Hisownexertionsweresuchaswerehardlytobeexpectedfromahumanbodyorahumanmind。AtPotsdam，hisordinaryresidence，heroseatthreeinsummerandfourinwinter。Apagesoonappeared，withalargebasketfullofalltheletterswhichhadarrivedfortheKingbythelastcourier，despatchesfromambassadors，reportsfromofficersofrevenue，plansofbuildings，proposalsfordrainingmarshes，complaintsfrompersonswhothoughtthemselvesaggrieved，applicationsfrompersonswhowantedtitles，militarycommissions，andcivilsituations。Heexaminedthesealswithakeeneye;forhewasneverforamomentfreefromthesuspicionthatsomefraudmightbepractisedonhim。Thenhereadtheletters，dividedthemintoseveralpackets，andsignifiedhispleasure，generallybyamark，oftenbytwoorthreewords，nowandthenbysomecuttingepigram。Byeighthehadgenerallyfinishedthispartofhistask。Theadjutant—generalwastheninattendance，andreceivedinstructionsforthedayastoallthemilitaryarrangementsofthekingdom。ThentheKingwenttoreviewhisguards，notaskingsordinarilyreviewtheirguards，butwiththeminuteattentionandseverityofanolddrill—sergeant。InthemeantimethefourcabinetsecretarieshadbeenemployedinansweringthelettersonwhichtheKinghadthatmorningsignifiedhiswill。
Theseunhappymenwereforcedtoworkalltheyearroundlikenegroslavesinthetimeofthesugar—crop。Theyneverhadaholiday。Theyneverknewwhatitwastodine。Itwasnecessarythat，beforetheystirred，theyshouldfinishthewholeoftheirwork。TheKing，alwaysonhisguardagainsttreachery，tookfromtheheapahandfuloflettersatrandom，andlookedintothemtoseewhetherhisinstructionshadbeenexactlyfollowed。Thiswasnobadsecurityagainstfoulplayonthepartofthesecretaries;
forifoneofthemweredetectedinatrick，hemightthinkhimselffortunateifheescapedwithfiveyearsofimprisonmentinadungeon。Fredericthensignedthereplies，andallweresentoffthesameevening。
Thegeneralprinciplesonwhichthisstrangegovernmentwasconducted，deserveattention。ThepolicyofFredericwasessentiallythesameashisfather’s;butFrederic，whilehecarriedthatpolicytolengthstowhichhisfatherneverthoughtofcarryingit，cleareditatthesametimefromtheabsurditieswithwhichhisfatherhadencumberedit。TheKing’sfirstobjectwastohaveagreat，efficient，andwell—trainedarmy。HehadakingdomwhichinextentandpopulationwashardlyinthesecondrankofEuropeanpowers;andyetheaspiredtoaplacenotinferiortothatofthesovereignsofEngland，France，andAustria。ForthatenditwasnecessarythatPrussiashouldbeallsting。LewistheFifteenth，withfivetimesasmanysubjectsasFrederic，andmorethanfivetimesaslargearevenue，hadnotamoreformidablearmy。TheproportionwhichthesoldiersinPrussiaboretothepeopleseemshardlycredible。Ofthemalesinthevigouroflife，aseventhpartwereprobablyunderarms;andthisgreatforcehad，bydrilling，byreviewing，andbytheunsparinguseofcaneandscourge，beentaughttoformallevolutionswitharapidityandaprecisionwhichwouldhaveastonishedVillarsorEugene。TheelevatedfeelingswhicharenecessarytothebestkindofarmywerethenwantingtothePrussianservice。InthoserankswerenotfoundthereligiousandpoliticalenthusiasmwhichinspiredthepikemenofCromwell，thepatrioticardour，thethirstofglory，thedevotiontoagreatleader，whichinflamedtheOldGuardofNapoleon。Butinallthemechanicalpartsofthemilitarycalling，thePrussianswereassuperiortotheEnglishandFrenchtroopsofthatdayastheEnglishandFrenchtroopstoarusticmilitia。
ThoughthepayofthePrussiansoldierwassmall，thougheveryrixdollarofextraordinarychargewasscrutinisedbyFredericwithavigilanceandsuspicionsuchasMr。JosephHumeneverbroughttotheexaminationofanarmyestimate，theexpenseofsuchanestablishmentwas，forthemeansofthecountry，enormous。Inorderthatitmightnotbeutterlyruinous，itwasnecessarythateveryotherexpenseshouldbecutdowntothelowestpossiblepoint。AccordinglyFrederic，thoughhisdominionsborderedonthesea，hadnonavy。Heneitherhadnorwishedtohavecolonies。Hisjudges，hisfiscalofficers，weremeanlypaid。