s exces, ils regarderent l'ignorance comme
un titre de merite, et le savoir comme une pedanterie absurde."

During the same time, Frederic composed his "Refutation of Macchiavelli,"
which was published in 1740, and read all over Europe; and besides the gay
parties of the court, he organized the somewhat mysterious society of the
_Ordre de Bayard_, of which his brothers, the Duke Ferdinand of Brunswick,
the Duke Wilhelm of Brunswick-Bevern, Keyserling, Fouque, and Chasot, were
members. Their meetings had reference to serious political matters, though
Frederic himself was never initiated by his father into the secrets of
Prussian policy till almost on his death-bed. The king died in 1740, and
Frederic was suddenly called away from his studies and pleasures at
Rheinsberg, to govern a rising kingdom which was watched with jealousy by
all its neighbors. He describes his state of mind, shortly before the
death of his father, in the following words:--

"Vous pouvez bien juger que je suis assez tracasse dans la
situation ou je me trouve. On me laisse peu de repos, mais
l'interieur est tranquille, et je puis vous assurer que je n'ai
jamais ete plus philosophe qu'en cette occasion-ci. Je regards
avec des yeux d'indifference tout ce qui m'attend, sans desirer la
fortune ni la craindre, plein de compassion pour ceux qui
souffrent, d'estime pour les honnetes gens, et de tendresse pour
mes amis."

As soon, however as he had mastered his new position, the young king was
again the patron of art, of science, of literature, and of social
improvements of every kind. Voltaire had been invited to Berlin, to
organize a French theatre, when suddenly the news of the death of Charles
VI., the Emperor of Germany, arrived at Berlin. How well Frederic
understood what was to follow, we learn from a letter to Voltaire:--

"Mon cher Voltaire,--L'evenement le moins prevu du monde m'empeche,
pour cette fois, d'ouvrir mon ame a la votre comme d'ordinaire, et
de bavarder comme je le voudrais. L'empereur est mort. Cette mort
derange toutes mes idees pacifiques, et je crois qu'il s'agira, au
mois de juin, plutot de poudre a canon, de soldats, de tranchees,
que d'actrices, de ballets et de theatre."

He was suffering from fever, and he adds:--

"Je vais faire passer ma fievre, car j'ai besoin de ma machine, et
il en faut tirer a present tout le parti possible."

Again h