The Palace and Park by Phillips, Forbes, Latham, Owen, Scharf, and Shenton

[Born 1770. Died 1840, aged 70.] The grand nephew of Frederic the Great. He succeeded to the throne in 1797, and, in 1806, was involved in a war with France, which, before its close, almost extinguished his kingdom. The peace of Tilsit, in 1807, left him little more than a nominal sovereignty. In 1810, he founded the University of Berlin; in 1812, took part with France against Russia; and in 1813, again declared war against France. His army shared in the triumphal entry into Paris in 1814; and in 1815, his soldiers under Blucher partook of the glory of Waterloo at the crisis of the battle. A man of domestic virtues, but of small capacity. Napoleon’s judgment of this King was somewhat harsh. “He is,” said Buonaparte, “the greatest idiot on the face of the earth--without intelligence, and incapable of sustaining a conversation for the space of five minutes--a true Don Quixote.” The present King of Prussia is the son of Frederic William III. [By Rauch. Marble. 1826. In the Royal Palace at Berlin.]