Frederick the Great and His Court

is window. There he stood, with the flute at his lips, and looked out at God's lovely, laughing world with a sparkling eye and joyful countenance. A cheerful quiet, a holy

bowed his head to catch the sweet, dying

anger of Quantz." He took his flute again, and softly repeated the air he had just finis

wed his head as if saluting some one. It would be impossible to imagine a more charming and tasteful room. It had been arranged according to the d

the walls contained the works of Voltaire, Racine, Moliere, and Corneille; those of Homer, Caesar, Cicero, and Ovid; also the Italian poets Dante, Petrarch

of celebrated writers, were alcoves, in which stood small satin damask sofas, over whic

his eyes from his work, while sitting at his escritoire, they rested upon the smiling face of the talented Fren

k a piece of lined paper, and began to write, humming softly the melody he had just composed. He occasionally threw d

ing. "It is useless to show those gentlemen that I care for their approval, or court their applause. Ours is a pitiful race, and I see the time approaching when I shall despise and mistrust the whole world; and still my heart is soft, and gives a warm approval to all that is great and beautiful, and it would make me very happy to love and trust my f

then approached the escritoire, and took the letter

ers and several loose scraps of printed matter. The prince uttered a cry of joyful astonishment, and scarcely notic

ll be a poet, an author, and shall claim a place in the republic of genius. I shall not need a crown to preserve my name in history. The first step is taken. My 'Anti-Machiavel' is in press. I will tread under foot this monster of knavish and diabolic stat

the prince read a few lines, his

ness, kindness, and love? The plagues sent by Heaven are but passing, and destroy only in certain localities; and although most disastrous, their effects pass away in time. But the vices of kings create incurable misery; yes, misery

r a few pages of his "Anti-Machi

ll states, can send no armies to the field. The author advises them to fortify t

t. Even the youngest scion of the least important salaried prince imagines himself as great as Louis. He builds his Versailles, and sustains his army. There is in reality a certain salaried prince of a noble house, who has in his service all the varieties

or, and I could learn a great deal from him. I could learn of him how to rid myself of this torment that I endure from day to day, from hour to hour. What could be a greater degradation to an honorable man than to be compelled to flatter the base pride of these vile usurers to whom I am forced to resort for the money I need; this money pressed, perhaps, from widows and orphans? To think that I, the inheritor of a kingdom, am in this condition-that I must lower myself to sue and plead before these men, while millions a

waited in vain for two months, in vain addressed to him the most modest and respectful letters; I have not even been deemed worthy to rece

uttered Frederick,

ome a pillar of salt, like your great-g

belsdorf," s

alt, but others will from fright and terror, when I come with my avenging sword; for jus

not know, then, that

stice from the new king which I demanded in vain from the prince royal. The king is recovering

his royal highnes

you, for I heard him

was Qu

ing such an adagio; no, no, it cou

ling, "and make me believe I am an Orpheus. Orpheus tamed lions and tiger

Knobelsdorf; "the prince still sleeps, or is in bed,

ill stay here until I have spoken to the prince, until he returns me four thousand dollars that I lent to him, more than a year ago, without interest or security. I must and

o speak of pity for the prince royal? do you dare to boast of having lent him m

know how to get the miserable sum of four thousand dollars. But I must leave poor Knobelsdorf no longer in this co