mally the Royal leave,--for
we are Historiographer and titular Gentleman of the Chamber, and King's
servant in a sense. Leave was at once granted him, almost huffingly; we
hope not with too much readiness? For this is a ticklish point: one is
going to Prussia "on a Visit" merely (though it may be longish); one
would not have the door of France slammed to behind one! The tone at
Court did seem a little succinct, something almost of sneer in it.
But from the Pompadour herself all was friendly; mere witty,
cheery graciosities, and "My Compliments to his Majesty of
Prussia,"--Compliments how answered when they came to hand: "JE NE LA
CONNAIS PAS!"

In short, M. de Voltaire made all his arrangements; got under way;
piously visited Fontenoy and the Battle-fields in passing: and is here,
since July 10th,--in very great splendor, as we see:--on his Fifth Visit
to Friedrich. Fifth; which proved his Last,--and is still extremely
celebrated in the world. Visit much misunderstood in France and
England, down to this day. By no means sorted out into accuracy and
intelligibility; but left as (what is saying a great deal!) probably the
wastest chaos of all the Sections of Friedrich's History. And has, alone
of them, gone over the whole world; being withal amusing to read,
and therefore well and widely remembered, in that mendacious and
semi-intelligible state. To lay these goblins, full of noise, ignorance
and mendacity, and give some true outline of the matter, with what
brevity is consistent with deciphering it at all, is now our sad
task,--laborious, perhaps disgusting; not impossible, if readers will
loyally assist.

Voltaire had taken every precaution that this Visit should succeed, or
at least be no loss to one of the parties. In a preliminary Letter from
Paris,--prose and verse, one of the cleverest diplomatic pieces ever
penned; Letter really worth looking at, cunning as the song of Apollo,
Voltaire symbolically intimates: "Well, Sire, your old Danae, poor
malingering old wretch, is coming to her Jove. It is Jove she wants,
not the Shower of Jove; nevertheless"--And Friedrich (thank Hanbury,
in part, for that bit of knowledge) had remitted him in hard money 600
pounds "to pay the tolls on his road." [Walpole, i. 451 ("Had it from
Princess Amelia herself"); see Voltaire to Friedrich, "Paris, 9th
June, 1750;" Friedrich to Voltaire, "Potsdam, 24th May" (--OEuvres de
Voltaire,--lxxiv. 158, 155).] As a high gentleman would; to hav