Frederick the _first_ king of Prussia was an extremely vain man, and
continually engaged in frivolous pursuits. His queen, Sophia Charlotte,
the sister of our George I. was a woman of a very superior mind. In her
last illness she viewed the approach of death with much calmness and
serenity; and when one of her attendants observed how severely it would
afflict the king, and that the misfortune of losing her would plunge his
majesty into the deepest despair, the queen said, with a smile, “With
respect to _him_, I am perfectly at ease. _His_ mind will be completely
occupied in arranging the ceremonial of my funeral, and if nothing goes
wrong in the _procession_, he will be quite consoled for his loss.”
* * * * *