[88031] in Discussion of MIT-community interests
Search Alcohol Rehab Options
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Alcohol Rehab)
Sat Sep 3 17:31:28 2016
Date: Sat, 3 Sep 2016 17:16:02 -0400
From: "Alcohol Rehab" <alcohol.rehab@moreso.stream>
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<p>Search Alcohol Rehab Options<br /> " He read me a letter from Ca=
lsabigi, of whom I had never heard, in which he charged him to send a virtu=
ous young lady to Berlin. She must be of good birth, good education, and pl=
easant appearance, as when his aged and infirm wife died he intended to mar=
ry her. " As such a person would most probably be badly off, Calsabigi=
begged M. Brea to give her fifty Louis to buy clothes and linen and fifty =
Louis to journey to Berlin with a maid. M. Brea was also authorized to prom=
ise that the young lady should hold the position of Calsabigi' s wife, and =
be presented in that character to all his friends; that she should have a w=
aiting-maid, a carriage, an allowance of clothes, and a certain monthly amo=
unt as pin-money to be spent as she chose. He promised, if the arrangement =
was not found suitable, to set her free at the end of a year, giving her a =
hundred Louis, and leaving her in possession of whatever money she might ha=
ve saved, and such clothes and jewels as he might have given her; in fine, =
if the lady agreed to live with him till he was able to marry her, Calsabig=
i promised to execute a deed of gift in her favour to the amount of ten tho=
usand crowns which the public would believe to be her dowry, and if he died=
before being able to marry her she would have a right to claim the aforesa=
id sum from his estate. " With such fine promises did Brea persuade me=
to leave my native country to come and dishonour myself here, for though e=
verybody treats me as if I were his wife, it is probably known that I am on=
ly his mistress. I have been here for six months, and I have never had an i=
nstant' s happiness." " Has he not kept the conditions you have m=
entioned?" " Conditions! Calsabigi' s state of health will kill h=
im long before his wife, and in that case I shall have nothing, for he is l=
oaded with debt, and his creditors would have the first claim on the estate=
Besides, I do not like him; and the reason is that he loves me too much. =
You can understand that; his devotion worries me." " At all event=
s, you can return to Paris in six months' time, or, in fact, do anything yo=
u like when the term stipulated has expired. You will get your hundred loui=
s, and can lay in a pretty stock of linen." " If I go to Paris I =
shall be dishonoured, and if I remain here I shall be dishonoured. In fact,=
I am very unhappy, and Brea is the cause of my woe. Nevertheless, I can' t=
blame him, as he could not have been aware that his friend' s property onl=
y consisted of debts. And now the king has withdrawn his countenance, the l=
ottery will fail, and Calsabigi will inevitably become a bankrupt." Sh=
e had studiously refrained from exaggeration, and I could not help confessi=
ng that she was to be pitied. I advised her to try and sell the deed of gif=
t for ten thousand crowns, as it was not likely he would raise any objectio=
n. " I have thought it over," said she, " but to do that I h=
ave need of a friend; of course, I do not expect to dispose of it save at a=
great loss." I promised to see what I could do for her. There were fo=
ur of us at supper. The fourth person was a young man who had helped in the=
Paris and Brussels Lotteries, and had followed Calsabigi to Berlin. He was=
evidently in love with Mdlle. Belanger, but I did not think his love was c=
rowned with success. At dessert Calsabigi begged me to give him my opinion =
of a scheme he had drafted, the aim of which was to bring in a sum of two m=
illion crowns, so that the credit of the lottery might remain secure. The l=
ady left us to talk business at our ease. She was between twenty-four and t=
wenty-five, and without having much wit she possessed a great knowledge of =
the usages of society, which is better than wit in a woman; in fine, she ha=
d all that a man could well desire. The sentiments I felt for her were conf=
ined to those of friendship and esteem after the confidence she had placed =
in me. Calsabigi' s project was brief, but clear and well imagined. He invi=
ted capitalists not to speculate in the lottery, but to guarantee it for a =
certain sum. In the case of the lottery' s losing, each guarantor would hav=
e to share in paying according to the sum named, and in like manner they wo=
uld share in the profits. I promised to give him my opinion in writing by t=
he next day, and I substituted the following plan for his: 1. A capital of =
a million, would, I judged, be ample. 2. This million should be divided int=
o a hundred shares of ten thousand crowns each. 3. Each share must be taken=
up before a notary, who would answer for the shareholder' s solvency. 4. A=
ll dividends to be paid the third day after the drawing. 5. In case of loss=
the shareholder to renew his share. 6. A cashier, chosen by a majority of =
four-fifths of the shareholders, to have the control of all moneys. 7. Winn=
ing tickets to be paid the day after the drawing. 8. On the eve of a drawin=
g the shareholders' cashier to have an account of receipts from the lottery=
cashier, and the former to lock the safe with three keys, one of which to =
remain in his hands, one in the hands of the lottery cashier, and one in th=
e hands of the manager of the lottery. 9. Only the simple drawing, the ambe=
and the terne to be retained; the quarterne and the quine to be abolished.=
10. On the three combinations a shilling to be the minimum, and a crown th=
e maximum stake; the offices to be closed twenty-four hours before the draw=
ing. 11. Ten per cent. to go to Calsabigi, the manager; all expenses of far=
ming to be paid by him. 12. Calsabigi to be entitled to the possession of t=
wo shares, without a guarantee being required. I saw by Calsabigi' s face t=
hat the plan did not please him, but I told him that he would not get share=
holders save on these terms, or on terms even less favourable to himself. H=
e had degraded the lottery to the level of biribi; his luxury and extravaga=
nce caused him to be distrusted; it was known that he was head over ears in=
debt, and the king could not banish the fear that he would be cheated in s=
pite of the keenness of his comptroller- general. The last drawing under th=
e king' s sanction made everyone in good spirits, for the lottery lost twen=
ty thousand crowns. The king sent the money immediately by a privy councill=
or, but it was said, when he heard the result of the drawing, that he burst=
out laughing, observing,-- " I knew it would be so, and I am only too=
happy to have got quit of it so cheaply." I thought it my duty to go =
and sup with the director to console him, and I found him in a state of gre=
at depression. He could not help thinking that his unhappy drawing would ma=
ke the task of getting shareholders more difficult than ever. Hitherto the =
lottery had always been a gainer, but its late loss could not have come at =
a worse time. Nevertheless, he did not lose heart, and the next morning the=
public were informed by printed bills that the office would remain closed =
till a sufficient number of guarantors were found. CHAPTER XVIII Lord Keith=
--My Appointment to Meet the King in the Garden of Sans- Souci My Conversat=
ion with Frederick the Great--Madame Denis The Pomeranian Cadets--Lambert--=
I Go to Mitau My Welcome at the Court, and My Administrative Journey The fi=
fth day after my arrival at Berlin I presented myself to the lord-marshal, =
who since the death of his brother had been styled Lord Keith. I had seen h=
im in London after his return from Scotland, where he had been reinstated i=
n the family estates, which had been confiscated for Jacobinism. Frederick =
the Great was supposed to have brought this about. Lord Keith lived at Berl=
in, resting on his laurels, and enjoying the blessings of peace. With his o=
ld simplicity of manner he told me he was glad to see me again, and asked i=
f I proposed making any stay at Berlin. I replied that I would willingly do=
so if the king would give me a suitable office. I asked him if he would sp=
eak a word in my favour; but he replied that the king liked to judge men' s=
characters for himself, and would often discover merit where no one had su=
spected its presence, and vice versa. He advised me to intimate to the king=
in writing that I desired to have the honour of an interview. " When =
you speak to him," the good old man added, " you may say that you=
know me, and the king will doubtless address me on the subject, and you ma=
y be sure what I say shall not be to your disadvantage." " But, m=
y lord, how can I write to a monarch of whom I know nothing, and who knows =
nothing of me? I should not have thought of such a step." " I dar=
esay, but don' t you wish to speak to him?" " Certainly." &q=
uot; That is enough. Your letter will make him aware of your desire and not=
hing more." " But will he reply?" " Undoubtedly; he rep=
lies to everybody. He will tell you when and where he will see you. His Maj=
esty is now at Sans-Souci. I am curious to know the nature of your intervie=
w with the monarch who, as you can see, is not afraid of being imposed on.&=
quot; When I got home I wrote a plain but respectful letter to the king, as=
king where and at what time I could introduce myself to him. In two days I =
received a letter signed " Frederick," in which the receipt of my=
letter was acknowledged, and I was told that I should find his majesty in =
the garden of Sans-Souci at four o' clock. As may be imagined I was punctua=
l to my appointment. I was at Sans- Souci at three, clad in a simple black =
dress. When I got into the court-yard there was not so much as a sentinel t=
o stop me, so I went on mounted a stair, and opened a door in front of me. =
I found myself in a picture-gallery, and the curator came up to me and offe=
red to shew me over it. " I have not come to admire these masterpieces=
," I replied, " but to see the king, who informed me in writing t=
hat I should find him in the garden." " He is now at a concert pl=
aying the flute; he does so every day after dinner. Did he name any time?&q=
uot; " Yes, four o' clock, but he will have forgotten that." &quo=
t; The king never forgets anything; he will keep the appointment, and you w=
ill do well to go into the garden and await him." I had been in the ga=
rden for some minutes when I saw him appear, followed by his reader and a p=
retty spaniel. As soon as he saw me he accosted me, taking off his old hat,=
and pronouncing my name. Then he asked in a terrible voice what I wanted o=
f him. This greeting surprised me, and my voice stuck in my throat. " =
Well, speak out. Are you not the person who wrote to me?" " Yes, =
sire, but I have forgotten everything now. I thought that I should not be a=
wed by the majesty of a king, but I was mistaken. My lord-marshal should ha=
ve warned me." " Then he knows you? Let us walk. What is it that =
you want? What do you think of my garden?" His enquiries after my need=
s and of his garden were simultaneous. To any other person I should have an=
swered that I did not know anything about gardening, but this would have be=
en equivalent to refusing to answer the question; and no monarch, even if h=
e be a philosopher, could endure that. I therefore replied that I thought t=
he garden superb. " But," he said, " the gardens of Versaill=
es are much finer." " Yes, sire, but that is chiefly on account o=
f the fountains." " True, but it is not my fault; there is no wat=
er here. I have spent more than three hundred thousand crowns to get water,=
but unsuccessfully." " Three hundred thousand crowns, sire! If y=
our majesty had spent them all at once, the fountains should be here."=
" Oh, oh! I see you are acquainted with hydraulics." I could not=
say that he was mistaken, for fear of offending him, so I simply bent my h=
ead, which might mean either yes or no. Thank God the king did not trouble =
to test my knowledge of the science of hydraulics, with which I was totally=
unacquainted. He kept on the move all the time, and as he turned his head =
from one side to the other hurriedly asked me what forces Venice could put =
into the field in war time. " Twenty men-of-war, sire, and a number of=
galleys." " What are the land forces?" " Seventy thous=
and men, sire; all of whom are subjects of the Republic, and assessing each=
village at one man." " That is not true; no doubt you wish to am=
use me by telling me these fables. Give me your opinions on taxation."=
This was the first conversation I had ever had with a monarch. I made a ra=
pid review of the situation, and found myself much in the same position as =
an actor of the improvised comedy of the Italians, who is greeted by the hi=
sses of the gods if he stops short a moment. I therefore replied with all t=
he airs of a doctor of finance that I could say something about the theory =
of taxation. " That' s what I want," he replied, " for the p=
ractice is no business of yours." " There are three kinds of taxe=
s, considered as to their effects. The first is ruinous, the second a neces=
sary evil, and the third invariably beneficial" " Good! Go on.&qu=
ot; " The ruinous impost is the royal tax, the necessary is the milita=
ry, and the beneficial is the popular." As I had not given the subject=
any thought I was in a disagreeable position, for I was obliged to go on s=
peaking, and yet not to talk nonsense. " The royal tax, sire, is that =
which deplenishes the purses of the subject to fill the coffers of the king=
" " And that kind of tax is always ruinous, you think." &qu=
ot; Always, sire; it prevents the circulation of money--the soul of commerc=
e and the mainstay of the state." " But if the tax be levied to k=
eep up the strength of the army, you say it is a necessary evil." &quo=
t; Yes, it is necessary and yet evil, for war is an evil." " Quit=
e so; and now about the popular tax." " This is always a benefit,=
for the monarch takes with one hand and gives with the other; he improves =
towns and roads, founds schools, protects the sciences, cherishes the arts;=
in fine, he directs this tax towards improving the condition and increasin=
g the happiness of his people." " There is a good deal of truth i=
n that. I suppose you know Calsabigi?" " I ought to, your majesty=
, as he and I established the Genoa Lottery at Paris seven years ago."=
" In what class would you put this taxation, for you will agree that =
it is taxation of a kind?" " Certainly, sire, and not the least i=
mportant. It is beneficial when the monarch spends his profits for the good=
of the people." " But the monarch may lose?" " Once in=
fifty." " Is that conclusion the result of a mathematical calcul=
ation?" " Yes, sire." " Such calculations often prove d=
eceptive." " Not so, may it please your majesty, when God remains=
neutral." " What has God got to do with it?" " Well, s=
ire, we will call it destiny or chance." " Good! I may possibly b=
e of your opinion as to the calculation, but I don' t like your Genoese Lot=
tery. It seems to me an elaborate swindle, and I would have nothing more to=
do with it, even if it were positively certain that I should never lose.&q=
uot; " Your majesty is right, for the confidence which makes the peopl=
e risk their money in a lottery is perfectly fallacious." This was the=
end of our strange dialogue, and stopping before a building he looked me o=
ver, and then, after a short silence, observed,-- " Do you know that y=
ou are a fine man?" " Is it possible that, after the scientific c=
onversation we have had, your majesty should select the least of the qualit=
ies which adorn your life guardsmen for remark?" The king smiled kindl=
y, and said,-- " As you know Marshal Keith, I will speak to him of you=
" With that he took off his hat, and bade me farewell. I retired with=
a profound bow. Three or four days after the marshal gave me the agreeable=
news that I had found favour in the king' s eyes, and that his majesty tho=
ught of employing me. I was curious to learn the nature of this employment,=
and being in no kind of hurry I resolved to await events in Berlin. The ti=
me passed pleasantly enough, for I was either with Calsabigi, Baron Treidel=
, or my landlady, and when these resources failed me, I used to walk in the=
park, musing over the events of my life. Calsabigi had no difficulty in ob=
taining permission to continue the lottery on his own account, and he boldl=
y announced that henceforward he would conduct the lottery on his own risk.=
His audacity was crowned with success, and he obtained a profit of a hundr=
ed thousand crowns. With this he paid most of his debts, and gave his mistr=
ess ten thousand crowns, she returning the document entitling her to that a=
mount. After this lucky drawing it was easy to find guarantors, and the lot=
tery went on successfully for two or three years. Nevertheless Calsabigi en=
ded by becoming bankrupt and died poor enough in Italy. He might be compare=
d to the Danaides; the more he got the more he spent. His mistress eventual=
ly made a respectable marriage and returned to Paris, where she lived in co=
mfort. At the period of which I am speaking, the Duchess of Brunswick, the =
king' s sister, came to pay him a visit. She was accompanied by her daughte=
r who married the Crown Prince of Prussia in the following year. I saw the =
king in a suit of lustring trimmed with gold lace, and black silk stockings=
on his legs. He looked truly comic, and more like a theatrical heavy fathe=
r than a great king. He came into the hall with his sister on his arm and a=
ttracted universal attention, for only very old men could remember seeing h=
im without his uniform and top-boots. I was not aware that the famous Madam=
e Denis was at Berlin, and it was therefore an agreeable surprise to me to =
see her in the ballet one evening, dancing a pas seul in an exquisite manne=
r. We were old friends, and I resolved to pay her a visit the next day. I m=
ust tell the reader (supposing I ever have one), that when I was about twel=
ve years old I went to the theatre with my mother and saw, not without much=
heart-beating, a girl of eight who danced a minuet in so ravishing a manne=
r that the whole house applauded loudly. This young dancer, who was the pan=
taloon' s daughter, charmed me to such a degree that I could not resist goi=
ng to her dressing-room to compliment her on her performance. I wore the ca=
ssock in those days, and she was astonished when she heard her father order=
her to get up and kiss me. She kissed me, nevertheless, with much grace, a=
nd though I received the compliment with a good deal of awkwardness I was s=
o delighted, that I could not help buying her a little ring from a toy merc=
hant in the theatre. She kissed me again with great gratitude and enthusias=
m. The pleasantest part about this was that the sequin I had given for the =
ring belonged to Dr. Gozzi, and so when I went back to him I was in a pitia=
ble state, for I had not only spent money which did not belong to me, but I=
had spent it for so small a favour as a kiss. I knew that the next day I s=
hould have to give an account of the money he had entrusted to me, and not =
having the least idea as to what I should say, I had a bad night of it. The=
next morning everything came out, and my mother made up the sequin to the =
doctor. I laugh now when I think of this childish piece of gallantry, which=
was an omen of the extent to which my heart was to be swayed by the fair s=
ex. The toy-woman who had sold me the ring came the next day at dinner- tim=
e to our house, and after producing several rings and trinkets which were j=
udged too dear, she began to praise my generosity, and said that I had not =
thought the ring I had given to pretty Jeannette too dear. This did my busi=
ness; and I had to confess the whole, laying my fault to the account of lov=
e, and promising not to do such a thing again. But when I uttered the word =
love, everybody roared with laughter, and began to make cruel game of me. I=
wished myself a mile away, and registered an interior resolve never to con=
fess my faults again. The reader knows how well I kept my promise. The pant=
aloon' s little daughter was my mother' s goddaughter, and my thoughts were=
full of her. My mother, who loved me and saw my pain, asked me if I would =
like the little girl to be asked to supper. My grandmother, however, oppose=
d the idea, and I was obliged to her. The day after this burlesque scene I =
returned to Padua, where Bettina soon made me forget the little ballet-girl=
I saw her again at Charlottenbourg, and that was now seventeen years ago.=
I longed to have a talk with her, and to see whether she would remember me=
, though I did not expect her to do so. I asked if her husband Denis was wi=
th her, and they told me that the king had banished him because he ill-trea=
ted her. I called on her the day after the performance, and was politely re=
ceived, but she said she did not think she had had the pleasure of seeing m=
e before. By degrees I told her of the events of her childhood, and how she=
enchanted all Venice by the grace with which she danced the minuet. She in=
terrupted me by saying that at that time she was only six years old. "=
You could not be more," I replied, " for I was only ten; and nev=
ertheless, I fell in love with you, and never have I forgotten the kiss you=
gave me by your father' s order in return for some trifling present I made=
you." " Be quiet; you gave me a beautiful ring, and I kissed you=
of my own free will. You wore the cassock then. I have never forgotten you=
But can it really be you?" " It is indeed." " I am. d=
elighted to see you again. But I could never have recognized you, and I sup=
pose you would not have recognized me." " No, I should not have k=
nown you, unless I had heard your name mentioned." " One alters i=
n twenty years, you know." " Yes, one cannot expect to have the s=
ame face as at six." " You can bear witness that I am not more th=
an twenty-six, though some evil speakers give me ten years more." &quo=
t; You should not take any notice of such calumnies, my dear. You are in th=
e flower of your age, and made for the service of love. For my part, I cong=
ratulate myself on being able to tell you that you are the first woman that=
inspired me with a real passion." We could not help becoming affectio=
nate if we continued to keep up the conversation in this style, but experie=
nce had taught us that it was well to remain as we were for the present. Ma=
dame Denis was still fresh and youthful looking, though she persisted in ab=
breviating her age by ten years. Of course she could not deceive me, and sh=
e must have known it, nevertheless, she liked me to bear outward testimony =
to her youthfulness. She would have detested me if I had attempted to prove=
to her what she knew perfectly well, but did not care to confess. No doubt=
she cared little for my thoughts on the subject, and she may have imagined=
that I owed her gratitude for diminishing her age, as it enabled me to dim=
inish my own to make our tales agree. However, I did not trouble myself muc=
h about it, for it is almost a duty in an actress to disguise her age, as i=
n spite of talent the public will not forgive a woman for having been born =
too soon. I thought her behaviour augured well, and I hoped she would not m=
ake me languish long. She shewed me her house, which was all elegance and g=
ood taste. I asked her if she had a lover, and she replied with a smile tha=
t all Berlin thought so, but that it was nevertheless deceived on the princ=
ipal point, as the individual in question was more of a father than a lover=
" But you deserve to have a real lover; I cannot conceive how you ca=
n do without one." " I assure you I don' t trouble myself about i=
t. I am subject to convulsions, which are the plague of my life. I want to =
try the Teplitz waters, which are said to be excellent for all nervous affe=
ctions; but the king has refused his permission, which I, nevertheless, hop=
e to obtain next year." I felt ardently disposed, and I thought she wa=
s pleased with the restraint I put upon myself. " Will you be annoyed,=
" said I, " if I call upon you frequently?" " If you do=
n' t mind I will call myself your niece, or your cousin, and then we can se=
e each other." " Do you know that that may possibly be true? I wo=
uld not swear that you were not my sister." This sally made us talk of=
the friendship that had subsisted between her father and my mother, and we=
allowed ourselves those caresses which are permitted to near relations; bu=
t feeling that things were going too far we ceased. As she bade me farewell=
, she asked me to dine with her the next day, and I accepted. As I went bac=
k to my inn I reflected on the strange combinations which made my life one =
continuous chain of events, and I felt it my duty to give thanks to eternal=
Providence, for I felt that I had been born under a happy star. The next d=
ay, when I went to dine with Madame Denis, I found a numerous company assem=
bled. The first person who greeted me with the warmth of an old friend was =
a young dancer named Aubri, whom I had known at Paris and at Venice. He was=
famous for having been the lover of one of the most exalted Venetian ladie=
s, and at the same time her husband' s pathic. It was said that this scanda=
lous intimacy was of such a nature that Aubri used to sleep between the hus=
band and wife. At the beginning of Lent the State Inquisitors sent him to T=
rieste. He introduced me to his wife, who danced like himself and was calle=
d La Panting. He had married her at St. Petersburg, from which city he had =
just come, and they were going to spend the winter in Paris. The next perso=
n who advanced to greet me was a fat man, who held out his hand and said we=
had been friends twenty-five years ago, but that we were so young then tha=
t it would be no wonder if we did not know each other. " We knew each =
other at Padua, at Dr. Gozzi' s," he added; " my name is Joseph d=
a Loglio." " I remember you," I replied, " in those day=
s you were violoncello at the Russian chapel." " Exactly; and now=
I am returning to my native land to leave it no more. I have the honour to=
introduce you to my wife, who was born at St. Petersburg, but is a daughte=
r of Modonis the violinist, whose reputation is European. In a week I shall=
be at Dresden, where I hope to have the honour of seeing Madame Casanova, =
your mother." I was delighted to find myself in such congenial society=
, but I could see that Madame Denis did not relish these recollections exte=
nding over a quarter of a century, and I turned the conversation to the eve=
nts at St. Petersburg which had resulted in Catherine the Great ascending t=
he throne. Da Loglio told us that he had taken a small part in this conspir=
acy, and had thought it prudent to get out of the way. " Fortunately,&=
quot; he added, " this was a contingency I had long provided against, =
and I am in a position to spend the rest of my days in comfort in Italy.&qu=
ot; Madame Denis then observed: " A week ago a Piedmontese, named Auda=
r, was introduced to me. He had been a chief mover in the conspiracy, and t=
he empress gave him a present of a hundred thousand roubles and an order to=
leave Russia immediately." I heard afterwards that this Audar bought =
an estate in Piedmont on which he built a fine mansion. In two or three yea=
rs it was struck by a thunder-bolt, and the unfortunate man was killed in t=
he ruins of his own house. If this was a blow from an Almighty hand, it cou=
ld not, at all events, have been directed by the genius of Russia, for if t=
he unfortunate Peter III. had lived, he would have retarded Russian civiliz=
ation by a hundred years. The Empress Catherine rewarded all the foreigners=
who had assisted her in her plots most magnificently, and shewed herself g=
rateful to the Russians who had helped her to mount the throne; while, like=
a crafty politician, she sent such nobles as she suspected to be averse to=
revolution out of the country. It was Da Loglio and his pretty wife who de=
termined me to betake myself to Russia in case the King of Prussia did not =
give me any employment. I was assured that I should make my fortune there, =
and Da Loglio promised to give me good instructions. As soon as this worthy=
man left Berlin my intimacy with Madame Denis commenced. One night when I =
was supping with her she was seized with convulsions which lasted all the n=
ight. I did not leave her for a moment, and in the morning, feeling quite r=
ecovered, her gratitude finished what my love had begun twenty-six years be=
fore, and our amorous commerce lasted while I stayed at Berlin. We shall he=
ar of her again at Florence six years later. Some days after Madame Denis t=
ook me to Potsdam to shew me all the sights of the town. Our intimacy offen=
ded no one, for she was generally believed to be my niece, and the general =
who kept her either believed the report, or like a man of sense pretended t=
o believe it. Amongst other notable things I saw at Potsdam was the sight o=
f the king commanding the first battalion of his grenadiers, all picked men=
, the flower of the Prussian army. The room which we occupied at the inn fa=
ced a walk by which the king passed when he came from the castle. The shutt=
ers were all closed, and our landlady told us that on one occasion when a p=
retty dancer called La Reggiana was sleeping in the same room, the king had=
seen her in ' puris naturalibus' . This was too much for his modesty, and =
he had ordered the shutters to be closed, and closed they had remained, tho=
ugh this event was four years old. The king had some cause to fear, for he =
had been severely treated by La Barbarina. In the king' s bedroom we saw he=
r portrait, that of La Cochois, sister to the actress who became Marchiones=
s d' Argens, and that of Marie Theresa, with whom Frederick had been in lov=
e, or rather he had been in love with the idea of becoming emperor. After w=
e had admired the beauty and elegance of the castle, we could not help admi=
ring the way in which the master of the castle was lodged. He had a mean ro=
om, and slept on a little bed with a screen around it. There was no dressin=
g-gown and no slippers. The valet shewed us an old cap which the king put o=
n when he had a cold; it looked as if it must be very uncomfortable. His ma=
jesty' s bureau was a table covered with pens, paper, half-burnt manuscript=
s, and an ink- pot; beside it was a sofa. The valet told us that these manu=
scripts contained the history of the last Prussian war, and the king had be=
en so annoyed by their accidentally getting burnt that he had resolved to h=
ave no more to do with the work. He probably changed his mind, for the book=
, which is little esteemed, was published shortly after his death. Five or =
six weeks after my curious conversation with the monarch, Marshal Keith tol=
d me that his majesty had been pleased to create me a tutor to the new corp=
s of Pomeranian cadets which he was just establishing. There were to be fif=
teen cadets and five tutors, so that each should have the care of three pup=
ils. The salary was six hundred crowns and board found. The duty of the tut=
ors was to follow or accompany the cadets wherever they went, Court include=
d. I had to be quick in making up my mind, for the four others were already=
installed, and his majesty did not like to be kept waiting. I asked Lord K=
eith where the college was, and I promised to give him a reply by the next =
day. I had to summon all my powers of self-restraint to my assistance when =
I heard this extravagant proposal as coming from a man who was so discreet =
in most things, but my astonishment was increased when I saw the abode of t=
hese fifteen young noblemen of rich Pomerania. It consisted of three or fou=
r great rooms almost devoid of furniture, several whitewashed bedrooms, con=
taining a wretched bed, a deal table, and two deal chairs. The young cadets=
, boys of twelve or thirteen, all looked dirty and untidy, and were boxed u=
p in a wretched uniform which matched admirably their rude and rustic faces=
They were in company with their four governors, whom I took for their ser=
vants, and who looked at me in a stupefied manner, not daring to think that=
I was to be their future colleague. Just as I was going to bid an eternal =
farewell to this abode of misery, one of the governors put his head out of =
the window and exclaimed,-- " The king is riding up." I could not=
avoid meeting him, and besides, I was glad enough to see him again, especi=
ally in such a place. His majesty came up with his friend Icilius, examined=
everything, and saw me, but did not honour me with a word. I was elegantly=
dressed, and wore my cross set with brilliants. But I had to bite my lips =
so as not to burst out laughing when Frederick the Great got in a towering =
rage at a chamber utensil which stood beside one of the beds, and which did=
not appear to be in a very cleanly condition. " Whose bed is this?&qu=
ot; cried the monarch. " Mine, sire," answered a trembling cadet.=
" Good! but it is not you I am angry with; where is your governor?&qu=
ot; The fortunate governor presented himself, and the monarch, after honour=
ing him with the title of blockhead, proceeded to scold him roundly. Howeve=
r, he ended by saying that there was a servant, and that the governor ought=
to see that he did his work properly. This disgusting scene was enough for=
me, and I hastened to call on Marshal Keith to announce my determination. =
The old soldier laughed at the description I gave him of the academy, and s=
aid I was quite right to despise such an office; but that I ought, neverthe=
less, to go and thank the king before I left Berlin. I said I did not feel =
inclined for another interview with such a man, and he agreed to present my=
thanks and excuses in my stead. I made up my mind to go to Russia, and beg=
an my preparations in good earnest. Baron Treidel supported my resolve by o=
ffering to give me a letter of introduction to his sister, the Duchess of C=
ourland. I wrote to M. de Bragadin to ' give me a letter for a banker at St=
Petersburg, and to remit me through him every month a sum which would kee=
p me in comfort. I could not travel without a servant, and chance kindly pr=
ovided me with one. I was sitting with Madame Rufin, when a young Lorrainer=
came in; like Bias, he bore all his fortune with him, but, in his case, it=
was carried under his arm. He introduced himself thus: " Madam, my na=
me is Lambert, I come from Lorraine, and I wish to lodge here." "=
Very good, sir, but you must pay for your board and lodging every day.&quo=
t; " That, madam, is out of the question, for I have not got a farthin=
g, but I shall have some money when I discover who I am." " I am =
afraid I cannot put you up on those conditions, sir." He was going awa=
y with a mortified air, when my heart was touched, and I called him back. &=
quot; Stay," said I, " I will pay for you to-day." Happiness=
beamed over his face. " What have you got in that little bundle?"=
; said I. " Two shirts, a score of mathematical books, and some other =
trifles." I took him to my room, and finding him tolerably well educat=
ed, I asked him how he came to be in such a state of destitution. " I =
come from Strasburg," he replied, " and a cadet of a regiment sta=
tioned there having given me a blow in a coffee-house I paid him a visit th=
e next day in his own room and stabbed him there. " After this I went =
home, made up my bundle, and left the town. I walked all the way and lived =
soberly, so that my money lasted till this morning. To-morrow I shall write=
to my mother, who lives at Luneville, and I am sure she will send me some =
money." " And what do you think of doing?" " I want to =
become a military engineer, but if needs must I am ready to enlist as a pri=
vate soldier." " I can give you board and lodging till you hear f=
rom your mother." " Heaven has sent you in my way," said he,=
kissing my hand gratefully. I did not suspect him of deceiving me, though =
he stumbled somewhat in his narrative. However my curiosity led me to write=
to M. Schauenbourg, who was then at Strasburg, to enquire if the tale were=
true. The next day I happened to meet an officer of engineers, who told me=
that young men of education were so plentiful that they did not receive th=
em into the service unless they were willing to serve as common soldiers. I=
was sorry for the young man to be reduced so low as that. I began to spend=
some time with him every day in mathematical calculations, and I conceived=
the idea of taking him with me to St. Petersburg, and broached the subject=
to him. " It would be a piece of good fortune for me," he replie=
d, " and to shew my gratitude I will gladly wait on you as a servant d=
uring the journey." He spoke French badly, but as he was a Lorrainer I=
was not astonished at that. Nevertheless I was surprised to find that he d=
id not know a word of Latin, and that his spelling was of the wildest descr=
iption. He saw me laughing, but did not seem in the least ashamed. Indeed h=
e said that he had only gone to school to learn mathematics, and that he wa=
s very glad that he had escaped the infliction of learning grammar. Indeed,=
on every subject besides mathematics, he was profoundly ignorant. He had n=
o manners whatever; in fact, he was a mere peasant.</p>=20
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