Thus, Madame, did I pass my time at _Paris_, I kept the greatest and the gayest Company, and I had pretty good Fortune at Play, which, together with what was remitted to me from home, put me in a Condition to live there like a Prince. I made fresh Acquaintance every day, and they gave me fresh Pleasures, till I receiv'd News which troubled me very much, _viz._ the Death of our King _Frederic_ I. which happen'd on the 15th of _February_ this Year, and was occasion'd by one of the saddest Accidents that could have fallen out. 'Twas the Queen herself who in one of those Vertigo's, to which she had been for some time past subject, frighten'd the King so that he never recover'd it. It happen'd thus:
The Queen had for a long while given herself up to more than ordinary Devotion, and to a rigid Life not very agreeable to her natural Temper. But the Princess thought 'twas the best Course she could take, to stop the Mouths of those who had been so audacious as to give out that before her Marriage she was not always the Fondest of Retirement. The recluse and self-denying Life she led after Marriage, made her subject to Vapors, which ended in Frenzy, the Fits whereof were terrible. The King was not acquainted with her unhappy Disorder for a long time, till at last the Queen being one day in a more outragious Fit than ordinary, was so strong as to get loose from the Ladies that had the Care of her Person, and being but half dress'd, with her Hair dishevel'd, she went thro' a private Gallery to the King's Apartment. As she enter'd it she broke a Glass-Door, by which she cut both her Hands and Arms; and in this bloody pickle rush'd in upon the King like a Fury, and abus'd him with such Reproaches as would never have enter'd into the head of the poor Princess, if she had been well. The King, who was at the same time somewhat indispos'd, was taking a Nap in an easy Chair; but he started out of his Sleep, and imagin'd himself in the hands of a Ghost, every thing contributing to confirm him in that Notion. For the Queen having her Hair flying about her Temples, and no Clothes on but an Under-Petticoat, and a quilted Waistcoat of _Marseilles_ Linnen, and her Arms and Face being moreover of a Gore-Blood, the King fancy'd her to be the _White Woman_[42], and did so much believe that this Apparition was a certain Presage of his approaching Dissolution, that it threw him the same Instant into a Fever, which oblig'd him to take to his Bed, and he never recover'd it. This Prince lay ill for near six Weeks, during which he had the Consolation to see how dear he was to his Subjects; for one day as he thought himself a little better, so that the Physicians began to have hopes of his Recovery, he caus'd himself to be carry'd towards a Window, from whence he saw the whole Square full of People, who were offering up Vows to Heaven for his Life. This was so moving a Scene to him, that the generous Prince could not refuse a Tribute of Tears for the Tenderness of his People. But their Prayers were not heard; and his Majesty died at _Berlin_ with a Constancy and Courage worthy of him, after having given excellent Instructions to his Son the Prince Royal.