“To-day—­at this moment.  Count Tessin, a special ambassador from Sweden, has just arrived.  I wish to give him a courtly reception.  You will make the necessary arrangements.  Enter at once upon the discharge of your functions.”

“I suppose, sire, that my salary also commences so soon as I begin the discharge of my duties?”

“I said nothing about a salary.  I promised you a pension; and, not wishing to maintain you in absolute idleness, I lay upon you these absurd and trifling duties.”

“Shall I not, then, receive two pensions, if I discharge the two functions?” said Pollnitz, in a low voice.

“You are an out-and-out scoundrel,” said Frederick, “but I know all your tricks.  I shall not follow my father’s example, who once asked you how much it required to maintain worthily a cavalier of rank, and you assured him that a hundred thousand thalers was not sufficient.  I grant you a pension of two thousand thalers, and I tell you it must suffice to support you creditably.  Woe to you, when you commence again your former most contemptible and miserable life! woe to you, when you again forget to distinguish between your own money and the money of others!  I assure you that I will never again pay one of your debts.  And in order that credulous men may not be so silly as to lend you money, I will make my wishes known by a printed order, and impose a tax of fifty thalers upon every man silly and bold enough to lend you money.  Are you content with this, and will you enter my service upon these terms?”

“Yes, on any conditions which your majesty shall please to lay upon me.  But when, in spite of this open declaration of your majesty, crazy people will still insist upon lending me money, you will admit, sire, in short, that it is not my debt, and I cannot be called upon for payment.”

“I will take such precautions that no one will be foolish enough to lend you money.  I will have it publicly announced that he who lends you money shall have no claim upon you, so that to lend you gold is to give you gold, and truly in such a way as to spare you even the trouble of thanks.  I will have this trumpted through every street.  Are you still content?”

“Oh, sire, you show me in this the greatest earthly kindness; you make me completely irresponsible.  Woe to the fools and lunatics who are mad enough to lend me money!  From this time onward, I shall never know a weary or listless moment.  I shall have always the cheering and inspiring occupation of winning the hearts of trusting and weak-minded dunces, and, by adroit sleight-of-hand, transferring the gold from their pockets to my own.”

“You are incorrigible,” said the king.  “I doubt if all mankind are made after the image of God.  I think many of the race resemble the devil, and I look upon you, Pollnitz, as a tolerably successful portrait of his satanic majesty.  I don’t suppose you will be much discomposed by this opinion.  I imagine you look upon God and the devil in very much the same light.”