248 THE PRUSSIAN KING, HIS COURT, AND KITCHEN. 



Potsdam, Charlottenberg, or Berlin, the word dinner instantly produces 

 it. And the plan has this advantage, that in case of war breaking out, 

 the king's kitchen and its inhabitants are so trained, that a campaign 

 need not derange or dimmish a dish of the king's table. Frederic, 

 himself, frequents the theatre in the evening. He stays but a very 

 short time never more than two hours, without the variety of a gallop 

 either on horseback or in caleche, it being impossible for him to spend 

 more in one place. Yet, even whilst at the theatre, tea and cakes make their 

 appearance in the royal box. And supper awaits him at Charlottenberg. 

 I should say that it awaits him at the theatre door, for there stands and 

 smokes his supper and his kitchen, enclosed in an ample berline, ready 

 to accompany him back to be served on his arrival. 



The Prince Royal promises better than this, notwithstanding his 

 increasing corpulency. He has read, and is erudite, having been 

 educated by certainly a first-rate preceptor, Ancillon. This preceptor 

 the prince has not long since succeeded in advancing to the post of 

 Minister for Foreign Affairs at Berlin. The prince was said to have had 

 little influence, until this appointment came to contradict such reports. 

 They were generated by his indolence, which may be argued more from 

 his dress and habits, than from his mind. He admires Russia and 

 war, it is said, and laughs at the absurdity of representative govern- 

 ments, and regards a monarch but in the light of a generalissimo. 



There are really but two distinguished men at the Prussian court, 

 now that Hardenberg has retired. These are Ancillon and Humboldt. 

 The former is a Frenchman of the old school, but with the German 

 grafted on him. Full of information and instruction, for he re-educated 

 himself to be a preceptor, he is more of the pedant than the courtier. 

 He has continued to set despotism to the tune of Plato, that is, esta- 

 blishes its necessity and virtue upon mystical and transcendental prin- 

 ciples, and makes a religion thereof. Hence he is venerated as a 

 prophet, or as a kind of high priest of royalty and aristocracy. 



When Humboldt appears, however, Ancillon is dumb. Who, indeed, 

 would not be dumb before Humboldt ? that eternal talker, that living 

 fountain of all tongues and all ideas, the most fluent utterer on earth ? 

 The Prussian court, silent and dull, has given him the habit of this. 

 It drinks in his words with delight too pleasing to interrupt. 



" What was your conversation after dinner, at Potsdam ?" was asked 

 of a certain frequenter of this high circle. 



" Oh ! a soliloquy of Monsieur De Humboldt ;" was the reply. 



Frederick considers Humboldt as a general officer, a hero; such 



flory does he reflect upon Prussia. He feels his royal self illustrated 

 y the connection, and rendered resplendant by the halo of Humboldt's 

 name. He has at least the merit of so much discernment. And 

 Humboldt pays for his consideration by amusing and instructing court 

 and king. He is their gazette, their jester like one of Shakspeare's 

 fools, his folly being all sheer wit. He is to Frederick's intellect what 

 the trunk is to the elephant's head, the great feeler, conductor, masticator. 

 Frederick, when free to converse, has taste, science, judgment, anecdote, 

 and a stranger would say, he had esprit. But it is all Humboldt's. 



