The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1868-08-14
Miscellany.
A Visit 70 sans souci.

In the winter palace ofFrederick the Great,
which is the first thing the traveller visits In
Potsdam, are shown number Of curiosities
that once belonged to Frederick; such for in
stance as his flute, his pipes, snuff boxes, hat
and riding boots but these were not so inter
esting to me as certain dining room, where
Frederick was won't to talk over his plans with
counsellor or a confidential friend. There
are some odd arrangements there to secure
secrecy. The room, in the first place, is shut
off from the other parts of the house by two
doors which shut towards each other and
form double partition. The central part of
the table was contrived to go down into the
kitchen and afterwards come up with the pre-
pared dishes. The plates, &C., as they were
used, were placed in a rack under the table,
and also went down and returned after the
same method.
From this place the traveller generally goes
directly to Sans Souci. -Four high Cornthian
columns. grouped together on either side of
a broad carriage-way, mark the principal en-
trance to the grounds. A short walk brings
, one 10 fountain, and on the right, far up on
the top OF a succession of terraces, stands
ID the palace of Sans Souci The ascent is
made by means OF a broad flight of stone
steps leading from one terrace 10 another.
On these terraces orange trees are set out in
summer, and the palace is then almost hid
den by the foliage. The apartments are
cheerful and richly decorated. and contain
relics of the time OF Frederick Otherwise
! they are not particularly interesting A func-
tionary dressed in livery conducts the stran-
ger about, going through the explanations in
mechanical way, telling how that little mar
BILE clock stopped of itself at the moment
when Frederick died; that in this hood
stained chair he ended bis life; that this was
his piano, and this his flute stand: and so on
until the traveller is bewiderel,
An interest attaches to the room which
Frederick set apart and especially arranged
for Voltaire. The appropriation was made at
time when the King and his guest were not
on good terms. The King used to amuse him
self now aud then by making pencil sketches
of Voltaire, and at this time took a fancy to
make it uncomfortable for aim, BY method
quite original. On the walls of the room he
caused flowers and vines to be represented in
relief, and had storks, parrots, monkeys and
squirrels symmetrically placed among them.
"A young sto,k was designed to set forth the
migrating philosopher, when, at the begin
ming OF harvest, he returned home from his
first summer visit to Sans Souci. On a cor
responding panel was the old stork, looking
weary and iorlorn-the French writer making
his last emigration to his own country. The
parrots were an emblem, to Frederick's mind
OF the Frenchman's garrulity; the monkeys,
reproduction of both his features and his
Silly ways. while the squirrels and ion the
tapestry the peacocks were intended to per
form their. parts in reminding the occupant
OF the room of his voracity and his pride |
do not know that history records the effect of
this experiment on Voltaire but judge that
the delicate little allusion to his failings could
hardly have added much pleasure to his stay
at Sans Souci. 5 ,as..s ss... la.sh
Passing by the colonnade and the corridor
which Frederick was accustomed to use, the
one in fine and the other in unpleasant
weather, one comes to high mill in good
preservation, but no longer used and partly
covered by vines. 1t is called the historic
windmill here, and the guide tells you the
following story: Frederick the Great in the
course of his many Improvements" at Sans
Souci. found his work stopped at one end of
his grounds by an unsightly MILL He. gave
orders that the mill should be bought and
then torn down. The owner, however refus-
ed to sell, and the King, after trying mildness
in vain, told him: " But you know could
take it from you by force" "Ah! yes" said
the miller, 'if it we're not for the courts" So
the miller prevailed and kept his mill. And
now the Prussian kings cherish it as monu-
ment of the great Frederick's "iustice."
Another story is, that the King actually went
to law with the miller and was defeated. But
this story does not tally SO well with the BOP
ular idea OF Fredericks character; so the |
other is the one most current-COrrespon
ence Of the N. Y. Evening Post, dFt