at great length.] libel undoubtedly written by Voltaire, in a kind of fury; but not intended to be published by him; nay burnt and annihilated, as he afterwards imagined; No line of which, that cannot be otherwise proved, has a right to be believed; and large portions of which can be proved to be wild exaggerations and perversions, or even downright lies,--written in a mood analogous to the Frenzy of John Dennis.

This serves for the Biography or Private Character of Friedrich; imputing all crimes to him, natural and unnatural;--offering indeed, if combined with facts otherwise known, or even if well considered by itself, a thoroughly flimsy, incredible and impossible image.

Like that of some flaming Devil's Head, done in phosphorus on the walls of the black-hole, by an Artist whom you had locked up there (not quite without reason) overnight.
Poor Voltaire wrote that _ Vie Privee _ in a state little inferior to the Frenzy of John Dennis,--how brought about we shall see by and by.
And this is the Document which English readers are surest to have read, and tried to credit as far as possible.

Our counsel is, Out of window with it, he that would know Friedrich of Prussia! Keep it awhile, he that would know Francois Arouet de Voltaire, and a certain numerous unfortunate class of mortals, whom Voltaire is sometimes capable of sinking to be spokesman for, in this world!--Alas, go where you will, especially in these irreverent ages, the noteworthy Dead is sure to be found lying under infinite dung, no end of calumnies and stupidities accumulated upon him.

For the class we speak of, class of "flunkies doing _ saturnalia _ below stairs," is numerous, is innumerable; and can well remunerate a "vocal flunky" that will serve their purposes on such an occasion!-- Friedrich is by no means one of the perfect demigods; and there are various things to be said against him with good ground.