MAJOR S E MP LE LISLE. 63 



this he was almolt perpetually reforting, not for 

 pinches, but, I had almoft faid, handfulls. 



Such was the exterior of Frederic! In fuch 

 a homely cafket was contained a foul capable of 

 conquering and governing tie univerfe! This 

 was the truly great man who, amidft all the 

 hurry of war, cultivated arts at home! The 

 companion of a Voltaire, the avowed enemy of 

 kings J he efteemed this philofophical republi- 

 can, and was beloved in his turn by philofo- 

 phers of all defcriptions. This was he who in 

 the midft of difafters, rofe in proportion to his 

 fuffcrings, and not only refcued his kingdom 

 from ruin, but raifed it to a pitch of greatnefs 

 unparalleled in Europe! Invincible in war, 

 indefatigable in exertions, and inflexible in juf- 

 tice, he never had a fuperior, hardly an equal. 



At Potfdam this incomparable Prince occu- 

 pied but three fmall apartments, and thofe in a 

 corner of the vaft palace there. They confifted 

 of a Salle a Manger, which ferved like wife as an 

 anti-chamber, a bed-chamber and a library; 

 thefe, like all the other apartments he ufed, were 

 hung with blue fatin. It muft be confelTed that 

 the hangings were fomewhat worfe for wear, 

 the moths having made free with fuch parts as 

 bed fuited their palates; the very curtains of 

 the King's own bed were fo full of holes, that 

 he might have pretty tolerably reconnoitred the 



approach 



