Potsdam 27 9^bre n. s. [1751]

Dear s^r,

The printers at Berlin are not so carefull and so diligent in working for me, as you are beneficent and ready to favour y^r friends.
They have not yet finish'd their edition; and J am affraid the winter season shall not be convenient to direct to you by the way of Hambourg the tedious lump of books j have threaten'd you with. However j'll make use of y^r kind benevolence towards y^r old friend as soon as possible. J wish j could carry the pacquet my self and enjoy again the consolation to see you, to pay my respects to y^r family, to be the witness of y^r happiness.

Methinks fortune uses you as you deserve, you are like to be the secretary and the confident, not of a prince meerly a prince, but of a regent of three kingdoms.

For my part j am in my humble way more fortunate than j could ever hope to be. I do live with a pouverfull king who is no king at all to the few men he converses with. J have just nothing to do but to supp with him, enjoy all my time, read, scrible, and cultivate my mind. J live free near a king and J am pay'd for being happy. We have in our royal and philosofical retreat some foreigners learned and witty who are good company. Our days are quiet, our conversations chearful. I think there is not such a court in the whole world; for it is no court at all except some days in winter dedicated to pageantry and to princely vanity. But in those days of turbulent magnificence, j lock my self up carefully at home.

Thus j saunter away my old age, till my distempers which j humour as much as j can, make me utterly unfit for Kings, and then j'll take my leave from the noblest and the most easy slavery. Should j live with you, j would not part. One may grow old and doat with a friend but not with a King. Farewell good s^r, j am from the bottom of my heart y^r for ever,

Volt.