Returning to his capital, after an absence of nearly s:x years, Frederick applied himself with all his talents and perseverance, to the internal improvement of his kingdom ; rebuilt the towns and villages, and remunerated the indivi duals who had suffered during the war ; and afforded every encouragement to agriculture,manufaetures,and commerce.
But he always regarded the army as the principal object of his attention; and in a very shot t time after the peace of Ilubertsbourg, his regular force amounted to 200,000 men. Little scrupulous in the means by which he accomplished his schemes, he defrayed much of his expenditure by issuing lease money, which he compelled his subjects to take in payment ; but which he ordered his commissioners to refuse ire collecting the taxes. For the purpose of pcopleing his own territot ies, he carried from the neighbouring provinces of Poland many thousand families ; arid in order to round his dominions, he was the prime mover and most active perpetrator of the infamous pat titian of that country in the year 1777. lie was not disposed, however, to tolerate similar acts of robbery, in which he had no share ; and when the Etnpet or Joseph took possession of Bavaria, he resisted his unjust pretensions, and conducted in person the campaign, or rather armed negotiation of 1778, which was terminated by the peace of Teschen. The two last of his public acts were the establishment, in 1785, of the Germanic union for preserving the constitution of the em pire ; and a treaty of amity and commerce, in 1786, with the United States of America.
Frederick was now seventy-four years of age, in full possession of all his mental powers, but extremely debi litated in his corporeal frame. He began to suffer much from dropsy, without being sensible, (or at least without being willing to allow, ) that he was afflicted with that dis order. Ile nevertheless continued his attention to public business, without the smallest interruption. Rising at four o'clock every morning, he employed himself several hours with his three principal secretaries, reading dispatch es, dictating answers, and directing the most minute trans actions of his government. The governor of Potsdam then attended about eight o'clock to receive his orders respect ing the daily duty of the garrison. He next admitted a physician for a few minutes to give direction respecting his health. Ile then conversed with his friends until mid-clay, when he generally dined alone. In the afternoon he signed the dispatches and letters, which he had dictated in the morning. Ile joined his friends again in conversation from five to eight o'clock in the evening ; and after their departure, listened to passages from ancient authors till he retired to rest. In this course of labour he persevered till two days before his death ; although for several weeks preceding, he was so swollen with the dropsy, that he could not move without assistance, and was obliged to re main day and night in his chair. Though he suffered dreadfully, he betrayed no symptom of uneasiness or impatience; but conversed with great composure on general subjects, and without ever alluding to his own state of health. On the 16th of August he was deprived of sense, while his friends were reading to him from Cicero and Plutarch ; and on the morning of the 17th, he expired without any convulsive motion, in the 75th year of his age, and the 47th of his reign.
Frederick, in his person, was below the middle stature, and of a slight form, but possessed of a vigorous constitu In his earlier years his figure was graceful ; but in the latter part of his life, in consequence of incessant fatigue, or as some suppose of his incessant custom of making extremely low bows, he stooped considerably, and his head was iaclieed to one side. Ile was short-sighted, and his eyes were of a fine blue colour, but full of fire, and ex pressive of WIC0111111071 keenness and penetration. His tone of voice was extremely clear and agreeable ; and he spoke with the utmost fluency and sprightliness. Ile was, especi ally in the latter part cf hia life, a great economist, or rather uncommonly shabby in his dress, which was usually a plain suit of regiment:2s, consisting of a blue coat laced with red, and yellow waistcoat and breeches. He always wore boots., which being rarely renewed, were generally of a dirty brown colour. I lis hair was simply queued, and he
had no other mark of distinction than the order of the black eagle. I [is whole wardrobe, says Dr Moore, to whom it was shown at Potsdam, consisted of two blue coats f teed with red, the lining of one a little torn ; two yellow waist coats a good deal soiled with Spanish snuff; three pair ot: yellow breeches, and a suit of blue velvet, embroidered with silver, for grand occasions.. I imagined at first, that the man had got a few of the king's old clothes, and kept them here to amuse strangers ; but upon enquiry I was assured, that what I have mentioned, with two suits of uniform which he has at Sans Souci, forms the entire wardrobe of the King of Prussia. Our attendant said he had never known it more complete. When residing at Berlin, and particularly on public days, he made a great display of royal magnificence; but his ordinary mode of liv ing was remarkably plain and uniform. His usual place of residence was the palace at Sans Souci, about a mile front Potsdam. His bed-chamber was beautifully furnished, and provided with the appearance of a rich state-bed ; but he always slept in a concealed bedstead, upon a hard mattress. He rose generally at five o'clock in the morning, and sometimes earlier. He dressed his hair himself, seldom employing above two minutes for that purpose ; and pulled on his boots at his bed side, never using either shoes or slip pers. As soon as he was dressed, the adjutant of his first battalion of guards brought him a list of all the persons who had arrived at Potsdam or departed thence, with an account of any occurrences in the garrison. Having de livered his orders to this officer, he retired to an inner cabinet till seven o'clock. He then went into another apartment, where he drank coffee or chocolate, and peru sed his letters ; and these, as he seldom received the most trifling proposal or petition except in writing, were always numerous. Having written notes on the margins of those which his secretaries were to answer, he carried with him such as he meant to answer himself, and continued with one of his private secretaries writing or dictating till nine o'clock, when he returned to the former apartment, where he was attended by three secretaries, and received their communications, or delivered to them his orders. At ten o'clock, the generals in attendance were admitted to his closet, where he conversed with them, or gave private audiences. At eleven he rode to the parade, where he re viewed his regiment of guards, and at the same hour all his colonels throughout the provinces were employed in the same manner. He then walked in the garden with the principal officers, and the rest of the company who were invited to dinner. At one, he sat down to table, seldom with more than twenty-four persons, and seldom occupying more than an hour. After rising from table, and conversing about a quarter of an hour with his guests, he retired to his private apartment, where he remained till five o'clock, when his reader waited upon him, who was generally one of his friends ; and after reading about two hours, he join ed in a musical concert till nine. Ile was then attended by a few of his learned friends-and favourite wits, whom he had invited to supper, and with whom he indulged in the utmost freedom of conversation till twelve, when he went to bed. Afterwards he omitted these suppers, and spent a longer time at dinner, where he used to cat with good appe tite, and was particularly nice in regard to fruit. He was not less fund of Spanish swill', of which he was accustomed to take immoderate quantities ; and used a large golden snuff-box, richly ornamented with diamonds. Ile was much attached to dogs, and had generally beside him two or three Italian greyhounds, which he often caressed, and even kept small leather hells in his rooms in order to amuse them. He took little pleasure in the company of ladies, and :NI 2 rarely invited them to his private parties. His great and daily amusement consisted in musical concerts, at which lie performed on the flute ; but lie confined himself chiefly to his own compositions, and those of his instructor Quantz; and even endeavoured, with his usual despotism, to regulate the musical taste of his subjects by authority.