and seems to have
thought Luiscius Senior an absurd fellow, not worth mentioning again:
"ran away from the Cleve Country [probably some mad-house there] above a
year ago, I hear; and what is the matter where such a crack-brain end?"
[Voltaire, _OEuvres_ (Letter to Friedrich, 7th October, 1740), lxxii.
261; and Fredrich's answer (wrong dated), ib. 265; Preuss, xxii. 33.]

Chapter V. -- VISIT AT LOO.

The Pfalz question being in such a predicament, and Luiscius
diplomatizing upon it in such heavy-footed manner, his Majesty thinks
a journey to Holland, to visit one's Kinsfolk there, and incidentally
speak a word with the High Mightinesses upon Pfalz, would not be amiss.
Such journey is decided on; Crown-Prince to accompany. Summer of 1738:
a short visit, quite without fuss; to last only three days;--mere sequel
to the Reviews held in those adjacent Cleve Countries; so that
the Gazetteers may take no notice. All which was done accordingly:
Crown-Prince's first sight of Holland; and one of the few reportable
points of his Reinsberg life, and not quite without memorability to him
and us.

On the 8th of July, 1738, the Review Party got upon the road for Wesel:
all through July, they did their reviewing in those Cleve Countries; and
then struck across for the Palace of Loo in Geldern, where a Prince of
Orange countable kinsman to his Prussian Majesty, and a Princess still
more nearly connected,--English George's Daughter, own niece to his
Prussian Majesty,--are in waiting for this distinguished honor. The
Prince of Orange we have already seen, for a moment once; at the siege
of Philipsburg four years ago, when the sale of Chasot's horses went
off so well. "Nothing like selling horses when your company have dined
well," whispered he to Chasot, at that time; since which date we have
heard nothing of his Highness.

He is not a beautiful man; he has a crooked back, and features
conformable; but is of prompt vivacious nature, and does not want for
sense and good-humor. Paternal George, the gossips say, warned his
Princess, when this marriage was talked of, "You will find him very
ill-looking, though!" "And if I found him a baboon--!" answered she;
being so heartily tired of St. James's. And in fact, for anything I
have heard, they do well enough together. She is George II.'s eldest
Princess;--next elder to our poor Amelia, who was once so interesting
to us! What the Crown-Prince now thought of all that, I do not know;
but