THREE:Early in November he came to Berlin, languid, crippled, and wretched. The death-chamber in the palace is attended with all the humiliations and sufferings which are encountered in the poor mans hut. The king, through all his life, had indulged his irritable disposition, and now, imprisoned by infirmities and tortured with pain, his petulance and abuse became almost unendurable. Miserable himself, he made every one wretched around him. He was ever restlessnow in his bed, now out of it, now in his wheel-chair, continually finding fault, and often dealing cruel blows to those who came within his reach. He was unwilling to be left for a moment alone. The old generals were gathered in his room, and sat around his bed talking and smoking. He could not sleep at night, and allowed his attendants no repose. Restlessly he tried to divert his mind by whittling, painting, and small carpentry. The Crown Prince dared not visit him too often, lest his solicitude should be interpreted into impatience for the king to die, that he might grasp the crown. In the grossest terms the king insulted his physicians, attributing all his sufferings to their wickedness or their ignorance. Fortunately the miserable old man was too weak to attempt to cane them. A celebrated physician, by the name of Hoffman, was sent for to prescribe for the king. He was a man of much intellectual distinction, and occupied an important position in the university. As his prescriptions failed to give relief to his majesty, he was assailed, like the rest, in the vilest language of vituperation. With great dignity Professor Hoffman replied:
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FORE:The correspondence thus commenced was prosecuted with great vigor. It seemed difficult to find language sufficiently expressive of their mutual admiration. Frederick received many of Voltaires unpublished manuscripts, and sent him many tokens of regard. Some of Fredericks manuscripts Voltaire also examined, and returned with slight corrections and profuse expressions of delight.
Vero eos et accusamus et iusto odio dignissimos ducimus
FORE:
Vero eos et accusamus et iusto odio dignissimos ducimus
FORE:Regardless himself of comfort, insensible to fatigue, dead to affection, he created perhaps the most potent military machine earth has ever known. Prussia was an armed camp. The king prized his soldiers as a miser prizes his gold coin, and was as unwilling to expose them to any danger as the miser is to hazard his treasures. War would thin his regiments, soil his uniforms, destroy his materiel. He hated war. But his army caused Prussia to be respected. If needful, he could throw one hundred thousand of the best drilled and best furnished troops in Europe, like a thunderbolt, upon any point. Unprincipled monarchs would think twice before they would encroach upon a man thus armed.The king, smothering his wrath, did not immediately seek an interview with his son. But the next day, encountering him, he said, sarcastically, Ah! you are still here, then; I thought that by this time you would have been in Paris. The prince, somewhat emboldened by despair, ventured to reply, I certainly could have been there had I wished it.
Vero eos et accusamus et iusto odio dignissimos ducimus
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FORE:430 Frederick reached Leipsic on the 26th of October. The allied forces were rapidly concentrating in overwhelming numbers around him. On the 30th the king marched to the vicinity of Lutzen, where he encamped for the night. General Soubise, though in command of a force outnumbering that of the Prussians nearly three to one, retreated rapidly to the west before Frederick, and crossed the River Saale. Frederick followed, and effected the passage of the stream with but little opposition. I am, for the rest, your well-affectioned king,
odioero eos et accusamus et iusto dignissimos ducimus
FORE:
odioero eos et accusamus et iusto dignissimos ducimus
ipsumorem
odioero eos et accusamus et iusto dignissimos ducimus
FORE:
FORE:444 Good evening, gentlemen, good evening. Can you make room for me here, do you think?That may well be, rejoined the king, with the cursed life I have been leading.
FORE:There was no end to the panegyrics which Voltaire, in his correspondence with Frederick, now lavished upon him. He greeted him with the title of Frederick the Great.
