isplease the Margrave John Frederic of Anspach.
He brought me a letter from my brother and his wife, both of whom begged
I would assist him with my advice. I therefore thought that by
counselling him as I should have counselled my own brother I should be
rendering him the best service. When he arrived he was in deep mourning
for his first wife, who had then not been dead three months. I asked him
what he proposed to do in France? He replied "that he was on his way to
England, but that before his departure he should wish to pay his respects
to the King." I asked him if he had anything to solicit from the King or
to arrange with him. He replied "he had not."--"Then," I said, "I would
advise you, if you will permit me, to send the principal person of your
suite to the King to make your compliments, to inform him that you are
going to England, and that you would not have failed to wait upon him,
but that, being in mourning for your wife, your respect for him prevented
your appearing before him in so melancholy a garb."--"But," he rejoined,
"I am very fond of dancing, and I wish to go to the ball; now I cannot go
thither until I have first visited the King."--"For God's sake," I said,
"do not go to the ball; it is not the custom here. You will be laughed
at, and the more particularly so because the Marechal de Grammont, who
presented you to the King some years ago, said that you could find
nothing to praise in the whole of France, with the exception of a little
goldfinch in the King's cabinet which whistled airs. I recommend you not
to go to see the King, nor to be present at the ball." He was angry, and
said "he saw very well that I discountenanced German Princes, and did not
wish them to be presented to the King." I replied "that the advice I had
given him sprang from the best intentions, and was such as I would have
given to my own brother." He went away quite angry to Marechal
Schomberg's, where he complained of my behaviour to him. The Marshal
asked him what I had said, which he repeated word for word. The Marshal
told him that I had advised him well, and that he was himself of my
opinion. Nevertheless, the Margrave persisted on being presented to the
King, whither he prevailed upon the Marshal to accompany him, and went
the next day to the ball. He was extremely well dressed in
half-mourning, with white lace over the black, fine blue ribands, black
and white laces, and rheingraves, which look well upon pers