Enough, enough!-- August 28th, 1763, while afflicted Polish Majesty is making his packages at Warsaw, far away,--Marie-Antoinette, in Dresden, had sent Friedrich an Opera of her composing, just brought out by her on her Court-theatre there.

Here is Friedrich's Answer,--to what kind of OPERA I know not, but to a Letter accompanying it which is extremely pretty.
FRIEDRICH TO THE ELECTORAL PRINCESS (at Dresden).
"POTSDAM, 5th September, 1763.
"MADAM MY SISTER,--The remembrance your Royal Highness sends is the more flattering to me, as I regret infinitely not to have been spectator and hearer of the fine things [Opera THALESTRIS, words and music entirely lost to us] which I have admired for myself in the silent state.
"I wish I could send you things as pleasant out of these parts: but, Madam, I am obliged to give you a hint, which may be useful if you can have it followed.

In Saxony, however, my Letters get opened;--which obliges me to send this by a special Messenger; and him, that he may cause no suspicion, I have charged with fruits from my garden.

You will have the goodness to say [if anybody is eavesdropping] that you asked them of me at Moritzburg, when I was happy enough to see you there [six months ago, coming home from the Seven-Years War].

The hint I had to give was this:-- "In Petersburg people's minds are getting angry at the stubbornness your friends show in refusing to recognize Duke Bieren [home from Siberia, again Duke of Courland, by Russian appointment, as if Russia had that right; Polish Majesty and his Prince Karl resisting to the uttermost].
I counsel you to induce the powerful in your circle to have this condescension [they have had it, been obliged to have it, though Friedrich does not yet know]; for it will turn out ill to them, if they persist in being obstinately stiff.