dt of 1770, which we read above.
Those were written down from memory, in 1785; these in 1786,--and
"towards the end of it," as is internally evident. Let these also be
welcome to us on such terms as there are.

"Since your Majesty [Quasi-Majesty, of Poland] is willing to lose
another quarter of an hour of that time, which you employ so well in
gaining the love of all to whom you deign to make yourself known, here
is my Second Interview. It can be of interest only to you, Sire, who
have known the King, and who discover traits of character in what to
another are but simple words. One finds in few others that confidence,
or at least that kindliness (BONHOMIE), which characterizes your
Majesty. With you, one can indulge in rest; but with the King of
Prussia, one had always to be under arms, prepared to parry and to
thrust, and to keep the due middle between a small attack and a grand
defence. I proceed to the matter in hand, and shall speak to you of him
for the last time.

"He had made me promise to come to Berlin. I hastened thither directly
after that little War [Potato-War], which he called 'an action where he
had come as bailiff to perform an execution.' The result for him, as is
known, was a great expense of men, of horses and money; some appearance
of good faith and disinterestedness; little honor in the War; a little
honesty in Policy, and much bitterness against us Austrians. The King
began, without knowing why, to prohibit Austrian Officers from entering
his Territories without an express order, signed by his own hand.
Similar prohibition, on the part of our Court, against Prussian Officers
and mutual constraint, without profit or reason. I, for my own part, am
of confident humor; I thought I should need no permission, and I think
still I could have done without one. But the desire of having a Letter
from the great Friedrich, rather than the fear of being ill-received,
made me write to him. My Letter was all on fire with my enthusiasm,
my admiration, and the fervor of my sentiment for that sublime and
extraordinary being; and it brought me three charming Answers from him.
He gave me, in detail, almost what I had given him in the gross; and
what he could not return me in admiration,--for I do not remember
to have gained a battle,--he accorded me in friendship. For fear of
missing, he had written to me from Potsdam, to Vienna, to Dresden, and
to Berlin. [In fine, at Potsdam I was, SATURDAY, 9th JULY, 1780,
waiting