, Baltimore being indeed
chief]. He is gone towards Hamburg, to take ship for England there. As
I heard that my Most All-gracious Father wished I should show him
courtesy, I have done for him what I could. The Prince of Mirow has also
been here,"--our old Strelitz friend. Of Baltimore nothing more to
Papa. But to another Correspondent, to the good Suhm (who is now at
Petersburg, and much in our intimacy, ready to transact loans for us,
translate Wolf, or do what is wanted), there is this passage next day:--

REINSBERG, 26th SEPTEMBER, 1739 (to Suhm). "We have had Milord
Baltimore here, and the young Algarotti; both of them men who, by their
accomplishments, cannot but conciliate the esteem and consideration
of all who see them. We talked much of you [Suhm], of Philosophy, of
Science, Art; in short, of all that can be included in the taste of
cultivated people (HONNETES GENS)." [_OEuvres de Frederic,_ xvi. 378.]
And again to another, about two weeks hence:--

REINSBERG, 10th OCTOBER, 1739 (to Voltaire). "We have had Milord
Baltimore and Algarotti here, who are going back to England. This Milord
is a very sensible man (HOMME TRESSENSE); who possesses a great deal of
knowledge, and thinks, like us, that sciences can be no disparagement to
nobility, nor degrade an illustrious rank. I admired the genius of this
ANGLAIS, as one does a fine face through a crape veil. He speaks French
very ill, yet one likes to hear him speak it; and as for his English,
he pronounces it so quick, there is no possibility of following him. He
calls a Russian 'a mechanical animal.' He says 'Petersburg is the eye
of Russia, with which it keeps civilized countries in sight; if you took
this eye from it, Russia would fall again into barbarism, out of which
it is just struggling.' [Ib. xxi. 326, 327.]... Young Algarotti,
whom you know, pleased me beyond measure. He promised that he"--But
Baltimore, promise or not, is the chief figure at present.

Evidently an original kind of figure to us, CET ANGLAIS. And indeed
there is already finished a rhymed EPISTLE to Baltimore; _Epitre sur la
Liberte_ (copy goes in that same LETTER, for Voltaire's behoof), which
dates itself likewise October 10th; beginning,--_"L'esprit libre,
Milord, qui regne en Angleterre,"_ which, though it is full of fine
sincere sentiments, about human dignity, papal superstition, Newton,
Locke, and aspirations for progress of culture in Prussia, no reader
could stand at this epoch.