Frederick thought coffee too expensive an indulgence for common use in
his kingdom, saying he was himself reared on beer soup, which was surely
good enough for peasants and common fellows, as he called his people. He
wrote directions to his different cooks with his own hand the better to
pamper his appetite with every variety of the dishes and sauces he liked
best. He stinted Voltaire in sugar while a guest in his palace, or gave
it to him cheap and bad. He praised him face to face, and ridiculed him
behind his back. Napoleon played blind-man's buff at St. Helena. He lost
his temper at his coronation on perceiving that some of the princesses
of his family who were to act as trainbearers were not in their right
places. Caesar was versed in all the ceremonials of State. It was said
that he would even have been a perfect Roman gentleman but for a habit
of putting one of his fingers in his hair. Yet such a master of forms
gave grave offence to the Roman Senate by not rising when they intended
him a compliment; so unwise was he in small things. Cromwell in a frolic
threw a cushion at Ludlow, who in turn threw one at him. He bedaubed
with ink the face of one of the justices, who, with Cromwell himself,
had just been condemning Charles to the block. Peter the Great travelled
about with a pet monkey, which unceremoniously jumped upon the King of
England's shoulder when the latter visited the Czar in London.
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