now about
forty-six; has lately refused the fine Russian post of "Tutor to the
Czarowitsh" (Czarowitsh Paul, poor little Boy of eight or nine, whom we,
or Herr Busching for us, saw galloping about, not long since, "in his
dressing-gown," under Panin's Tutorage); refuses now, in a delicate
gradual manner, the fine Prussian post of Perpetual President, or
Successor to Maupertuis;--definitely preferring his frugal pensions at
Paris, and garret all his own there. Continues, especially after this
two months' visit of 1763, one of the King's chief correspondents for
the next twenty years. ["29th October, 1783," D'Alembert died: "born
16th November, 1717;"--a Foundling, as is well known; "Mother a
Sister of Cardinal Tencin's; Father," accidental, "an Officer in the
Artillery."] A man of much clear intellect; a thought SHRIEKY in his
ways sometimes; but always prudent, rational, polite, and loyally
recognizing Friedrich as a precious article in this world. Here is a
word of D'Alembert's to Madame du Deffand, at Paris, some ten or twelve
days after the Cleve meeting, and the third day after his arrival
here:--

"POTSDAM, 25th JUNE, 1763. MADAME,--... I will not go into the praises
of this Prince," King Friedrich, my now Host; "in my mouth it might
be suspicious: I will merely send you two traits of him, which will
indicate his way of thinking and feeling. When I spoke to him [at
Geldern, probably, on our first meeting] of the glory he had acquired,
he answered, with the greatest simplicity, That there was a furious
discount to be deducted from said glory; that chance came in for almost
the whole of it; and that he would far rather have done Ratine's ATHALIE
than all this War:--ATHALIE is the work he likes, and rereads oftenest;
I believe you won't disapprove his taste there. The other trait I have
to give you is, That on the day [15th February last] of concluding this
Peace, which is so glorious to him, some one saying, 'It is the finest
day of your Majesty's life:' 'The finest day of life,' answered he, 'is
the day on which one quits it.'...--Adieu, Madame." [_"OEuvres Posthumes
de D'Alembert_ (Paris, 1799). i. 197:" cited in PREUSS, ii. 348.]

The meeting in Cleve Country was, no doubt, a very pretty passage, with
Two pretty Months following;--and if it be true that HELVETIUS was a
consequence, the 11th of June, 1763, may almost claim to be a kind
of epoch in Friedrich's later history. The opulent and ingenious M.
Helvetius,