he retrieved himself after wreck, and attained inde-pendence and dignity in his seclusion in Switzerland .
A member of the academy, and enjoying places atcourt, Voltaire , for a short interval, believed that heshould reach the goal he desired, and become the dic-tator of the literary world, under the protection of hissovereign. He was soon undeceived: Louis remem-bered too well cardinal de Fleuri’s lessons, not to regardhim with distrust and dislike. Madame de Pompadour watched the glances of the royal eye, and guided herselfby them. Crebillon was set up as Voltaire ’s successfulrival: he felt his immeasurable superiority, and wasfilled with scorn at the attempt made to bring them ona level. He struggled at first ; but still the court andpeople called out for Crebillon ; and, in a fit of disgust,he accepted the reiterated invitation of the king ofPrussia, hoping that a temporary absence might calmthe attacks of his enemies, and awaken the partiality ofthe people.
Frederic received his friend with transports of joy.His undisguised delight, his earnest request that hewould exchange Paris for Berlin permanently, the charmthat his talents spread over the poet’s life, and the se-curity he enjoyed, were all alluring. Frederic sparedno professions of friendship, no marks of real personalattachment ; more than once he kissed the poet’s hand,in a transport of admiration. This singular demon-stration of affection from man to man, more singularfrom king to author, helped, with many others in ad-dition, to enchain Voltaire . He, himself, assures usthat they turned his head. “ How could I resist,” hewrites, “ a victorious king, a poet, a musician, a philo-sopher, who pretended to love me ? I believed that Iloved him. I arrived in Potzdam in the month ofJune, 1750. Astolpho was not better received in thepalace of Alcina. To lodge in the apartment whichthe mareschal de Saxe had occupied, to have the king’scooks at my orders when I chose to eat in my ownrooms, and his coachmen when I wished to drive out,