or　suspicions　of　intrigue；　much　about　her。　His　Duchess；　Louisa　Dorothee；　is　a　Princess　of　distinguished　qualities；　literary　tastes；Voltaire's　Hostess；　Friedrich's　Correspondent：　a　bright　and　quietly　shining　illumination　to　the　circle　she　inhabits。　Duke　is　now　fifty…eight；　Duchess　forty…seven；　and　they　lost　their　eldest　Son　last　year。　There　has　been　lately　a　considerable　private　brabble　as　to　Tutorage　of　the　Duke　of　Weimar　（Wilhelmina's　maddish　Duke；　who　is　dead　lately；　and　a　Prince　left；　who　soon　died　also；　but　left　a　Son；　who　grew　to　be　Goethe's　friend）；　Tutorage　claimed　by　various　Cousins；　has　been　adjudged　to　this　one；　King　Friedrich　co…operating　in　such　result。
  〃As　to　the　famed　Grand…Duchess；　she　is　a　Sachsen…Meiningen　Princess；　come　of　Ernst　the　Pious；　of　Johann　the　Magnanimous；　as　her　Husband　and　all　these　Sachsens　are：　when　Voltaire　went　precipitant；　with　such　velocity；　from　the　Potsdam　Heaven；　she　received　him　at　Gotha；　set　him　on　writing　his　HISTORY　OF　THE　EMPIRE；　and　endeavored　to　break　his　fall。　She　was　noble　to　Voltaire；　and　well　honored　by　that　uncertain　Spirit。　There　is　a　fine　Library　at　Gotha；　and　the　Lady　bright　loves　Books；　and　those　that　can　write　them；a　friend　of　the　Light；　a　Daughter　of　the　Sun　and　the　Empyrean；　not　of　Darkness　and　the　Stygian　Fens。〃　＇Michaelis；　i。　517；　&c。　&c。＇
  Friedrich's　first　Letter　to　her　Highness　was　one　of　thanks；　above　a　year　ago；　for　an　act　of　kindness；　act　of　justice　withal；　which　she　did　to　one　of　his　Official　people。　Here；　on　the　morrow　of　that　dinner；　is　the　second　Letter；　much　more　aerial　and　cordial；　in　which　style　they　all　continue；　now　that　he　has　seen　the　admired　Princess。
  TO　THE　MOST　SERENE　GRAND…DUCHESS　OF　SACHSEN…GOTHA。
  DITTELSTADT；　〃16th　September；　1757。
  〃MADAM；Yesterday　was　a　Day　I　shall　never　forget；　which　satisfied　a　just　desire　I　have　had；　this　long　while；　to　see　and　hear　a　Princess　whom　all　Europe　admires。　I　am　not　surprised；　Madam；　that　you　subdue　people's　hearts；　you　are　made　to　attract　the　esteem　and　the　homage　of　all　who　have　the　happiness　to　know　you。　But　it　is　incomprehensible　to　me　how　you　can　have　enemies；　and　how　men　representing　Countries　that　by　no　means　wish　to　pass　for　barbarous；　can　have　been　so　basely　（INDIGNEMENT）　wanting　in　the　respect　they　owe　you；　and　in　the　consideration　which　is　due　to　all　sovereigns　＇French　not　famous　for　their　refined　demeanor　in　Saxony　this　time＇。　Why　could　not　I　fly　to　prevent　such　disorders；　such　indecency！　I　can　only　offer　you　a　great　deal　of　good…will；　but　I　feel　well　that；　in　present　circumstances；　the　thing　wanted　is　effective　results　and　reality。　May　I；　Madam；　be　so　happy　as　to　render　you　some　service！　May　your　fortune　be　equal　to　your　virtues！　I　am　with　the　highest　consideration；　Madam；　your　Highness's　faithful　Cousin；　F。〃　＇　OEuvres　de　Frederic；　　xvii。　166。＇
  To　Wilhelmina　he　says　of　it；　next　day；　still　gratified；　though　sad　news　have　come　in　the　interim；death　of　Winterfeld；　for　one　black　item：
  。。。　〃The　day　before　yesterday　I　was　in　Gotha。　It　was　a　touching　scene　to　see　the　partners　of　one's　misfortunes；　with　like　griefs　and　like　complaints。　The　Duchess　is　a　woman　of　real　merit；　whose　firmness　puts　many　a　man　to　shame。　Madam　de　Buchwald　appears　to　me　a　very　estimable　person；　and　one　who　would　suit　you　much：　intelligent；　accomplished；　without　pretensions；　and　good…humored。　My　Brother　Henri　is　gone　to　see　them　to…day。　I　am　so　oppressed　with　grief；　that　I　would　rather　keep　my　sadness　to　myself。　I　have　reason　to　congratulate　myself　much　on　account　of　my　Brother　Henri；　he　has　behaved　like　an　angel；　as　a　soldier；　and　well　towards　me　as　a　Brother。　I　cannot；　unfortunately；　say　the　same　of　the　elder。　He　sulks　at　me　（IL　ME　BODE）；　and　has　sulkily　retired　to　Torgau；　from　whence；　I　hear；　he　is　gone　to　Wittenberg。　I　shall　leave　him　to　his　caprices　and　to　his　bad　conduct；　and　I　prophesy　nothing　good　for　the　future；　unless　the　younger　guide　him。〃　＇〃Kirschleben；　near　Erfurt；　17th　September；　1757〃　（　OEuvres　de　Frederic；　　xxvii。　i。　306）。＇　。。。
  This　is　part　of　a　long　sad　Letter　to　Wilhelmina；　parts　of　which　we　may　recur　to；　as　otherwise　illustrative。　But　before　going　into　that　tragic　budget　of　bad　news；　let　us　give　the　finale　of　Gotha；　which　occurred　the　next　day；tragi…comic　in　part；and　is　the　last　bit　of　action　in　those　dreary　four　weeks。
  GOTHA；　18th　SEPTEMBER。　〃Since　Thursday　15th；　Major…General　Seidlitz；〃　youngest　Major…General　of　the　Army；　but　a　rapidly　rising　man；　〃has　been　Commandant　in　Gotha；　under　flourishing　circumstances；　popular　and　supreme；　though　only　with　a　force　of　1；500；　dragoons　and　hussars。　Monday　morning　early；　Seidlitz's　scouts　bring　word　that　the　Soubise…Hildburghausen　people　are　in　motion　hitherward；　French　hussars　and　Austrian；　Turpin's；　Loudon's；　all　that　are；　grenadiers　in　mass；total；　say；　8；000　horse　and　foot；　with　abundance　of　artillery；have　been　on　march　all　night；　to　retake　Gotha；　with　all　the　Chief　Generals　and　Dignitaries　of　the　Army　following　in　their　carriages；　for　some　hours　past；　to　see　it　done。　Seidlitz；　ascertaining　these　things；　has　but　one　course　left；that　of　clearing　himself　out；　which　he　does　with　orderly　velocity：　and　at　9　A。M。　the　Dignitaries　and　their　8；000　find　open　gates；　Seidlitz　clean　off；　occupy　the　posts；　with　due　emphasis　and　flourish；　and　proceed　to　the　Schloss　in　a　grand　triumphant　way；　where　privately　they　are　not　very　welcome；　though　one　puts　the　best　face　on　it；　and　a　dinner　of　importance　is　the　first　thing　imperative　to　be　set　in　progress。　A　flurried　Court；　that　of　Gotha；　and　much　swashing　of　French　plumes　through　it；　all　this　morning；　since　Seidlitz　had　to　flit。
  〃Seidlitz　has　not　flitted　very　far。　Seidlitz　has　ranked　his　small　dragoon…hussar　force　in　a　hollow；　two　miles　off；　has　got　warning　sent　to　a　third　regiment　within　reach　of　him；　'Come　towards　me；　and　in　a　certain　defile；　visible　from　Gotha　eastward；　spread　yourselves　so　and　so！'and　judges　by　the　swashing　he　hears　of　up　yonder；　that　perhaps　something　may　still　be　done。　Dinner；　up　in　the　Schloss；　is　just　being　taken　from　the　spit；　and　the　swashing　at　its　height；　when'Hah　what　is　that；　though？'　and　all　plumes　pause。　For　it　is　Seidlitz；　artistically　spread　into　single　files；　on　the　prominent　points　of　vision；　advancing　again；　more　like　15；000　than　1；500：　'And　in　the　Defile　yonder；　that　regiment；　do　you　mark　it；　the　King's　vanguard；　I　should　say？To　horse！'
  〃That　is　Seidlitz's　fine　Bit　of　Painting；　hung　out　yonder；　hooked　on　the　sky　itself；　as　temporary　background　to　Gotha；　to　be　judged　of　by　the　connoisseurs。　For　pictorial　effect；　breadth　of　touch；　truth　to　Nature　and　real　power　on　the　connoisseur；　I　have　heard　of　nothing　equal　by　any　artist。　The　high　Generalcy；　Soubise；　Hildburghausen；　Darmstadt；　mount　in　the　highest　haste；　everybody　mounts；　happy　he　who　has　anything　to　mount；　the　grenadiers　tumble　out　of　the　Schloss；　dragoons；　artillery　tumble　out；　Dauphiness　takes　wholly　to　her　heels；　at　an　extraordinary　pace：　so　that　Seidlitz's　hussars　could　hardly　get　a　stroke　at　her；　caught　sixty　and　odd；　nine　of　them　Officers　not　of　mark；　did　kill　thirty；　and　had　such　a　haul　of　equipages　and　valuable　effects；　cosmetic　a　good　few　of　them；　habilatory；　artistic；　as　caused　the　hussar　heart　to　sing　for　joy。　Among　other　plunder；　was　Loudon's　Commission　of　Major…General；　just　on　its　road　from　Vienna　＇poor　Mannstein's　death　the　suggesting　cause；　say　some＇；undoubtedly　a　shining　Loudon；　to　whom　Friedrich；　next　day；　forwarded　the　Document　with　a　polite　Note。〃　＇　Helden…Geschichte；　　iv。　640；　Westphalen；　ii。　37；　　OEuvres　de　Frederic；　　iv；　147。＇'
  The　day　after　this　bright　feat　of　Seidlitz's；　which　was　a　slight　consolation　to　Friedrich；　there　came　a　Letter　from　the　Duchess；　not　of　compliment　only；　the　Letter　itself　had　to　be　burnt　on　the　spot；　being；　as　would　seem；　dangerous　for　the　High　Lady；　who　was　much　a　friend　of　Friedrich's。　Their　Correspondence；　very　polite　and　graceful；　but　for　most　part　gone　to　the　unintelligible　state；　and　become　vacant　and　spectral；　figures　considerably　in　the　Books；　and　was；　no　doubt；　a　considerable　fact　to　Friedrich。　His　Answer　on　this　occasion　may　be　given；　since　we　have　it；lest　there　should　not　elsewhere　be　opportunity　for　a　second　specimen。
  FRIEDRICH　TO　THE　GRAND…DUCHESS　OF　SACHSEN…GOTHA。
  〃KIRSCHLEBEN；　NEAB　ERFURT；　20th　September；　1757。
  〃MADAM；Nothing　could　happen　more　glorious　to　my　troops　than　that　of　fighting；　Madam；　under　your　eyes　and　for　your　defence。　I　wish　their　help　could　be　useful　to　you；　but　I　foresee　the　reverse。　If　I　were　obstinately　to　insist　on　maintaining　the　post　of　Gotha　with　Infantry；　I　should　ruin　your　City　for　you；　Madam；　by　attracting　thither　and　fixing　there　the　theatre　of　the　War；　whereas；　by　the　present　course；　you　will　only　have　to　suffer　little　rubs　（PASSADES）；　which　will　not　last　long。
  〃A　thousand　thanks　that　you　could；　in　a　day　like　yesterday；　find　the　moment　to　think　of　your　Friends；　and　to　employ　yourself　for　them。　＇Seidlitz's　attack　was　brisk；　quite　sudden；　with　an　effect　like　Harlequin's　sword　in　Pantomimes；　and　Gotha　in　every　corner；　especially　in　the　Schloss　below　and　ahove　stairs；dinner　cooked　for　A；　and　eaten　by　B；　in　that　manner；must　have　been　the　most　agitated　of　litt