The world has never had
reason to complain of the scarcity of monarchs, at least in our time.
The good people who had never seen any of them pitched with equal
correctness first on one and then on another; Count Peter still
remained who he was.
At one time appeared amongst the guests at the Bath a tradesman, who
had made himself bankrupt in order to enrich himself; and who enjoyed
universal esteem, and had a broad though somewhat pale shadow. The
property which he had scraped together he resolved to lay out in
ostentation, and it even occurred to him to enter into rivalry with
me. I had recourse to my purse, and soon brought the poor devil to
such a pass that, in order to save his credit, he was obliged to
become bankrupt a second time, and hasten over the frontier. Thus
I got rid of him. In this neighborhood I made many idlers and
good-for-nothing fellows.
With all the royal splendor and expenditure by which I made all
succumb to me, I still in my own house lived very simply and retired.
I had established the strictest circumspection as a rule. No one
except Bendel, under any pretence whatever, was allowed to enter the
rooms which I inhabited. So long as the sun shone I kept myself shut
up there, and it was said "the Count is employed with his cabinet."
With this employment numerous couriers stood in connection, whom I,
for every trifle, sent out and received. I received company in the
evening only under my trees, or in my hall arranged and lighted
according to Bendel's plan.
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