Frederick the Great and His Court | Page 9

matters progressing over there? Is the assemblage a
handsome one? Are they enjoying themselves? Is the queen gay? and
the princesses, are they dancing merrily?"
"Sire," said Pollnitz, "a more magnificent festival than to-day's I have
never witnessed. Her majesty was never more beautiful, more radiant,
or gayer than today. She shone like a sun in the midst of the
handsomely dressed and adorned ladies of the court."
"Indeed! she was then magnificently attired?" said the king, and his
countenance darkened.
"Sire, I had no idea the queen possessed so princely a treasure in
jewels."
"She has put on her jewels, then, has she? It seems they are taking

advantage of my absence. They are merry and of good cheer, while I
am writhing on a bed of pain," exclaimed the king, who, in his easily
excited irritability, never once remembered that he himself had
appointed this festival, and had demanded of his wife that she should
lay aside care, and be cheerful and happy.
"Happily, however, your majesty is not ill, and not on a bed of pain.
The queen has, therefore, good reason to be happy."
The king made no reply, but raised his mug to his lips, and took a long
draught of beer, and let fall its lid with an angry movement.
"I should not be surprised if Frederick had clandestinely come over to
this ball," murmured the king. "They dare any thing when not
apprehensive of my taking them by surprise."
"But taking by surprise is your majesty's forte," exclaimed Count
Hacke, endeavoring to give the conversation another direction. "Never
before in my life did I feel my heart beat as it did when I crossed the
threshold of this chamber to-day."
The king, who was easily soothed, laughed heartily. "And never before
did I see such pale faces as yours. Really, if the gout had not made my
fingers so stiff and unwieldy, I would paint you a picture of this scene
that would make a magnificent counterpart to my representation of the
Tobacco Club, and I would call it 'The Six Tailor Apprentices who are
afraid of Blue Monday.' See! we will now devote ourselves to poetry
and the arts, and our learned and fantastic son will soon have no
advantage over us whatever. If he plays the flute, we paint. While he
writes sentimental, we will write satirical poems; and while he sings to
sun, moon, and stars, we will do as the gods, and, like Jupiter, envelop
ourselves in a cloud. Let it be well understood, however, not for the
purpose of deluding a Semele or any other woman, at all times, and in
all circumstances, we have been true to our wives, and in this particular
the prince royal might well take his father as an example."
"Sire, he could do that in all things," exclaimed Count von Goltz,
blowing a cloud of smoke from his lips.
"He thinks at some future day to govern the kingdom with his book-
learning and his poems," said the king, laughing. "Instead of occupying
himself with useful things, drilling recruits, drawing plans, and
studying the art of war, he devotes his time to the acquirement of
useless and superficial knowledge, which benefits no one, and is most

injurious to himself. A dreaming scholar can never be a good king; and
he who, instead of sword and sceptre, wields the pen and fiddle-bow,
will never be a good general." "Nevertheless, no regiment made a finer
appearance, or was better drilled, at the last review, than that of the
prince royal," said the Duke of Holstein.
The king cast a distrustful look at him, and muttered a few words which
no one understood. He was never pleased to hear any defence of the
prince royal, and suspected every one who praised him.
"Your majesty forgets that this is a sitting of the Tobacco Club and not
of the State Council," said Pollnitz, in a fawning voice. "If your majesty
designed to be angry, it was not necessary to light the pipes and fill the
beer-mugs; for while you are neither smoking nor drinking, the pipe
goes out, and the beer becomes stale."
"True," replied the king, and raising his glass he continued: "I drink this
to the health of him who first overcame his timid heart and dared to
enter my chamber. Who was it? I have forgotten."
"It was the privy councillor Von Eckert, sire," said Count Hacke, with
an ironical smile. Eckert bowed.
"He entered the chamber as if going to battle," exclaimed Von Pollnitz,
laughing. "In the spirit he took leave of all the fine breweries, and
artfully constructed never-smoking chimneys which he had built; he
also took leave of the city exchanges, which he had not yet provided
with royal commissioners, destined to