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'As I was staring about the town yesterday evening after my return from Sans Souci, I was tapped on the shoulder and informed that the King desired that I would come to sup with him at nine, so as it was half past eight, off I went to dress. By the by I did not tell you that after our dinner at Sans Souci the whole Court moved up to Berlin by railroad, thus I was at the Palace at nine.
From the very name of this place I augured that it would prove favourable to the inspirations of genius, and determined to date at least one of the chapters or letters of my future work from this delightful retreat, the Sans Souci of China. Full of this intention, I set out upon our expedition into Tartary.
There stands a statue of this strange, eccentric monarch, who, notwithstanding all that was bad, had so much in him that was good and true. It was from this palace that his lifeless remains were carried forth to rest in the Garrison Church, not far away. As at Sans Souci, remembrance of Frederick the Great crowds upon us in the Old Schloss also.
Not far away he made out the yacht's gig returning to the stage. "Sans Souci ahoy!" he almost screamed. "Head off that launch! There's murder done!" It was a hopeless effort, of course, though the sailors obeyed instantly, and bent to their oars. Soon they, too, vanished in the murk, but, finding they were completely outpaced, came back seeking for instructions which could not be given.
These formed an atajo or pack-train, guided and driven by the two beardless men of the party, who seemed to understand mule driving as thoroughly as if they had been trained to the calling of the arriero; and perhaps so had they been. The other two took no trouble with the pack-animals, but rode on in front, conversing sans souci, and in a somewhat jocular vein.
Sans-Souci, now glittering in the sunshine, seemed to greet and cheer him. These two laconic but expressive words, sans souci, smoothed the lines which the crown and its duties had laid upon his brow, and made his heart, which was so cold and weary, beat with the hopes and strength of youth.
On the subject of chimneys we shall agree. 'To-morrow I go to Sans Souci, the King arrives for dinner, and apartments are prepared there for me. Now my object will be to get away from my kind and excellent friend, for I cannot find another word so proper, but I must at the same time consult his wishes. 'My journey from Erdsmansdorff to Dresden was very prosperous, though it rained all day.
It is mighty well writing "Sans souci" over the gate; but where is the gate through which Care has not slipped?
I carried it myself, along with some others, to the king's palace at Sans Souci. The night of the first day of this month his majesty sent for me, and showed me the word tyrant on the vase: I had never seen it there till then.
So I sent the MS. to Sir John Herschel, who advised me by all means to publish it. It was very favourably reviewed by Sir Henry Holland in the "Quarterly," which tended much to its success. I afterwards sent a copy of a later edition to Baron Humboldt, who wrote me a very kind letter in return. A SANS SOUCI, ce 12 Juillet, 1849.
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