ederick!" Even Quantz forgot himself for a
moment, and laughed good-humoredly.

"Listen, sire; it will be a mortal sin if you scold us for coming to you
without being summoned by your majesty. This is through--out all
Prussia a festal day, and no one should desecrate it by scolding or
fault-finding--not even the king."

"Oh, I am not disposed to scold," said Frederick, in low tones; he did
not wish them to hear how his voice trembled--"I do not scold--I thank
you heartily."

"We had nothing better to send your majesty on your birthday than our
unworthy selves," said Graun; "we come, therefore, to lay ourselves at
our king's feet, and say to him: 'Accept our hearts, and do not spurn
the gift.' A warm, human heart is the richest gift one man can offer
another. Your majesty is a great king, and a good and great man, and we
dare approach you, therefore, as man to man."

"And my Graun is so renowned a composer, that any man must count it an
honor to be beloved by him," said Frederick, tenderly.

"For myself," said Quantz, gravely, handing the king a small roll
carefully wrapped up, "I have brought something more than my naked
heart in honor of my king's birthday. I pray your majesty to accept it
graciously." [Footnote: Pocus, "Frederick the Great and his Friends."]

The king opened it hastily. "A flute!" cried he, joyfully, "and a flute
made for me by the great master Quantz, I am sure."

"Yes, your majesty; all the time you were in the field, I have worked
upon it. As the courier brought the news of the battle of Leuthen, all
Berlin shouted for joy, and the banners floated in every street and at
every window. Then this flute broke its silence for the first time--its
first music was a hosanna to our great king."

"From this time forth," said Frederick, "let no man dare to say that
battles are in vain. The bloody field of Leuthen produced a flute from
Quantz; and by Heaven, that is a greater rarity than the most complete
victory in these warlike days!"

"Sire," said the marquis, drawing some letters from his pocket, "I have
also some gifts to offer. This is a letter from Algarotti, and a
small box of Italian snuff, which he begs to add as an evidence of his
rejoicing in your victories. [Footnote: Ibid.] Here is a letter from
Voltaire, and one from Lord Marshal."

"From all my distant friends--they have all thought of me," said
Frederick, as he took the letters.

"But I have no time to read letters now; we will ha