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PRUNING, in Gardening and Agriculture, is the lopping off the superfluous branches of trees, in order to make them bear better fruit, grow higher, or appear more regular.

Pruning, though an operation of very general use, is nevertheless rightly understood by few; nor is it to be learned by rote, but requires a strict observation of the different manners of growth of the several sorts of fruittrees; the proper method of doing which cannot be known without carefully observing how each kind is naturally disposed to produce its fruit: for some do this on the same year's wood, as vines; others, for the most part, upon the former year's wood, as peaches, nectarines, &c.; and others upon spurs which are produced upon wood of three, four, &c. to fifteen or twenty years old, as pears, plums, cherries, &c. Therefore, in order to the right management of fruit-trees, provision should always be made to have a sufficient quantity of bearing wood in every part of the trees; and at the same time there should not be a superfluity of useless branches, which would exhaust the strength of the trees, and cause them to decay in a few years.

the most part, produce their fruit upon the former year's Fruning, wood, and must therefore have their branches shortened according to their strength, in order to produce new shoots for the succeeding year; so, on the contrary, pears apples, plums, and cherries, producing their fruit upon spurs, which come out of the wood of five, six, and seven years old, should not be shortened, because thereby those buds which were naturally disposed to form these spurs, would produce wood branches; by which means the trees would be filled with wood, but would never produce much fruit. The branches of standard-trees should never be shortened unless where they are very luxuriant, and, by growing irregularly on one side of the trees, attract the greatest part of the sap, by which means the other parts are either unfurnished with branches, or are rendered very weak; in which case the branch should be shortened down as low as is necessary, in order to obtain more branches to fill up the hollow of the tree : but this is only to be understood of pears and apples, which will produce shoots from wood of three, four, or more years old; whereas most sorts of stone-fruit will gum and decay after such amputations: whenever this happens to stone-fruit, it should be remedied by stopping or pinching those shoots in the spring, before they have obtained too much vigour, which will cause them to push out side-branches; but this must be done with caution. You must also cut out all dead or decaying branches, which cause their heads to look ragged, and also attract noxious particles from the air: in doing of this, you should cut them close down to the place where they were produced, otherwise that part of the branch which is left will also decay, and prove equally hurtful to the rest of the tree; for it seldom happens, when a branch begins to decay, that it does not die quite down to the place where it was produced, and if permitted to remain long uncut, often infects some of the other parts of the tree. If the branches cut off are large, it will be very proper, after having smoothed the cut part exactly even with a knife, chissel, or hatchet, to put on a plaster of grafting clay, which will prevent the wet from soaking into the tree at the wounded part. All such branches as run across each other, and occasion a confusion in the head of the tree, should be cut off; and as there are frequently young vigorous shoots on old trees, which rise from the old branches near the trunk, and grow upright into the head, these should be carefully cut out every year, lest, by being permitted to grow, they fill the tree too full of wood.

The reasons for pruning of fruit-trees, are, 1. To preserve them longer in a vigorous bearing-state; 2. To render them more beautiful; and, 3. To cause the fruit to be larger and better tasted.

The general instructions for pruning are as follow. The greatest care ought to be taken of fruit-trees in the spring, when they are in vigorous growth; which is the only proper season for procuring a quantity of good wood in the different parts of the tree, and for displacing all useless branches as soon as they are produced, in order that the vigour of the tree may be entirely distributed to such branches only as are designed to remain. For this reason trees ought not to be neglected in April and May, when their shoots are produced: however, those branches which are intended for bearing the succeeding year should not be shortened during the time of their growth, because this would cause them to produce two lateral shoots from the eyes below the place where they were stopped, which would draw much of the strength from the buds of the first shoot: and if the two lateral shoots are not entirely cut away at the winter-pruning, they will prove injurious to the tree. This is to be chiefly understood of stone-fruit and grapes; pears and apples, being much harder, suffer not so much, though it is a great disadvantage to those also to be thus managed. It must likewise be remarked, that peaches, nectarines, apricots, cherries, and plums, are always in the greatest vigour when they are least maimed by the knife; for where large branches are taken off, they are subject to gum and decay. It is therefore the most prudent method to rub off all useless buds when they are first produced, and to pinch others, where new, shoots are wanted to supply the vacancies of the wall; by which management they may be so ordered as to want but little of the knife in winter-pruning. The management of pears and apples is much the same with these trees in summer; but in winter they must be very differently pruned for as peaches and nectarines, for

but

stem.

As to the pruning of forest-trees, if they be large, it is best not to prune them at all; yet, if there be an absolute necessity, avoid taking off large boughs as much as possible. And, I. If the bough be smail, cut it smooth, close and sloping. 2. If the branch be large, and the tree old, cut it off at three or four feet from the 3. If the tree grow crooked, cut it off at the crook, sloping upward, and nurse up one of the most promising shoots for a new stem. 4. If the tree grow topheavy, its head must be lightened, and that by thinning the boughs that grow out of the main branches. But if you would have them spring, rub off the buds, and shroud up the side-shoots. 5. If the side-bough still break out, and the top be able to sustain itself, give the boughs that put forth in spring a pruning after Midsum mer, cutting them close.

Pruning
Prusias.

It has been observed, that trees are subject to gum and decay, in consequence of pruning; to prevent these injurious effects, a remedy has been proposed by Mr Bucknall, which on trial, it is said, has been succesful. By this method the branches to be removed are to be cut close to the place of separation from the trunk, smoothed well with a knife, and the wound is to be smeared over with medicated tar, laid on with a painter's brush. The following is the composition of this medicated tar. One quarter of an ounce of corrosive sublimate reduced to fine powder, by beating it with a wooden hammer, is introduced into a three pint earthen pipkin, with about a glassful of gin or other spirit. The mixture is to be well stirred till the sublimate is dissolved. The pipkin is then gradually filled with vegetable or common tar, and constantly stirred, till the mixture be blended together as intimately as possible; and this quantity will at any time be sufficient for 200 trees. To prevent danger, let the corrosive sublimate be mixed with the tar as quickly as possible after it is purchased; for being of a very poisonous nature to all animals, it should not be suffered to lie about a house, for fear of mischief to some part of the family.

By applying this composition, Mr Bucknall can, without the least danger, use the pruning hook on all sorts of trees, much more freely than by the use of any article hitherto recommended. The following remarks by the author on pruning in general, seem worthy of notice, and we give them in his own words. "I give no attention (says he) to fruit branches, and wood branches; but beg, once for all, that no branch shall ever be shortened unless for the figure of the tree, and then constantly taken off close to the separation, by which means the wound soon heals. The more the range of the branches shoots circularly, a little inclining upwards, the more equally will the sap be distributed, and the better will the tree bear; for, from that circumstance, the sap is more evenly impelled to every part. Do not let the ranges of branches be too near each other; for, remember all the fruit and the leaves should have their full share of the sun; and where it suits, let the middle of the tree be free from wood, so that no branch shall ever cross another, but all the extreme ends point upwards."

PRUNUS, a genus of plants belonging to the icosandria class; and in the natural method ranking under the 36th order, Pomacea. See BOTANY Index.

PRUSA, in Ancient Geography, a town situated at Mount Olympus in Mysia, built by Prusias, who waged war with Croesus, (Strabo); with Cyrus, (Stephanus); both cotemporary princes. Now called Bursa or Prusa, capital of Bithynia, in Asia Minor. E. Long. 29. 5. N. Lat. 39. 22.

PRUSIAS, the name of several kings of Bithynia. PRUSIAS, a town of Bithynia, anciently called Cios, from a cognominal river, and giving name to the Sinus.

Cianus of the Propontis; rebuilt by Prusias the son of Prusias, Zela, after having been destroyed by Philip the son of Prussia. Demetrius: it stood on the Sinus Cianus, at the foot of Mount Arganthonius. This is the Prusias who harboured Hannibal after the defeat of Antiochus.-Of this place was Asclepiades, surnamed Prusicus, the famous physician.

Poland and

Plate

I

PRUSSIA, a modern, but deservedly celebrated See Map of kingdom of Europe, whose monarch, along with Prussia Prussian Proper, possesses also the electorate of Brandenburg, and States. some other territories of considerable extent. The district properly called Prussia is of great extent, and di- ccccxxxiv. vided into the Ducal and Regal Prussia, the latter belonging to the republic of Poland till the late partition of the Polish territories. Both together are of great extent; being bounded on the north by the Baltic, on: the south by Poland and the duchy of Mazovia, on the west by Pomerania, and on the east by Lithuania and Samogitia. The name is by some thought to be deri- Etymoloved from the Borussi, a tribe of the Sarmatians, who, gy of the migrating from the foot of the Riphæan mountains, name. were tempted by the beauty and fertility of the country to settle there. Others think that the name of this country is properly Porussia; Po in the language of the natives signifying near, and Porussia signifying near Russia. To the latter etymology we find the king of Prussia himself assenting in the treatise intitled Memoirs of the House of Brandenburg. However, it must be owned, that these or any other etymologies of the word are very uncertain, and we find nothing like it mentioned by historians before the tenth century.

cient inha

The ancient state of Prussia is almost entirely un- Extreme known. However, the people are said to have been barbarity very savage and barbarous; living upon raw flesh, and of the andrinking the blood of horses at their feasts, according bitants. to Stella, even to intoxication (A). Nay, so extremely savage were this people, that they were even unacquainted with the method of constructing huts, and took up their dwelling in caves and cavities of rocks and trees, where they protected themselves and children from the inclemencies of the weather. Among such a people it is vain to expect that any transactions would be recorded, or indeed that any thing worthy of being recorded would be transacted. We shall therefore begin our history of Prussia with the time when the Teutonic knights first got footing in the country. (See TEUTONIC Knights).

3

the coun

On the expulsion of the Christians from the Holy Teutonic Land by Saladin, a settlement was given to the Teu- knights tonic knights in Prussia by Conrade duke of Mazovia, first get the competitor of Boleslaus V. for the crown of Poland. footing in Their first residence in this country was Culm; to which try. territory they were confined by the conditions of the donation, excepting what they could conquer from their pagan neighbours, all which the emperor granted to them in perpetuity.

Encouraged by this grant, the knights conquered the greatest

(A) This author does not mention any particular method by which they communicated an inebriating quality to the blood of animals. Possibly, however, the vital fluid may have a property of this kind, though unknown in our days where such barbarous customs are disused. Drunkenness from drinking blood is frequently mentioned in Scripture, but whether literally or metaphorically must be decided by the learned.

Prussia. greatest part of the country which now goes by the name of Prussia; and, not content with this, became very troublesome to Poland, insomuch that the monarchs of that kingdom were sometimes obliged to carry on dangerous and bloody wars with them; for an account of which we refer to the article POLAND, No 61, 67, &c. The Teutonic order continued in Prussia till the year 1531. Their last grand-master was Albert marquis of Brandenburg, and nephew to Sigismund I. king of Poland. He was preferred to this dignity, in hopes that his affinity to Sigismund might procure a restitution of some of the places which had been taken from the order during the former unsuccessful wars with Poland; but in this the fraternity were disappointed. Albert, however, was so far from endeavouring to obtain any favour from his uncle by fair means, that he refused to do homage to him, and immediately began to make preparations for throwing off his dependence altogether, and recovering the whole of Prussia and Pomerania by force of arms. In this he was so far from succeeding, that, being foiled in every attempt, he was forced to resign the dignity of grand-master; in recompense for which, his uncle bestowed on him that part of Prussia Expelled. now called Ducal, in quality of a secular duke. It was

4

History of Branden

burg.

*N° 27,

&c.

now the interest of the house of Brandenburg to assist in the expulsion of the fraternity; and accordingly, being at last driven out of Prussia and Pomerania, they transferred their chapter to Mariendal in Franconia; but in that and other provinces of the empire where they settled, little more than the name of the order, once so famous, now remains.

The other most considerable part of his Prussian majesty's dominions is the electorate of Brandenburg. Like other parts of Germany, it was anciently possessed by barbarians, of whom no history can be given. These were subdued by Charlemagne, as is related under the article FRANCE *; but being on every occasion ready to revolt, in 927 Henry the Fowler established margraves, or governors of the frontiers, to keep the barbarians in awe. The first margrave of Brandenburg was Sigefroy, brother-in-law to the above-mentioned emperor; under whose administration the bishoprics of Brandenburg and Havelberg were established by Otho I. From this Sigefroy, to the succession of the house of Hohenzollern, from whom the present elector is descended, there are reckoned eight different families, who have been margraves of Brandenburg; namely, the family of the Saxons, of Walbeck, Staden, Plenck, Anhalt, Bavaria, Luxemberg, and Misnia. The margraves of the four first races had continual wars with the Vandals and other barbarous people; nor could their ravages be stopped till the reign of Albert surnamed the Bear, the first prince of the house of Anhalt. He was made margrave by the emperor Conrad III. and afterwards raised to the dignity of elector by Frederic Barbarossa, about the year 1100. Some years afterwards the king of the Vandals dying without issue, left the Middle Marche by his last will to the elector, who was besides possessed of the Old Marche, Upper Saxony, the country of Anhalt, and part of Lusace. In 1332 this line became extinct, and the electorate devolved to the empire. It was then given by the emperor Louis of Bavaria to his son Louis, who was the first of the sixth race. Louis the Roman succeeded his brother; and

as he also died without children,' he was succeeded by Prose Otho, his third brother, who sold the electorate to the emperor Charles IV. of the house of Luxemburg, for 200,000 florins of gold. Charles IV. gave the Marche to his son Winceslaus, to whom Sigismund succeeded. This elector, being embarrassed in his circumstances, sold the New Marche to the knights of the Teutonic order. Josse succeeded Sigismund; but aspiring to the empire, sold the electorate to William duke of Misnia; who, after he had possessed it for one year, sold it again to the emperor Sigismund. In 1417, Frederic VI. burgrave of Nuremberg, received the investiture of the country of Brandenburg at the diet of Constance from the hands of the emperor Sigismund; who, two years before, had conferred upon him the dignity of elector, and arch-chamberlain of the Holy Roman empire.

This prince, the first of the family of Hohenzol lern, found himself possessed of the Old and Middle Marche, but the dukes of Pomerania had usurped the Marche Ukraine. Against them, therefore, the elector immediately declared war, and soon recovered the province. As the New Marche still continued in the hands of the Teutonic knights, to whom it had been sold, as we have already mentioned, the elector, to make up for this, took possession of Saxony, which at that time happened to be vacant by the death of Albert the last elector of the Anhalt line. But the emperor, not approving of this step, gave the investiture of Saxony to the duke of Misnia; upon which Frederic voluntarily desisted from his acquisitions. This elector made a division of his possessions by will. His eldest son was deprived of his right on account of his having too closely applied himself to search for the philosopher's stone; so he left him only Voigtland. The electorate was given to his second son Frederic; Albert, surnamed Achilles, had the duchies of Franconia; and Frederic, surnamed the Fat, had the Old Marche; but by his death it returned to the electorate of Brandenburg.

Frederic I. was succeeded by his son, called also Frederic, and surnamed Iron-tooth on account of his strength. He might with as great reason have been surnamed the Magnanimous, since he refused two crowns, viz. that of Bohemia, which was offered him by the pope, and the kingdom of Poland to which he was invited by the people; but Frederic declared he would not accept of it unless Casimir brother to Ladislaus the late king refused it. These instances of magnanimity had such an effect on the neighbouring people, that the states of Lower Lusatia made a voluntary surrender of their country to him. But as Lusatia was a fief of Bohemia, the king of that country immediately made war on the elector, in order to recover it. However, he was so far from being successful, that, by a treaty of peace concluded in 1462, he was obliged to yield the perpetual sovereignty of Corbus, Peits, Sommerfeld, and some other places, to the elector. Frederic then, baving redeemed the New Marche from the Teutonic order for the sum of 100,000 florins, and still further enlarged his dominions, resigned the sovereignty in 1469 to his brother Albert, sur-Exploits of named Achilles.

6

Albert

Albert was 57 years old when his brother resigned chil

named A.

the

Prussia.

7 Prussia and Branden urg unit

d.

Unfortu

of the elecor George Villiam.

a part of the duchy of Cleves; and obtained of the Hol- Prussia. landers the evacuation of some other cities.

the electorate to him. Most of his exploits, for which he had the surname of Achilles, had been performed while he was burgrave of Nuremberg. He declared war against Lewis duke of Bavaria, and defeated and took him prisoner. He gained eight battles against the Nurembergers, who had rebelled and contested his rights to the burgraviate. In one of these he fought singly against 16 men, till his people came up to his assistance. He made himself master of the town of Grieffenburg in the same manner that Alexander the Great took the capital of the Oxydrace, by leaping from the top of the walls into the town, where he defended himself singly against the inhabitants till his men forced the gates and rescued him. The confidence which the emperor Frederic III. placed in him, gained him the direction of almost the whole empire. He commanded the Imperial armies against Lewis the Rich duke of Bavaria; and against Charles the Bold duke of Burgundy, who had laid siege to Nuis, but concluded a peace at the interposition of Albert. He gained the prize at 17 tournaments, and was never dismounted.

All these exploits, however, had been performed before Albert obtained the electorate. From that time we meet with no very important transactions till the year 1594, when John Sigismund of Brandenburg, having married Anne the only daughter of Albert duke of Prussia, this united that duchy to the electorate, to which it has continued to be united ever since; and obtained pretensions to the countries of Juliers, Berg, Cleves, Marck, Ravensburg, and Ravenstein, to the succession of which Anne was heiress.

Sigismund died in 1619, and was succeeded by his ats reign son George William; during whose government the electorate suffered the most miserable calamities. At this time it was that the war commenced between the Protestants and Catholics, which lasted 30 years. The former, although leagued together, were on the point of being utterly destroyed by the Imperialists under the command of Count Tilly and Wallenstein, when Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden turned the scale in their favour, and threatened the Catholic party with utter See Swe-destruction *. But by his death at the battle of Lut

en.

eign of rederic illiam

zen, the fortune of war was once more changed. At last, however, peace was concluded with the emperor; and, in 1640, the elector died, leaving his dominions to his son Frederic William, surnamed the Great.

This young prince, though only 20 years of age at the time of his accession, applied himself with the utmost diligence to repair the losses and devastations e Great. occasioned by the dreadful wars which had preceded. He received the investiture of Prussia personally from the king of Poland, on condition of paying 100,000 florins annually, and not making truce or peace with the enemies of that crown. His envoy likewise received the investiture of the electorate from the emperor Ferdinand III. The elector then thought of recovering his 'provinces from those who had usurped them. He concluded a truce for 20 years with the Swedes, who evacuated the greatest part of his estates. He likewise paid 140,000 crowns to the Swedish garrisons, which still possessed some of his towns; and he concluded a treaty with the Hessians, who delivered up VOL. XVII. Part II.

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In the mean time, the powers of Europe began to be weary of a war which had continued for such a length of time with such unrelenting fury. The cities of Osnaburg and Munster being chosen as the most proper places for negociation, the conferences were opened in the year 1645; but, by reason of the muitiplicity of business, they were not concluded till two years after. France, which had espoused the interests of Sweden, demanded that Pomerania should be ceded to that kingdom as an indemnification for the expences which the war had cost Gustavus Adolphus and his successors. Although the empire and the elector refu sed to give up Pomerania, it was at last agreed to give up to the Swedes Hither Pomerania, with the isles of Rugen and Wollin, also some cities; in return for which cession, the bishoprics of Halberstadt, Minden, and Camin, were secularized in favour of the elector, of which he was put in possession, together with the lordships of Hochenstein and Richenstein, with the reversion of the archbishopric of Magdeburg. Thus was Treaty of the treaty of Westphalia concluded in 1648, and which Westphaserves as a basis to all the possessions and rights of the lia conclud German princes. The elector then concluded a new treaty with the Swedes, for the regulation of limits, and for the acquittal of some debts, of which Sweden would only pay a fourth; and next year the electorate, Pomerania, and the duchies of Cleves, were evacuated by the Swedes.

cd.

10

IT

Notwithstanding all these treaties, however, the The elec Swedes soon after invaded Pomerania, but were en- tor suctirely defeated by the elector near the town of Fehr-eeeds abellin. Three thousand were left dead on the spot, ginst the Swedes. whom were a great number of officers; and a among great many were taken prisoners. The elector then pursued his victory, gained many advantages over the Swedes, and deprived them of the cities of Stralsund and Gripswald. On this the Swedes, hoping to oblige the elector to evacuate Pomerania, which he had almost totally subdued, invaded Prussia, from Livonia, with 16,000 men; and advancing into the country, they burned the suburbs of Memel, and took the cities of Tilse and Insterburg. The elector, to oppose the invaders, left Berlin on the 10th of January 1679, at the head of 90co men. The Swedes retired at his approach, and were greatly harassed by the troops on their march. So successful indeed was the elector on this occasion, that the Swedes lost almost one half of their army killed or taken prisoners. At last, having crossed the bay of Frisch-haff and Courland on the ice, he arrived on the 19th of January, with his infantry, within three miles of Tilse, where the Swedes had their head-quarters. The same day, his general, Trefenfeldt, defeated two regiments of the enemy near Splitter; and the Swedes who were in Tilse abandoned that place, and retired towards Courland. They were pursued by General Gortz, and entirely defeated with such slaughter, that scarce 3000 of them returned to Livonia. Yet, notwithstand- Is obliged ing all these victories, the elector, being pressed on to conclude the other side by the victorious generals of France, a treaty of M. Turenne and the prince of Conde, was obliged to peace with make peace with the Swedes. The conditions were, 3.0

that

them.

12

Prussia, that the treaty of Westphalia should serve for a basis to the peace; that the elector should have the property of the customs in all the ports of Further Pomerania, with the cities of Camin, Gartz, Grieffenburg, and Wildenbruck on his part, he consented to give up to the Swedes all that he had conquered from them, and to give no assistance to the king of Denmark, upon condition that France delivered up to him his provinces in Westphalia, and paid him 300,000 ducats, as an indemnification for the damages done by the French to his states. This treaty was styled the peace of St Germain.

13 A strange embassy

cham of

Tartary.

With the treaty of St Germain terminated the mifrom litary exploits of Frederic William, who passed the last years of his administration in peace. His great qualities had rendered him respected by all Europe, and had even been heard of in Tartary. He received an embassy from Murad Geray, cham of the Tartars, courting his friendship. The barbarian ambassador appeared in such tattered clothes as scarce covered his nakedness, so that they were obliged to furnish him with other clothes before he could appear at court. His interpreter had a wooden nose and no ears. In 1684, Frederic received into his dominions great numbers of Protestants who fled out of France from the persecutions of Louis XIV. after he had revoked the edict of Nantz. Twenty thousand of them are said to have settled at this time in the electorate, where they introduced new arts and manufactures, that were of the utmost benefit to the country. By this, however, he disobliged Louis XIV. for which reason he concluded an alliance with the emperor; and having furnished him with 8000 troops against the Turks in Hungary, the emperor yielded to him the circle of Schwibus in Silesia, as an equivalent for all his rights in that province.

14

Frederic III.

obtains the

title of king of Prussia.

In 1688, the elector Frederic William died, and was succeeded by his son Frederic III. This prince was remarkably fond of show and ceremony, which, during the course of his government, involved him in much expence. The regal dignity seemed to be the greatest object of his ambition. To obtain this, he joined with the emperor in the alliance against France, in which he was engaged by William III. king of Britain. He also yielded up the circle of Schwibus, which had been given to his predecessor; and, in 1700, obtained from the emperor that dignity which he had so earnestly desired. The terms on which it was obtained were, 1. That Frederic should never separate from the empire those provinces of his dominions which depended on it. 2. That he should not, in the emperor's presence, demand any other marks of honour than those which he had hitherto enjoyed. 3. That his Imperial majesty, when he wrote to him, should only give him the title of Royal Dilection. 4. That nevertheless the ministers which he had at Vienna should be treated like those of other crowned heads. 5. That the elector should maintain 6000 men in Italy at his own expence, in case the emperor should be obliged to make war on account of the succession of the house of Bourbon to the crown of Spain. 6. That those troops should continue there as long as the war lasted.

Thus was the kingdom of Prussia established through the friendship of the emperor, with whom Frederic I. so called as being the first king of Prussia, continued all his life in strict alliance. Indeed he was a pacific

prince; and though contemptible in his person, and Prussiaincapable of achieving great things, had this merit, that he always preserved his dominions in peace, and thus consulted the true interest of his subjects much more than those monarchs who have dazzled the eyes of the world by their military exploits. He was indeed vain, and fond of show, as we have already observed; bat had a good heart, and is said never to have violated his conjugal vow; though it does not appear that he was greatly beloved by his royal consorts (of whom he had three) on that or any other account.

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a martial

prince.

Frederic I. died in the beginning of 1713, and was Frederic L succeeded by Frederic William. He was in almost of Prussia every thing the reverse of his father. His dispositions were altogether martial; so that he applied himself entirely to the augmentation of his army, and perfecting them in their exercise, by which means they became the most expert soldiers in Europe. His foible was an ambition of having his army composed of men above the ordinary size; but as these could not be procured, he composed a regiment of the tallest men he could find; and as his officers made no scruple of picking up such men wherever they could find them for his majesty's use, the neighbouring states were frequently offended, and a war was often likely to ensue even from this ridiculous cause. However, his Prussian majesty was never engaged in any martial enterprise of consequence: but having put his army on the most respectable footing of any in the world, and filled his coffers, for he was of a very saving disposition, he put it in the power of his son to perform those exploits which have been matter of astonishment to all Europe.

16

It was in this king's reign that Prussia first perceived Enmity beher natural enemy and rival to be the house of Austria, tween Prussia and and not France as had been formerly supposed. Hence Austria. frequent bickerings took place between these two powers, for which the persecution of the Protestants by some of the Catholic states of the empire afforded a pretence; and though a war never actually took place, yet it was easy to see that both were mortal enemies to each other. But when Frederic William died in 1740, this enmity broke out in full force. The empress queen was then left in a very disagreeable situation, as has been observed under the article BRITAIN, N° 410, &c. Of this Frederic L Frederic III. took the advantage to do himself justice, as seizes die he said, with regard to Silesia, of which his ancestors had been unjustly deprived. This province he seized at that time but it cost him dear; for the empress having at last overcome all difficulties, formed against him the most terrible combination that ever was known in Europe.

sia.

17

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The treaty was hardly concluded with the king of Prussia, by which she reluctantly yielded up the province of Silesia, and with it a clear revenue of 800,000l. a year, before she entered into another with the court of Petersburg, which was concluded May 22. 1746. This treaty, Combinaas far as it was made public, was only of a defensive na- tion against ture; but six secret and separate articles were added to him. it. By one of these it was provided, that in case his Prussian majesty should attack the empress queen, or the empress of Russia, or even the republic of Poland, it should be considered as a breach of the treaty of Dresden, by which Silesia was given up. It was also stipulated, that, notwithstanding that treaty (which indeed had been dictated by the king of Prussia himself),

the

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