at Venice, were one
rid of it!" [Forster (place LOST).] And his deep-stung clangorous growl
against the Kaiser's treatment of him bursts out, from time to time;
though he oftenest pities the Kaiser, too; seeing him at such a pass
with his Turk War and otherwise.

It was in this Pfalz business that Herr Luiscius, the Prussian
Minister in Holland, got into trouble; of whom there is a light dash
of outline-portraiture by Voltaire, which has made him memorable to
readers. This "fat King of Prussia," says Voltaire, was a dreadfully
avaricious fellow, unbeautiful to a high degree in his proceedings with
mankind:--

"He had a Minister at the Hague called Luiscius; who certainly of all
Ministers of Crowned Heads was the worst paid. This poor man, to warm
himself, had made some trees be felled in the Garden of Honslardik,
which belonged at that time to the House of Prussia; he thereupon
received despatches from the King, intimating that a year of his salary
was forfeited. Luiscius, in despair, cut his throat with probably the
one razor he had (SEUL RASOIR QU'IL EUT); an old valet came to his
assistance, and unhappily saved his life. In after years, I found his
Excellency at the Hague; and have occasionally given him an alms at the
door of the VIEILLE COUR (Old Court), a Palace belonging to the King of
Prussia, where this poor Ambassador had lived a dozen years. It must be
owned, Turkey is a republic in comparison to the despotism exercised by
Friedrich Wilhelm." [_OEuvres de Voltaire (Vie Pricee,_ or what they
now call _Memoires_ ), ii. 15.]

Here truly is a witty sketch; consummately dashed off, as nobody but
Voltaire could; "round as Giotto's O," done at one stroke. Of which
the prose facts are only as follows. Luiscius, Prussian Resident,
not distinguished by salary or otherwise, had, at one stage of these
negotiations, been told, from head-quarters, He might, in casual
extra-official ways, if it seemed furthersome, give their High
Mightinesses the hope, or notion, that his Majesty did not intend actual
war about that Cleve-Julich Succession,--being a pacific Majesty, and
unwilling to involve his neighbors and mankind. Luiscius, instead of
casual hint delicately dropped in some good way, had proceeded by direct
declaration; frank assurance to the High Mightinesses, That there would
be no war. Which had never been quite his Majesty's meaning, and perhaps
was now becoming rather the reverse of it. Disavowal of Luiscius had