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Tabaks-Collegium has become a workshop: human nature can fancy it! Nay human nature can still read it in the British State-Paper Office, to boundless stupendous extent; but ought mostly to suppress it when read. Not mendaciously written anywhere, yet erroneously everywhere.
Friedrich Wilhelm has not the least shadow of a Constitutional Parliament, nor even a Privy-Council, as we understand it; his Ministers being in general mere Clerks to register and execute what he had otherwise resolved upon: but he had his TABAKS-COLLEGIUM, Tobacco-College, Smoking Congress, TABAGIE, which has made so much noise in the world, and which, in a rough natural way: affords him the uses of a Parliament, on most cheap terms, and without the formidable inconveniences attached to that kind of Institution.
In general there is a kind of constant Tabaks-Collegium, old Flans, Camas, Hacke, Pollnitz, Derschau, and the rest by turns always there; the royal Patient cannot be left alone, without faces he likes: other Generals, estimable in their way, have a physiognomy displeasing to the sick man; and will smart for it if they enter, "At sight of HIM every pain grows painfuler!" the poor King being of poetic temperament, as we often say.
The Roucoulles Soirees, gone all to dim backram for us, though once so lively in their high periwigs and speculations, fall on Wednesday. When the Finkenstein or the others fall, no doubt his Royal Highness knows it. In the TABAKS-COLLEGIUM, there also, driven by duty, he sometimes appears; but, like Seckendorf and some others, he only affects to smoke, and his pipe is mere white clay.
"Pooh, a toy I bought for the little Prince August, your Majesty: am only trying it!" This Smoking Parliament or TABAKS-COLLEGIUM of his Prussian Majesty was a thing much talked of in the world; but till Seckendorf and Grumkow started their grand operations there, its proceedings are not on record; nor indeed till then had its political or parliamentary function become so decidedly evident.
At which the Kaiser is naturally thrice and four times wroth and alarmed; and Seckendorf in the TABAKS-COLLEGIUM had need to be doubly busy. Important months; and a Prussian-English "Waterspout," as we have named it, to be seen, with due wonder, in the political sky!
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