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than his life. From that period, the folemnity I fpealt 

 of is dated ; a folemnity which indeed is nothing in 

 itfelf; but, to the king, to whofe honour it is infrituted^. 

 mull be more flattering than all the panegyrics, which 

 are delivered on the 24th of January before the learned 

 aflemblies in various parts of his dominions. This fo- 

 lemnity is kept by a number of different companies 

 here in Berlin, who meet on this day alone throughout 

 the year, to rejoice at the prefervation of their monarch, 

 Thefe companies confift fome of a larger and fome of a 

 fmaller number of perfons ; that to which I was invited 

 was compofed of about a hundred members, without 

 including the ladies and Grangers each member is al- 

 lowed to bring with him, and whofe number is unli- 

 mited. The company came together at about five 

 o'clock, and when they found themfelves fufficiently 

 numerous, they proceeded into a fpacious hall, at the 

 upper end of which on an af cent of ffeps was an orna- 

 mental table placed exactly under a portrait of the king 

 as large as life, which hung againft the wall, and which 

 Teprefented a kind of altar, on which two hearts were 

 placed upright, topped by a lambent flame. About 

 this fplendid apparatus the ladies feated themfelves in a 

 large circle ; behind them the gentlemen took their 

 frations. This done, they all burfl forth in one general 

 chorus accompanied by a noble band of mufic, to the 

 melody of the morning fong in the death of Abel ; the 

 words whereof were printed folely for this occafion, and 

 had been previoufly diftributed to all prefent. After 

 the conclufion of the chorus one of the company ftep- 

 ped forward, went up to the altar, and pronounced a 

 Ihort oration of his own compoiing. This furl acl: 



was 



