tances from the Most Christian Majesty,' should we MAKE
Alliance with him, as your Excellency proposes, and chance to be
attacked?"--"MORBLEU, assistance enough [enumerating several]: MAIS
MORBLEU, SI VOUS NOUS TROMPEX, VOUS SEREZ ECRASES (if you deceive us,
you will be squelched)!" [Valori, ii. 130, &c.] "He had been chosen
for his rough tongue," says Valori; our French Court being piqued at
Friedrich and his sarcasms. Tyrconnel gives splendid dinners: Voltaire
often of them; does not love Potsdam, nor is loved by it. Nay, I
sometimes think a certain DEMON NEWSWRITER (of whom by and by), but do
not know, may be some hungry Attache of Tyrconnel's. Hungry Attache,
shut out from the divine Suppers and upper planetary movements, and
reduced to look on them from his cold hutch, in a dog-like angry and
hungry manner? His flying allusions to Voltaire, "SON (Friedrich's)
SQUELETTE D'APOLLON, skeleton of an Apollo," and the like, are barkings
almost rabid.

Of the military sort, about this time, Keith and Rothenburg appear
most frequently as guests or companions. Rothenburg had a great deal of
Friedrich's regard: Winterfeld is more a practical Counseller, and does
not shine in learned circles, as Rothenburg may. A fiery soldier too,
this Rothenburg, withal;--a man probably of many talents and qualities,
though of distinctly decipherable there is next to no record of him or
them. He had a Parisian Wife; who is sometimes on the point of
coming with Niece Denis to Berlin, and of setting up their two French
households there; but never did it, either of them, to make an Uncle
or a Husband happy. Rothenburg was bred a Catholic: "he headed the
subscription for the famous 'KATHOLISCHE KIRCHE,'" so delightful to the
Pope and liberal Christians in those years; "but never gave a sixpence
of money," says Voltaire once: Catholic KIRK was got completed with
difficulty; stands there yet, like a large washbowl set, bottom
uppermost, on the top of a narrowish tub; but none of Rothenburg's money
is in it. In Voltaire's Correspondence there is frequent mention of him;
not with any love, but with a certain secret respect, rather inclined
to be disrespectful, if it durst or could: the eloquent vocal individual
not quite at ease beside the more silent thinking and acting one. What
we know is, Friedrich greatly loved the man. There is some straggle of
CORRESPONDENCE between Friedrich and him left; but it is worth nothing;
gives no testimony of that,