All eyes, as we have said, were impatiently directed toward the door,
waiting for the appearance of their majesties and the court.

Suddenly the door opened. Yes, there was the king. He stepped forward
very quietly, his head a little bowed down; in the midst of the solemn
stillness of the chapel his step resounded loudly.

Yes, it was Frederick the Great, he was alone, accompanied by no royal
state, surrounded by no glittering crowd--but it was the king; in the
glory of his majesty, his endurance, and his valor, radiant in the
splendor of his heroic deeds and his great victories.

Frederick seated himself slowly, gave one quick glance at the choir,
and waved his hand to them. Benda raised his baton and gave the sign to
commence. And now a stream of rich harmony floated through the chapel.
The organ, with its powerful, majestic tones; the trumpets, with their
joyous greeting; the drums, with their thunder, and the soft, melting
tones of the violin and flute, mingled together in sweet accord.

The king, with head erect and eager countenance, listened to the
beautiful and melodious introduction. He seemed to be all ear, to have
no other thought, no other passion than this music, which was wholly
unknown to him. And now, with a powerful accord, the sweetly attuned
human voices joined in, and the choir sang in melting unison the Te Deum
Laudamus, which resounded solemnly, grandly through the aisles. The king
turned pale, and as the hymn of praise became more full and rich, his
head sank back and his eyes were fixed upon the floor.

Louder and fuller rose the solemn tones; suddenly, from the midst of the
choir, a soft, melting tenor sang in a sweet, touching voice, Tuba mirum
spargeus sonum. Frederick's head sank still lower upon his breast, and
at last, no longer able to restrain his tears, he covered his face with
his hands.

The lofty strains of this solemn hymn resounded through the empty
church, which until now had been wrapped in gray clouds, but in a
moment the sun burst from behind the clouds, darted its rays through
the windows, and lighted up the church with golden glory. The king
who, until now, had been in the shadow of the cloud, was as if by magic
bathed in a sea of light. All eyes were fixed upon his bowed head, his
face partially covered with his hands, and the tears gushing from his
eyes.

No one could withstand the silent power of this scene; the eyes of the
singers filled with tears, and they could