called August DER STARKE, "August the Physically Strong."
This exemplary Sovereign could not well be a man according to
Friedrich Wilhelm's heart: accordingly they had their huffs and
little collisions now and then: that of the Protestant Directorate
and Heidelberg Protestants, for instance; indeed it was generally
about Protestantism; and more lately there had been high words and
correspondings about the "Protestants of Thorn" (a bad tragedy, of
Jesuit intrusion and Polish ferocity, enacted there in 1724);
[Account of it in Buchholz, i. 98-102.]--in which sad business
Friedrich Wilhelm loyally interfered, though Britannic George of
blessed memory and others were but lukewarm; and nothing could be
done in it. Nothing except angry correspondence with King August;
very provoking to the poor soul, who had no hand but a nominal
one in the Thorn catastrophe, being driven into it by his unruly
Diet alone.

In fact, August, with his glittering eyes and excellent physical
constitution, was a very good-humored fellow; supremely pleasant
in society; and by no means wishful to cheat you, or do you a
mischief in business,--unless his necessities compelled him;
which often were great. But Friedrich Wilhelm always kept a good
eye on such points; and had himself suffered nothing from the gay
eupeptic Son of Belial, either in their old Stralsund copartnery
or otherwise. So that, except for these Protestant affairs,--and
alas, one other little cause,--Friedrich Wilhelm had contentedly
left the Physically Strong to his own course, doing the civilities
of the road to him when they met; and nothing ill had fallen out
between them. This other little cause--alas, it is the old story
of recruiting; one's poor Hobby again giving offence!
Special recruiting brabbles there had been; severe laws passed in