262 IN SEARCH OF OLD FRITZ^262twenty-mile journey to Sans Souci from his place of retirement in
Brandenburg town.
Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick resigned from the Prussian service
in 1766. He was at odds with the king over the new frenchified tax
system, and the undue favour which Frederick was extending to the
young Count 'Wilhelmi' Anhalt. However, the reasons for their
falling-out were more fundamental: 'Above all we must consider that
in Ferdinand the king saw a rival to his glory, and a man to whom (as
he himself confessed) he and the whole House of Hohenzollern owed
an extraordinarily great amount. It simply was not in Frederick's
character to put up with seeing such a person day after day, and
having to be suitably polite to him' (Mauvillon, 1794, II, 379-81).
Seydlitz meanwhile ruled the Silesian cavalry from Ohlau, and
he had his own circle of friends who delighted in his company in his
new house nearby at Minkowsky. This great man was ultimately
brought low by a stroke, and he was already nearing his end when
Frederick came to see him at Ohlau on 27 August 1773. They talked for
over an hour, and Frederick more than once exclaimed: 'I cannot
spare you! I cannot manage without you!' (Varnhagen von Ense,
1834, 229). Seydlitz died on 8 November.
The passing of Seydlitz left Zieten as the one survivor of the group
of generals most closely associated with Frederick. The old hussar
learnt to endure the repeated criticisms of the loose discipline among
his men, but at one manoeuvre the king went too far: 'The regiment of
Zieten carried out a first attack, and Frederick was so dissatisfied that
he told our general: "I don't want to see you any more! You may
remove yourself from my sight!" Zieten at once took him at his word,
causing a considerable sensation' (Blumenthal, 1797* 255).
Within a few years Zieten could no longer be considered for
independent command in the field, but he could be assured of a warm
welcome at Potsdam. Frederick now treated him with invariable
solicitude and respect. Once, when Zieten nodded off at table, the
king refused to have him disturbed: 'He is a brave old man. Let him
sleep on. He has stayed awake long enough on our account' (Hilde-
brandt, 1829-35, II, 136).