d
in, certain obscure Books. 'I have been much amused, said I to the King,
(with the big cargo of Books, true or false, written by French Refugees,
which perhaps are unknown in France itself.' [Discourses a little on
this subject.]

KING. "'Where did you pick up all these fine old Pieces? These would
amuse me on an evening; better than the conversation of my Doctor of the
Sorbonne [one Peyrau, a wandering creature, not otherwise of the least
interest to us], [Nicolai, _Anekdoten,_ ii. 133 n.] whom I have here,
and whom I am trying to convert.'

EGO. "'I found them all in a Bohemian Library, where I sat diverting
myself for two Winters.'

KING. "'How, then? Two Winters in Bohemia? What the devil were you doing
there! Is it long since?'

EGO. "'No, Sire; only a year or two [Potato-War time]! I had retired
thither to read at my ease.'--He smiled, and seemed to appreciate my not
mentioning the little War of 1778, and saving him any speech about it.
He saw well enough that my Winter-quarters had been in Bohemia on that
occasion; and was satisfied with my reticence. Being an old sorcerer,
who guessed everything, and whose tact was the finest ever known, he
discovered that I did not wish to tell him I found Berlin changed since
I had last been there. I took care not to remind him that I was at
the capturing of it in 1760, under M. de Lacy's orders [M. de Lacy's
indeed!].--It was for having spoken of the first capture of Berlin, by
Marshal Haddick [highly temporary as it was, and followed by Rossbach],
that the King had taken a dislike to M. de Ried.

"Apropos of the Doctor of the Sorbonne [uninteresting Peyrau] with whom
he daily disputed, the King said to me once, 'Get me a Bishopric for
him.' 'I don't think,' answered I, (that my recommendation, or that of
your Majesty, could be useful to him with us.' 'Ah, truly no!' said the
King: 'Well, I will write to the Czarina of Russia for this poor devil;
he does begin to bore me. He holds out as Jansenist, forsooth. MON DIEU,
what blockheads the present Jansenists are! But France should not have
extinguished that nursery (FOYER) of their genius, that Port Royal,
extravagant as it was. Indeed, one ought to destroy nothing! Why have
they destroyed, too, the Depositaries of the graces of Rome and of
Athens, those excellent Professors of the Humanities, and perhaps of
Humanity, the Ex-Jesuit Fathers? Education will be the loser by it. But
as my Brothers the Kings, most Catholic,