273.] HAVE BEEN LAYING IT ON TOO THICK (No date; IN VERSE).--"Marcus Aurelius was wont to"-- (Well, we know who that is: What of Marcus, then ?)--"A certain lover of his glory [STILL IN VERSE] spoke once, at Supper, of a magnanimity of Marcus's;--at which Marcus [flattery too thick] rather gloomed, and sat quite silent,--which was another fine saying of his [ENDS VERSE, STARTS PROSE]:-- "Pardon, Sire, some hearts that are full of you! To justify myself, I dare supplicate your Majesty to give one glance at this Letter (lines pencil-marked), which has just come from M.de Chauvelin, Nephew of the famous GARDE-DES-SCEAUX.

Your Majesty cannot gloom at him, writing these from the fulness of his heart; nor at me, who"-- Pooh; no, then! Perhaps do you a NICHE again,--poor restless fellow! [Ib.

280.] POTSDAM PALACE (No date): SIRE, NZAY I CHANGE MY ROOM ?...

"I ascend to your antechambers, to find some one by whom I may ask permission to speak with you.

I find nobody: I have to return:" and what I wanted was this, "your protection for my SIECLE DE LOUIS QUATORZE, which I am about to print in Berlin." Surely,--but also this:-- "I am unwell, I am a sick man born.