ow gentlemen got entertained by him, gave Gundling the run of his
Tavern (or, I fear, only a seat in the drinking-room); and it was here
that General Grumkow found him, talking big, and disserting DE OMNI
SCIBILI, to the ancient Berlin gentlemen over their cups. A very
Dictionary of a man; who knows, in a manner, all things; and is by no
means ignorant that he knows them: Would not this man suit his Majesty?
thought Grumkow; and brought him to Majesty, to read the Newspapers and
explain everything. Date is not given, or hinted at; but incidentally
we find Gundling in full blast "in the year 1718;" [Von Loen, _Kleine
Schriften_, i. 201 (cited in Forster, i. 260).] and conclude his
instalment was a year or two before. Gundling came to his Majesty from
the Tap-room of Boisterous-Jack; read the Newspapers, and explained
everything: such a Dictionary-in-breeches (much given to liquor) as
his Majesty had got, was never seen before. Working into the man, his
Majesty, who had a great taste for such things, discovered in him such
mines of college-learning, court-learning, without end; self-conceit,
and depth of appetite, not less considerable: in fine, such Chaotic
Blockheadism with the consciousness of being Wisdom, as was wondrous
to behold,--as filled his Majesty, especially, with laughter and joyful
amazement. Here are mines of native Darkness and Human Stupidity,
capable of being made to phosphoresce and effervesce,--are there not,
your Majesty? Omniscient Gundling was a prime resource in the Tabagie,
for many years to come. Man with sublimer stores of long-eared Learning
and Omniscience; man more destitute of Mother-wit, was nowhere to be
met with. A man, bankrupt of Mother-wit;--who has Squandered any poor
Mother-wit he had in the process of acquiring his sublime long-eared
Omniscience; and has retained only depth of appetite,--appetite for
liquor among other things, as the consummation and bottomless
cesspool of appetites:--is not this a discovery we have made, in
Boisterous-Jack's, your Majesty!

The man was an Eldorado for the peculiar quizzing humor of his Majesty;
who took immense delight in working him, when occasion served. In the
first years, he had to attend his Majesty on all occasions of amusement;
if you invite his Majesty to dinner, Gundling too must be of the party.
Daily, otherwise, Gundling was at the Tabagie; getting drunk, if
nothing better. Vein after vein, rich in broad fun (very broad and
Brobdignagia