King of Prussia and Voltaire.
Kings who affect to be familiar with their companions, make use of men as they do of oranges; they take oranges to extract their juice, and when they are well sucked they throw them away. The King of Prussia applied this observation to himself in his dispute with Voltaire.
To a daughter on her marriage.
Dear to my heart, as life’s warm stream
Which animates this mortal clay,
For thee I court the waking dream,
And deck with smiles the future day:
And thus beguile the present pain