One of his Berlin Concert people who had been sent for was Fasch, a virtuoso on I know not what instrument,--but a man given to take note of things about him.

Fasch was painfully surprised to see his King so altered in the interim past: "bent now, sunk into himself, grown old; to whom these five years of war-tumult and anxiety, of sorrow and hard toil, had given a dash of gloomy seriousness and melancholy, which was in strong contrast with his former vividly bright expression, and was not natural to his years." [Zelter's _Life of Fasch_ (cited in PREUSS, ii.

278).] From D'Argens there is one authentic Anecdote, worth giving.

One evening D'Argens came to him; entering his Apartment, found him in a situation very unexpected; which has been memorable ever since.

"One evening [there is no date to it, except vaguely, as above, December, 1760-March, 1761], D'Argens, entering the King's Apartment, found him sitting on the ground with a big platter of fried meat, from which he was feeding his dogs.