share, had resolved to
avoid all such 'rendezvousing of the Geese and Cranes, flocking together
to throttle and tatter one another in that sad manner.' Nor had St.
Theodoret much opinion of the Council of Nice, except as a kind of
miracle. 'Nothing good to be expected from Councils,' says he, 'except
when God is pleased to interpose, and destroy the machinery of the
Devil.'"

--With more of the like sort; all delicate, as invisible needle-points,
in her Majesty's hand. [Letter undated (datable "Lutzelburg, March,
1708,") is to be found entire, with all its adjuncts, in _ Erman, _ pp.
246-255. It was subsequently translated by Toland, and published here,
as an excellent Polemical Piece,--entirely forgotten in our time (_ A
Letter against Popery by Sophia Charlotte, the late Queen of Prussia:
Being, _ &c. &c. London, 1712). But the finest Duel of all was probably
that between Beausobre and Toland himself (reported by Beausobre, in
something of a crowing manner, in _ Erman, _ pp. 203-241, "October,
1701"), of which Toland makes no mention anywhere.] What is Father Vota
to say?--The modern reader looks through these chinks into a strange old
scene, the stuff of it fallen obsolete, the spirit of it not, nor worthy
to fall.

These were Sophie Charlotte's reunions; very charming in their time. At
which how joyful for Irish Toland to be present, as was several times
his luck. Toland, a mere broken heretic in his own country, who went
thither once as Secretary to some Embassy (Embassy of Macclesfield's,
1701, announcing that the English Crown had fallen Hanover-wards), and
was no doubt glad, poor headlong soul, to find himself a gentleman and
Christian again, for the time being,--admires Hanover and Berlin very
much; and looks upon Sophie Charlotte in particular as the pink of
women. Something between an earthly Queen and a divine Egeria; "Serena"
he calls her; and, in his high-flown fashion, is very laudatory. "The
most beautiful Princess of her time," says he,--meaning one of the most
beautiful: her features are extremely regular, and full of vivacity;
copious dark hair, blue eyes, complexion excellently fair;--"not
very tall, and somewhat too plump," he admits elsewhere. And then
her mind,--for gifts, for graces, culture, where will you find such a
mind? "Her reading is infinite, and she is conversant in all manner of
subjects;" "knows the abstrusest problems of Philosophy;" says admiring
Toland: much knowledge everywhere e