terming, on the whole, rather to contempt of the false,
than to deep or very effective recognition of the true.

But it is, in some important senses, a clear and pure element
withal. At lowest, there are no conscious semi-falsities, or
volunteer hypocrisies, taught the poor Boy; honor, clearness,
truth of word at least; a decorous dignified bearing;
various thin good things, are honestly inculcated and exemplified;
nor is any bad, ungraceful or suspicious thing permitted there,
if recognized for such. It might have been a worse element;
and we must be thankful for it. Friedrich, through life, carries
deep traces of this French-Protestant incipiency: a very big
wide-branching royal tree, in the end; but as small and flexible a
seedling once as any one of us.

The good old Dame de Roucoulles just lived to witness his
accession; on which grand juncture and afterwards, as he had done
before, he continued to express, in graceful and useful ways, his
gratitude and honest affection to her and hers. Tea services,
presents in cut-glass and other kinds, with Letters that were
still more precious to the old Lady, had come always at due
intervals:, and one of his earliest kingly gifts was that of some
suitable small pension for Montbail, the elderly daughter of this