Mühlbach Mühlbach epub Frederick the Great, and His Family, an Historical Novel (Classic Reprint)

The king laid his flute aside, and with his hands folded behind his back, walked thoughtfully up and down his room in Sans-S ouci. His countenance was now tranquil, his brow cloudless ;with the aid of music he had harmonized his soul, and the anger and displeasure he had so shortly before felt were soothed by the melodious notes of his flute. The king was no longer angry, but melancholy, and the smile that played on his lip was so resigned and painful that the brave Marquis d Argens would have wept had he seen it, and the stinging jest of Voltaire have been silenced. But neither the marquis nor Voltaire, nor any of his friends were at present in Potsdam. DA rgens was in France, with his young wife, Barbe Cochois ;V oltaire, after a succession of diflficulties and quarrels, had departed forever ;G eneral Rothenberg had also departed to a land fx om which no one returns he was dead !M ylord marshal had returned to Scotland, A lgarotti to I taly, and Bastiani still held his office in Breslau. Sans-S ouci, that had been heretofore the seat of joy and laughing wit Sans-S ouci was now still and lonely ;youth, beauty, and gladness had forsaken it forever; earnestness and duty had taken their place, and reigned in majesty within those walls that had so often echoed with the happy laugh and sparkling jest of the kings friends and contemporaries. Frederick thought of this, as with folded hands he walked up and down, and recalled the past. Sunk in deep thought, he remained standing before a picture that hung on the wall above his secretary, which represented Barbarina in the fascinating costume of a shepherdess, as he had seen her for the first time ten jeai-s ago ;it had been painted by Pesue for the king.(Typographical errors above are due to OCR software and don't occur in the book.)About the Publisher Forgotten Books is a publisher of historical writings, such as: Philosophy, Classics, Science, Religion,