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arrival; both Schmidt and Fredersdorf are off to Embden; where there is 〃Grand Meeting of the Embden Shipping Company〃 (with comfortable dividends; let us hope);and have left Freytag to his own resources; in case of emergency。
THURSDAY; MAY 31st; 〃about eight in the evening;〃 Voltaire does arrive;most prosperous journey hitherto; by Cassel; Marburg; Warburg; and other places famous then or since; Landgraf of Hessen (wise Wilhelm; whom we knew) honorably lodging him; innkeepers calling him 〃Your Excellency;〃 or 〃M。 le Comte;〃and puts up at the Golden Lion at Frankfurt; where rooms have been ordered; Freytag well aware; though he says nothing。
FRIDAY MORNING; JUNE 1st) 〃his Excellency and Suite〃 (Voltaire and Collini) have their horses harnessed; carriage out; and are about taking the road again;when Freytag; escorted by a Dr。 Rucker; 〃Frankfurt Magistrate DE MAUVAISE MINE;〃 'Collini; p。 77。' and a Prussian recruiting Lieutenant; presents himself in Voltaire's apartment! Readers know Voltaire's account and MonSIR Collini's; and may now hear Freytag's own; which is painted from fact:
〃Introductory civilities done (NACH GEMACHTEN POLITESSEN); I made him acquainted with the will of your most All…gracious Majesty。 He was much astonished (BESTURZT;〃 no wonder); 〃he shut his eyes; and flung himself back in his chair。〃 'Varnhagen; p。 16。' Calls in his friend Collini; whom; at first; I had requested to withdraw。 Two coffers are produced; and opened; by Collini; visitation; punctual; long and painful; lasted from nine A。M。 till five P。M。 Packets are made;a great many Papers; 〃and one Poem which he was unwilling to quit〃 (perilous LA PUCELLE);inventories are drawn; duly signed。 Packets are signeted; mutually sealed; Rucker claps on the Town…seal first; Freytag and Voltaire following with theirs。 〃He made thousand protestations of his fidelity to your Majesty; became pretty weak 'like fainting; think you; Herr Resident?'; and indeed he looks like a skeleton。We then made demand of the Book; OEUVRE DE POESIES: That; he said; was in the Big Case; and he knew not whether at Leipzig or Hamburg〃 (knew very well where it was); and finding nothing else would do; wrote for it; showing Freytag the Letter; and engaged; on his word of honor; not to stir hence till it arrived。
Upon which;what is farther to be noted; though all seems now settled;Freytag; at Voltaire's earnest entreaty; 〃for behoof of Madame Denis; a beloved Niece; Monsieur; who is waiting for me hourly at Strasburg; whom such fright might be the death of!〃puts on paper a few words (the few which Voltaire has twisted into 〃MonSIR;〃 〃PoesHies〃 and so forth); to the effect; 〃That whenever the OEUVRE comes; Voltaire shall actually have leave to go。〃 And so; after eight hours; labor (nine A。M。 to five P。M。); everything is hushed again。 Voltaire; much shocked and astonished; poor soul; 〃sits quietly down to his ANNALES〃 (says Collini);to working; more or less; a resource he often flies to; in such cases。 Madame Denis; on receiving his bad news at Strasburg; sets off towards him: arrives some days before the OEUVRE and its Big Case。 King Friedrich had gone; May 1st) for some weeks; to his Silesian Reviews; June 1st (very day of this great sorting in the Lion d'Or); he is off again; to utmost Prussia this time;and knows; hitherto and till quite the end; nothing; except that Voltaire has not turned up anywhere。
。。。 Voltaire cannot have done much at his ANNALS; in this interim at the Golden Lion; 〃where he has liberty to walk in the Garden。〃 He has been; and is; secretly corresponding; complaining and applying; all round; at a great rate: to Count Stadion the Imperial Excellency at Mainz; to French friends; to Princess Wilhelmina; ultimately to Friedrich himself。 'In OEuvres de Voltaire; lxxv。 207…214; &c。; Letters to Stadion (of strange enough tenor: see Varnhagen; pp。 30; &c。)。 In OEuvres de Frederic; xxii。 303; and in OEuvres de Voltaire; lxxv。 185; is the Letter to Friedrich (dateless; totally misplaced; and rendered unintelligible; in both Works): Letter SENT through Wilhelmina (see her fine remarks in forwarding it; OEuvres de Frederic; xxvii。 iii。 234)。' He has been receiving visits; from Serene Highnesses; 〃Duke of Meiningen〃 and the like; who happen to be in Town。 Visit from iniquitous Dutch Bookseller; Van Duren (Printer of the ANTI…MACHIAVEL); with whom we had such controversy once。 Iniquitous; now opulent and prosperous; Van Duren; happening to be here; will have the pleasure of calling on an old distinguished friend: distinguished friend; at sight of him entering the Garden; steps hastily up; gives him a box on the ear; without words but an interjection or two; and vanishes within doors。 That is something! 〃Monsieur;〃 said Collini; striving to weep; but unable; 〃you have had a blow from the greatest man in the world。〃 'Collini; p。 182。' In short; Voltaire has been exciting great sensation in Frankfurt; and keeping Freytag in perpetual fear and trouble。
MONDAY; 18th JUNE; the Big Case; lumbering along; does arrive。 It is carried straight to Freytag's; and at eleven in the morning; Collini eagerly attends to have it opened。 Freytag;to whom Schmidt has returned from Embden; but no Answer from Potsdam; or the least light about those SKRIPTUREN;is in the depths of embarrassment; cannot open; till he know completely what items and SKRIPTUREN he is to make sure of on opening: 〃I cannot; till the King's answer come!〃〃But your written promise to Voltaire?〃 〃Tush; that was my own private promise; Monsieur; my own private prediction of what would happen; a thing PRO FORMA〃; and to save Madame Denis's life。 Patience; perhaps it will arrive this very day。 Come again to me at three P。M。;there is Berlin post today; then again in three days:I surely expect the Order will come by this post or next; God grant it may be by this!〃 Collini attends at three; there is Note from Fredersdorf: King's Majesty absent in Preussen all this while; expected now in two days。 Freytag's face visibly brightens: 〃Wait till next post; three days more; only wait!〃 'Varnhagen; pp。 39…41。' And in fact; by next post; as we find; the OPEN…SESAME did punctually come。 Voltaire; and all this big cawing rookery of miseries and rages; would have at once taken wing again; into the serene blue; could Voltaire but have had patience three days more! But that was difficult for him; too Difficult。
PART II。 VOLTAIRE; IN SPITE OF HIS EFFORTS; DOES GET AWAY (June 20th…July 7th)。
WEDNESDAY; JUNE 20th; Voltaire and Collini (〃word。 of honor〃 fallen dubious to them; dubious or more);havmg laid their plan; striving to think it fair in the circumstances;walk out from the Lion d'Or; 〃Voltaire in black…velvet coat;〃 'Ib。 p。 46。' with their valuablest effects (LA PUCELLE and money…box included); leaving Madame Denis to wait the disimprisonment of OEUVRE DE POESIE and wind up the general business。 Walk out; very gingerly;duck into a hackney…coach; and attempt to escape by the Mainz Gate! Freytag's spy runs breathless with the news; never was a Freytag in such taking。 Terrified Freytag has to 〃throw on his coat;〃 ord