Berlin and Sans-Souci; Or, Frederick the Great and His Friends

quant anecdote out of my o

s genius? Yes, sire, a successful truffle-pie is a sort of revealed religion, and I am its devout, consecrated priest! One day I relinquished, for the love of it, a considerab

enough to give his daughter to th

ored to health! His first excursion was to see me, and he implored me to suggest a mode by which he could manifest his gratitude. 'Send me every day a truffle-pie and a bottle of Hungarian wine,' I replied. Swiet was greatly amused. 'I have something better than a truffle- pie,' said he. 'I have a daughter who will inherit all my fortune. You are not rich in ducats, but largely endowed with wit. I wish that my grandchildren, who will be imme

interested father, who selects a husband for h

e was a changeling, whom the father wished to get rid of i

ut of the house. They loved each other none the less glowingly for all this. I shrugged my shoulders, and recalled the wish of her father, and my promise to him. But when the little Esther implored me to refuse her hand, and plead with her father for her beloved, I laughed and jested no longer, bu

though your name is not affixed to the title-page. The whole city, not only the priests, but the worldlings, are enraged over this book. They declare it is a monster of unbelief and materialism. If, in spite of all this, I accept you as my son-in-law, it is becaus

er! I swear that in eight

Once we met alone in the saloon. She hastened to leave it; but, as she passed by me, she raised her arms to heaven, then extended them threateningly toward me. 'You are a cruel and bad man. You will sacrifice a human soul to y

rectly as to your sad future. HATE has sometimes the gift of prophecy, and sees the future clea

n. I was content. I thought I could better support the wearisome ceremony if sustained by the fond remembrance of the luxurious meal I had just enjoyed. Our breakfast began punctually at eleven, and I assure your majesty it was a rare and costly feast. My young friend Mieritz declared, however, that the dish which crowned the feast was yet to come. At last he stepped to the kitchen himself to bring this jewel of his breakfast. With a mysterious smile he quickly returned, bringing upon a silver dish a smoking pie. A delicious fragrance immediately pervaded the whole room-a fragrance which then recalled the hour most rich in bl

'you bring me this pie, and th

of a Hollander, 'let us go first to the we

alism, that I would consent to such sacrilege? To warm a pie!-it is to rob the blossom of its fragrance, the butterfly of the purple and azure of its wings, b

e combined in this heavenly food, which I thrust into my mouth devoutly, and trembling with gladness. It was not necessary for Mieritz to tell me that this pie was made of India

my intellect was clearer, sharper, more profound than ever before! I rejoiced over this conviction. Was it not a conclusive proof that my theory was correct, that this 'homme machine' received its intellectual fluid, its power of thought through itself, and not through this fabulous, bodiless something which metaphysicians call soul? Was not this a proof that, to possess

burst out in loud

heart lies in his stomach; never before have I heard the soul banished there. But your hymns of praise over the sto

s disturbed the circulation of the blood, and he was chilled by standing upon the cold stone floor of the church. Be that as it may, poor Swiet was carried unconscious from the church to his dwelling, and in a few hours he was dead! Esther, his daughter and heir, was unfilial enough to leave the wish of her father unfulfilled. She would not acknowledge our contract to be binding, declared herself the bride

d out successfuly a well-considered strategy with his pie?" said the king. "You must

ld have only said to my pie, as Holofernes said to Judith: 'Thy sin was a great enjoyment, I forgi

for this wonderful dish, which possesses the magic power to liberate young women from intolera

ome weeks ago, on this subject, and the success of an important loan which France wishes to effect with the house of Mieritz and Swiet, through the mediation of Lord Tyrconnel,

causes," cried the king. "The peace of the world now hangs upon

may be wholly silent, but I believe I have a soul, which does not lie in my stomach, and this soul of mine will never be satisfied till your majesty keep

how the good marquis is, in thought, making love-winks toward his night-cap, which lies waiting for him upon his bed! But be comforted, gentlemen, my story is short.

his world to be able to offer to the holy Madonna, the mother of God, the sanctified, ardent, but pure and modest love of a true son of the church. The pious Silesians refused to believe that the duke was sufficiently holy to be their bishop. The sage fathers of the city of Breslau assured me that nothing less than a miracle could se

hed by the first modistes, and whose hair by the first perruquier-this hair, wonderful to relate, had grown! It was natural that she should exercise supernatural power. The blind, the lame, the crippled were cured by her touch. I myself-for you may well think that I hastened to see the miracle-saw a lame man throw away his crutch and dance a minuet in honor of the Madonna. There was a blind man who approached with a broad band bound over his eyes. He was led forward to this wonderful hair. Scarcely had the lovely locks t

that the Holy Virgin was pleased with her priest. It had often happened that hair had turned gray, or been torn out by the roots in rage and scorn. No one, however, can maintain that the hair grows unless we are in a happy and contented mood. The Madonna, therefore, was pleased. The wondrous growth of her hair enraptured the faithful, and all mankind declared that this holy image cut from a pear-tree, was the Virgin Mary, wh

ssion this miracle was performed," said the Marquis D'Argens. "Grac

the church, and placed a new wig upon the Madonna, and withdrew the old one. [Footnote: Authentic addition to the "History of Frederick the Second."] You see, messieurs,

re! your story is as wise as it is piquant-it is another proof that you are a warrior. You

ur very worthy abbe appears-I believe he is envious of the miracle I performed! And now it is your

pest into its even course. That was, without doubt, God's will; otherwise this robust and giant form which He gave me would have been in vain. My height and strength so enraptured the emissaries of the king, that in the mi

s and make a soldier of him; but say, now, abbe, could you not, at least,

une for a priest to be torn from the Tyrolese mountains and changed into a soldier. But now, I look upon this as my greatest good for

, and that here no man must be fl

e and admiration to my king, but not to his face. I praise and exalt him behind his back; th

y of Breslau brings in three thousand thalers! otherwise your love, which doe

d Bastiani, in a low and solemn voice;" he that will serve two

the rough side out," cried Voltaire, "It is written, 'The sheep shall be tu

n. Yes, truly, I am a poor, modest, trifling, good-for-nothing creature; and if his majesty did not allow me, from time to time, to read his verses and rejoice in their beauty, and here and there to add a comma, I should be as useless a being as that Catholic priest stationed at Dresden, at the court of King Augustus, who has nothing to do

all I be when you have mounted this glittering pinnacle-when you have become pope? I wager you will deny me your apostolic blessing; that you will not even allow me to kneel and kiss your slipper. If any man should dare to name me to you, you would no longer remember this unselfish love, which, w

e abbe, holding his hands humb

The specious holiness and hypocrisy which the abbe had brough

t is very important for me to ascertain, while I have you here, what sort of a reception you w

to time in pleading tones: "Ah, sire! ah, sire!" now looked up, and a flash

he king, "what wou

ty eagle, cover me with your wings, and protect me from your ow

of it I will excuse you from relating some little history of your life.-Now, Duke Algarotti,

rience and the feelings and convictions of my heart have at last laid me at the feet of your majesty. I am like the faithful, who, having been healed by a miracle, hang a copy of the deceased member upon the miraculous image which cured them. My he

all their kings have committed many crimes and follies, and but few great, magnanimous deeds. No, no! let us never hope to civilize kings. In vain have men sought to soften them by the help of art; in vain taught them to love it and to cultivate it. They are alway

im, said, good- humoredly: "Still, still, monsieur! Beware! I believe the king comes! Lower your voice, Voltaire, that he may not hear you. If he heard you, he might consider it his

nod of his head, he greete