t. Not quite in the style of Versailles. And yet I
want the pre-marital feast to be fine enough to compare favorably with
the one they rigged up in Dresden. Now--as for Holland. Put in some
verses about the colonies, Prince, about the land where tobacco grows.
You know--it's the land where the--

PRINCE (_beside himself_).

Where the Bong-tree grows! [_He goes out_.]

SCENE VI

GRUMBKOW _and_ SECKENDORF _come in. Each carries under his arm a small
bundle of red-bound books_.

GRUMBKOW.

Forgive us, Your Majesty--but it is incredible that such unprecedented
crimes should occur in the very bosom of the Royal Family!

KING.

What's the matter now?

GRUMBKOW.

Your Majesty has already been informed about the Frenchman who was found
wandering through the streets of Berlin without any proper passport or
identification, the man who had the temerity to say he had come to teach
Princess Wilhelmine his language.

KING.

It was only a wigmaker from Orleans.

SECKENDORF.

Oh, but we have discovered further complications, Your Majesty! Books
were found in this man's possession, books which point to a dangerous
connection with Rheinsberg.

GRUMBKOW.

Convince yourself, Your Majesty. These immoral French writings are all
marked with the initials of His Highness the Crown Prince.

SECKENDORF.

F.P.R.

GRUMBKOW.

Frederic, Prince Royal.

[_The_ KING _starts in anger, takes up one of the books and then touches
the bell_. EVERSMANN _comes in_.]

KING.

Eversman [_with conscious impressiveness_], my spectacles! [EVERSMANN
_goes out and returns again with a big pair of glasses_.] The
Attorney-General must make a thorough examination of this vagrant's
papers.... I will not have these French clowns in my country. [_He looks
through one of the books_.] The Crown Prince's seal--But no--no ... the
vagabond must have stolen it from him.

GRUMBKOW.

Or else the books were intended for the Princess' instruction.

KING.

This sort of book? These French--hold! hold! what have we here--is this
not the disgusting novel written by the hunchback Scarron, the husband
of the fine Madame Maintenon--his notorious satire upon our Court?

GRUMBKOW AND EVERSMANN (_together_).

Our Court?

KING (_turning the leaves_).

A satire on us all--on me--on Seckendorf, Grumbkow, Eversmann.

EVERSMANN.

On me, too? KING (_serious_).

The Crown Prince has underscored most of it, that it may be better
understood. Here