Mitchell and Quintus Icilius, who are often urging on the King that a new German Literature is springing up, of far more importance than the King thinks, have spoken much to him of Gellert the Trismegistus;--and at length, in the course of a ten days from Friedrich's arrival here, actual Interview ensues. The DIALOGUE, though it is but dull and watery to a modern palate, shall be given entire, for the sake of one of the Interlocutors. The Report of it, gleaned gradually from Gellert himself, and printed, not long afterwards, from his manuscripts or those of others, is to be taken as perfectly faithful. Gellert, writing to his inquiring Friend Rabener (a then celebrated Berlin Wit), describes, from Leipzig, "29th January, 1760," or about six weeks after the event: "How, one day about the middle of December, Quintus Icilius suddenly came to my poor lodging here, to carry me to the King." Am too ill to go. Quintus will excuse me to-day; but will return to-morrow, when no excuse shall avail. Did go accordingly next day, Thursday, 18th December, 4 o'clock of the afternoon; and continued till a quarter to 6. "Had nothing of fear in speaking to the King. Recited my MALER ZU ATHEN." King said, at parting, he would send for me again. "The English Ambassador [Mitchell], an excellent man, was probably the cause of the King's wish to see me.... The King spoke sometimes German, sometimes French; I mostly German." [_Gellert's Briefwechsel mit Demoiselle Lucius, herausgegeben von F. A. Ebert_ (Leipzig, 1823), pp. 629, 631.] As follows:-- KING. "Are you (ER) the Professor Gellert?" GELLERT. "Yea, IHRO MAJESTAT." KING. "The English Ambassador has spoken highly of you to me. Where do you come from?" GELLERT. "From Hainichen, near Freyberg." KING. "Have not you a brother at Freyberg?" GELLERT. "Yea, IHRO MAJESTAT." KING. "Tell me why we have no good German Authors." MAJOR QUINTUS ICILIUS (puts in a word). "Your Majesty, you see here one before you;--one whom the French themselves have translated, calling him the German La Fontaine!" KING. "That is much. Have you read La Fontaine?" GELLERT. "Yes, your Majesty; but have not imitated: I am original (ICH BIN EIN ORIGINAL)." KING. "Well, this is one good Author among the Germans; but why have not we more?" GELLERT. "Your Majesty has a prejudice against the Germans." KING. "No; I can't say that (Nein; das kann ich nicht sagen)." GELLERT. "At least, against German writers." KING. "Well, perhaps. Why have we no good Historians? Why does no one undertake a Translation of Tacitus?" GELLERT. "Tacitus is difficult to translate; and the Frenoh themselves have but bad translations of him." KING. "That is true (DA HAT ER RECHT)."