Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1819-04-17

He WAS fully sensible OF tie contagious
nature Of liberty. He knew that The spirit
of freedom was epidemical, and he would
never employ mis- subjects in any name,
that would put them in the way Of catching
the disorder. When doctor Franklin APP
piled to him to lend his assistance to Ame.
RIGA. spray doctor" said the old veteran,
what is the object they mean to attain %
Liberty, SIRE" replied the philosopher of
Philadelphia, "liberty..that freedom which
is the birth-right of man." The king, az
ter short pause, made this memorable.
and kingly answer :--''I was born prince
II am become a king, --and will 40: use
the power which ! possess TO the ruin Of my
own trade. was born 10 command, and
the people were born to obey
1t has been remarked that Frederick
knew men well, and was an excellent judge
Of their merit. Many instances, however,
might be given, in which he was grestly
deceived. Before general Laudohn enter
ed into the service of the emperor, he offer
ed himself to Frederick, and asked to serve
in bis troops. "That mans physiognomy
does not please me-" said the king OH see
ing him; and he declined his offer, ofwhich
he frequently afterwards had reason to re.
pent.
Nothing was so disagreesbIe to Frede-
rick as ceremony, which he avoided as
much as possible. When he went TO No.
ninsberg, to receive the homage OF the
Prussians, he took the marquis D'Argent
with him, to point out to him the cereIno-
MES observed in honour of these occasions,
that he might conform to them. When the
ceremony was at an end, he asked the mar
quis whether he had gone well through it?
Every WE'LL" said the marquis, "but |
know one would scsuit himself still bet
ter" "And who is that p asked the king.
"Louis the fifteenth, replied D'Argent..-
"And l." rsjoined the king, know some
3ody that would go through it much better
than Louis the fifteenth" "Who is that"
D'Argent enquired in his turn. Baron,
the player
Whilst Vo!taire was still at Potsdam, an
Englishman arrived. who told the king that
he could retain, word for word, tolera-
bly, long discourse, after hearing it once
read. Frederick put him to the test, and
the Englishman succeeded. At that mo-
meut, VoItaiIe was announced, who came
to read little copy Of verses, which he had
just finished, o the king. To amuse him.
sell, Frederick hid the EngIishman in an ad-
joining cabinet, recommending to him to
get by heart what the poet was about to
read. Vollaire entered and recited his
verses. The king listened to them coldly,
and observed, upon my word, my dear
Voltaire, do not conceive what you would
be at:-for some time you have chosen to
borrow the verses Of others and pass them
off as your own" Voltaire vowed that
the verses were his own, and that he had.
but that moment. finished them. "That
may be" said the king; but have jus. seen
an Englishman who has already shewn
them to me, as his" Having made This re-
mark, Frederick sent for the Englishman,
TO whom he said, "be so good as to let me
hear the verses you showed me this NOR
ming" The Englshman repeated them
without emitting single syllable. HE
must be the DEVIL" exclaimed Voitaire, in
rage. The king, after amusing himself
for some time with his fury, owned to him
the trick, and finished by making the Eng
lishman present for the pleasure he had
afforded him.
Before Voltaire avowed himself the au-
thor of The Maid Of Orleans, Frederick pre-
tended that it was injurious 10 the 6rst wit
in France, TO attribute TO him so miserable
rhapsody ; but 10 sooner did Voltaire a.
dept it, than the king made Algarotti read
it to him, and said, "this is not the poem
have seen this is charming no one but
Voltaire is capable Of such work." 1t
was, however, the very same; but, such is
the influence OF names-and such is the oc-
casional weakness even Of the wisest a.
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