A few moments later, Jordan, who had been for some days a guest at the castle of Charlottenburg, entered the king’s room.  Frederick advanced to meet him, and extended both hands affectionately.  “Good-morning, Jordan,” said he, gazing into the wan, thin face of his friend, with the most earnest sympathy.  “I hope you had a refreshing night.”

“I have had a charming night, for I was dreaming of your majesty,” he replied, with a soft smile.

Frederick sighed, released his hands, and stepped back a few paces.  “Your majesty?” repeated he.  “Why do you lay so cold a hand upon that heart which beats so warmly for you?  To what purpose is this etiquette?  Are we not alone? and can we not accord to our souls a sweet interchange of thought and feeling without ceremony?  Do we not understand and love each other?  Forget, then, for awhile, dear Jordan, all these worldly distinctions.  You see I am still in my morning-dress.  I do not, like the poor kings upon the stage, wear my crown and sceptre in bed, or with my night-dress.”

Jordan gazed lovingly and admiringly upon his great friend.  “You need no crown upon your brow to show to the world that you are a king by the grace of God.  The majesty of greatness is written upon your face, my king.”

“That,” said Frederick with light irony, “is because we princes and kings are acknowledged to be the exact image of the Creator, the everlasting Father.  As for you, and all the rest of the race, you dare not presume to compare yourselves with us.  Probably you are made in the image of the second and third persons of the Trinity, while we carry upon our withered and wearisome faces the quintessence of the Godhead.”

“Alas! alas, sire, if our pious priest heard you, what a stumbling-block would he consider you!”

The king smiled.  “Do you know, Jordan,” said he gravely, “I believe God raised me up for this special mission, to be a rock of offence to these proud and worldly priests, and to trample under foot their fooleries and their arrogance?  I look upon that as the most important part of my mission upon earth, and I am convinced that I am appointed to humble this proud church, the vain and arrogant work of hypocritical priests, and to establish in its place the pure worship of God.”

“Yes, yes,” said Jordan, shrugging his shoulders; “if the mass of men had the clear intellect of a Frederick! if their eyes were like those of my royal eagle, to whom it is given to gaze steadfastly at the sun without being dazzled.  Alas! sire, the most of our race resemble you so little!  They are all like the solemn night-owls, who draw a double curtain over their eyes, lest the light should blind them.  The church serves as this double eyelid for the night-owls among men, or, rather, the churches, for the cunning and covetousness of those priests has not been satisfied with one church, but has established many.”