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1、FrederickWilliamIofPrussiaFrederickWilliam'sfather,FrederickI(1657-1713),wasthefirstKingofPrussia.AlthoughhewasthenewestandtheleastimportantofallEuropeanKings,hemodelledhimselfuponthemostimportant,LouisXIVtheSunKingofFrance.Frederickcopiedhimslavishlyan
2、dalthoughhelovedFrederickWilliam'smotherdearly,hetookamistressbecausehethoughtitthecorrectthingforamonarchtodo.Lovingallformsofpompandtheoutwarddisplayofriches,hisfinanceswerealwaysinadisastrousstate.HissonFrederickWilliam(1688-1740)wasverydifferent.In1
3、711,hepresentedhisfatherwithevidenceoffinancial mismanagementandthePrimeMinisterwassacked.WhenFrederickIdiedtwoyearslater,FrederickWilliamgavehimamagnificentfuneralandthenstartedtoreducetheRoyalexpensesdrastically.Likeeveryoneelse,FrederickWilliampaidth
4、econsumertaxthehimselfhadimposed,andnocandleswereleftburningatcourt.Helivedfrugallyandworkedhardandtirelesslyforthewelfareofhispeople.Heencouragedfarming,reclaimedmarshes,storedgrainingoodtimesandsolditinbadtimes.HedictatedamanualofRegulationsforStateOf
5、ficials,containing35chaptersand297paragraphsinwhicheverypublicservantinPrussiacouldfindhisdutiespreciselysetout.Aministerorcouncillorfailingtoattendacommitteemeetingwouldlosesixmonths'pay.Ifheabsentedhimselfasecondtime,hewouldbedischargedfromtheRoyalser
6、vice.Noinspectionsweretotakeplaceduringtheploughingseasonortheharvest,whenthefarmerswouldhavenotimetospare.ThemanualwassupplementedbyfurtherinstructionsdrawnupinpersonbyFrederickWilliam,prescribingmethodsofploughing,erectingearthworksasaprotectionagains
7、tflooding,andhuntingwolves.Marketwomenshouldnotsitidleattheirstallsbutweretobusythemselvesknittingstockings.Anyparsonpreachingforoveronehourwouldbefined.FrederickWilliamtorewhatheconsidered"extravagantfinery"offtheclothesoffemalesinthestreetandheusedtod
8、isciplineidlebuildingworkersinperson.Itissaidthatheoncegavechaseinthestreettoanescapingpickpocket.Havingcaughthim,theKingaskedwhyhehadtriedtorunaway.Whenthemanrepliedthathewasafraidofhim,FrederickWilliamhithimwithhisstickandroare
