1809.] 
‘erected directly opposite the window. 
He held out his hand towards Kat, and 
fainted. The father was present at this 
‘spectacle, as wellas at the punishment of 
the girl. 
Itis easy tosee, thatthe Marquis D’Ar- 
gens had very s< olid reasons for not going 
to Prussia, under the Government of such’ 
a Prince. From the warmth and impe- 
tuosity of his character, he would most 
probably have lost either his hberty or 
his life. 
But when Frederic the Second ascend- 
ed the throne, in 1740, matters were 
changed, and the same dread ceased to 
exist. The new Monarch wrote imine- 
diately to the young Marquis—“ No 
‘longer, my dear Marquis, be afraid of 
the battalions of guards—come, and 
brave them even on the parade at Potz- 
dam.” 
Vhen he received this letter, he 
was at Stutgard, in the service of the 
Duchess Dowager of Wirtemberg: she 
had a wish to visit Berlin, and see Fre- 
deric.. The opportunity being favoura- 
bie, they set out together. 
The King received him, (says Mons. 
"Thiebault vi in the most flattering manner; 
‘he invited him to dinner every day : : their 
conversation was livelyandagreeable; no- 
thing in appearance was more flattering, 
or more likely to’ satisty the wishes, and 
flatter the albition, of a philosopher: but 
weeks rolled on, and no mention was 
made of fulfilling the promises which had 
led the new guest from a situation less 
brilliant, but sufficient for his wants. 
The Marquis having vainly endeavour- 
ed to discover the cause of this neglect, 
and ha¥meg waited six weeks, lost all pa- 
tience ; and, on returning home one day 
Immediately after dinner, he sent a note 
to the King, couched in the fol lowing 
terms :-— 
“ Sire! For six weeks that I have had 
the honour to be near your Majesty, my 
purse has suffered so rigorous a blockade, 
that if you gain so many battles, and take 
so inany fortresses, and do not speedily 
come to its assistance, I shal] be obliged 
to capitulate, and re-cross the Rhine 
within a week,”—The King had his friend 
Jordan with him when the note was 
brov¢ght to him—** See here,” said he, 
‘ what that fool D’Argens has written ; 
he wishes to leave us.”——Jordan esteemed 
the Marquis, and for that reason said to 
his master, after having read the note— 
1 know the Provengals, and their im- 
patience; but J particularly: know. the 
Marquis; while uneasiness torments him, 
Memoir of the late Marquis D’ Argens. 517 
and his mind is at a stand, he will never 
rest, and after having threatened to take 
his departure within eight days, he wall 
be off in two or three days at the fare 
thest.”. The King was alarmed lest 
Jordan should have prophesied too truly, 
and he returned these few words-in an- 
swer to his note.—‘* Be satisfied, my dear 
Marquis, your fate shall be decided to- 
morrow by dinner-time;” and, in fact, 
the next morning, the Marquis, on his 
arrival at the palace, received the key. 
of office as chamberlain, with a salary 
of six thousand frances, and was also ap- 
pointed director of the class of belles-let- 
tres of the Royal Academy, which gave 
him an additional annual increase of 
eight hundred franes, 
“This g generosity on the part of Frede- 
ric soon changed the resolution of the 
Marquis. He settled at Berlin; he culti- 
vated literature and the friendship of the 
Great Prince, who so well knew how to 
reward those who made it their occupa 
tion. He was constantly one of the 
‘Kkine’s social and private parties. 
At first, Algarotti, Voltaire, and Mate 
pertuis, were the principal favourites of 
Frederic. The sprightly character and in- 
struction of the former highly pleased the 
Prince. Voltaire captivated him by the 
brilliancy of his conversation, his pointed 
sallies, and the greatness of his talents. 
Maupertuis was in the habit of treating 
on subjects of profound learning and sci- 
ence, He was in some measure the mi- 
nister of this party: he directed the 
academy, ame informed the King of every 
valuable work of every description of sci- 
ence which came out, The Marquis 
D’Argens did not possess talents equal to 
any of those three; ; but his good nature, his 
pleasantry, and his wit, made him hizhly 
esteemed: tb the pointed manners of 
high life, the Marquis added a facility 
of “character, and a Provencal vivacity, 
which made his conversation very pi- 
quant and amusing. His writings, 
known throughout all Europe, which 
were both agreeable and instructive, were 
a strong title to Frederic’s favour: the 
originality and eccentricity of his con- 
duct, of. which we shall give more than 
one instance, never lessened the esteem 
the King conceived for him, although 
he was more than once the object of hia 
pleasantry and sarcasm. 
It was chiefly at the supper parties of 
Frederic, that he assembled these literary 
characters, and where those scenes of 
gaiety and wit passed; which, for nea 
thirty years were the objects of the at, 
tention 
