touched by the accident which happened to
the man he seemed to love most. Too happy if one had only said that
of him! He was supposed to be jealous of the merit of Schwerin and of
Keith, and delighted to have got them killed. It is thus that mediocre
people seek to lower great men, to diminish the immense space that lies
between themselves and such.

"Out of politeness, the King, and his Suite as well, had put on white
[Austrian] Uniforms, not to bring back on us that blue which we had so
often seen in war. He looked as though he belonged to our Army and to
the Kaiser's suite. There was, in this Visit, I believe, on both
sides, a little personality, some distrust, and perhaps a beginning
of bitterness;--as always happens, says Philippe de Comines, when
Sovereigns meet. The King took Spanish snuff, and brushing it off with
his hand from his coat as well as he could, he said, 'I am not clean
enough for you, Messieurs; I am not worthy to wear your colors.' The
air with which he said this, made me think he would yet soil them with
powder, if the opportunity arose.

"I forgot a little Incident which gave me an opportunity of setting off
(FAIRE VALOIR) the two Monarchs to each other [Incident about the King's
high opinion of the Kaiser's drill-sergeantry in this day's manoeuvres,
and how I was the happy cause of the Kaiser's hearing it himself:
Incident omissible; as the whole Sequel is, except a sentence or two].--

... "On this Neustadt occasion, the King was sometimes too ceremonious;
which annoyed the Kaiser. For instance,--I know not whether meaning
to show himself a disciplined Elector of the Reich, but so it
was,--whenever the Kaiser put his foot in stirrup, the King was sure to
take his Majesty's horse by the bridle, stand respectfully waiting the
Kaiser's right foot, and fit it into ITS stirrup: and so with everything
else. The Kaiser had the more sincere appearance, in testifying his
great respect; like that of a young Prince to an aged King, and of a
young Soldier to the greatest of Captains....

"Sometimes there were appearances of cordiality between the two
Sovereigns. One saw that Friedrich II. loved Joseph II., but that the
preponderance of the Empire, and the contact of Bohemia and Silesia, a
good deal barred the sentiments of King and Kaiser. You remember, Sire
[Ex-Sire of Poland], their LETTERS [readers shall see them, in
1778,--or rather REFUSE to see them!'] on the subject of Bavaria; their
compliments