r a briskish trade of his own in the Dresden marts. But this of
cutting off his supplies brings him instantly back:"--and at Berlin,
DECEMBER 16th, new facts emerge again of a definite nature.

"WEDNESDAY, 16th DECEMBER, 1750. 'To-day the King with Court and
Voltaire come to Berlin for the Carnival;' [Rodenbeck, i. 209.] to-day
also Voltaire, not in Carnival humor, has appointed his Jew to meet
him. In the Royal Palace itself,--we hope, well remote from Friedrich's
Apartment!--this sordid conference, needing one's choicest diplomacy
withal, and such exquisite handling of bit and spur, goes on. And
probably at great length. Of which, as the FINALE, and one clear
feature significant to the fancy, here is,--for record of what they call
'COMPLETE SETTLEMENT,' which it was far from turning out to be:--

DOCUMENT FOURTH (in Hirsch's hand, First Piece of it).

--"'Pour quittance generale promettant de rendre a Mr. de Voltaire tous
billets, ordres et lettres de change a moy donnez jusqu'a ce jour, 16
Decembre, 1750.--

"'Account all settled; I promising to return M. de
Voltaire all Letters, Orders and Bills of Exchange given me to this day,
16th December, 1750.

[Hirsch signs. But you have forgotten something, Monsieur Hirsch!
Whereupon]--et promets de donner a Mr. de Voltaire dans le jour de
demain ou apres au plustard deux cent guatre-vingt frederics d'or au
lieu de deux cent quatre-vingt louis d'or, que je lui ai payez, le tout
pour quittance generale, ce 16 Decembre, 1750, a berlin--And promise
to give M. de Voltaire, in the course of to-morrow, or the day after
to-morrow at latest, 280 FREDERICS D'OR, instead of 280 LOUIS D'OR [gold
FREDERICS the preferabe coin, say experts] which I have now paid him;
whereby All will be settled.

[Hirsch again signs; but has again forgotten something, most important
thing. And]--je lui remettrai surtout les 40,000 livres de billets de
change sur paris qu'il mavoit donnez et fiez'--I will especially return
him the Bill on Paris for 40,000 livres (1,600 pounds) which he had
given and trusted to me,'--but has since protested, as is too evident.

[And Hirsch signs for the last time]." [Klein, pp. 258, 260.]--

Symptomatic, surely, of a haggly settlement, these THREE shots instead
of one!--"Voltaire's return is:--

--"'Pour quittance generale de tout compte solde entre nous, tout paye
au sieur abraham hersch a berlin, 16 Decembre, 1750.--Voltaire'--
"'Account all settled between us