Frederick the Great and His Cou

de. The charming days of the past, when Frederick was prince royal, seemed to have returned; the same company now filled the castle; the same sports and amusements were enjoyed. All was th

me companions, loved friends. But none dared overstep the boundary of dependence and submission which he had drawn around them, and in the centre of which he stood alone, trusting to his ow

n. It was the heart of Elizabeth, the heart of that poor rejecte

he does not speak to me I will still hear his voice. My sufferings will be greater, but I shall be near him. The joy will help me to bear the pain. Soffri e taci!" Elizabeth Christine was right; the king never spoke to her, never fixed those brilliant blue eyes, which possessed for her the depth and immensity of the skies, upon her pale countenance. With a silent bow he welcomed her daily at their meals, but he did not now le

. Elizabeth Christine joined in all the pleasures and amusements at Rheinsberg. She laughed at Bielfeld's jests, at Pollnitz's bright anecdotes; she listened with beaming eyes to Knobelsdorf's plans for beautifying the king's residence; she took part in the preparations for a drama that was to be performed. Voltaire's "Death of Caesar," and "T

d the day in his library, no one dared disturb him, not even Guentz. Madame von Brandt, who had accompanied the court to Rheinsberg, said, i

ntire day?" asked the count. "What is it that tak

and land surveyors. You now see that these are very innocent occupations, and that they can have no influence upon our affairs. The king, I promise you, will never be more divorced from his wife than he now is; and concerning the ma

ure you that these studies will greatly disturb the Austrian

es the day in his study, but he passes his evenings with us, and he is then as gay, as unconstrained, as full of wit and humor as ever. Perhaps

is playing the part of Brutus; to the eye he seems harmless and gay, but

ing six; it is high time for me to return to the castle, for at seven the last rehearsal commences, and

us commander. Frederick was ill of a fever, which had tormented him the whole summer, which had kept him from visiting Amsterdam, and which confined him to his bed in the castle of Moyland, while Orttaire was paying hi

Ellart, "but I dare not

not?" sai

be used without danger; it must first be tried by a patient

ot certain of your remedy, it is as vici

nth, who bought it secretly from Talbot, the Englishman, and paid him a hu

," said the king, wi

s sent by a friend from Paris, and which I brought to show you as a great curiosity. This

he best physician, the best apothecary, and what she brews

ark above all barks which, by a divine Prov

, and his eyes, which, but a few moments before, were dull and lustreless, now sparkled with fire. The king, overp

door the anxious, inquiring faces of Pollnitz,

approached the p

astily. "Is he in a condition

our; he will then b

our courtiers who had entered the room, a

so, I advise you to

e king will think it bad,"

with our news," said Bielfeld. "I think so, becaus

"it will be you who will wake this hero, and

" And the group stood in silence around the couch, with eyes fixed upon the king. H

said he; "and to look at you one

oplexy," said Jordan, approaching his

hing. "As usual, the divine prophetic mind of our king is

," said Bielfeld, "we are much bette

looked at him inquiringly. "Listen, Fredersdorf," said he, "what meaning have all these mysterious words and looks; why are you

. The dogs are in

llart, "you can communicate your news to him.

er arrived who was the bear

he?" said the

s ambassador in Vie

"is the empress, our

ectly well, but her

t continue?" said th

storative first?" said Fredersdorf;

Pollnitz. What of the

Sixth is no more, he died

do about such insignificant news. If the emperor is dead, Maria Theresa will be Empr

ly quiet," said he; "this prodigious news has not

ust be perfectly well. It must not be said that a miserable fever changed my intentions and condemned me to idleness; I must have no fever on the day the n

nnot, dare not give it to you, for

id the king, positively

port his opinion; in vain that they begged and implored the

ore in God's medicine than in that of man. Quick, give me the powder!" And as Ellart still hesitated, he continued

y, but I take these gentlemen to wit

silence of the room, the

"you must, by no means, return to Berlin; b

death should not create such great disturbances. We will remain here and renew our former happy days, and forget that we have any duty but our enjoyment. Now, gentlemen, leave me, I am well. You see, Ellart, I did well to take that medi

e words, the same command, telling them to come immediately to Rheinsberg. He then entered the music room, and never was Frederick so gay, so witty, and unconstrained; never did he play on his flute more beautifully than on the day he heard of the death of the Emperor o

lemen were seated. "The emperor is dead, and I have sent

oyal house, nearly connected with you, into deep sorrow, and robs the reign

t you are an imperialist,

ficulty with Austria would b

is shoulders, and tu

e all men of experience, soldiers, and statesmen, and you m

listened to their wise

"You do not think I am justified in demanding this Silesia, wh

id the Prince of Dessau; "they left Silesia i

o the full the ingratitude of the Austrian court, felt that there could be no peace between the houses of Austria and Brandenburg, and he intrusted to me the holy mission of punishing and humiliating this proud, conceited court; he pointed me out to his ministers, and said: 'There stands one who will revenge me!' You see that my ancestors call me, my grandfather and father chose me for their champion and revenger; they call upon me to perform that which they, prevented by circumstances, could not accomplish; the hour which my ancestors designated has arrived-the hou

orne away by the king's noble ardor. "Our lif

rain. Here is the map for our campaign; here are the routes and the plan of attack. We shall at last stand before these Austrians in battle array; and as they dared say of my father, that his gun was ever cocked but the trigger never pulled, we will show them that we are ready to discharge,