ng over it, and had his back to us.
Here I had to halt; and the Officers began, in underhand tone [the
dogs!], to put me through my drill: 'Hat under left arm!--Right foot
foremost!--Breast well forward!--Head up!--Papers from pouch!--Papers
aloft in right hand!--Steady! Steady!'--And went their ways, looking
always round, to see if I kept my posture. I perceived well enough they
were pleased to make game of me; but I stood, all the same, like a wall,
being full of fear. The Officers were hardly out of the Garden, when
the King turned round, and saw this extraordinary machine,"--telegraph
figure or whatever we may call it, with papers pointing to the sky. "He
gave such a look at me, like a flash of sunbeams glancing through you;
and sent one of the gardeners to bring my papers. Which having got, he
struck into another walk with them, and was out of sight. In few minutes
he appeared again at the place where the rare plant was, with my Papers
open in his left hand; and gave me a wave with them To come nearer. I
plucked up a heart, and went straight towards him. Oh, how thrice and
four-times graciously this great Monarch deigned to speak to me!--

KING. "'My good Thuringian (LIEBER THURINGER), you came to Berlin,
seeking to earn your bread by industrious teaching of children; and
here, at the Packhof, in searching your things, they have taken your
Thuringen hoard from you. True, the batzen are not legal here; but the
people should have said to you: You are a stranger, and did n't know the
prohibition;--well then, we will seal up the Bag of Batzen; you send it
back to Thuringen, get it changed for other sorts; we will not take it
from you!--

"'Be of heart, however; you shall have your money again, and interest
too.--But, my poor man, Berlin pavement is bare, they don't give
anything gratis: you are a stranger; before you are known and get
teaching, your bit of money is done; what then?'

"I understood the speech right well; but my awe was too great to say:
'Your Majesty will have the all-highest grace to allow me something!'
But as I was so simple and asked for nothing, he did not offer anything.
And so he turned away; but had scarcely gone six or eight steps, when
he looked round, and gave me a sign I was to walk by him; and then began
catechising:--

KING. "'Where did you (ER) study?'

LINSENBARTH. "'Your Majesty, in Jena.'

KING. "'What years?'

LINSENBARTH. "'From 1716 to 1720.' ["Born 1689" (Rodenbeck, p. 474)