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

jealous and envious of the king's fame and greatness, and sought to revenge him-self by continual fault-finding and criticism. He sought to mortify the

ver ready to do justice to others, and demands at the same time a just recognition of its own claims. Voltaire might exalt himself to t

regret; and the Marquis d'Argens, who was of a fine and gentle nature,

the rhyme is incorrect, but you will provoke him beyond measure if you tell him so. He has tried in vain to correct it, without impairing the sense of the passage. I have, therefore, withheld all criticism, and read to h

at?" said Voltaire, in

fine arts that the great and powerful sovereign of Prussia should love and cherish them; should exalt those who cultivate them, and, indeed, rank himself amongst

shrinks from blaming him because it fears to wound his self-love. The king has read his poem to you, and it is your province to wonder at

, than to-day. His eyes sparkled with malicious joy, and a wicked smile pla

d. The chapter which I have read this morning, in Frederick's 'Histoire de Mon Temps' has taught me what faults to avoid. Yes, I will write of Louis XIV. Truly I owe him some compensation. King Frederick has had the naivete to compare his great grandfather, the so-called great Prince-Elector, to the great Louis. I was amiable enough to pardon him for this little compliment to his ancestors, and not to strike it from

ant, Tripot, who announced that the Jew Hirsch, for whom Voltaire had

said he to the Jew. "Close the door, Tr

y through the saloon, and beckoned to

I am a poor man, with weak eyes. I have no use for these lights; I can never hope to profit by them. Here, also, are several pounds of sugar and coffee, the savings of th

than the Jew. He knew exactly the worth of the sugar and the coffee, he spoke so eloquently

l there execute a commission for me. I wish to invest eighteen thousand thalers in Sax

should be paid at par for the bonds they now hold, while the subjects of the King of Saxony receive only their present value. The king promised, ho

he chamberlain of the king, would not undertake a business transaction which would stain his reputation or cas

humbly, "I am entirely satisfied, an

romptly, you may feel assured of a reward. Ar

d be truly happy if I could obtain

ou shall have this coveted title," said the noble aut

hem at thirty

have not the ready money-I will give you drafts-come into my study.-There are three drafts," said he, "one on P

return with them, and you will have a

d thalers!" said he; "for a poor poet, who lives b

rsch, with the solemn earnestness of

ed out threateningly: "You are not going without giving me your note? You do not think tha

y word of honor," sai

istian city-your worthy forefathers obtained for us this privilege. Do you believe that I will trust one of their descendants? Who will go my security that you w

me. I thought perhaps you wished to buy diamonds, and brought some along with me. Look, sir! here are diamonds worth twenty-two t

utiful, and perhaps if my speculation succeeds, I may b

t he paused suddenly, and fixed his ey

it by your terror. Oh, oh, you thought that a poet was a good, credulous creature who could be easily deceived. Ah! you thought I had heard nothing of those famous lapidaries in St. Ger

ds are pure!"

aid Voltaire.- "Tripot! Tripot! run quickly to the je

the jeweller declared they were fully worth twenty-two thousand thalers. Voltaire was now fully

, and my obedient subjects. I will be a grand seigneur. Kings and princes shall visit me in my castle, and wait in my antechamber, as I have been compelled to wait in theirs. I will be rich that I may be every man's master, even master of the fools. I will enslave the wise by my intellect-I will reduce the foolish to bondage with gold. I must be rich! rich! rich! therefore am I here; therefore do I correct the poor rhymes of the king; therefore do I live now as a modest poet, and add copper to copper, and save my pension of five thousand thalers, and sell my wax-lights and my coffee to the Jew. Let the world call me a miser. When I become rich, I will be a spendthrift: and men who are now envious and angry at my fame shall burst with rage at my fortune. Ah, ah, it is not worth the cost to be a celebrated writer! There are too many humiliations connected with this d

some sum was almost daily placed to his credit. The smallest necessary expenditure angered him. With a dark frown he said to himself: "It is unjust and mean to require of me to buy provender for my horse, and to have my carriage repaired; if the king furnishes me with an equipage, he s

ietists, were placed alone upon a desert isle, they would forget their dependence upon each other, and commence intriguing at once. This, alas! is humanity, and being so, one must withdraw from the poor affair advantageously and cunningly. [Footnote: Voltaire, Oeuvres, p. 375.] No one can live peacefully in this world; least of all, in the neighborhood of a king. It is with kings as with coquettes, their glances kindle jealousy-and Frederick is a great coquette. I must, therefore, drive my rivals from the field, and enjoy in peace the favor of the king. Now which of my rivals are dangerous to me? All! all! I must banish them all! I will sow such discon

e had played the part of Aurelia, in "Rome Sauvee," he had felt a passion for the princess, who had betrayed to the life the ardor and the pains of love, and whose great flaming eyes seemed, from their mysterious depths, to rouse the soul of t

who were in the parlor, and wished to make the great author a morning visit. "Let them all

"some of the most distinguished men of the

their excellencies? Let them wait, o

te of the king, the universal French author, in his pride and arrogance was graciously pleased to show

ng the winter months which Voltaire spent in the palace of Berlin, he was the favorite of the court. Princes, ambassadors, ministers, generals, nobles of the highest rank went to his morning receptions, and were often received by him with contemptuous scor

. He hoped that all the world would thunder out their enraptured applause, and that Maupertius, D'Argens, Algarotti, La Mettrie, and all other friends of the king, wou

n a matter of great importance. Voltaire turned with a winning smile to his

t have you to say

, the court i

him enraged. "Fool!

ou, sir, if you are going this eveni

What has the court mourning

he court is in mourning, no one can appear there in e

coat," said Voltaire,

en, for you to order

re to come and ta

will cost an immense sum of money, and must then hang in the wardrobe to be destroyed by moths? In eight days this mourning will be over, and I would be several hundred francs poorer,

that I have promised to improvise. The world is looking on eagerly. If I do not go, or if I announce myself sick, the

must come to ta

ou I have no gold for such follies. Gather up your small a

de of escape from this embarrassmen

s are good which at

good friend. I have learned from him that his master has just purchased a

id Voltaire, whose cou

e, from your friend, t

lency is not offend

idea capital. Go, Tripot, and

nraptured them again by his witty slanders and brilliant conve

ot, have yo

your ex

seems this is a happy day for me-I make th

to try on this coat. I fear it is too lar

, it is far too large for me. Oh, oh! to think that the coat of a pitiful Dutch tradesman is too large for the great French poet! Well, that is because these Dutch barbarians think of nothing but gormandizing

elieve that it is impos

eir in the testamentary coat of his rich cousin the brewer? Would it not

onsieur Pilleneu

t to countermand the

tailor here to put an end to my vexations. This coat is good and ha

ipot. "He will take in the seams

coat could not possibly look we

sitatingly, "Fromery could

honor to borrow his coat, and I think that will be

French writer belonged to the merchant Fromery, and that the glittering diamond agraffes in his bosom, and the costly rings on his fingers, were the property of the Jew Hirsch. Voltaire's e

s also the favorite of the king, who allowed him privileges granted to no other man. There was one present, however, who found these words of passion and of rapture too bold, and that one was King Frederick. He had entered n

ated by me in the air, and, by a glance alone, she whispered wor

poem," said the Princess Amelia. She had remarked the entrance of the king, knew that

ed only to recite," said Voltaire, seating himself at the card-table; and, taking a

ne, looked at the Princess Amelia, and saw that

m of the great Voltaire, my sist

and while Frederick read, all stoo

taire breathed freely, as if relieved from a great apprehension. "This little poem is so enchanting, that

up a gay and animated conversation, and to seem thoughtless and unoccupied. Frederick s

un pen

plus grossi

ans l'erreur

s rois j'e

alors, et j'osa

reveil ne m'on

rdu que mo

who was seated near the queen engaged in lively conversation. "We will damp h

royal pupil; the rhymes were good and flowed freely. When Frederick had finis

" said he; "read it y

to read i

t smile lighted up her lovely, melancholy face. Bowing to h

oltaire, and ask him to

d not smile as the princess had done-he turn

," said

ted princess to whom I dared address it. Your majesty will be graciously pleased to remember that it was born in a moment, and the next instant lost its

k, while Voltaire, with a profound

and his lips, which had smiled so kindly, muttered words of cursing and bitterness. He ordered Tripot to arrange his writing-table and leave the room. Being no

ue, pour l

t analoque a n

rever, qu'il a

u'il aboie

qu'il a f

qu'il a f

ire, a l'aide

oi lui que n'es

'est abuse

good-humored, credulous fool. Why was I so silly as to credit the solemn protestations of the king that I should never feel his superior rank; that he would never show himself the master? If I dare to claim an equality with him for an instant, he swings his rod of correction, and I am bowed in th

e to Fredersdorf that he was ill, and could no

and the pious priests preached against the Atheist Voltaire, to whom the great-hearted King of Prussia had given an asylum. Perhaps he saw in his dreams

nd his countenance, which was so often clouded by base and wicked passions, was bright and c

ed the black coat of the merchant Fromery. Voltaire heard nothing; he slept on. And now the door was noisily opened, and a young woman, with fresh, rosy cheeks and sparkling eyes, entered the room; she was dressed as a chambermaid, a little white coquettish cap cove

white skeleton figure rose from the bed, now lying in the middle of the chamber, and danced about the floor with doubled fists and wild curses. The girl uttered a shriek of terror and rushed from the room; and