25th-28th Aug. 1769. "A dim rumour spreads that his Holiness will not rest with that "first anathema, but that a fulminating Bull is coming out against "the Most Christian, the Most Catholic and the Most Faithful. "If that be so, my notion is, Madam, that the Holy Father, to "fill his table, will admit the Defender of the Faith" (poor George III.)" and your Servant; for it does not suit a Pope to "sit solitary."

66

"A pity for the human race, Madam, that men cannot be tranquil, but they never and nowhere can! Not even the little "Town of Neufchâtel but has had its troubles; your Royal High"ness will be astonished to learn how. A Parson there" (this was above seven years ago, in old Marischal's reign13) "had set forth ❝in a sermon, That considering the immense mercy of God, the pains of Hell could not last forever. The Synod shouted mur"der at such scandal; and has been struggling, ever since, to get "the Parson exterminated. The affair was of my jurisdiction; "for your Royal Highness must know that I am Pope in that "Country;-here is my decision: Let the parsons, who make for "themselves a cruel and barbarous God, be eternally damned, as "they desire, and deserve; and let those parsons, who conceive "God gentle and merciful, enjoy the plenitude of his mercy! "However, Madam, my sentence has failed to calm the minds; "the schism continues; and the number of the damnatory theologians prevails over the others."14-Or again:

Potsdam, 1st December 1766. "At present I have with me my "Niece" (Sister's Daughter, of Schwedt), "the Duchess of Würtemberg; who remembers with pleasure to have had the happi"ness of seeing your Royal Highness in former times. She is

very unhappy and much to be pitied; her Husband" (Eugen of Würtemberg, whom we heard much of, and last at Colberg) "gives her a deal of trouble: he is a violent man, from whom "she has everything to fear; who gives her chagrins, and makes "her no allowances. I try my best to bring him to reason ;"—but am little successful. Three years after this, 'May 3d, 1769,' we

13 See Letters to Marischal, 'Leipzig, 9th March 1761,'' Breslau, 14th May 1762' in Œuvres de Frédéric, xx. 282, 287.

14 April 2d, 1768' (a month before this Letter to Madam), there is 'riot at Neufchâtel; and Avocat Gardot' (heterodox Parson's Advocate) 'killed in it' (Rödenbeck, ii. 303).

3d-7th Sept. 1770.

find Eugen, who once talked of running his august Reigning Brother through the body, has ended by returning to Stuttgard and him; where, or at Mümpelgard, his Apanage, he continued thenceforth. And was Reigning Duke himself, long afterwards, for two years, at the very end of his life.15 At this date of 1766, 'my poor Niece and he' have been married thirteen years, and have half a score of children;-the eldest of them Czar Paul's Second Wife that is to be, and Mother of the now Czars. December 17th, 1765. "I have had 12,360 houses "and barns to rebuild, and am nearly through with that. But "how many other wounds remain yet to be healed!"

*

July 22d, 1765. "Wedding festivities of Prince of "Prussia. Duchess of Kingston tipsy on the occasion!”—But we must not be tempted farther.16

Next Year, there is a Second Interview; Friedrich making a Return-Visit during the Kaiser's Moravian Reviews (Camp of Mährisch-Neustadt, 3d-7th September 1770).

The Russian-Turk War, especially in this Second Campaign of it," Liberation of Greece," or, failing that, total destruction of the Turk Fleet in Greek waters; conquest of Wallachia, as of Moldavia; in a word, imminency of total ruin to the Turk by land and sea,—all this is blazing aloft at such a pitch, in Summer 1770, that a new Interview upon it may well, to neighbours so much interested, seem more desirable than ever. Interview accordingly there is to be: 3d September, and for four days following.

Kaunitz himself attends, this time; something of real business privately probable to Kaunitz. Prince Henri is not there; Prince Henri is gone to Sweden;

15 'Succeeded,' on his Brother Karl's death, '20th May 1795; died, 23d December 1797, age 75.'

16 Euvres de Frédéric, xxiv. 90-155.

3d-7th Sept. 1770. on visit to his Sister, whom he has not seen since boyhood of which Visit there will be farther mention. Present with the King were:17 the Prince of Prussia (luckier somewhat in his second wedlock, little redcoloured Son and Heir born to him just a month ago); 18 Prince Ferdinand; two Brunswick Nephews, Erbprinz whom we used to hear of, and Leopold a junior, of whom we shall once or so. No Seidlitz this time. Except Lentulus, no General to name. But better for us than all Generals, in the Kaiser's suite, besides Kaunitz, was Prince de Ligne,-who holds a pen, as will appear.

"Liberation of the Greeks" had kindled many people, Voltaire among the number, who is still intermittently in correspondence with Friedrich: "A magnificent Czarina about to revivify that true Temple of Mankind, or at least to sweep the blockhead Turks out of it; what a prospect!" Friedrich is quite cool on Greece; not too hot on any part of this subject, though intensely concerned about it. Besides his ingenious Count-Lynar Project, and many other businesses, Friedrich has just been confuting Baron d'Holbach's Système de la Nature ;19 writing to Voltaire, Potsdam, 18th August 1770, on this subject among others, he adds: "I am going for Silesia,

66

on the Reviews. I am to see the Kaiser, who has "invited me to his Camp in Mähren. That is an amiable "and meritorious Prince; he values your Works, reads "them as diligently as he can; is anything but super"stitious: in brief, a Kaiser such as Germany has not "for a great while had. Neither he nor I have any "love for the blockhead and barbaric sort;-but that "is no reason for extirpating them: if it were, your

17 Rödenbeck, iii. 21.

18 Friedrich Wilhelm III., 'born 3d August 1770.'

19 Examen Critique du Système de la Nature' (in Euvres de Frédéric, ix. 153 et seq.), 'finished, July 1770.'

3d-7th Sept. 1770.

"Turks" (oppressors of Greece) "would not be the "only victims!"20

In a lengthy Letter, written by request, To Stanislaus, King of Poland, in 1785, or at a distance of fifteen years from this Interview at Neustadt, Prince de Ligne, who was present there, has left us some record or loose lively reminiscence of it;21-sputtering, effervescing, epigrammatic creature, had he confined himself to a faithful description, and burnt off for us, not like a pretty firework, but like an innocent candle, or thing for seeing by! But we must take what we have, and endeavour to be thankful. By great luck, the one topic he insists on is Friedrich and his aspect and behaviour on the occasion; which is what, of all else in it, we are most concerned with.

6

*

'You have ordered me, Sire' (this was written for him in 1785), 'to speak to you of one of the greatest men of this Age. You admire him, though his neighbourhood has done you mis'chief enough; and, placing yourself at the impartial distance of History, feel a noble curiosity on all that belongs to this extraordinary genius. I will, therefore, give you an exact account ' of the smallest words that I myself heard the great Friedrich 'speak. *The I (le je) is odious to me; but nothing is indif'ferent when'-Well, your account, then, your account, without farther preambling, and in a more exact way than you are wont!'By a singular chance, in 1770' (3d-7th September, if you would but date), 'the Kaiser was' (for the second time) ‘enabled to deliver himself to the personal admiration which he had con'ceived for the King of Prussia; and these Two great Sove' reigns were so well together, that they could pay visits. The 'Kaiser permitted me to accompany; and introduced me to the 'King: it was at Neustadt in Moravia' (Mährisch-Neustadt, short way from Austerlitz, which is since become a celebrated place). 'I can't recollect if I had, or had assumed, an air of embarrass'ment; but what I do well remember is, that the Kaiser, who 20 Euvres de Frédéric, xxiii. 165, 166.

21 Prince de Ligne, Mémoires et Mélanges Historiques (Par. 1827), i. 3-21.

3d-7th Sept. 1770. 'noticed my look, said to the King, "He has a timid expression, ' which I never observed in him before; he will recover presently." "This he said in a graceful merry way; and the two went out, 'to go, I believe, to the Play. On the way thither, the King 'for an instant quitting his Imperial Friend, asked me if my 'Letter to Jean Jacques' (now an entirely forgotten Piece), ‘which ❝ had been printed in the Papers, was really by me? I answered, "Sire, I am not famous enough to have my name forged" (as a certain Other name has been, on this same unproductive topic). 'He felt what I meant. It is known that Horace Walpole took 'the King's name to write his famous Lettre à Jean Jacques' (impossible to attend to the like of it at present), which con'tributed the most to drive mad this eloquent and unreasonable 'man of genius.

66

'Coming out of the Play, the Kaiser said to the King of "Prussia: "There is Noverre, the famous Composer of Ballets; "he has been in Berlin, I believe." Noverre made thereupon ' a beautiful dancing-master bow. "Ah, I know him," said the "King: "we saw him at Berlin; he was very droll; mimicked "all the world, especially our chief Dancing Women, to make you split with laughing." Noverre, ill content with this way ' of remembering him, made another beautiful third-position bow; and hoped possibly the King would say something far'ther, and offer him the opportunity of a small revenge. "Your "Ballets are beautiful," said the King to him; "your Dancing "Girls have grace; but it is grace in a squattish form (de la 66 grace engoncée). I think you make them raise their shoulders "and their arms too much. For, Monsieur Noverre, if you "remember, our principal Dancing Girl at Berlin wasn't so." "That is why she was at Berlin, Sire," replied Noverre' (satirically, all he could).

'I was every day asked to sup with the King; too often the 'conversation addressed itself to me. In spite of my attach'ment to the Kaiser, whose General I like to be, but not whose 'D'Argens or Algarotti, I had not beyond reason abandoned 'myself to that feeling. When urged by the King's often speaking to me, I had to answer, and go on talking. Besides 'the Kaiser took a main share in the conversation; and was GG

VOL. VI.