Il pense en philosophe, et se conduit en roi.

[He thinks like a philosopher, and acts like a king.]


This verse, which from any other pen would have been a fine eulogium,
from mine had an unequivocal meaning, and too clearly explained the verse
by which it was preceded. The distich had been, read by everybody who
came to see me, and my visitors were numerous. The Chevalier de Lorenzy
had even written it down to give it to D'Alembert, and I had no doubt
but D' Alembert had taken care to make my court with it to the prince.
I had also aggravated this first fault by a passage in 'Emilius', where
under the name of Adrastus, king of the Daunians, it was clearly seen
whom I had in view, and the remark had not escaped critics, because Madam
de Boufflers had several times mentioned the subject to me. I was,
therefore, certain of being inscribed in red ink in the registers of the
King of Prussia, and besides, supposing his majesty to have the
principles I had dared to attribute to him, he, for that reason, could
not but be displeased with my writings and their author; for everybody
knows the worthless part of mankind, and tyrants have never failed to
conceive the most mortal hatred against me, solely on reading my works,
without being acquainted with my person.

However, I had presumption enough to depend upon his mercy, and was far
from thinking I ran much risk. I knew none but weak men were slaves to
the base passions, and that these had but little power over strong minds,
such as I had always thought his to be. According to his art of
reigning, I thought he could not but show himself magnanimous on this
occasion, and that being so in fact was not above his character. I