Rietz, my late husband, perfectly agreed with me in this point. This man, who from a common labouring gardener, had risen to the office of a Privy Chamberlain, had made it his study, and completely acquired, the art of bending and twisting his lord and master to whatever shape and form I wished, and of imbuing him with the most erroneous notions concerning his subjects. He generally used to keep a pack of large mastiffs, that would frighten away every unwelcome suppliant; and if ever any one had the audacity of attempting to approach the K--g, he was sure to be treated with a sound caning, and a few blows in his face, and might think himself well off with the loss of half a dozen of his teeth. As an instance of this, a poor young fellow, the only son of a shoemaker, who had attempted to present a petition in behalf of his distressed parents, was, by Mr. Rietz himself, well threshed, then sent to the watch-house, and, by way of a lasting remembrance of his temerity, forced as a soldier into a stationary regiment. Of all this the King knew nothing, for his good and tender heart prompted him to do justice and grant protection to the very meanest of his subjects; he verily believed that his people were all happy and content; and had he the least idea of any such cruel outrage, the perpetrator would have been punished in the severest manner, even had it been my darling Rietz himself. But his dogs were trained to know every avenue, so that an access to the King was rendered altogether inaccessible. He also knew how to avail himself of the influence he had over the King, and by the proper management of this very influence a number of petitions and complaints were suppressed, and condemned to the flames and silence, many an order of the cabinet was deceitfully obtained, and the best places under government were given to our party. This indeed was not the means to inspire the people with love for their Sovereign, but what was that to us? Provided the monarch could be made to believe that all were happy and satisfied, and that there was no reason for complaint, all was well enough; nay, the people themselves facilitated our views, and strengthened the King in his good creed. On many public occasions, they would hail their prince with loud applause and acclamation. _God save the King_ was sung in German at the theatres and concerts, and the best poets of the nation exhausted all their Parnassian fire to produce a good parody of this favourite popular song of the people of England. Every pamphlet, every newspaper, every production of the press, bore testimony to the happiness of the people; in every one of them the nation was represented as laying their allegiance and love at the foot of the throne, ready to spend their last shilling, and shed the last drop of their blood, in his support. Thus this easy good-natured prince was led to believe that every thing was right, and that he lived in