AY, 29th NOVEMBER, Hirsch, we hear, is still in Berlin. Fancy the
humor of Voltaire, after such a week as last! (TUESDAY, December 1st)
Hirsch still is not off: 'Go, you son of Amalek!' urges Voltaire; and
sends his Servant Picard, a very sharp fellow, for perhaps the third
time,--who has orders now, as Hirsch discovers, to stay with him, not
quit sight of him till he do go. [Hirsch's Narrative; see Voltaire's
Letter to D'Arget (--OEuvres,--lxiv. 11).] Hirsch's hour of departure
for Dresden is not mentioned in the ACTS; but I guess he could hardly
get over Wednesday, with Picard dogging him on these terms; and must
have taken the diligence on Wednesday night: to arrive in Dresden about
December 4th. 'Well; at least, our shot is off; has not burst out, and
lodged in our person here,--thanked be all the gods!'

"Off, sure enough:--and what should we say if the whole matter were
already oozing out; if, on this same Sunday evening, November 29th) not
quite a week's time yet, the matter (as we learn long afterwards) had
been privately whispered to his Majesty: 'That Voltaire has sent off
a Jew to buy Steuer-Scheine, and has promised to get him made
Court-Jeweller!' [Voltaire,--OEuvres,--lxxiv. 314 ("Letter to Friedrich,
February, 1751,"--AFTER Catastrophe).], So; within a week, and before
Hirsch is even gone! For men are very porous; weighty secrets oozing out
of them, like quicksilver through clay jars. I could guess, Hirsch,
by way of galling insolent Ephraim, had blabbed something: and in the
course of five days, it has got to the very King,--this Kammerherr
Voltaire being such a favorite and famous man as never was; the
very bull's-eye of all kinds of Berlin gossip in these days. 'Hm,
Steuer-Scheine, and the Jew Hirsch to be Court-Jeweller, you say?'
thinks the King, that Sunday night; but locks the rumor in his Royal
mind, he, for his part; or dismisses it as incredible: 'There ought to
be impervious vessels too, among the porous!' Voltaire notices nothing
particular, or nothing that he speaks of as particular. This must
have been a horrid week to him, till Hirsch got away." Hirsch is away
(December 2d); in Dresden, safe enough; but--

"But, the fortnight that follows is conceivable as still worse. Hirsch
writing darkly, nothing to the purpose; Voltaire driving often into
Berlin, hearing from Ephraim hints about, 'No connection with that
House;' 'If Monseigneur have intrusted Hirsch with money,--may there be
a good acc