OF THE HOUSE OF BRANDENBURG, AND HISTORY OF PRUSSIA, DURING THE SEVENTEENTH AND EIGHTEENTH CENTURIES. BY LEOPOLD RANKE. Translated from the German By SIR ALEXR. AND LADY DUFF GORDON. IN THREE VOLUMES.-VOL. I. LONDON: JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET. 1849. 13564-18 1860, March 19. 一十 81 Vol. 1-3. £1.78. 4's, and Binding, 50 London: Printed by WILLIAM CLOWES and Sons, Stamford Street. TRANSLATORS' PREFACE. THE German title of the work now laid before the English public is Neun Bücher Preussischer Geschichte' (Nine Books of Prussian History)—an imitation of Herodotus, for which we have, with the consent of the author, substituted a name more suitable to the English dress in which we have endeavoured to clothe Professor Ranke's book. Though it would be more than needless for us to offer any comment on the Author's well-known ability, we may venture to remark that Professor Ranke has devoted some eight or ten years to the examination of materials especially relating to the period embraced by this history; he was, moreover, one of the Commission appointed to superintend the preparation of the new edition of the Great Frederick's works now in course of publication at Berlin, and has thus been enabled to gain a fresh insight into several portions of that monarch's life, and to throw a new light upon several of his actions. With respect to our own share in the present work, we can only plead that we have done our best to give intelligible English names to institutions, forms, offices, &c., unknown in England, and for the most |