Nor could Saxony, with Mecklenburg, Anhalt, Erfurt, and their 10,000 men a year, have supplied him,--"had not there," says Archenholtz (a man rather fond of superlatives),-- "Had not there risen a Recruiting system," or Crimping system, "the like of which for kind and degree was never seen in the Earth before.
Prisoners, captive soldiers, if at all likely fellows, were by every means persuaded, and even compelled, to take Prussian service.

Compelled, cudgel in hand," says Archenholtz (who is too indiscriminating, I can see,--for there were Pfalzers, Wurtembergers, Reichsfolk, who had FIRST been compelled the other way): "not asked if they wished to serve, but dragged to the Prussian colors, obliged to swear there, and fight against, their countrymen." Say at least, against their countrymen's Governors, contumacious Serene Highnesses of Wurtemberg, Mecklenburg and the like.

Wurtemberg, we mentioned lately, had to shoot a good few of his first levy against the Protestant Champion, before they would march at all!--I am sorry for these poor men; and wish the Reich had been what it once was, a Veracity and Practical Reality, not an Imaginary Entity and hideously contemptible Wiggery, as it now is! Contemptible, and hideous as well;--setting itself up on that, fundamental mendacity; which is eternally tragical, though little regarded in these days, and which entails mendacities without end on parties concerned!--But, apart from all this, certain it is, "The whole German Reich was deluged with secret Prussian Enlisters.
The greater part of these were not actual Officers at all, but hungry Adventurers, who had been bargained with, and who, for their own profit, allowed themselves every imaginable art to pick up men.

Head and centre of them was the Prussian Colonel Colignon," one of the Free-Corps people; "a man formed by nature for this business [what a beautiful man!]--who gave all the others their directions, and taught them by his own example.

Colignon himself," in winter-time, "travelled about in all manner of costumes and characters; persuading hundreds of people into the Prussian service.