the King's name to write his famous LETTRE A JEAN
JACQUES [impossible to attend to the like of it at present], which
contributed the most to drive mad that eloquent and unreasonable man of
genius.

"Coming out of the Play, the Kaiser said to the King of Prussia: 'There
is Noverre, the famous Composer of Ballets; he has been in Berlin, I
believe.' Noverre made thereupon a beautiful dancing-master bow. 'Ah,
I know him,' said the King: 'we saw him at Berlin; he was very droll;
mimicked all the world, especially our chief Dancing Women, to make you
split with laughing.' Noverre, ill content with this way of remembering
him, made another beautiful third-position bow; and hoped possibly the
King would say something farther, and offer him the opportunity of a
small revenge. 'Your Ballets are beautiful,' said the King to him; 'your
Dancing Girls have grace; but it is grace in a squattish form (DE LA
GRACE ENGONCEE). I think you make them raise their shoulders and their
arms too much. For, Monsieur Noverre, if you remember, our principal
Dancing Girl at Berlin wasn't so.' 'That is why she was at Berlin,
Sire,' replied Noverre [satirically, all he could].

"I was every day asked to sup with the King; too often the conversation
addressed itself to me. In spite of my attachment to the Kaiser, whose
General I like to be, but not whose D'Argens or Algarotti, I had not
beyond reason abandoned myself to that feeling. When urged by the King's
often speaking to me, I had to answer, and go on talking. Besides, the
Kaiser took a main share in the conversation; and was perhaps more at
his ease with the King than the King with him. One day, they got talking
of what one would wish to be in this world; and they asked my opinion. I
said, I should like to be 'a Pretty Woman till thirty; then, till sixty,
a fortunate and skilful General;'--and not knowing what more to say, but
for the sake of adding something, whatever it might be, 'a Cardinal till
eighty.' The King, who likes to banter the Sacred College, made himself
merry on this; and the Kaiser gave him a cheap bargain of Rome and its
upholders (SUPPOTS). That supper was one of the gayest and pleasantest
I have ever seen. The Two Sovereigns were without pretension and without
reserve; what did not always happen on other days; and the amiability of
two men so superior, and often so astonished to see themselves together,
was the agreeablest thing you can imagine. The King bade me come and
see