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Bowing profoundly, Count Mattzahn drew a dispatch from his pocket, and read in a loud, earnest voice. It was a manifesto from the King of Prussia, written by himself and addressed to all the European courts.
"Sire, I think he was there," said Count Mattzahn, laughing; "for it seems that the Prussians, led by their king, have taken the wings of the morning. Frederick was in Leipsic when the courier left he must now be on his way to Dresden.
But King Augustus, rising from his seat, said: "The ambassador of my royal brother can approach; I consent to grant him this audience; it is demanded in so strange a manner, it must surely have some important object." The count entered the royal tent. "Is it your majesty's wish," said Mattzahn, solemnly, "that all these noble guests shall be witnesses?
"How?" said the king; "Frederick of Prussia does us the honor to pass through our land without permission? He intends coming to Saxony?" "Sire," said Mattzahn, with a slight smile, "his majesty is already there! Yesterday his army, divided into three columns, passed the Saxon borders!" The king rose hastily from his seat.
Reinitz conducted the first negotiations with Menzel, which I then delivered into the hands of my ambassador in Dresden, Count Mattzahn. Menzel was poor and covetous. He was therefore easily to be bribed. For three years Mattzahn has received copies of every dispatch that passed between the three courts.
The King of Prussia wishes to surprise us in a manner worthy of the most skilful magician. Perhaps it is one of those April jests which Frederick II is so fond of practising." "Your excellency can judge for yourself," said Count Mattzahn, earnestly, "whether the taking of towns and fortresses is to be considered a jest.
The dispatches of the first were handed to me the same moment your majesties entered my house; I received the other just as Count Mattzahn arrived. I have, therefore, read neither." "With your majesty's permission," said Count Mattzahn, "I will inform you of their contents." "You will be doing me a great service," said the king, earnestly.
"The second dispatch," continued Count Mattzahn, smilingly, "informed his excellency Count Bruhl that the King of Prussia, my noble and victorious master, was pressing forward, and had also taken Leipsic without the slightest resistance!" "How!" said the king, "he is in Leipsic?"
"His majesty, my royal master," continued Count Mattzahn, in a loud voice, "has commissioned me to give your majesty the most quieting assurances, and to convince you that his march through Saxony has no purpose inimical to you, but that he only uses it as a passway to Bohemia." The king's countenance now became dark and stern, even the queen lost some of her haughty indifference.
Frederick appeared to attach special importance to the friendship of Saxony, and with none of his foreign ambassadors was he engaged in so active a correspondence as with Mattzahn.
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