I AM INVITED TO FRIEDRICHSRUH--BUCHER AND THE PROPOSED “MEMOIRS”--HE DOUBTS WHETHER THE LATTER WILL BE COMPLETED--THE CHIEF--“BÜSCHLEIN” AS BEFORE--THE ANGLO-GERMAN AGREEMENT--THE EMPEROR AND RUSSIA--THREE KINGS IN THEIR NAKEDNESS--BÜSCHLEIN WILL WRITE THE SECRET HISTORY OF OUR TIMES--THE PRINCE GIVES ME IMPORTANT PAPERS TO EXAMINE IN MY ROOM: HIS RESIGNATION IN 1890, A DRAFT OF A CONFIDENTIAL STATEMENT OF THE MOTIVES OF HIS RETIREMENT AND NOTES ON THE ATTITUDE OF THE INDIVIDUAL MINISTERS ON THAT OCCASION--STILL ANOTHER BOOK ON BISMARCK IN VIEW; CORRESPONDENCE ON THE SUBJECT WITH BUCHER AND THE CHIEF HIMSELF; THE PLAN DROPPED--LAST VISIT TO BUCHER IN JANUARY, 1892--HIS DEATH--LAST STAY AT FRIEDRICHSRUH IN MAY, 1893--“GOOD BYE, DEAR OLD FRIEND.” 350 BISMARCK SOME SECRET PAGES OF HIS HISTORY CHAPTER I BUCHER, COBDEN, AND THE MANCHESTER SCHOOL--BÜLOW AND THE COMTE DE JOLIVAR--THE HOLY DRUJINA--KEUDELL IN THE PROGRESSIST PRESS--FOUR SECRETARIES OF STATE IN THE FOREIGN OFFICE--KEUDELL AND HIS ARREARS OF WORK--THE CHIEF AND THE PROGRESSIST ELECTIONEERING AGITATION--LIES IN LAUENBURG--INSTRUCTIONS RESPECTING UNRUH’S ARTICLE IN THE “DEUTSCHE REVUE”--WHY BENNIGSEN WAS NOT MADE MINISTER--THE CHANCELLOR ON THILE AND THE DIEST LIBEL--BUCHER ON HOLSTEIN--BUNSEN’S FRIENDS AND TRUTH--A MONUMENT FOR MY SON, WHO DIED AT SEA--THILE’S OPINION OF THE CHIEF--THE CHANCELLOR ON THE EGYPTIAN QUESTION AND THE OPPOSITION TO THE TOBACCO MONOPOLY--THE EMPEROR, THE CROWN PRINCE AND PRINCE WILLIAM--PHILOPATER AND ANTIPATER AT POTSDAM--BUCHER TENDERS HIS RESIGNATION--THE CROWN PRINCE AND THE PROGRESSISTS--THE VICE-CHANCELLORSHIP--ARTICLES AGAINST THE EMPRESS On the 10th of July, 1881, Bucher wrote me the following note in pencil:-- “The Chief is having articles written on the played-out Liberals in the Vienna Parliament, from which a moral is drawn for our own people. It would certainly amuse him to see Glaser’s letter, a precious production, which you will find in the enclosed book, reprinted. What do you think of the idea? “In a few days I shall send you a pamphlet on the Cobden Club (written by me, of course secret). I would suggest that it should not be discussed until after the silly season, somewhere about the beginning of September, when we must again hammer away at the subject. I shall then supply you with plenty of material. In the meantime, it may be well to collect together the abusive language to which the pamphlet has given rise. “In eight or ten days I shall send you an article on the origin of the Anglo-French Treaty of Commerce, which may be published immediately. “Bʀ.”