GELLERT. "And, on the whole, various reasons may be given why the Germans have not yet distinguished themselves in every kind of writing. While Arts and Sciences were in their flower among the Greeks, the Romans were still busy in War. Perhaps this is the Warlike Era of the Germans:--perhaps also they have yet wanted Augustuses and Louis-Fourteenths!" KING. "How, would you wish one Augustus, then, for all Germany?" GELLERT. "Not altogether that; I could wish only that every Sovereign encouraged men of genius in his own country." KING (starting a new subject). "Have you never been out of Saxony?" GELLERT. "I have been in Berlin." KING. "You should travel." GELLERT. "IHRO MAJESTAT, for that I need two things,--health and means." KING. "What is your complaint? Is it DIE GELEHRTE KRANKHEIT (Disease of the Learned," Dyspepsia so called)? "I have myself suffered from that. I will prescribe for you. You must ride daily, and take a dose of rhubarb every week." GELLERT. "ACH, IHRO MAJESTAT: if the horse were as weak as I am, he would be of no use to me; if he were stronger, I should be too weak to manage him." (Mark this of the Horse, however; a tale hangs by it.) KING. "Then you must drive out." GELLERT. "For that I am deficient in the means." KING. "Yes, that is true; that is what Authors (GELEHRTE) in Deutschland are always deficient in. I suppose these are bad times, are not they?" GELLERT. "JA WOHL; and if your Majesty would grant us Peace (DEN FRIEDEN GEBEN WOLLTEN)--" KING. "How can I? Have not you heard, then? There are three of them against me (ES SIND JA DREI WIDER MICH)!" GELLERT. "I have more to do with the Ancients and their History than with the Moderns." KING (changing the topic). "What do you think, is Homer or Virgil the finer as an Epic Poet?" GELLERT. "Homer, as the more original." KING. "But Virgil is much more polished (VIEL POLIRTER)." GELLERT. "We are too far removed from Homer's times to judge of his language. I trust to Quintilian in that respect, who prefers Homer." KING. "But one should not be a slave to the opinion of the Ancients." GELLERT. "Nor am I that. I follow them only in cases where, owing to the distance, I cannot judge for myself." MAJOR ICILIUS (again giving a slight fillip or suggestion). "He," the Herr Professor here, "has also treated of GERMAN LETTER-WRITING, and has published specimens." KING. "So? But have you written against the CHANCERY STYLE, then" (the painfully solemn style, of ceremonial and circumlocution; Letters written so as to be mainly wig and buckram)? GELLERT. "ACH JA, that have I, IHRO MAJESTAT!" KING. "But why doesn't it change? The Devil must be in it (ES IST ETWAS VERTEUFELTES). They bring me whole sheets of that stuff, and I can make nothing of it!" GELLERT. "If your Majesty cannot alter it, still less can I. I can only recommend, where you command." KING. "Can you repeat any of your Fables?" GELLERT. "I doubt it; my memory is very treacherous."