The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1909-01-14

Stormy Relations of the Misery King
and the Lavish Author.

Stormy Relations of the Misery King
and the Lavish Author.
The world knows plenty about the
elements of strength in the characters
of great men, but less about their
weaknesses. Here is story that
shows the other side of the natures of
Frederick the Great and Voltaire:
Frederick the Great had leaning
toward literature. He wrote poems,
ion. possessed rare merit. So it
seemed fitting to him that great liter
airy men should fraternize. and he sent
an invitation to Voltaire to be his
guest. Accompanying the invitation
was sum of money to defray the
great Frenchman's travelling expenses
to the Prussian capital.
Let it be explained at this point that
Frederick was extremely penurious
and that Voltaire was not only ex-
travagant. but had many of the char
acteristics of what we would now call
a CRATER. 1t should also he under
stood that Frederick despised graft
ing. and voltaire abhorred miserli-
ness.
Voltaire accepted the invitation-and
then had an afterthought. Why not
take q favorite niece with him? So
he wrote to the king that if he would
send an extra thousand louis he would
bring the girl
"Sir.'' replied the king. 81 did not
ask the young lady to do me the honor
Of visiting me. and l shall send moth
ing to pay her expenses"
1.-THE old miserv' said Voltaire to
friend. "Ee has tubs of money in his
treasury. yet will not grant me this
WISH"
However, voltaire went to Berlin. but
each found that he hated the other too
much to make their friendship perma-
nent
The king once gave Voltaire a pack
age Of poems to revise.
"See," said Voltaire to German no.
bleman. what quantity Of dirty
linen Frederick has sent me to wash!
The king thought his guest was too
free with the chocolate and sugar and
gave orders that he be put on re-
stricted daily allowance.
Voltaire retaliated by gathering all
the wax candles he could find in the
halls and storing them In his trunk.
Soon the royal palace became too hot
for him, and he began to pack up.
Then Frederick missed his package of
poems. At once he scented plot. Vol
taire intended to take the verses back
home with him and palm them off as
his own. Lord Macaulay has said that
the poems were so bad that he was
convinced Voltaire would not for half
Of Frederick's kingdom have consent
ed to father them. But the king
thought differently. being the author
Of the poems.
So the Prussian monarch had Vol
taire thrown into jail at Frankfort and
kept him locked up for twelve days.
Sixteen hundred dollars that was
found in his pocket was taken away
from him. The king in the days of
their friendship had given Volta1re a
life pension of $1,000 a year, and the
money that was confscated was a
semiannual installment.
Thus ended their riendship.-Scrap
| Book.
A Contrast.
In the Bank OF Eng.anG museum
may be seen the old oak hest which
was the old lady of 4readneedlc
streets first strong room. It is little
larger than a common seaman's chest.
and in this the bank stored its cash.
notes and valuable papers. Today the
strong room is a formidable looking OBJ
ject, built of armor plate, boasts OF
huge doors that weigh many tons and
represents the latest skill and science
Of the engineer and iocksmith.-Lon-
don Queen.
CkDIX pIClMn