ed "the General Overturn (CULBUTE GENERALE)."
Thitherward, privately, straight towards the General Overturn, is France
bound;--and will arrive in about thirty years.

FRIEDRICH, STRANGE TO SAY, PUBLISHES (March-June, 1760) AN EDITION OF
HIS POEMS. QUESTION, "WHO WROTE Matinees du Roi de Prusse?"--FOR THE
SECOND, AND POSITIVELY THE LAST TIME.

In this avalanche of impending destructions, what can be more surprising
than to hear of the Editing of Poems on his Majesty's part! Actual
publication of that OEuvre de Poesie, for which Voltaire, poor
gentleman, suffered such tribulation seven years ago. Now coming out
from choice: Reprint of it, not now to the extent of twelve copies for
highly special friends, but in copious thousands, for behoof of mankind
at large! The thing cost Friedrich very little meditating, and had
become necessary,--and to be done with speed.

Readers recollect the OEUVRE DE POESIE, and satirical hits said to be
in it. At Paris, about New-year's time 1760, some helpful Hand had
contrived to bring out, under the pretended date "Potsdam," a
cheap edition of that interesting Work. [_"OEuvres du Philosophe de
Sans-Souci:"_ 1 vol. 12 mo, "Potsdam [PARIS, in truth], 1760."] Merely
in the way of theft, as appeared to cursory readers, to D'Argens, for
example: [His Letter to the King, _OEuvres de Frederic,_ xix. 138.]
but, in deeper fact, for the purpose of apprising certain Crowned Heads,
friendly and hostile,--Czarish Majesty and George II. of England the
main two,--what this poetizing King was pleased to think of them in
his private moments. D'Argens declares himself glad of this theft, so
exquisitely clever is the Book. But Friedrich knows better: "March 17th,
when a Copy of it came to him," Friedrich sees well what is meant,--and
what he himself has to do in it. He instantly sets about making a few
suppressions, changes of phrase; sends the thing to D'Argens: "Publish
at once, with a little prefatory word." And, at the top of his speed,
D'Argens has, in three weeks' time, the suitable AVANT-PROPOS, or AVIS
AU LIBRAIRE, "circulating in great quantities, especially in London
and Petersburg" ("Thief Editor has omitted; and, what is far more,
has malignantly interpolated: here is the poor idle Work itself, not a
Counterfeit of it, if anybody care to read it"), and an Orthodox Edition
ready. [Came out April 9th [see MITCHELL, ii. 153], "and a second finer
Edition in June:" in _OEuvres de Frederic,_ x.