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OF YOURSELF； THAT YOU DON'T GET HURT。 SPEAK LOUD； I UNDERSTAND VERY
WELL。' These words marked in Italics ＇capitals＇ his Majesty
repeated at least ten times in the course of the journey。 'Tell me
now； what is that village over on the right yonder？'
ICH。 〃'Langen。'
KING。 〃'To whom does it belong？'
ICH。 〃'A third part of it to your Majesty； under the AMT of Alt…
Ruppin； a third to Herr von Hagen； and then the High Church （DOHM）
of Berlin has also tenants in it。'
KING。 〃'You are mistaken； the High Church of Magdeburg。'
ICH。 〃'Your Majesty's gracious pardon； the High Church of Berlin。'
KING。 〃'But it is not so； the High Church of Berlin has no tenants！'
ICH。 〃'Your Majesty's gracious pardon； the High Church of Berlin
has three tenants in the village Karvesen in my own AMT。'
KING。 〃'You mistake； it is the High Church of Magdeburg。'
ICH。 〃'Your Majesty； I must be a bad Beamte； if I did not know what
tenants and what lordships there are in my own AMT。'
KING。 〃'Ja； then you are in the right！Tell me now： here on the
right there must be an estate； I can't think of the name； name me
the estates that lie here on the right。'
ICH。 〃'Buschow； Rodenslieben； Sommerfeld； Beetz； Karbe。'
KING。 〃'That's it； Karbe！ To whom belongs that？'
ICH。 〃'To Herr von Knesebeck。'
KING。 〃'Was he in the service？'
ICH。 〃'Yes； Lieutenant or Ensign in the Guards。'
KING。 〃'In the Guards？ ＇COUNTING ON HIS FINGERS。＇ You are right：
he was Lieutenant in the Guards。 I am very glad the Estate is still
in the hands of the Knesebecks。Na； tell me though； the road that
mounts up here goes to Ruppin； and here to the left is the grand
road for Hamburg？'
ICH。 〃'Ja； your Majesty。'
KING。 〃'Do you know how long it is since I was here last？'
ICH。 〃'No。'
KING。 〃'It is three…and…forty years。 Cannot I see Ruppin
somewhere here？'
ICH。 〃'Yes； your Majesty： the steeple rising there over the firs；
that is Ruppin。'
KING （leaning out of the carriage with his prospect…glass）。
〃'Ja； ja； that is it； I know it yet。 Can I see Drammitz hereabouts？'
ICH。 〃'No； your Majesty： Drammitz lies too far to the left； close
on Kiritz。'
KING。 〃'Sha'n't we see it； when we come closer？'
ICH。 〃'Maybe； about Neustadt； but I am not sure。'
KING。 〃'Pity； that。 Can I see Pechlin？'
ICH。 〃'Not just now； your Majesty； it lies too much in the hollow。
Who knows whether your Majesty will see it at all！'
KING。 〃'Na； keep an eye； and if you see it； tell me。 Where is the
Beamte of Alt…Ruppin？'
ICH。 〃'In Protzen； where we change horses； he will be。'
KING。 〃'Can't we yet see Pechlin？'
ICH。 〃'No； your Majesty。'
KING。 〃'To whom belongs it now？'
ICH。 〃'To a certain Schonermark。'
KING。 〃'Is he of the Nobility？'
ICH。 〃'No。'
KING。 〃'Who had it before him？'
ICH。 〃'The Courier （FELDJAGER） Ahrens； he got it by inheritance
from his father。 The property has always been in commoners'
（BURGERLICHEN） hands。
KING。 〃'That I am aware of。 How call we the village here
before us？'
ICH。 〃'Walcho。'
KING。 〃'To whom belongs it？'
ICH。 〃'To you； your Majesty； under the Amt Alt…Ruppin。'
KING。 〃'What is the village here before us？'
ICH。 〃'Protzen。'
KING。 〃'Whose is it？'
ICH。 〃'Herr von Kleist's。'
KING。 〃'What Kleist is that？'
ICH。 〃'A son of General Kleist's。'
KING。 〃'Of what General Kleist's。'
ICH。 〃'His brother was FLUGELADJUTANT ＇WING…adjutant； whatever that
may be＇ with your Majesty； and is now at Magdeburg； Lieutenant…
Colonel in the Regiment Kalkstein。'
KING。 〃'Ha； ha； that one！ I know the Kleists very well。 Has this
Kleist been in the service too？'
ICH。 〃'Yea； your Majesty； he was ensign in the regiment
Prinz Ferdinand。'
KING。 〃'Why did the man seek his discharge？'
ICH。 〃'That I do not know。'
KING。 〃'You may tell me； I have no view in asking： why did the man
take his discharge？'
ICH。 〃'Your Majesty； I really cannot say。'
〃We had now got on to Protzen。 I perceived old General van Ziethen
standing before the Manor…house in Protzen；〃rugged brave old
soul； with his hanging brows； and strange dim…fiery pious old
thoughts！〃I rode forward to the carriage and said：
ICH。 〃'Your Majesty； the Herr General von Ziethen is ＇are； SIND＇
also here。'
KING。 〃'Where？ where？ Oh； ride forward； and tell the people to draw
up； they must halt； I'll get out。'
〃And now his Majesty got out； and was exceedingly delighted at the
sight of Herr General von Ziethen； talked with him and Herr von
Kleist of many things： Whether the draining of the Luch had done
him good； Whether the murrain had been there among their cattle？
and recommended rock…salt against the murrain。 Suddenly his Majesty
stept aside； turned towards me； and called： 'Amtmann！ ＇THEN CLOSE
INTO MY EAR＇ Who is the fat man there with the white coat？'
ICH （ALSO CLOSE INTO HIS MAJESTY'S EAR）。 〃'Your Majesty； that is
the Landrath Quast； of the Ruppin Circle。'
KING。 〃'Very well。'
〃Now his Majesty went back to General von Ziethen and Herr von
Kleist； and spoke of different things。 Herr von Kleist presented
some very fine fruit to his Majesty； all at once his Majesty turned
round； and said： 'Serviteur； Herr Landrath！'As the Landrath ＇〃fat
man there with the white coat〃＇ was stepping towards his Majesty；
said his Majesty： 'Stay he there where he is； I know him。 He is the
Landrath von Quast！'＇〃Very good indeed； old Vater Fritz； let him
stand there in his white coat； a fat； sufficiently honored man！
Chodowiecki has an engraving of this incident；I saw IT at the
British Museum once； where they have only seven others on Friedrich
altogether； all in one poor GOTHA ALMANAC； very small； very coarse；
but very good： this Quast （Anglice 'Tassel'） was one of them〃
（MARGINALE OF 1862）。＇
〃They had now yoked the horses。 His Majesty took a very tender
leave of old General von Ziethen； waved an adieu to those about；
and drove on。 Although his Majesty at Protzen would not take any
fruit； yet when once we were out of the village； his Majesty took a
luncheon from the carriage…pocket for himself and the Herr General
Graf von Gortz； and； all along； during the drive； ate apricots
（IMMER PFIRSCHE）。
At starting； his Majesty had fancied I was to stop here； and called
out of the carriage： 'Amtmann； come along with us！'
KING。 〃'Where is the Beamte of Alt…Ruppin？'
ICH。 〃'Apparently he must be unwell； otherwise he would have been
in Protzen at the change of horses there' ＇〃at the VORSPANN：〃 Yes；
and Manor…house； EDELHOF； where old Ziethen waited； was lower
down the street； and SOONER than the Post…house？＇
KING。 〃'Na； tell me now； don't you really know why that Kleist at
Protzen took his discharge？' ＇VOILA！＇
ICH。 〃'No； your Majesty； I really do not。'
KING。 〃'What village is this before us？'
ICH。 〃'Manker。'
KING。 〃'And whose？'
ICH。 〃'Yours； your Majesty； in the AMT Alt…Ruppin。'
KING （looking round on the harvest…fields）。 〃'Here you； now：
how are you content with the harvest？'
ICH。 〃'Very well； your Majesty。'
KING。 〃'Very well？ And to me they said； Very ill！'
ICH。 〃'Your Majesty； the winter…crop was somewhat frost…nipt；
but the summer…crop in return is so abundant it will rich