Treaty with Russia is made in 1764, Frederick now, having broken with England, being extremely anxious to keep well with such a country under such a Tsarina, about whom there are to be no rash sarcasms.  In 1769 a young Kaiser Joseph has a friendliness to Frederick very unlike his mother’s animosity.  Out of which things comes first partition of Poland (1772); an event inevitable in itself, with the causing of which Frederick had nothing whatever to do, though he had his slice.  There was no alternative but a general European war; and the slice, Polish Prussia, was very desirable; also its acquisition was extremely beneficial to itself.

In 1778 Frederick found needful to interpose his veto on Austrian designs in respect of Bavarian succession; got involved subsequently in Bavarian war of a kind, ended by intervention of Tsarina Catherine.  In 1780 Maria Theresa died; Joseph and Kaunitz launched on ambitious adventures for imperial domination of the German Empire, making overtures to the Tsarina for dual empire of east and west, alarming to Frederick.  His answer was the “Fuerstenbund,” confederation of German princes, Prussia atop, to forbid peremptorily that the laws of the Reich be infringed; last public feat of Frederick; events taking an unexpected turn, which left it without actual effect in European history.

A few weeks after this Fuerstenbund, which did very effectively stop Joseph’s schemes, Frederick got a chill, which was the beginning of his breaking up.  In January 1786, he developed symptoms concluded by the physician called in to be desperate, but not immediately mortal.  Four months later he talked with Mirabeau in Berlin, on what precise errand is nowise clear; interview reported as very lively, but “the king in much suffering.”

Nevertheless, after this he did again appear from Sans-Souci on horseback several times, for the last time on July 4.  To the last he continued to transact state business.  “The time which I have still I must employ; it belongs not to me but to the state”—­till August 15.

On August 17 he died.  In those last days it is evident that chaos is again big.  Better for a royal hero, fallen old and feeble, to be hidden from such things; hero whom we may account as hitherto the last of the kings.

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GEORGE FINLAY

History of Greece

George Finlay, the historian of Greece, was born on December 21, 1799, at Faversham, Kent, England, where his father, Capt.  J. Finlay, R.E., was inspector of the Government powder mills.  His early instruction was undertaken by his mother, to whose training he attributed his love of history.  He studied law at Glasgow and Goettingen universities, at the latter of which he became acquainted with a Greek fellow-student, and resolved to take part in the struggle for Greek independence.  He proceeded to Greece,