Pisa is an agreeable place, where you may amuse yourself like a Queen; notwithstanding which I shall not stay above four weeks. Pray tell Bender, M——, and Werner, to prepare the King against my return. And what is that story about the Countess D—hoff? I hope he is not in earnest with that creature; don’t let things go so far as they went with the Countess I—heim. Let that be your care, dear A——. I have no objection if the King means nothing but a little amusement. At Vienna they are busy with the Imperial diploma for me. Keep a good watch, and let me know.
Dear little Rietz, I must be separated from you, for within six weeks I shall be a Countess. Be assured, at the same time, that all this will produce no alteration in our connexion. All shall remain on the old footing; we only change names.
Believe me, good boy, you and I act too conspicuous a part not to be envied. To silence the invidious, and to awe those who, through their exalted birth, might injure us, I am to be made Countess Lichtenau. The Court of Vienna has great influence, and its protection may be of use to me. All the return they expect for this is a mere trifle; nothing but an alliance against France. I am to persuade the King to it. When at Vienna I shall mention more of this plan to A——, Werner, and Bender. Till then farewell, my good Rietz, and clear the King’s lobbies of all those that can injure me in his affections.
Friend A——, tell Bender that an express from me will communicate a plan to him, by which the King is to be persuaded to undertake a journey to Pilnitz. The Court of Vienna then will send an invitation to the King, and the Ch——r de S—— accepts the interview. Could not it be contrived at the same time that the King goes to the review at Breslau? All must be done within a fortnight. Vienna is an enchanting place, and it has more charms for me than Berlin itself; there are a thousand varieties here. I am much courted by the great, and the letters the I——l ambassador has furnished me with are all good. The Chancery of the Empire has orders to dispatch my diploma, without any further expence than the usual fees paid on those occasions. The Emperor to-morrow sets out upon a journey to Bohemia, and seems to have the execution of some grand plan in view. Only persuade Bender to an interview at Pilnitz; we must furnish the King with amusement.
The courier of the camp has brought me the King’s invitation to Pilnitz. He has been presented with 200 ducats by the Emperor, and I have given him a gold repeater. Some of these days I go by Prague to Dresden, where elegant lodgings are prepared for me at the Hotel de Saxe. The intelligence that the Countess D—hoff has incurred the King’s displeasure, and that G—set has been ordered out of the country, has filled me with extacy; it is music to my ears. Bender and Werner are actually great men; indeed I did not take them to be masters of so much art and address. An excellent idea, to make the King believe that they intended to poison him! Now he can escape us no more, should he even wish it.
FROM DRESDEN.