but the means to a life of pleasure and irresponsibility.”  All his attempts to win over the King and Gerlach to his point of view failed; the only result was that his old friends began to look on him askance; his new opinions were regarded with suspicion.  He was no longer sure of his position in Court; his outspokenness had caused offence; after reading his last letter, Gerlach answered:  “Your explanation only shews me that we are now far asunder”; the correspondence, which had continued for almost seven years, stopped.  Bismarck felt that he was growing lonely; he had to accustom himself to the thought that the men who had formerly been both politically and personally his close friends, and who had once welcomed him whenever he returned to Berlin, now desired to see him kept at a distance.  In one of his last letters to Gerlach, he writes:  “I used to be a favourite; now all that is changed.  His Majesty has less often the wish to see me; the ladies of the Court have a cooler smile than formerly; the gentlemen press my hand less warmly.  The high opinion of my usefulness is sunk, only the Minister [Manteuffel] is warmer and more friendly.”  Something of this was perhaps exaggerated, but there was no doubt that a breach had begun which was to widen and widen:  Bismarck was no longer a member of the party of the Kreuz Zeitung.  It was fortunate that a change was imminent in the direction of the Prussian Government; the old figures who had played their part were to pass away and a new era was to begin.

CHAPTER VI.

ST. PETERSBURG AND PARIS.

1858-1862.

In the autumn of 1857 the health of the King of Prussia broke down; he was unable to conduct the affairs of State and in the month of September was obliged to appoint his brother as his representative to carry on the Government.  There was from the first no hope for his recovery; the commission was three times renewed and, after a long delay, in October of the following year, the King signed a decree appointing his brother Regent.  At one time, in the spring of 1858, the Prince had, it is said, thought of calling on Bismarck to form a Ministry.  This, however, was not done.  It was, however, one of the first actions of the Prince Regent to request Manteuffel’s resignation; he formed a Ministry of moderate Liberals, choosing as President the Prince of Hohenzollern, head of the Catholic branch of his own family.

The new era, as it was called, was welcomed with delight by all parties except the most extreme Conservatives.  No Ministry had been so unpopular as that of Manteuffel.  At the elections which took place immediately, the Government secured a large majority.  The Prince and his Ministers were able to begin their work with the full support of Parliament and country.

Bismarck did not altogether regret the change; his differences with the dominant faction at Court had extended to the management of home as well as of foreign affairs; for the last two years he had been falling out of favour.  He desired, moreover, to see fresh blood in the Chamber.