The Potsdam fire-engines would very likely be summoned."
"Oh! That too! Well! _La comedia e finita!_ Good-night!"
"_Sic transit gloria mundi!_ Sleep well!"
Voltaire slept during the night, but not well, and was awakened on
the following morning by the sound of salutes fired at Potsdam; from
which he concluded that the King was holding manoeuvres. Neither did
he see any sign of the King, but about noonday he received a letter
bearing the royal arms which ran as follows:--
"MONSIEUR,--Doctor La Mettrie has told me of your determination to
travel to a watering-place. Although I shall miss your pleasant
and instructive conversation, I will not resist your wish, since I
am sure that a thorough course of treatment will benefit your
nerves and the wretched state of your heart. Wishing you a good
recovery, or at any rate hoping that you will not be worse than
you are,
"I am
"F. R."
That was his passport for the journey. The same evening Voltaire
travelled to Leipzig, where he read extracts from Frederick's
collection of satires which he also thought of having printed.
But in Frankfurt he was arrested and deprived of the precious
manuscripts, which might have made more enemies for Frederick than
he actually did make later on. Rebuked, and again liberated,
Voltaire fled at first to France, where he published in the
_Dictionnaire Historique_ the most abominable assertions regarding
Frederick's private life.
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