184 WILHELA DER SIEGREICHE 
  
regarded the old generals with much reverence, and loved 
nothing better than to listen when they gave an account 
#0af battles and their warrior-life. 
I1 (. 7—10) 
The king possessed a plain country-house on a little 
island of the river Havel near Potsdam. Here he spent 
his happiest hours in the narrow circle of his family, and 
here it was that the Fyoung princes often went for an 
excursion to spend a day in the woods and fields, —a day 
#f recreation after military drill and studies. It was on 
the “ Pfaueninsel too, that the king and his sons most 
enjoyed the domestic happiness of their family -life, of 
which Queen Luise formed the centre. However, even 
this happiness was not to last long. The poor noble- 
minded queen, whose health sorrow for the misfortunes of 
the Fatherland had affected, fell ill. Her illness rapidly 
became so serious that the worst was to be feared. She 
was staying at the time with her father at Hohenzieritz. 
On hearing the sad news the king at once set out with 
his two sons. When they appeared at the sick-bed the 
great queen felt that her end was near She admonished 
the two princes never to rest until their nation was freed 
from the shame and humiliation under which Prussia was 
smarting. She recalled to their memory the glorious 
deeds of the great Elector and of Frederick the Great, and 
begged them never to forget that deep in the hearts of the 
Prussian people dwelt a sense of justice and duty. After 
this touching scene the qdueen kissed her children for the 
last time. She died on July 19, 1810, at Hcohenzieritz 
near Neustrelitz. 
III (pp. 11—16) 
Napoleon had forbidden the king of Prussia to have 
more than 40,000 soldiers. Ceneral von Scharnhorst